Vegan Business Talk

In this episode I interview Alicia Lai, founder of luxury shoe brand Bourgeois Boheme in London, UK. After a career as a podiatrist, Alicia, who’s originally from Australia, moved to London 10 years ago to start a vegan footwear company. Originally selling a range of lower-priced shoe brands, along with accessories, she took a break from the business and relaunched it as a high-end, luxury, aspirational brand, focusing solely on her own shoe designs. The company has built up loyal fans among the vegan and vegetarian communities for its quality, bespoke products and is currently expanding to attract conscious consumers interested in fairly made and sustainable fashion. In response to its popularity with American customers, Bourgeois Boheme launched a US website earlier this year. In this interview Alicia talks about: •    The importance of doing research before launching a business and not rushing into it •    Giving yourself permission to rebrand and relaunch if necessary •    Ensuring you don’t under