This week Jo speaks with Antonia Philips, a pediatric nurse and co-founder of Nursem, an award-winning handcare brand created to solve the cracked, bleeding hands caused by constant handwashing with harsh antiseptics. Antonia shares how she and her husband Jonny spent seven years researching and testing products (including Manuka honey) while raising three children and continuing her nursing career, eventually moving to flexible bank shifts after burnout. They discuss finding support through the Newcastle Science City incubator, standing out in a saturated skincare market, listening to customers via a 2,000-person testing panel requiring 90% approval, and scaling a small team as they aim to enter grocery. Antonia explains the Nursem Promise, donating a month of free handcare per product sold, with 700,000 promises delivered and a million targeted by 2027, and reflects on working with her husband, managing energy, and planning for an investor exit without losing purpose.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:50 Balancing Nursing and Business
04:15 Staying Connected to Nursing
07:31 Handwashing Damage Explained
09:01 Searching for a Real Solution
11:46 Building the Formula and Testing
14:57 Packaging and Early Feedback
16:13 Funding and Incubator Support
17:07 Launch and Giving Back
18:38 Burnout and Energy Management
23:36 Sleep and Support
24:13 Running as Therapy
24:24 Standing Out in Skincare
25:58 Customer Led Product Expansion
27:40 Working With Your Spouse
31:36 Team Growth and Grocery Plans
33:38 Exit Pressure and Purpose
39:59 Three Two One Reflections
45:45 Final Thanks and Wrap Up
https://www.nursem.co.uk/
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Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025.
Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX
For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk
Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change.
Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur
Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com
www.joglynnsmith.com
MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io
PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com
