Seat of the Muse

Muse Moment: 5 Things You Actually Need to Know Before Your First Fundraise 19.06.2026 5min

Founder & CEO of Whering Bianca Rangecroft shares 5 crucial things to know when fundraising for the first time.

29. 10 Million Wardrobes, Zero Lines of Code | Bianca Rangecroft, Whering 28.05.2026 57min

This week's Muse is Bianca Rangecroft, founder and CEO of Whering, the Clueless-inspired wardrobe app now used by over 10 million people across the world to digitise, see and style what they already own. Bianca spent years in finance working on consumer IPOs including Stitch Fix and Farfetch, where she saw firsthand how much the world buys and how little it actually wears.In this episode, Bianca opens up about what it actually took to build Whering without writing a line of code, the freemium business model that has powered its growth, scaling from 20,000 downloads in month one to over 10 million users today, raising more than £10 million quietly, and her bigger thesis on treating your wardrobe like an asset class.This conversation is for the founder who can't code but can see the product, the over-shopper trying to do better, and anyone curious how a 10-million-user app gets built without the usual fanfare.LINKSFollow Bianca: https://www.instagram.com/biancarangecroft/Explore Whering: https://whering.co.uk/Follow Seat of the Muse: https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/

Muse Moment: Elevate Founder Julia on Opening in Selfridges 24.05.2026 6min

Founder Julia Baldet shares how, just under a year after opening her first location, Elevate landed a spot in the iconic Selfridges and the slightly unexpected chain of events that made it happen.

28. From Private Equity to a Smoothie Empire | Julia Baldet, Elevate 14.05.2026 47min

This week's Muse is Julia Baldet, founder and CEO of Elevate, London's first functional smoothie bar. She opened her first store not in Notting Hill but in the Royal Exchange, picked with a clicker and a hunch. A year in, she's been called London's answer to Erewhon, opened a second location inside Selfridges, and is quietly running one of the most impressive consumer brands the City has seen in years.In this episode, we explore what it actually takes to leave a high-status career behind, from the slow unravelling of her finance years to the moment she finally gave herself permission to go, and the identity shift of going from "I work in private equity" to "I run a smoothie bar."Julia also opens up about the months between leaving finance and opening Elevate, working as a barista herself while raising a £400k pre-seed, the unconventional bet that was the Royal Exchange, building Elevate in public on TikTok, and the peak-hour numbers that genuinely floored me.This conversation is for the would-be founder still sitting in a high-status seat, the consumer brand builder starting from scratch, and anyone quietly wondering who they'd be without the title.LINKSFollow Julia: instagram.com/juliabaldetExplore Elevate Wellness: https://elevatewellness.uk/Follow Seat of the Muse: instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast

27. Own your Favorite Club: How Hadi Halabi Democratised Sports and Opened Access to a New Asset Class 29.04.2026 39min

This week’s Muse is Hadi Halabi, an entrepreneur building a new way to invest in sports.After starting his career in investment banking, Hadi went into entrepreneurship to co found Stryde, a platform with a mission to democratize private markets by opening the door to opportunities that were once reserved for institutions and large investors.In this conversation, we explore his transition from banking to building, the discipline required to spend more than a year navigating legal and regulatory hurdles before launching, and what it takes to create trust in a new financial category.We also unpack how sport is evolving into an investment opportunity, from valuations and ownership structures to the role of media, technology, and long term growth, and what investors should understand before stepping into this space.This episode is about entrepreneurship, access, risk, and the business behind the game.LINKS:Check out Stryde here: https://gostryde.com/Follow Seat of the Muse socials here: https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

26. Starting a PE Firm at 25: Cyril Abou Jaoude on Raising Capital, Winning Deals and Scaling to €100M 15.04.2026 43min

This week’s Muse is Cyril Abou Jaoude, who co-founded Tioopo Capital in 2020 alongside his partners Grégoire Louisy and Shahan Sarkissian, at a time when most professionals in finance are still building experience. Together, they set out to acquire and grow established small and mid-sized businesses across Europe, focusing on companies with strong fundamentals and long-term potential.Five years later, the firm manages around €100 million in assets under management and supports a portfolio of businesses employing hundreds of people. Tioopo’s model focuses on partnering closely with management teams, improving operations, and helping companies scale, creating value through hands-on involvement in the businesses they invest in.In this conversation, we unpack what it actually takes to build and run a private equity firm from the ground up, from raising capital and sourcing deals to making decisions under pressure and earning credibility as the youngest person in the room. Cyril walks us through how opportunities are evaluated, how risks are managed, and how judgment evolves when you move from learning the business to leading it.We also explore what working in private equity really looks like: the skills that matter, the discipline behind good investments, and the realities of building a firm early in your career.This conversation is about how private equity really works behind the scenes and what it takes to step into responsibility earlier than most.LINKS:Check out Tioopo here: https://www.tioopocapital.com/Connect with Cyril here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyril-aboujaoude/Follow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

25. What it Really Takes to Own an Art Gallery: Kalim Bechara on Trust, Taste and Arab Art 27.03.2026 39min

This week’s Muse is Kalim Bechara, Lebanese art curator, collector, and founder of Kalim Bechara Art Gallery in Beirut. In this episode, Kalim takes us inside the reality of owning and running an art gallery, from the early days and challenges to the relationships that sustain trust between artists, collectors, and institutions. We explore what it truly means to build a gallery, how he developed his eye as both a collector and curator, and why education remains at the heart of a serious gallery.We also discuss the growing momentum behind Arab art, how value is shaped beyond price, and why collecting art is not just about ownership, but about legacy.This conversation is about the business behind the art, the responsibility of building cultural spaces, and the rising global presence of Arab artists.LINKSVisit https://kalimbecharaartgallery.com/Follow Kalim here: https://www.instagram.com/kalimbecharagallery/Follow Seat of the Muse: https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/

24. Pastry Chef, Author & Founder: How Philip Khoury turned his passion into his life's work 13.03.2026 46min

This week’s Muse is Philip Khoury, pastry chef, author, and founder of Khoury’s.Formerly Head Pastry Chef at Harrods, Phil has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of modern plant-based pastry, combining classical technique with bold experimentation.In this episode, we talk about his path through the world of fine pastry, the decision to step out on his own, the story behind his books A New Way to Bake and Beyond Baking, and how he’s now building a chocolate brand inspired by flavours from cities around the world.This conversation is about craft, creativity, and the many worlds of Phil Khoury.LINKSFollow Philip: https://www.instagram.com/philkhoury/Explore the Khoury's chocolates: https://khourys.co/Follow Seat of the Muse: https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/

23. Integrative Nutrition & Gut Health: How Tia Maria Built TMDWELLNESS 25.02.2026 39min

This week’s Muse is Tia Maria, triple-certified integrative nutritionist and founder of TMDWELLNESS, specialising in gut and hormone health. Her mission is to empower people to create sustainable change through a holistic, habit-based approach to wellbeing.In this episode, we explore what integrative nutrition really means and why food doesn’t work in isolation, from gut health and daily routines to the lifestyle factors that shape how we feel long term.Tia also opens up about reinventing her own path, starting her practice from scratch, and what it takes to build a career aligned with purpose in a demanding world.This conversation is about real health, real habits, and creating lasting change, from the inside out.LINKSFollow Tia: https://www.instagram.com/tmdwellness/Explore TMDWELLNESS here: https://www.tmdwellness.com/Follow Seat of the Muse: https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/

22. What Makes a Restaurant a Hotspot? Yaroslava Malkova on Creating London's Most In-Demand Tables 11.02.2026 1j 6min

This week’s Muse is Yaroslava Malkova, a foodie working in food, and the Global brand director of 971 Hospitality. She is the creative mind behind some of London’s most in-demand restaurants, including Nina, Zephyr, Bottarga and Lagana.In this episode, Yara answers the question everyone's dying to know: how do you actually land a role like hers, and end up shaping the restaurants everyone’s trying to get into? She shares how she broke into hospitality, how these concepts were built from the ground up, and what it really takes to turn an opening into a hotspot.Whether you live in London or are planning a trip to the city, these are the places people keep recommending, booking, and talking about. We go behind the scenes from the origin of the names to the ideas behind the menus, the atmosphere, and the creative decisions that brought multiple restaurants to life in just three years.If you’ve ever wondered why some restaurants become the hardest tables in town and what actually creates the buzz, this episode is for you.LINKSFollow Yara: https://www.instagram.com/yaroslavamalkova/Check out all the restaurants: https://www.pachamamagroup.com/restaurantshttps://www.instagram.com/ninamarylebone/https://www.instagram.com/bottargalondon/https://www.instagram.com/laganalondon/https://www.instagram.com/zephyrnottinghill/https://www.instagram.com/zephyrmonaco/Follow Seat of the Muse:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/LOOK OUT FOR THE DINNER GIVEAWAYS ON INSTAGRAM!

21. Building Worlds on Screen: Mounia Akl on Architecture, Film & Netflix's House of Guinness 12.11.2025 45min

This week’s Muse is Mounia Akl, Lebanese director, writer, and (sometimes) actress whose work blurs the line between structure and emotion.Trained as an architect before turning to film, Mounia built her voice through stories rooted in Beirut before stepping onto Global sets, including directing episodes of Steven Knight’s House of Guinness on Netflix.We talk about her first time on set, how architecture still shapes her eye for storytelling, and what it truly means to direct before, during, and long after the camera rolls. She shares how Beirut, I Love You became her unexpected film school, the courage it took to leave the safe path - a leap that would later lead to her debut feature Costa Brava, Lebanon - and how acting in A Sad and Beautiful World by Cyril Aris reconnected her with emotion and uncertainty.And then, The House of Guinness, the 19th-century drama that had audiences (and myself) holding their breath. We talk about building tension in silence, the challenge of stepping into a world not her own, and the infamous cliffhanger that left even her friends demanding answers.This is a conversation about creative risk, emotional truth, and the invisible architecture behind every story.LINKS:Follow Mounia here: https://www.instagram.com/mounia.akl/Check out Mounia's work here: https://www.mouniaakl.com/work-1Follow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

Muse Moment: Two Sisters, Two Takes on Building a Personal Brand 03.11.2025 4min

Snippet from the full episode with sisters and co-founders Lydia and Amelia Miller on building a personal brand.Full episode link here: https://youtu.be/sDABortrHWY?si=k2NmBiFm1uH3UmCP

20. The Best Pitch in the Den and the Women Behind It: Amelia & Lydia Miller on Building Ivee 22.10.2025 48min

Peter Jones called it the best pitch he’d ever heard in the Den, but this story starts at home.This week’s Muse is a double one with sisters Lydia and Amelia Miller, co-founders of Ivee , the platform rethinking return to work after career breaks.Within a year, they went from idea to investment, from Techstarts and Balderton Capital to BBC's Dragon's Den, where Peter Jones called their pitch the best he’d ever heard. They walked in asking for £75,000 for 3% equity, and walked out with two Dragons: Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden - investing £87,500 for 8%, plus office space in Steven's penthouse.We talk about life before Ivee, the moment that sparked it, and what it takes to turn empathy into technology. We also unpack the data behind the gender pay gap, the role of AI in fair hiring, what really happened behind the scenes in the Den, and how the sisters are navigating visibility, leadership, and purpose.This is a conversation about ambition, sisterhood, and building something bigger than yourself. LINKS:Follow Amelia here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia--miller/Follow Lydia here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-miller-/Check out the Ivee Platform here: https://ivee.jobs/Follow Ivee here: https://www.instagram.com/ivee.jobs/?hl=enFollow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

19. Inside Dukes Bar with Alessandro Palazzi: The Man Who Perfected James Bond’s Martini 08.10.2025 43min

This week’s Muse is Alessandro Palazzi acclaimed head bartender and enduring face of Dukes Bar, one of London’s most iconic institutions and the birthplace of James Bond’s legendary Vesper Martini. For nearly five decades, Alessandro has embodied old-world hospitality - from the George V in Paris to The Savoy in London and since 2007, at the helm of Dukes. A place that feels like a private club without needing to be one, Dukes is a world built on legacy, ritual, and trust.We talk about what defines true service today, the story behind the Vesper Martini, how Ian Fleming’s imprint still shapes the bar, and the quiet details that make Dukes unlike anywhere else.Alessandro opens up about the emotional intelligence behind great hospitality — how to sense when to lean in, when to give space, and how to connect with guests beyond the drink. He reflects on the balance between presence and distance, the thinking behind the famous two-martini rule, and what it means to protect an institution’s soul while keeping it alive in the modern world.And beyond the bar, we touch on his unexpected film cameo alongside Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively in the movie Another Simple Favor, a moment where he simply played himself.This is a conversation about legacy, ritual, and the humanity behind timeless craft.LINKS:Follow Alessandro here:https://www.instagram.com/alessandro_palazzi/?hl=enFollow Dukes Bar here:https://www.instagram.com/dukesbarlondon/?hl=enFollow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

18. From Restaurants to Members’ Club: Laurel Tchitembo on the Art of Hosting & Running the House of KOKO 24.09.2025 50min

This week’s Muse is Laurel Tchitembo, General Manager of The House of KOKO in London. Laurel and I first met years ago at Folie, where he worked in the restaurant before moving into the world of private members’ clubs. Today, he runs the food and beverage operations at one of the most exclusive venues in the city.In this episode, we trace his journey in hospitality and unpack the difference between running a restaurant and orchestrating a members’ club. We go behind the scenes of his role - what it actually means to oversee The House of KOKO, and how he manages the countless details that make the operation run smoothly. We then dive into the members dynamic: how to keep things professional while building genuine relationships, and what it takes to create seamless experiences for a diverse and discerning community. Finally, Laurel shares tales from the floor - from the craziest requests to the most touching moments that remind him why he chose this path.Through his story, we get a rare glimpse into the world of private clubs, and the human side of hospitality that keeps it all alive.LINKS:Follow the Club here: https://www.instagram.com/thehouseofkoko/?hl=enDiscover the Club and apply for a membership here: https://www.thehouseofkoko.com/Follow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemusepodcast/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

17. No Small Talk at the Table: Carolina Gawronski on Connection, Vulnerability & Questions that Matter 10.09.2025 39min

This week’s Muse is Carolina Gawronski, conversationalist, human behaviour expert, and founder of No Small Talk - a platform that turns the simple act of gathering into something far richer.A few months ago now, I walked into a dinner expecting small talk and social niceties - instead, my phone was taken away, and I was handed a single card with a question. No titles, no bios, no filters - just strangers leaning into depth. That was the No Small Talk experience.In this episode, Carolina shares why she created No Small Talk and how questions can be used as tools for intimacy, trust, and connection. We discuss why loneliness is rising even in crowded cities, what’s lost when we default to surface conversation, and what’s gained when we choose to go deeper. Carolina also reveals how she designs her evenings that gradually move strangers from awkwardness to vulnerability. If you’ve ever felt the weight of loneliness in a crowded room, or wondered how to build more meaningful conversations in your life, this episode will make you rethink the way you connect.LINKS:Follow NST here: https://www.instagram.com/nosmalltalk.world/Book a dinner experience here: https://www.nosmalltalk.world/Follow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemuse/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

Muse Moment: Olive Oil Sommelier Answers 10 Rapid Fire Questions 26.08.2025 1min

Snippet from Episode 2 with Olive Oil Sommelier Mazen Assaf.

16. Why She Quit Wall Street: Francesca Launches Bianca Arte for Next-gen Art Collectors 13.08.2025 36min

This week’s Muse is Francesca Inglima, who spent eight years at top tier U.S. investment banks before stepping into the Art world. After studying at Sotheby’s she founded Bianca Arte, a cultural salon for the next generation of art collectors.In this episode, we explore the leap from finance to art, the skills that translate across both worlds, how she found the courage to leave, and how her definition of success evolved from corporate life to entrepreneurship. Francesca also shares a few artists she loves and what a new client can expect at Bianca Arte: beginning by discovering artists together through exhibitions and studio visits, and developing a shared eye.This episode invites you to take ownership of your path, choose meaning over certainty, and do the work you love.LINKS:Follow Bianca Arte here: https://www.instagram.com/bianca_arte_/?hl=enExplore Bianca Arte and become a client here: https://www.biancarte.com/Follow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemuse/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

15. Building 16mm Bar: Hady Chehlaoui on Bringing His Vision to Life Amid Lebanon's Toughest Times 30.07.2025 31min

This week's Muse is Hady Chehlaoui, the owner of 16mm, a bar in the heart of Beirut's liveliest district Gemmayzeh. In this raw conversation, Hady takes us through his incredible journey of resilience, navigating some of Lebanon's most difficult challenges. From the upheaval of revolution and the global COVID pandemic to surviving the devastating 2020 Beirut blast, Hady shares how these events shaped both his business and personal life.But it’s not just about surviving, it's about thriving. Hady opens up about the importance of community, the hurdles of building a business in such a volatile environment, and the unbreakable spirit that has kept him moving forward. This is a powerful testament to the determination required to keep a vision alive in a city that constantly challenges you.LINKS:Follow 16mm bar here: https://www.instagram.com/16mm.beirut/?hl=enFollow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemuse/https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

14. Inside Beirut’s Hottest Social Wellness Club: Farah Dagher on Co-founding Origin Circle 16.07.2025 43min

This week's Muse is Farah Dagher, co-founder of Origin Circle, Beirut's first social wellness club. What started as a conversation between two best friends on holiday quickly became a sanctuary for movement, recovery, and human connection. In this episode, Farah shares the full behind-the-scenes of launching Origin Circle with her co-founder Michelle - from diving in headfirst with no team, to navigating the unexpected realities of building a business in Lebanon.Origin Circle has since become the most talked-about wellness club in Beirut, with a regional spotlight that grew even brighter after a collaboration with Alo Yoga ahead of the brand’s store opening. Farah reflects on the lessons, surprises, and intentional choices that brought the space to life.LINKS:Follow Origin Circle here: https://www.instagram.com/origincircle/Explore the space and classes here: https://www.origincircle.org/Follow Seat of the Muse socials here:https://www.instagram.com/seatofthemuse/ https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhostcarine

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