Faye Cardwell : Guiding Growth, Creating Connections

22/10/2025

If your idea of a good week involves great food, fine wine and a little dolce vita, I have some good news for you — Gusto Restaurant Week has arrived in Munich! 🇮🇹

Starting tomorrow 23rd October, twenty restaurants and wine bars across the city are inviting you to discover authentic flavours of Tuscany. The four stars of the week — Pecorino Toscano DOP, Prosciutto Toscano DOP, Finocchiona IGP and Olio Toscano IGP — will feature in their menus and offerings according to their concept.

Here are just a few highlights worth seeking out:

🍴 Acetaia (Neuhausen-Nymphenburg) – Starter plate of Savoury tartelette with Pecorini, finely sliced Prosciutto Toscano and Finocchiona chips.

🍝 Ristorante Martinelli (Bogenhausen) – Their signature Tortelli will be back on the menu made with Pecorino Toscano and walnuts and of course, they'll greet you with a warm welcome of finely sliced Prosciutto and Finocchiona.

🍚 Risotto (Neuhausen) – This super cosy restaurant close to Romanplatz will have Risotto al Pecorino Toscano with prunes & Chianti reduction as well as a bruschetta with Finocchiona, prosciutto fondue and smoked aubergine.

💥 Tiratardi (Schwabing) – Under new management since January, the chef here loves experimenting and you'll find a full tuscan menu this week including Bottoni with Pecorino and tomato ristretto, and a dessert of variations of chocolate, with olive oil gelato and frozen raspberries.

⌛ Der Katzlmacher (Altstadt) – One of Munich's most traditional establishments, they'll be serving Risotto with Finocchiona and Pecorino, classic and comforting.

And at z’wein Tagesbar (Haidhausen), Franz Bar (Sendling) and Sticks & Stones (Schwabing), you’ll find traditional Tuscan charcuterie platters paired with Tuscan wines by the glass.

To close the week, Mein Wein Vinothek in Lehel will host a tuscan evening of wine and charcutterie. There'll be a set price of 30 euro. I am hoping to make it there and would love to use the occasion to get a good group together too. If you're interested, just hit reply.

I have to say I have LOVED working on this project - it's given me the chance to discover even more restaurants and wine bars that are raising the bar of hospitality in Munich. The products featured are also really excellent quality and truly what Italy is loved for.
You can find the full list of participating restaurants at enjoygusto.eu/restaurant-week-3 divided by city district.

Vom 23. bis 30. Oktober 2025 erfüllt die 3. Ausgabe der von GUSTO München mit authentischen Aromen und toskanischem Genuss!

17/10/2025

What happened to my charity silent auction? 🍷

Just before summer I decided to clear out some of the older bottles in my cellar using a silent auction. These were the older and dustier bottles that have been on my shelves for a while that deserve being drunk sometime soon ☺️

It wasn’t a huge fundraiser - I only had 2 bidders - and didn’t get rid of everything I had earmarked but still, it’s important for me to be transparent. I’m very much a “what I say is what I do” person and closing the loop matters a lot to me.

I managed to donate 420 euro to two local charities - the Munich Children’s hospice and Sawabona that works with various projects in South Africa to better the lives of children and young adults - which is still a great result.

And there are still a few bottles left ☺️. If by chance you are interested in any of these, drop me a PM.

I have to be honest, I

16/10/2025

Munich’s going Tuscan 🇮🇹

Happy to be supporting a project about proper, authentic food! 😋

Yesterday I organised a press conference for the GUSTO project - a theee year iniziative that shines the light on four authentic Tuscan products :

Pecorino Toscano DOP
Prosciutto Toscano DOP
Finocchiona IGP and
Olio Toscano IGP

The maim event? A restaurant week where 20 restaurants and wine bars will integrate these products into their menus - this goes from classic tagliere or deli meats and cheese, to authentic risotto and tortellini with pecorino and finicchiona, to innovative olive oil ice cream 😋.

The goal is to help people rediscover real flavours and understand what those DOP/IGP seals stand for - origin, quality and care..

Keep an eye out for the list of the 20 outlets. I’ll share it next week!

22/09/2025

I love to be proved wrong…

Two weeks after I wrote a pretty vital post on LinkedIn about how I’d spend the day at a fair dedicated to alcohol-free drinks and came to the conclusion that the alc-free wines weren’t as good as others, I found a couple I liked 😂.

Thursday night I was at a tasting hosted by at that was SUPER interesting. This sector of the drinks industry is exploding - especially in the UK and US so it was interesting to hear about the evolution, how profits are changing and the endless bureaucracy producers face to open this market.

We had a tasting of 8 products, three of which I needed to take home ☺️.

Rubin aperitif from I really wish more places stocked this or a similar product. Reminiscent of a spritz with a strong bitter orange taste but without the alcohol means I can save my alcohol quote for dinner and some really good wine… 🍷

Moderato from gros manseng and Merlot. This rosé has got a surprising amount of lengthways the aromas are preserved by removing them and then putting them back in once the alcohol has been removed. Pretty crazy stuff but very enjoyable. Good for food or without.

Senzo Cabernet Sauvignon. This was served cold to start which was ok but really reminded me of quince juice with some flatness in the mid palate. Warmed up in cupped hands and it was singing.. Not cheap but really good and I loved the packaging.

The final test will be to see how the meat-eater in the house says it matches up to a good steak!

If you’re wondering whether or not I’ve quit drinking, no, still happily a wine drinker however I have so many friends that are looking for these products that I’m happy to have found a few options that really hit the spot ☺️

03/09/2025

You're so excited to have started your business : the website, the logo, the offers.. But where are the clients?

I realise there'll be some service providers out there who may not agree with what I might write here but...

When I talk to the newbie entrepreneurs in the WEM community in Munich, finding FIRST clients is one of the challenges that stands out because...

1) We're told we need a perfect website that truly reflects our brand

The reality : We reflect our brand more than anything else. People will decide to work with us if they know, like and trust us and whilst that can come with a gorg website and logo, it's not the deciding factor.

2) We tell ourselves we need another course / qualification to be "really ready"

The reality : fear of failure in front of something new is normal. Self-employed people learn on the job just as they do in employment. Take the opportunity even if you don't feel 100% ready. You can only learn and grow.

3) Ad's are the best way to get to people

The reality : They are when you're 100% sure you're tuned in to what your customers want and you can only know that once you've had your first clients, otherwise, it's expensive research.

The reality is that we think we need magic strategies and money to get those first clients but the reality is they're closer than we think.

If you or anyone you know has started their entrepreneur journey and are looking for those first clients, let them know about my workshop : How to find your first Customers, Tuesday 9th September. I'll leave the link in the comments.

29/08/2025

Finding your first clients can feel like climbing Everest without oxygen.

👉 When you do get in front of a potential client, you realise afterwards that you didn't quite say the thing you should have..
👉 You spend weeks fiddling with a website (which is way less scary..)
👉 And when you're feeling brave again you post on socials to be met with... crickets
..cue to return to the things that feel easier..

Been there.

But the good thing is : finding you first customer(s) doesn't have to be an epic mission.

The best news? You don’t need a tonne of followers, paid ads, or a flashy website to land your first clients.

You need clarity and connection.

That’s exactly what I’ll be teaching in my free workshop: How to Find Your First Customers – (Without Torturing Yourself!) on Tuesday 9th September.

✨ Comment CUSTOMERS below, and I’ll send you the link to join.

26/08/2025

DO YOU SPARK THE ICK?

Serious question. I see these tactics almost every day, so maybe it’s time to pause and think: how are our actions actually landing on the other side? Are we just being “aggressive because times are tough,” or are we doing more than that — turning potential clients away?

It’s worth a moment to consider.

We always talk about conversion rates, but what about the other extreme? Perhaps it’s time to take note.

Some possibly ick-inducing moves:

- Cold-calling for a market research call 5 mins after a phone number was given on the pretence of sending a reminder for a workshop.

- Mass-spamming every single offer to all your WhatsApp contacts (or at least not to the right ones)

- Unsolicited emails that start with, “Did you read my last email? You really need to do this…” — um, that was called ignoring cold-mailers - and it'll continue...

What really works? Connection.

Building trust

Reaching out with a personal offer because you know someone will actually love it

Taking a minute to understand who they are and what they want and need to hear.

Offering help or a useful tip when it’s needed on a public post, not jumping into DMs like a spring lamb.

Do that consistently, and you’ll build the ultimate trust fund. And like all good trust funds, they'll pay off for years. 💡

I'd love to hear if I'm the only one turned off by all this..

17/08/2025

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝟭𝟬𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀

I learned this the hard way when I first tried to launch an online wine course.

For days, I wrestled with the messaging. I wanted it to feel inviting, professional, and fun—but kept coming back to a bland “Learn about wine.” Exciting? Not really. Sign-ups were modest.

Then the lightbulb moment came: I needed clarity, not fluff. I got super specific about the pain point my audience (wine lovers who don’t necessarily know much about wine) were feeling:
“Ever find yourself picking up the same bottles because the diversity of wine just feels… intimidating?”

I then told people exactly what I’d help them solve and how I’d do it. Result? Sign-ups multiplied tenfold in just a few days. 🎉

The lesson? (And this isn’t just about wine—it applies to any business communication):
✅ Identify the real problem your audience feels, using their own words.
✅ Spell out exactly how you’ll solve it.
✅ Avoid vague promises.

That clarity makes the difference between crickets and conversions.

Right now, I’m applying the same principle to my upcoming mentorship program, Align & Ignite—helping entrepreneurs untangle their messaging, connect authentically, and see tangible results. Sales page launching soon… if that sounds like something you could use, drop me a DM and let’s chat.

(And yes, that wine course? It was fun. I ran it live and am now toying with turning it into a mini audio course you can listen to on your commute. Watch this space!).

12/08/2025

How did a wine shop achieve a +40.4% increase in turnover last year?

In November 2023, I started collaborating with a wine shop in Munich with an idea that I'd give them a hand with marketing and events. I was eager to see another side of the wine business and learn more about consumers and how they choose wine so I could better serve my wine clients.

What started out as "writing newsletters and putting events together"
turned into much more.

The result? At the end of 2024, we registered a 40.4% increase in annual turnover. For a retail outlet in a market where consumption is actually declining, it was pretty remarkable.

How did we do it?
The key drivers were:
- Clarity on positioning: We started owning our niche and building a reputation around it.
- Clarity on what moved the needle: We eliminated operations that didn’t make financial sense, raised prices on profitable offers, revised margins, and started segmenting our products to generate more revenue.
- Stronger customer loyalty: We built deeper relationships with our loyal customers and crafted a communication strategy that was authentic, relatable, and connected.
- Operational improvements: We streamlined manual tasks and implemented standard operating procedures, invested more time in training the part-time staff so they were better equipped to deal with all situations.

Why am I sharing this?

Because sometimes the obvious things aren't the easiest things to put into place. Sometimes you're just too busy trying to survive that it's hard to have a chance to actually see what needs to be changed.

This experience was a turning point for me. It made me realise that I don’t just want to help one business achieve these kinds of results—I want to help many.

Which is why I’m launching Align & Ignite—a 9-week program that combines workshops, co-working, and 1:1 mentoring sessions to give solopreneurs the clarity and actionable plan they need to thrive in their business.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, drop me a comment or send me a PM, and let’s set up a coffee chat. I’d love to tell you more about it!