Ep.73 Alex Langlais | Scaling a Successful Reading Eatery (Without Losing the Personal Touch)
Release Date: 11/27/2025
Ep.81 Peter Andrijeczko | A Business Owner’s Guide to Cybersecurity
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Peter Andrijeczko, a Reading-based cyber security expert and Information Security Manager. The conversation delves into the human side of security, defining it as the essential practice of protecting valuable data from "bad actors". Peter emphasises that employees serve as a business's first line of defence and highlights the importance of education in spotting threats like phishing. We also discuss the evolution of security models, moving from traditional "bastion" defences to the modern Zero Trust approach—a "verify, don't trust" philosophy that constantly monitors...
info_outline
Ep.80 Maria Lloyd | Choosing the Right Growth Model for Your Business
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode focuses on the importance of customer funnels and how they provide the systems and processes necessary to serve customers effectively. We delve into the intersection of various marketing models, highlighting the contentious debate between traditional funnels and circular "flywheel" model proposed by HubSpot. The interview then highlights Maria’s framework—the AICAL model—which focuses on Awareness, Interest, Consideration, Action, and Loyalty to ensure a holistic approach to the customer experience. KEY TAKEAWAYS Implement the AICAL Framework for Clarity: Utilise the...
info_outline
Ep.79 Julie Williams | Escaping the Loneliness of Business Leadership
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Julie Williams, an executive coach and founder of Coaching Reading, who discusses her transition from corporate marketing to coaching and her mission to ignite "authentic leadership" within individuals and teams. Julie brings over 15 years of senior marketing experience and a decade of specialised coaching expertise to the conversation. The conversation delves into the intersection of brand and leadership, highlighting how Julie helps leaders align their personal values with their organisation’s culture. She describes her role as "lighting fires"—a philosophy that...
info_outline
Ep.78 Susanne Clausen | Securing Reading’s Creative Infrastructure
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Susanne Clausen, Chair of Open Hand Open Space (OHOS) and Professor of Fine Art at the University of Reading. The conversation delves into the unique nature of Open Hand Open Space, which is housed in Brock keep, a historic military keep on Oxford Road. Susanna emphasises that it serves as the town's only dedicated provider of long-term artist studios and the only dedicated contemporary art gallery in Reading. We also discuss Susanne’s work and her exhibitions, as well as the vital role OHOS plays in providing affordable infrastructure for local creatives. Finally, the...
info_outline
Ep.77 Maria Lloyd | 4 Simple (But Overlooked) Shifts for Business Growth
My Local Marketer Podcast
In the final My Local Marketer episode of 2025, Maria shares four key takeaways from local business interviews to help Reading-based entrepreneurs succeed in 2026. 1. Mastery of Industry Insights Maria highlights Becky Ottery from Eclectic Games, who stays competitive by tracking designer blogs, attending trade shows, and listening closely to customer interests. To streamline this, Maria suggests using AI prompts—specifying your niche and location—to identify the best sources and people to follow. 2. Strategic Positioning Differentiating your business from giants like Amazon is essential....
info_outline
Ep.76 Tomson Chauke | Bridging Cultures and Building Brand in Reading
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Tomson Chauke, a musician, community leader, and founder of World Groove, discussing his mission to build bridges across the diverse communities of Reading. Tomson wears many hats, including running his band Limpopo Groove, working as a session musician, and hosting a radio podcast on B Radio. The conversation centres on the work of his main project, World Groove CIC, which uses African drumming to help young people and young adults with autism find their rhythm. Tomson explains how this work creates a vital community where parents and carers also meet, share experiences,...
info_outline
Ep.75 Will Carver | Why Authenticity is Your Biggest USP
My Local Marketer Podcast
In this episode, Will Carver, a successful writer, podcaster, and fitness business owner, shares his philosophies on work and creativity. The conversation delves into his preference for the title "writer" over "author," his method for balancing his different activities and roles, and his views on the changing landscape of the publishing industry. The discussion begins with Carver's view that a writer uses words to change the world and make sense of difficult subjects. We then discuss his podcast, Nothing Important Happened Today, and how Will uses this creative outlet. We then turn towards...
info_outline
Ep.74 Brendan Carr | The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market?
My Local Marketer Podcast
Ep.74 The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market? This episode features Brendan Carr, Community Engagement Curator at Reading Museum, discusses his role, the museum's vast collections, and strategies for engaging audiences. Brendan was born and bred in Reading and has a wealth of experience in museums, including the last 25 years at Reading Museum. The conversation delves into the evolution of Reading Museum, which is housed in the beautiful red brick Reading Town Hall and has been accumulating collections for over 140 years. He emphasises that the visible displays are just the...
info_outline
Ep.73 Alex Langlais | Scaling a Successful Reading Eatery (Without Losing the Personal Touch)
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Alex Langlais, the owner of Café Yolk, discussing her background, the development of Café Yolk, and her philosophy on running a successful hospitality venture. The conversation delves into the diverse community it serves, and the detailed operational strategy behind its success. The discussion begins with Alex's French-Canadian background and her upbringing in the restaurant industry, highlighting the essential need for passion and resilience in the field. She explains that Café Yolk was created to fill a market gap by delivering good quality food at an affordable...
info_outline
Ep.72 Tony Cowling and Tricia Marcousé | How to build an impactful & scalable community model
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Tony Cowling and Tricia Marcousé of Draughtbusters, a community group dedicated to draught proofing the homes of people in energy poverty. Originating from a 2013-2014 initiative by Reading Borough Council, the service is provided free of charge. Despite the low overhead, the work is highly impactful: draught proofing can lead to annual savings of £150 to £250 and more on energy bills. Tony, a former builder, explains that common draughts are found in places like leaky trickle ventilators, under newly fitted doors, around pipes, and through floorboards. Draughtbusters...
info_outlineThis episode features Alex Langlais, the owner of Café Yolk, discussing her background, the development of Café Yolk, and her philosophy on running a successful hospitality venture. The conversation delves into the diverse community it serves, and the detailed operational strategy behind its success.
The discussion begins with Alex's French-Canadian background and her upbringing in the restaurant industry, highlighting the essential need for passion and resilience in the field. She explains that Café Yolk was created to fill a market gap by delivering good quality food at an affordable price point, which is something she struggled to find when she first moved to the UK in 2007.
The conversation then moves to her practice of running the café, which focuses on intense attention to detail and consistency in execution. To maintain quality at scale, Alex developed Baby Yolk as a smaller, easier-to-operate "capsule" that can deliver consistency with less reliance on constant human presence, drawing parallels to the operational success of McDonald's.
Finally, the discussion touches on the constant operational challenges, which affect an industry operating on small margins. Alex advises other business owners to "be curious," stay open to new ideas, and be passionate about the business side of the industry to survive. She concludes by mentioning her plans for the future.
TIME CODES
00:00 Welcome to Alex Langlais
00:28 Alex’s background
01:26 The gap that Café Yolk fills
02:19 Who are Café Yolk’s audiences
04:28 What makes Café Yolk stand out/What is Café Yolk’s USP?
06:04 How has Alex been able to get the details for Café Yolk right
07:48 How Alex’s hospitality background has helped her to scale
08:46 What is ‘Baby Yolk’?
10:04 Getting the correct operations in place for hospitality
10:50 The challenges Alex has faced over the years
12:38 Why you need to be passionate about the product and the business side
13:50 The tight margins in hospitality
14:16 The structure of Alex’s week
16:03 Alex’s advice for other business owners
17:28 You can’t beat the classics!
18:02 Alex’s plans for the future for Café Yolk
19:11 Alex’s final thoughts
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Master the Micro-Details to Create a Premium Experience at Any Price Point
Alex demonstrates that quality is built on meticulous attention to every aspect of the customer journey, not just the core product. What are the "touchpoints" in your service or product that are often generic in your industry. How can you elevate them?
2. Design for Consistency and Scalability from Day One
Alex views her business as a "heavy machine to operate" and recognises that consistency is difficult to maintain with many people involved. Her solution was developing Baby Yolk, a smaller "capsule" designed to be easily replicated and deliver the same quality with less reliance on constant human error. What part of your service delivery relies too heavily on one individual or subjective judgment?
3. Be Passionately Business-Minded to Combat Slim Margins and External Pressures
In an industry with minimal margins, Alex stresses that passion for food is not enough; you must be equally passionate about business. This requires being extremely agile, constantly making hard decisions, and quickly re-adjusting the menu, operations, and pricing in response to volatile factors like government decisions, taxation, and ingredient shortages. How can you implement a routine for high-velocity decision-making regarding finances and inventory?