Girl Get A Real Job

Three inspiring creatives share their journeys and learnings about entrepreneurship in this honest panel talk hosted by Sara Kärpänen, the founder of Women of the Wick media and host of Girl Get A Real Job podcast.

The episode is packed with nuggets of wisdom and personal learnings from the field of art, design, and fashion, recorded at ⁠⁠the London Made Me⁠⁠ pop-up shop on Carnaby Street in December 2023.

⁠The London Made Me⁠ shop is powered by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London as part of his flagship Creative Enterprise Zone programme.

Meet our talented speakers:

Joke Amusan is a German-Nigerian textile artist based in London. Her art practice highlights the experiences and complex beauty of what it means to be a Black woman – through the exploration of identity and heritage.

Asya Ter-Hovakimyan is a womenswear designer and the co-founder of sustainable fashion brand Omniss. The Hackney Wick based brand was set in 2021 and has already been featured in the likes of Forbes and Drapes.

Madelyn Dransfield is an Australian born, London-based award-winning interior designer and the co-founder of Happy Place Design, an elegant furniture design brand. Madelyn is passionate about thoughtful, innovative and accessible design.

The London Made Me project is delivered in partnership Creative United UK, Alice Mayor and media partner Visit London.

Shop design and creative direction by the talented Jo Armitage and business training by the powerhouse known as Laura Mulhern from Plan Make Do. 

Join us for an honest conversation with Dr. Sarah Welsh, the co-founder of HANX, as she unveils the journey behind building a pioneering sex-tech brand from the ground up.

Sarah walks us through the journey how she and her co-founder, Farah Kabir, an ex-investment banker, tackled the unique challenges of raising investment in a predominantly male-dominated industry.

The episode dives into the rollercoaster of emotions as they faced pushback and stigmas associated with their sexual wellness products designed by and for women, insights of the competitive world of retail and assembling a formidable team.

Tune in to this unfiltered discussion and share your thoughts with us. It's a story of resilience, innovation, and the pursuit of empowerment that you won't want to miss!

Pssst. Use code REALJOB20 to get 20% off HANX 3 and 10 Packs of ultra-thin, sensitive Condoms, gentle Lubricant and Libido Lift desire supplement. 

Tune in and follow us more at @womenofthewick to join the next issue launched we talked about during the show and Emma's work at @emma_zeck.

If you liked this episode and found it valuable, please rate or review it, and share it with a friend. As an indie feminist media, your contribution is invaluable to us!

More women than ever are starting new businesses; however, only 1 in 3 UK entrepreneurs is still female. Women of the Wick and The Trampery bring together a group of East London-based sustainable business owners for a panel discussion.

Whilst celebrating the achievements of the female founders, the discussion draws the focus on the current gender gap and how to change the narrative in the fashion and creative industry.

🎙 Panel host

Sara Kärpänen is a gender equality-focused author, public speaker and the founder of ⁠Women of the Wick⁠ , democratising the media spaces and elevating the voices of women and non-binary creatives locally and globally. Sara is also the host of Girl Get A Real Job podcast and the Editor in Chief of WOWZINE bi-annual print magazine.

✨ Speakers ✨

Genia Mineeva is the Founder of BEEN London, named ‘one of the most innovative fashion companies in the world’ by British VOGUE. A sustainable accessories brand, BEEN London is on a mission to change the way we view waste. All products are handcrafted in London entirely from materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Genia is an assessor for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and a guest lecturer in sustainable materials innovation.

Lydia Bolton is a slow fashion designer and sustainability creator whose designs are created using entirely deadstock and unwanted textiles. Lydia founded her namesake brand Lydia Bolton in 2019, feeling a responsibility to show how fashion could be enjoyed in a way that didn’t harm the environment. Lydia has since become a lauded sustainably-minded designer and Creator backed by WGSN, British Vogue, The Face, Refinery29 and more.

Piarvé Wetshi is an advocate for reducing textile waste in the fashion industry and a co-founder of the fashion collective and agency Colèchi and fabric resale platform Last Yarn. Her background is in digital marketing across interior design and events. Piarvé also works with local groups and cultural venues to bridge the gap between fashion and education.

Graysha Audren is a textile designer and founder of Weffan, a 3D woven clothing production company. Weffan is focused on redesigning outdated fashion manufacturing models and unsustainable supply chains using 3D woven garment technology to lower waste and the fashion industry’s carbon footprint. Through Weffan, Graysha integrates systems design, zero waste research, and textile innovation to future-proof the fashion industry for the 22nd century.

Chantelle Anonuevo is a social enterpreneur and the founder of RE-US London, a sustainable social fashion platform that curates London's creative voices of the future using a sustainable and ethical foundation - from the fabrics, manufacturing and longevity in fashion to amplify the artistic voice for change, without compromising the environment.

Follow us on Instagram @girlgetarealjob @womenofthewick

In today's episode, Sara talks with Selina Flavius who is the author of the book Black Girl Finance: Let's Talk Money and the founder of the financial coaching company Black Girl Finance. She also hosts a weekly podcast of the same name and is a creator of the Black Girl Finance Festival. 

Along with her own journey to becoming an author and financial expert, Selina shares her tips and views on how creative entrepreneurs and artists can start creating better money habits and work toward financial stability.

During this Women's History Month panel discussion hosted by writer and Women of the Wick founder Sara Kärpänen and the three guests - printmaker activist Aida Wilde, coach and movement practitioner Sunita Kaur and photographer-curator Paige Davey, talk about their journeys in becoming the artists and women they are today. 

Who has helped them along the way? What does it take to choose your path? How do you achieve financial freedom, and what does it mean for people working in the creative industry? This, and many other questions were answered. Tune in!

💫 Adelaide Lumor is a DJ, Cultural Curator, Director BORN'BREAD and Community Manager at the Good Growth Hub

💫Simone Lezzi, is a photographer, Director Camera Work London and Cre8 Studio in Hackney Wick

💫Emily Hana is a visual artist and printmaker with a residency at Hackney Wick Underground

💫 Natalya Moosa is an Artist, DJ, Activist and Founder of The Organic Afro helping Black people embrace their natural hair and natural selves.

Sara Kärpänen had a laugh-filled and incredibly honest chat about the notion of failure and success with Isabel Sachs, a creative producer, public speaker & podcast host and the founder of I LIKE NETWORKING. Isabel founded the award-winning mentoring platform after she was made redundant due to the global pandemic. Within a year the platform has gained a massive momentum and been mentioned to New York Times, Stylist, Courier, and more.

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Girl, Get A Real Job podcast is a space where we challenge the suffering artist syndrome and talk about the highs and lows of being a freelancer and a creative practitioner today. The podcast is hosted by writer and multidisciplinary artist Sara Kärpänen.

In this week's episode, Sara sat down with Alice Gabb, a lettering designer, activist and banner maker based in East London. We had an honest talk on Alice's entrepreneurial journey, the importance of pricing and valuing our work as full-time artists, and the problems of "Girl Boss" culture.

"People are really curious if I do this as a full-time job. I get that all the time. We've been taught a certain path. Often when I walk to the studio, I just think how lucky I am."

"The struggling artist works for some people, but those people are exceptional. Eventually, when I was able to earn more money, I wanted to make sure that everyone else learned what I had learned. If I don't charge enough for my banners, why am I doing it? You are not helping your community or your industry if you price your work too low. We have a responsibility as artists."

If you enjoyed the episode, please review it and share it with someone who might benefit from it too. To continue the conversation, head to @girlgetarealjob.

Full-time crafter, rug-based illustrator and musician Daisy Tortuga sat down with Sara Kärpänen to talk all things rugs and music—and how her gap year in the creative community in Hackney Wick changed her life. This is an episode about freedom to be who you are and listen to your intuition to do what you love.

Continue the conversation at @girlgetarealjob

Continue the conversation and follow us on @girlgetarealjob