I'm Vicky, I have a dream to open a Play cafe in Reading. I don't have a background in running a coffee shop so I’ve done as much research as I can online and sitting in coffee shops, but I got to the point where I really needed some expert advice on where to go next, and someone to say ‘this is awful go back to the drawing board, or this is great, this isn't,’ and just really some guidance on what to do.

Today has been so busy and full on I’ve literally got a head full of ideas and it's been so exciting to see it in action. I’ve tried the food, I’ve tried making the coffee (not very successfully) and we've just had a great day talking about all the different aspects of what needs to go into starting the business. It's been brilliant. And walking around the building and seeing simple things like why that's in that drawer and why they work a certain way it's really, really valuable. I don't think I would have learnt half of this stuff just doing what I was doing so which was desk-based research and sitting in coffee shops and watching – it’s just not the same thing. I’ve already said that I might need to pay for another half day! :)

What ViewVo offers is a really cool way to get behind the scenes, to see the bits that you would never get to see as a customer or as an outsider. I had the opportunity to spend the day at the stables and ask all the questions I had but wasn’t sure who to ask. I’ve had a great day and it’s been really helpful – I would highly recommend job shadowing and being able to meet a mentor.

I found Jehane very warm and welcoming, lovely and easy to talk to. Jehane gave me feedback on areas in my portfolio which could be improved & developed. I found it useful to get Jehane’s opinion on where she thought my work would fit in the industry. She encouraged me to keep pursuing personal projects and was able to offer really constructive feedback on my portfolio which will hopefully see me improve my work and gain more freelance job opportunities in the future. I would definitely highly recommend Jehane to friends looking to publish and license their work.

I spent a day with Ali which I thought went very well. I was really concerned about spending £450 but I’ve spent more than this in the past… Ali has helped me focus on my brand, the vision for my business and my target customer. All of this makes me realise the mistakes I made with the investments I’ve made previously – in a way, I wish I had met Ali earlier as I now feel I’m on the right path.

She’s been really helpful and given me some contacts in the industry who might be best suited to my vision. I wasn’t sure previously how to price my products, so she’s talked me through how she does hers and has also given me a template business plan which we worked through, so now I have a much better and clearer idea of what I should be charging. All in all, to learn from someone who you know is successful is really reassuring. The fact she believes in what I’m trying to do and gave up a whole day to help me get there is great – consequently, I would happily recommend others do the same.

Meeting Jonny has been a fantastic experience. I don’t think there’s any substitute for talking to someone that's not just in the career you want to do, but being incredibly successful in that career.

One of the things I was keen to ask Jonny is what were the skills he thought he had and that someone like me could learn. So, I’ve got a long list of things to do and I’ve got some equipment to buy as well. I’ve learnt a lot, had a fantastic experience and would highly recommend it.

Spending a day with Ali helped me realise I would be better off using my time at University studying fashion and not going with my 'safe option' of Business Studies. Ali is a brilliant designer but her being successful is a combination of creativity with strong business skills. All her business skills she's learned are specific to her industry: a business studies degree for example wouldn't tell me how to build a following on Instagram. I realised I'll learn and develop a huge range of business skills if I go into the fashion world, so I've decided as a result to study fashion.