I was absolutely thrilled to interview on the Luxury Business Podcast Toks Aruoture founder of The Baby Cot Shop a bricks-and-mortar business
We spoke about her childhood (who remembers the rotary phone, anyone?), how she became a pioneer in her niche, building a culture of continuous improvement and her passion for transferring her knowledge to the younger generation and of course the future of luxury.
A great believer in using her natural gifts, Toks left her career in the pharmaceutical sales industry and launched her interior design business, specialising in residential homes.
Shortly afterwards, she transitioned her passion for interiors into her first retail establishment in the United States, where she developed a love for craftsmanship and luxury furniture.
The financial crisis in 2008 led to her relocation back to the UK after which exploring the market; she discovered a gap in luxury furniture for babies. Toks established her new company, an online shopping destination for discerning expectant parents. Five years later she transitioned it into a brick and mortar store located on the famous King’s Road in Chelsea, London.
Her inspirational work has been featured on the pages of major British and international publications, including Vogue and Hello! magazines and her clients include celebrities, sports personalities and royalty.
Toks works with entrepreneurial women who want to play bigger in their businesses. First shortlisted for The Precious Best Business Award in 2012, Toks has gone on to become the absolute best at helping female professionals transition into entrepreneurship so they can use their skillset to play bigger.
She is a highly creative, dynamic, impeccably presented and driven luxury business owner with over ten (10) years of business experience. Having started and scaled her business, Toks understands the dynamics of business growth and knows how to maximise the awareness, sales and profitability of a brand.
Toks believes that the most valuable tools for exponential growth are the gifts each person carries, but limiting beliefs often envelop them, which make accessing their exceptional abilities near impossible. Through her speaking and coaching, she helps women in business unwrap their gifts by identifying and removing these mindsets so they can excel.
She was shortlisted as Retailer of the Year by the Women in Business Awards twice – in 2015 and 2016 – and as a finalist at the prestigious Kensington & Chelsea Business Awards 2018 and 2019.
Toks is passionate about transferring her knowledge to the younger generation, and she mentors young people through award-winning charity, Urban Synergy.
In July 2020, Toks was one of fifty business owners selected by the UK Government in their GREATInspirations Campaign. The campaign celebrated businesses that responded in a remarkable way during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toks keynotes at women’s conferences and corporations; her corporate client list includes Pricewaterhousecoopers and Hyve Group Ltd.
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, send your comments to me at elizabeth@