Career Profile: Laura Riches, Co Founder of Laylo

What inspired you to start Laylo? 

I love wine. I love it personally and I love being part of the industry. 

During the first lockdown I’d often fancy ‘the odd glass’ of great quality wine, but didn’t want to commit to opening a bottle. Boxes stay fresh for 6 weeks once opened, so I had this itch to test putting genuinely delicious wine into the format.

Then came the moment of serendipity… A chance text exchange with my friend (now Co-founder) Laura Rosenberger revealed that we’d both independently had the idea to create a luxury boxed wine brand. It was a no-brainer to join forces – and Laylo was born. 

What’s your top piece of advice for others looking to start their own business? 

Never underestimate the power of a great network… We’ve relied on support and advice from contacts we’ve met over the years. So years before you even take the plunge, be a great colleague, don’t burn bridges and invest in your relationships. 

Which are your favourite parts of the job and why? 

I’m in an incredibly privileged position where I have lots of autonomy over how I spend my time… Which is probably what makes my job so enjoyable!

 A perfect week will involve lots of writing, working on the design concepts for our wine boxes and ideally some sort of public speaking. I also get a real kick out of seeing customers posting photos of our wines on social media.

Who is one of your biggest inspirations – either professionally or personally? 

My Co-founder Laura Rosenberger. She’s got an incredible ability to just get to the heart of an issue… I’ve always got a million things going on in my head, so I am so inspired by her clarity of vision. The fact that we’re so different actually makes us a good team.

What do you think makes a company successful? 

Underpinning creativity with solid commercials. Most people have ideas, very few people actually execute them… But then the magic happens when the company makes enough money to continuously invest in improvement and reinvention. 

What’s the hardest part of your job? 

We’re a tiny team, so we have to be prioritisation ninjas! Often this means saying “no” to things that would be fun or interesting, but ultimately aren’t going to help us grow as a company.

Do you find it easy to balance work and play? 

Absolutely not! I’m notoriously terrible at switching off…

Having my daughter Sylvia has forced me into some better habits, but I’ve always prioritised work above play!

The only thing that takes work entirely off my mind is a beach, hot sunshine and a crime thriller on audiobook. Ideally with a glass of rosé.

Talk us through a typical day – from waking up to going to bed

I am terrible in the mornings. I get out of bed begrudgingly to get my daughter ready for nursery, and don’t really feel like myself until I’ve had a flat white from my local coffee shop.

We work 2 days from our office in Shoreditch and 3 days from home, so possibly there’s a commute involved, accompanied by the Off Menu podcast.

I try to get creative stuff done first, whether that’s writing the tasting booklets that we send out with our wines or working on the photography brief for an upcoming wine. The afternoon is usually spent in meetings or reporting back on experiments we’re running. 

My favourite time of day is 7ish when I read Sylvia a story. It’s lovely to have an enforced moment of calm in the evening. Then it’s dinner with my husband Ashley and bed at 9. I really do need my sleep!

As a special treat for our lovely readers, Laylo have offered £10 off any first order with the code WORKPLAY….. so there’s no excuse now. Head to drinklaylo.com and find your perfect wine match.