Changing the way we learn with Talk Twenties

Whilst school education is a crucial part of every young person’s life, many argue that some essential skills are left out of the curriculum. Noticing the lack of life skills being taught to help the transition into adulthood, award-winning blogger and former teacher Gaby Mendes has decided to change the way we learn with her business Talk Twenties

Gaby Mendes

Navigating her way through her twenties, Gaby soon discovered that there were still a lot of life skills she did not know about. When it came to renting for the first time, starting a new job, or saving for your first home – it was obvious to her that there was a lack of support for young people to access.

She decided to set up a blog to write about the challenges young professionals face in their twenties. It was through this blog that she started to hear back from others in the same boat as her – confused and unsure about who to turn to for advice. 

This feedback got her thinking about the benefits of building a community of twenty-somethings to support each other – and just like that, Talk Twenties was born!

Ready to make her idea a reality, Gaby reached out to The Women’s Organisation after hearing about the support from a colleague. 

She told us: “I was feeling really overwhelmed by the finance and marketing side of starting up and I really didn’t know where to start.”

She was able to access training sessions on business planning, marketing, and business finance. The sessions helped her to start building her creative content and stay up to date with the latest HMRC regulations for self-employment. 

She was also able to attend regular 1-2-1 meetings with her business adviser Jo Mountfort. 

“Jo helped me with putting together agreements for my contributors, this helped me set boundaries with others supporting my business. She also helped me work on a cash flow document to manage my finance”

Talk Twenties officially launched in 2020, upskilling people with a range of content that is not taught in schools. The one-stop shop produces a regular podcast, online resources, webinars, courses, and topical blogs from members of the community. 

The original concept for the business was to create festival style events with expert guest speakers, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, Gaby had to act fast to adapt the business to run online. During the outbreak, the business launched their first podcast that now boasts over 26 episodes and has had special guests including Girls in marketing and Less Waste Laura. 

Gaby recently monetised the business by launching an online shop selling colourful prints and online courses, with the first courses supporting first-time buyers to understand the house buying process.

So, what plans does Gaby have next for Talk Twenties?

“We hope to launch physical events when it’s safe to do so! It is still early days, but I have been able to monetise my business, bring in contributors and increase my exposure with the support of enterprise hub. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without The Women’s Organisation!”

To find out more about Talk Twenties you can check out their Website, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

If you have been inspired by Gaby’s story and are interested in starting or growing a business of your own, then Enterprise Hub could help!

Get in touch if you are thinking of starting a business in the Liverpool City Region or have a new business under three years old. You can speak to our team via enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8113.