Episode 93: Redesigning Women's Shoes with Janan Leo

The Business Awards Show

Redesigning Women's Shoes with Janan Leo is a fascinating insight into building a shoe retailing business from the Business Awards Show. Janan set up Cocorose London seventeen years ago when she saw a gap in the market for fashionable flat shoes for women tired of wearing heels. Her efforts helped her win the Best Product Award at the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards. Janan studied in food science, a far cry from shoe design, but preferred working on new products than following a technical career. That took her to huge brands like Virgin and Pret a Manger before she decided to bring her scientific approach to the female shoe market. Janan tells us how she started, grew her business, and how she has diversified over the years. She is passionate about sustainability and explains her sourcing of eco materials to meet her goals. As a mother of two young children, Janan has had plenty of challenges in balancing the needs of business and family and talks about these openly and with passion. It is certain to resonate with working mums who listen to the podcast. In seventeen years of business, Janan has faced plenty of challenges including having children, the 2008 financial crisis, COVID, and Brexit. She has faced them all, finding different ways to achieve her goals. As an award winner, she has experienced first hand the benefits of entering and winning. She is emphatic about the importance of awards and the validation they bring to you and your business. This is an insightful discussion ranging from the need for government support for childcare for female entrepreneurs to working with charities who align with your values. It will be extremely helpful to any female entrepreneur, but also for anyone with a business in retail, parents trying to run a business while managing young children, finding ways to meet sustainability goals, and the benefits of business awards.

{2:09} Why Janan started a shoe business and how she developed it.

{6:40} How Janan found the right manufacturer.

{8:10} Finding a distributor by chance.

{9:05} Going international.

{9:42} Broadening the range.

{11:45} Launching a trainer range.

{13:11} Janan's product development process.

{15:00} Creating sustainable products.

{15:35} The cactus leather trainer.

{17:37} Who are Cocorose's customers?

{18:55} Introducing a recycling scheme.

{20:05} Working with Honeypot Children's Charity.

{22:45} Adopting social inclusion.

{23:32} Janan at the Best Businesswomen Awards Final.

{25:10} The importance of awards.

{26:47} How awards bring validation for you and your business.

{28:49} The benefits of starting in a non-shoe background.

{33:35} The challenges Janan has faced .

{36:04} Balancing the needs of children and business .

{38:00} Why government should support childcare costs for female entrepreneurs .

{45:36} Confronting constant change.

{47:30} The importance of business communities.

{48:33} Janan's plans for the future .

Connect with Debbie at: https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk

Connect with Janan: https://www.cocoroselondon.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocoroselondon

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cocorose-london-ltd/

Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cocorose-london-ltd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CocoroseLondon

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cocoroselondon