This transcript is generated by AI - apologies in advance for any mistakes!

Pippa Goulden (00:46)
Priya Velusami is the founder of PriPri, a business she started in 2021, creating handmade accessories and kids wear from pre-love saris. Born out of her love of textiles and early memories of sewing with her grandmother, colorful fabric offcuts are often given a new life and transformed into beautiful and unique pieces for the home or a little one. All designs are handmade by a charity in India that helps to upskill and empower underprivileged women with training and tailoring.

as well as her own website, she has a number of key retail partnerships. She's won awards, she's been featured in numerous publications on the radio, She totally smashed her Christmas PR last year with her gorgeous wreath being featured in.

lots and lots of publications. She's been part of my DIY PR membership for three years and is a gold star student, an example of someone who's totally nailing her PR. So we are going to dig a bit deeper and find out more about how she uses PR to build her brand, drive sales and grow awareness of her business, as well as her tips for other business owners just like you. So welcome Priya to PR Made Simple. How are you?

Priya (01:50)
Thank you. Hello. And what an intro. Yes, absolutely. No, no, but yeah, been here since the beginning with Pippa and the PR set and yeah, excited to share my learnings and story.

Pippa Goulden (01:52)
Not too cringy!

brilliant. yeah, us about your business and where you've got to today and you know since you've launched, how's the business evolved? What are you doing? Tell us more about it.

Priya (02:15)
So yeah, as you said, it is a business that's basically inspired by my grandmother. She would visit from India when I was a little girl and taught me to sew, always repurposed fabrics. It was of that generation, I guess, that would use up resources, not really buy new. I guess then dressmaking became a hobby through my teens. And even when I was...

an adult. And it was basically when my niece was born in 2009 now, that I thought, actually, my mum's got loads of old saris that are just beautiful fabrics. Why don't I make her an outfit that's a little bit unique and colourful and pretty? And that's where it started. A few kind of comments that

came after that on how her dress was pretty, I thought, well, maybe some other people might want it. I put them on Etsy and it's really evolved from there.

Pippa Goulden (03:19)
So all thanks to your niece and your grandmother. It's a whole family affair. And you've had a very exciting announcement recently that you've made. Do you want to tell us about that?

Priya (03:21)
Yeah, exactly.

Yes. So the business has evolved, like you say. So I started off with dresses and I now do a range of products. They're all upcycled from saris. Now I do things like bags, bunting and most recently I do some wreaths fabric wreaths and Christmas decorations that you can hang on the tree. this Christmas, this season, I have

got into a retailer, but I'm very, proud of it and excited. So you can find my wreaths and Christmas decorations in John Lewis. Yeah, exactly. So, ta-da-da.

Pippa Goulden (04:08)
Yay! Woo! Fireworks going off, yay! So exciting. And yeah, exactly, tell the listener as well why it is so amazing. The story is just so great.

Priya (04:21)
So it is a very long relationship that I've had with John Lewis. As a kind of keen dressmaker who loves textiles, I've basically been in the haberdashery department of that store since I was a little girl. Me and my mum would go at the weekends and I'd watch the ladies on their sewing machines and think, that's what I want to do when I grow up. Didn't quite do that, but after university, I did end up working at John Lewis. I got

on their graduate training scheme and ended up working there for 20 years, still having that love for the partnership. Now in 2021, I thought this is the time to just start my own business. so the prospect of getting stocked in somewhere like John Lewis just never, never was a consideration when I started the business. Having worked there, you know the hoops that

you you have to go through to get stocked. So yeah, to be stocked four years later just feels like a huge stamp of approval, complete full circle and a massive win.

Pippa Goulden (05:33)
it really is. And you're also stocked at the National Trust, aren't you?

Priya (05:36)
I am and that I have to say was also so that was a retailer that I got stuck with last year. again, a brand that I've loved for many years. I always visit their shops when I'm in a National Trust property. A beautiful curation of products. So really is a store that I'm really proud to be stuck in.

Pippa Goulden (06:00)
well you should be very proud of yourself. And I guess getting you up to that point, like how do you think, how did that happen? Like how did you get on their radar? Good question.

Priya (06:12)
I guess it's a real, it feels like it's been a real evolution of the business. I think, I don't know what led to these moments of being stocked, but I think certainly I have shifted my mindset from when I first went full time with the business from, yeah, this is kind of like a little bit of a hobby that

I've just now gone full time with to, you know, I never used to call myself a founder or a business owner, but now I have evolved over the years to thinking, no, this is a real business and you know, it deserves full credit. And that's been a shift in, in how I think about it as well. And it is things like PR and getting my brand name out there that has helped me change my mindset.

Pippa Goulden (07:11)
Yeah, I love that. I mean, I say that quite a lot. I see people come into the membership and they're a bit like, I've got this little business. you you're feeling quite kind of humble about the whole thing. And then once you do start getting that recognition from people, it's like the peacock feathers come out and you start believing in what you're doing. And it's that kind of, yeah, that validation.

Priya (07:30)
Yeah, absolutely. it's gone from a, know, well, gosh, I'd never ever, you know, even approach dream of approaching like national retailers to, know, actually, why not? You know, I've got some great products, people will want to buy them. Let's, let's get on everyone's radar.

Pippa Goulden (07:44)
Absolutely.

Yeah I love that and I think one of the things that you're so great at doing with your PR is storytelling and I think you've got

really rich, you've got a business rich in stories which obviously helps you from that perspective but I love the fact and honestly this is not made up as Priya came onto this call to do the podcast she has just been on the phone with a journalist telling her story for a feature that's coming out at Christmas time, mean I literally it's like perfect gold star scenario but you are like how do you find from a storytelling perspective because

Priya (08:18)
Thank

Pippa Goulden (08:22)
I think small business owners often hear the word storytelling and they think that they have to be like telling everything and talking about things that aren't related to their business but you're very good at doing it obviously in relation to your business. Can we talk about that in a bit more detail?

Priya (08:36)
Yeah, I guess I am fortunate in that I do have a backstory to my brand and that's probably been a hook for a lot of PR and journalists because it's gotten a lot of angles. I think, you know, anyone can look at those different angles of their story and their business and you can tailor your pitch to what a journalist might be looking for.

So I could, for example, talk about evolving my side hustle into business or how about the intergenerational aspect of the influence of my grandmother, working with a women's empowerment charity, so underprivileged women can get new skills, or the sustainability practices. that's just my business. But everyone does have lots of angles to tell. It's just trying to unpick how

you can kind of niche that story and make it appropriate for what a journalist is potentially looking for.

Pippa Goulden (09:44)
Yeah, I love that. And those stories become really helpful for the rest of your... It's not just a kind of media thing, is it? There's lots of routes that you tell those stories through your emails and through your socials and through the conversations that you're having with people. It kind of all adds to the kind of the brand and the experience that people are having with you.

Priya (09:56)
definitely.

Yeah, I mean, for example, this this conversation that I've just had sparked off the fact that the journalist was looking for a bit of a Christmas story. So my brand isn't particularly, you know, my brand story isn't about Christmas. But because I've got some Christmas products, I went in and now it's an article that happens to be, by the way, Priya's got some Christmas products, but is predominantly about my story and my brand.

Pippa Goulden (10:30)
I love that and I think that's a really key tip for people is it's not just, you know, there's often opportunities out there that people will think, that's not really right for me or am I qualified to talk about that? And often the people who do just, you know, get some great results for their business are the ones who are just going for it and seeing kind of where they can fit with it rather than overthinking it and overanalyzing. It's like just pitch it and see if the journalist picks up on it.

Priya (10:56)
Yeah, and that's definitely taken me time to get into that mindset as well, where actually you're helping the journalist. You could be helping the journalist. Don't be afraid to have a go.

Pippa Goulden (11:13)
I love that. And yeah, let's talk a bit more about kind of the PR that you've had since you've launched the business because it has been really impressive. What are some of your highlights?

Priya (11:24)
gosh, so I probably have three main highlights. I would say the first one was my really very first piece of PR. I had only just launched my website and it was in the Eco2 magazine of the Daily Mail, was, I don't know if they still do that, but it was a little tiny feature saying what I do and what I sell. And it's lovely because

there are still some of the customers that came through that piece are still some of my most loyal customers today. So that's great. Yeah, no, and the interesting thing with that is that because I had literally just launched my website, it was so clear that the traffic could only have been from that article because I hadn't advertised anywhere. So yeah, that was quite interesting.

Pippa Goulden (12:01)
I love that. PR works, you see?

great. And so there were two others.

Priya (12:23)
I've had a couple of spreads about me and my story. One was in the Daily Express, one was in Women's Weekly. The one in the Daily Express was when my grandmother was still alive. So that was really lovely to be able to show her the story, which was quite a big moment. And then finally, guess, like last year's phenomenal response.

to the upcycled wreath was just amazing because you sort of send out emails in response to various journalists' requests and you don't really ever know if they're going to get featured or not until you see them or Pippa sees them and then sends you message and says, my god, you're in this magazine.

Pippa Goulden (13:04)
Yeah.

I was literally like looking through all the magazines for a client, know, to kind of, you know, check the coverage for my clients. And I'd be there like, look, there's Priya again. And it's like, Priya, do you know that you're in this magazine and then this magazine and then this magazine? And you didn't know. So it was like, I was like, kind of personal cutting service. was brilliant. And I think one of the things with PR that people find hard with it is that

Priya (13:24)
It was brilliant. Yeah. So that's always very exciting.

Pippa Goulden (13:33)
It's the tracking and measuring of the impact. And that is just one of those things. I think, you know, unless you're going to take on very expensive kind of measuring tools, which I wouldn't recommend doing, but how can you tell what it's doing for you? You know, how do you measure what's working?

Priya (13:49)
Yeah, and I think that's it. Apart from that first piece that I mentioned, is really, it is hard to tell, translate PR into direct sales. Some of those first person pieces or, you know, brand story pieces that I mentioned, you might see the odd, you know, uplift, but there's very rarely a direct correlation. And so for me, I don't, I don't necessarily think of it in terms of, right, this is going to

bring me immediate sales, even if you're featured in a gift guide that isn't necessarily going to translate to immediate auto lifting sales. But it's got to be thought of as a piece in the total marketing puzzle. It helps brand awareness and reach, and it may lead to other opportunities that you haven't thought of. So I did a piece in the Telegraph spring last year, which was

essentially looking for people who had a love affair with John Lewis. And I was in there and talking about how I've loved the brand for a long time. Didn't really talk about my business, but it said I was a business owner. And, you know, I know that the John Lewis press team have, you know, since seen that and who knows has that sparked

their in-house buying team to potentially notice my brand, does it put it on their radar? So you just don't always know. I mean, there are other forms of PR that I must, I guess that you could see, for example, if an influencer shares your story, you might see huge direct sales, but otherwise, yeah, I think it's a piece of the puzzle.

Pippa Goulden (15:22)
You don't always know.

Yeah, absolutely. And it's also about integrating it with the rest of your marketing as well. So making it work as hard as possible for you, which again, you're really good at doing, whether it's a flash sale to celebrate being featured in a magazine or it's within your email marketing or that kind of thing. It's just, it's about making it work hard for you. The other thing I think you're brilliant at doing is, you know, looking at all the different PR routes that work for your business. So you do the traditional press, but you're also really good at

Priya (15:55)
Yeah.

Pippa Goulden (16:06)
maximising award wins. always use you as my example for, know, awards aren't just about kind of getting the award, it's about all the other things you do with it. So what's your approach when it comes to kind of the other PR opportunities?

Priya (16:20)
Yeah, think it is common misconception sometimes to think about PR as just traditional printed press, but there's so many different things you can do. For the press awards and stuff, I feel like there's so much really helpful small business support out there. And some require applications, some don't.

Just have a look at what's out there and understand why you might want to be part of that community, why you might want to win that particular award, and then get that across in your application because they want to know that it's not a standard cut and paste kind of answer. So, yeah, understand what it would do for you. But a lot of the awards are often to help small businesses all come together, be part of a community, and that's really worthwhile doing.

if you can devote some time to that.

Pippa Goulden (17:18)
Yeah, you've done some really clever things where, like when you've been nominated for an award, you've kind of collaborated with everyone else in the category and stuff like that, which is genius because it's not just, you know, saying, I've been nominated. It's like then, you know, using each other's audiences because you're obviously in a similar space. You're going to have similar audiences. It's a really clever approach.

Priya (17:37)
Yeah, exactly. And then making those connections, which I've had some great networks as a result of that, and then they've helped me in the future.

Pippa Goulden (17:47)
Yeah, I also just want to pick up on something you said earlier about gift guides because as you know, we talk about this a lot in the membership, you know, I do believe in doing them, but I don't believe in putting all your eggs in the kind of the gift guide baskets, so to speak, because you just don't know what I mean, I've had clients in Sunday Time Style who haven't seen any direct kind of correlation from that. But then I've had other, you know, clients or members as well on things like this morning and they've sold out of their collection. So you just

Priya (18:15)
Yeah.

Pippa Goulden (18:16)
You don't know what's going to happen, but I think what you're really good at doing is layering in. So you're not just focusing on the gift guides or the kind of, you know, buy this Christmas product. You're also looking at telling your story, looking at other kind of Christmas activities. So you're kind of layering it up. Is that an approach that you kind of think strategically about or is it just happening?

Priya (18:36)
I would like to say that it's a strategic approach, but I think the key is not, like you say, not to all your eggs in one basket. And I try to avoid doing that so that I can understand if there are sort of different things I can use and lever to then, you know, even just if users content or in my emails or

Pippa Goulden (18:38)
you

Priya (19:06)
social media so it's using different approaches that I think will help me for then different ways of marketing.

Pippa Goulden (19:13)
Yeah, I love that. And something we've kind of touched on is the mindset thing because, as you know, in the The PR Set we do a lot about confidence as well as the actual knowledge because I think it's like...

Priya (19:22)
Yes.

Pippa Goulden (19:25)
I don't know, 90 % of the problem. If you're not wanting to put yourself out there or you're worried what people are gonna think of you, you're not gonna do it. Whereas the other stuff you can learn, can't you? How have you found doing your PR? Is it something that comes natural to you or do you have to work at it? Have you done that mindset piece and that's then freed you to do it? How's it work for you?

Priya (19:47)
I find the PR easier than social media marketing, think. But yeah, it has taken some work because, yeah, I was definitely one of those people that was a bit hesitant about pitching. I think, yes, a lot of your sessions have really helped making me much more confident about sharing my story and actually how providing content could be really helpful for journalists.

it all does come down to mindset and just, yeah, getting rid of that imposter syndrome really. I think if I even though I've had to work at it, have at the end of the day, I quite enjoy sharing my story. So yeah, why not?

Pippa Goulden (20:36)
I love that. And one of the things I think as small business owners we often struggle with when it comes to PR is finding the time to do it because there's often things that drop in that are urgent or you know a customer needs XYZ or you've got an order to fulfill from your perspective. Do you have any tips on how you get it done yourself?

Priya (20:57)
Yeah, I'm also guilty of that and it is on the list with all those other tasks that a small business owner has to do, you know, the SEO and the socials. And I think you have really tried to get the members to, you know, I think it's worth planning. You reap the rewards if you can set out a strategy of when and where to pitch and align, you know, the PR with your other marketing channels.

I think it started off for me being very responsive to media opportunities. And that probably helped me see success through those reactive sort of responses. So it kind of influenced me to go, hang on, I should take a bit more time to make this a proactive PR process, really.

Pippa Goulden (21:51)
Yeah, so it's almost like you push the ball down the hill and it gathers momentum, doesn't it? And I've seen that with you as well. And you've seen that kind of that confidence grow. So then you'll be likely to put yourself out for more opportunities, which you then get. it's kind of, you know, it just it all works together to kind of build and.

Priya (21:58)
Yes.

Pippa Goulden (22:10)
build the momentum for you. How do you find putting yourself out there when it comes to telling your story or like doing an interview? How do you feel before you do those kind of things? Have you got to the point where you're like, it's fine, I'm just going to do it, I'm not going to think about it? Or do you have to build yourself up for it? What's your approach?

Priya (22:28)
So I do actually quite, as I said, enjoy sharing my story. It is my hobby. I get to talk about things that I love, textiles, fabric, the opportunities to reuse waste and stuff. And the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. You have...

bit of a pattern, you have a bit of a chat that you know you can sort of get used to writing or talking about and then it just becomes easier.

Pippa Goulden (23:02)
Yeah, it's just doing it, isn't it? Going back to the Christmas stuff then, any tips on Christmas PR? What works? What doesn't work? Is it just a case of throwing some mud at the wall and seeing what sticks? How do you approach that?

Priya (23:05)
Yeah.

So there are lots of different angles that people like to take at Christmas. So I think if you're kind of looking out for opportunities, you'll see journalists going, let's talk about sustainability at Christmas. Let's talk about colour at Christmas. Let's look at ways of, know, shine at Christmas or different things that...

different aspects of Christmas. you know, don't always narrow it down to a Christmas gift guide in a top publication because that's not necessarily where your audience is. They might really be interested in upcycled Christmas decorations and there'll be a whole feature on that. I would say, yeah, if you can try and find

those requests that will help get coverage.

Pippa Goulden (24:19)
Yeah, I love that. think, yeah, your approach to, well, all of your PR is something that people could have, you know, it's also worth seeing the businesses that are doing it well and having a look at what they do. You know, people should go and have a look at the of the types of press coverage that you have generated because it can be really inspiring doing it that way. How do you feel when you get that coverage through? it like, do you get that hit, that dopamine hit?

Priya (24:43)
Well, it's funny, isn't it? Because they say like a product business, small business does a happy dance whenever they get an order. And it is a similar feeling when you get a response to a PR pitch. It's just that, again, that sense of validation. Someone thinks your business is worthy of press coverage and, you know, it's interesting enough to feature in a magazine or something. And it's without paying them. you know, it's not like you've

Pippa Goulden (24:49)
Yeah

It's free!

Priya (25:11)
It's yeah, it's not like you've had to bribe someone.

Pippa Goulden (25:15)
Yeah, no it is, it's that dope, I mean I still get it from my clients now and I've been working in this industry for so long you know that hit of yeah it's it's it is joyful, it is joyful. So what advice would you give to a small business owner who's thinking about doing PR, they haven't got around to it yet, it keeps falling off their to do list or maybe they're thinking I'm not big enough yet, I need to wait until you know what would your advice be?

Priya (25:19)
to you yet.

Yes.

Yeah.

So I think there are actually one of the things that I haven't talked about much that has really helped me do pitches and PR is having good images ready to go. So that if you see an opportunity, you can just reply and go, look, this is my Google folder or Dropbox folder and here are some great images. Speaking to the journalist today, she was saying how, you know, actually budgets are not what they are.

It adds so much value if you've got some great just headshots or product shots. So invest in that and then you will feel more equipped to go out there and respond and reply. And yeah, so definitely have good images. Don't get overwhelmed by it. Have a pitch that's ready to go and think of it as more than your traditional press. So seize those opportunities.

Pippa Goulden (26:22)
Yeah.

Yeah, I love those. think the imagery, the imagery piece is so important because I think product business owners often think that they aren't going to feature in their press coverage, but as you've shown, the more you actually put yourself out there.

the more opportunities there are from that perspective. But you need those headshots, you need, I mean, you've got beautiful imagery of you kind of with the women that you work with in India and that kind of thing. So that really brings your story to life. having those images is key for...

getting the space in the magazines, for the magazine sometimes even featuring you. If you haven't got the right imagery, they won't feature you. So yeah, I'd really recommend that, but I think they're really, really good tips. so tell us what else, what do you love about your business? What are the things that you kind of really enjoy doing in the business?

Priya (27:24)
I love having, I just like having that creative outlet so I can be back in my kind of in my world of designing and making and I get to do that in my job. I really enjoy finding ways to reuse all the bits of saris that I can to make into new products. I also

I'm hugely motivated now by the fact that my job can provide employment and training for all these underprivileged women. So when I'm having a kind of like, I just want to give it all up today, then that comes back in my mind and I'm like, no, come on, keep going.

Pippa Goulden (28:11)
I love that, yeah, mean your why is bigger than just you, isn't it? You've got a whole kind of network of women now, which must also give you a, must also feel a pressure as well from certain places.

Priya (28:15)
it is.

Yeah.

It's interesting because I would say that has also factored into some of my decisions like wholesaling to retailers where, you know, margins are lower than they would be if you were selling direct customer. But if I can order in volume and provide these ladies with much more employment, then that's another win, isn't it? As well as getting my brand name out there.

Pippa Goulden (28:52)
Yeah, yeah absolutely and I imagine that's also going to propel you forward to places that you don't quite know yet in the future so yeah maybe if you didn't have that kind of driving you forwards you wouldn't be taking those risks. And what do you think are the biggest challenges as a business owner? How do you overcome those?

Priya (29:04)
Yes.

It is that time of prioritizing again, which I know all small business owners will say, you've got to wear so many hats. And I haven't still quite nailed how to do it all or how to prioritize it, but I am getting better. I find that being part of these sort of business networks that I mentioned where founders in similar situations kind of come together, share their learnings and practices and

different resources that have helped them is quite useful for me. So that's my best way so far of like, okay, someone did this planning session or someone's used this tool. So I'm going to give it a go. So that's, I think my biggest challenge.

Pippa Goulden (29:57)
Yeah, I think there's some amazing networks out there for female founders. And I think as women, we're really good at supporting and lifting each other up as well. I've really noticed that within the communities that I'm in and within the PR set as well. know, people come together to collaborate and to find opportunities to cross promote. And that's all part of your, you know, the PR activity that you're doing. It's building that name for yourself and getting known for what you do.

Priya (30:25)
Yeah, definitely. that's been a positive of working for myself, which can be lonely, but still, there are people out there that are in similar situations.

Pippa Goulden (30:36)
Yeah we're all feeling the same things and if you could speak to Priya who's you know go back to 2021 at the start of launching her business what would you say to her now?

Priya (30:39)
Yeah, exactly.

Go for it. Just don't set yourself these limiting beliefs. Anything is possible. Don't compare yourself and believe that of the 8 billion people in the world or how many, you know, there are going to be people out there who want your product. So yeah, just believe in yourself basically.

Pippa Goulden (30:49)
Ha ha ha!

I that. I love that. And what's next for Pee Pree? Any more exciting announcements to tell us?

Priya (31:15)
gosh, I feel yeah, there's your vision there. Well, I'm doing my first trade fair next year, which has been something I've talked to thought about rather for a while, but I've never committed to. So that's where, you know, product owners or business owners will go and lots of buyers from different retailers attend and

hopefully I'll get on their radars and spread out, you know, spread the pre pre product to even more national retailers.

Pippa Goulden (31:49)
I love it. think 2025 is going to be a very exciting year for you. I can feel it in my bones.

Priya (31:55)
And also from a PR perspective, should say, you mentioned this morning, TV, come on, TV is next. Yeah.

Pippa Goulden (32:02)
We're going to make that happen, okay? We will, it will. Priya, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your knowledge and your experience because I think a lot of people do, you know, think, gosh, I'm not quite ready for it. And I think you're just a really good example of showing what happens when you do just go for it. And yeah, well done you. You know you get my gold star all the time.

Priya (32:25)
I know, I'm very proud. Thank you.

Pippa Goulden (32:28)
just I don't actually have gold stars that I give people can I just clarify that but I should shouldn't I maybe you can make me some out of you know sorry there we go we'll have a new product line and but thank you very much and it's been so lovely to chat to you

Priya (32:31)
I'm waiting for that, promised me for years. Yeah, yes exactly.

Likewise, thank you.