Brand Growth Heroes

Female Founder Leadership Lessons | Emma Woods, Chair of Ancient+Brave, ex CEO of wagamama

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Today, I’m joined by Emma Woods, Chair of Ancient+Brave, ex CEO of wagamama, and one of the most experienced growth leaders I know.
Emma has done the full journey - Unilever, high-growth markets in Mexico, PizzaExpress, Merlin, Wagamama and now she brings all of that to the challenger brands who need it most, as a chair and board director.

This isn't a conversation about corporate playbooks. It's about what actually works when you're building something from the ground up.
We go deep on boards - why so many founders get this wrong, and what to do instead. Emma introduces the concept of a Growth Chair: not just governance, but someone who's been at your stage of growth and can help you make better decisions, faster.

We also get into confidence, imposter syndrome, leadership stretch, and why, despite real progress, women are still underrepresented in the rooms where it matters.

Emma shares her Vital 5 - a framework for the metrics and decisions that actually move a brand forward.
If you're building a challenger brand, this one will change how you think.

What You'll Learn
- Why most founders get their board wrong and what a Growth Chair actually does

- How to find and brief the right advisors for your stage of growth

- Emma's Vital 5: the metrics and mindset shifts that drive real growth

- How to lead when you're constantly outside your comfort zone

- Why confidence isn't a personality trait… it's a practice

- The real state of women in senior business leadership and what needs to change

Key Topics Discussed
- Emma Woods’ journey from Unilever to Wagamama CEO to board leadership

- What high-growth markets teach you about speed, instinct and leadership

- When founders should introduce a board and why timing matters

- Governance vs growth: what boards should actually be doing

- The “Vital Five” and how to focus your business

- Why consumer brands are “leaky buckets” (and what to do about it)

- The PizzaExpress promotion lesson and the long-term cost of short-term growth

- What makes a great chair-founder relationship

- Growth leadership vs traditional leadership

- Women in business: boards, CEOs and the “power seat” gap

- Confidence, imposter syndrome and leadership stretch

- Emma’s Conversations in Confidence series

Useful links:
Connect with Emma Woods on LinkedIn
Emma’s Conversations in Confidence series

We love inspiring you and helping your business to grow. Please share this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague, or a mate who is interested in the future of food, content-led growth and scaling consumer brands. Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and please leave a review too. Both of those actions make a massive difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.

You can also connect with Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, find out more about the programmes and courses I run, and join our NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning into the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, a B Corp certified commercial law firm.

If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.

But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.

That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.

Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, TRIP, Two Chicks, graze and Crosta & Mollica, and advised the Innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them today!

Do you need legal advice as you grow your brand? Take this BIG opportunity and book a free consultation with one of Joelson lawyers here.

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Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Built Like a Media Brand: BOSH!’s Challenger Brand Playbook: Founders Henry Firth & Ian Theasby

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:02:00 +0100

This week, I’m joined by Henry Firth & Ian Theasby, the founders of BOSH!, to explore how an audience-first approach helped them build one of the most recognisable plant-based consumer brands in the UK. For founders scaling challenger brands, this is an incredible lesson in brand growth through content & community first. Long before their recent Tesco launch with their delish PIZZA, BOSH! had already spent years building attention, trust and demand through daily recipe content, bestselling cookbooks and a clear mission to put more plants on plates.

What makes this conversation especially useful is that Henry and Ian did not stumble into this model by accident. They set out to build a food brand, but chose to do it the lean way: validating demand, learning from audience behaviour and evolving from videos to cookbooks, licensing and then fully controlled product ranges. We talk about how they used views, comments, polls and first-principles thinking to shape products, why they moved away from licensing, what it took to launch into Tesco in just nine months, and what all of this means for founders who want to think more like media companies and less like traditional CPG brands.

What You’ll Learn

- How BOSH! built an audience before building a food brand
- Why a media-first strategy can reduce risk for scaling consumer brands
- How social content, polls and engagement can inform product development
- Why Henry and Ian moved from licensing to building their own supply chain
- What founders can learn from BOSH!’s rapid Tesco launch and lean operating model

Key Topics Discussed
- Building one of the world’s biggest plant-based video channels

- Using The Lean Startup mindset to validate product-market fit

- The shift in plant-based eating from niche to mainstream

- Why BOSH! focused on taste first, then health, then sustainability

- Using audience insights, comments and polls to shape NPD

- Moving from content to cookbooks, TV and supermarket shelves

- Why licensing was useful, but ultimately too limiting

- Building an in-house team and supply chain for greater control

- Choosing product categories like meals, pizza and curry from first principles

- Launching into Tesco and trading ahead of forecast

- Co-founder dynamics, leadership and role splitting

- AI, learning mode and operating leaner as a modern brand team

USEFUL LINKS
Connect with Henry on LinkedIn

Connect with Ian on LinkedIn

BOSH! Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube
Read: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Tesco links:
BOSH! Creamy Mac & Greens

BOSH! Teriyaki Mushroom Noodles

BOSH! Ultimate Bean Chilli

BOSH! Hearty Lasagne

BOSH! Tofu Tikka Masala

BOSH! Comforting Veg Pie

BOSH! Goan Chickpea Curry

BOSH! Creamy No-Duja Pasta

BOSH! Spicy N-Duja Sourdough Pizza

We love inspiring you and helping your business to grow. Please share this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague, or a mate who is interested in the future of food, content-led growth and scaling consumer brands.
Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and please leave a review too.
Both of those actions make a massive difference to our mission to help more founders just like you!

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor — Joelson, the commercial law firm.

If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.

But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.

That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping fou...

How MOTH is Mixing Up Cocktail Category Rules | Rob Wallis, Moth Premium RTD Cocktails

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:59:40 +0000

Want a deliciously sharp lesson in brand growth, category creation and how challenger brands can win by bringing new shoppers into tired categories rather than fighting for share at the bottom shelf?

Then dive into the insight served up in this episode by guest Rob Wallis, co-founder of MOTH Drinks, who takes me through how the brand created a new premium space in ready-to-drink cocktails and is driving significant category value.

Rob explains how MOTH spotted a gap in the market for cocktails that tasted as good as what you would make at home, but with the convenience of a can. Most importantly, instead of designing to the existing category price point, MOTH built the best liquid first and priced it accordingly.

Our conversation also explores what founders can learn from MOTH’s approach to where to play, how to build a strong category story for retail buyers, what premiumisation really looks like in practice, and why a culture of kindness and low ego can be a commercial advantage. Rob also shares how the team is approaching US expansion, why California matters so much in RTD, and how MOTH is thinking about AI without losing the human side of the brand.

What You’ll Learn

How Moth went about creating a premium cocktail proposition - and persuading retail buyers that the market was there!
Why challenger brands should build product quality first, then price from there
How to identify the right channels and occasions to drive brand growth
What makes a strong category story for grocery buyers
Why culture, consistency and kindness can become commercial advantages

Key Topics Discussed

Creating a top-shelf RTD cocktail brand
Premium pricing versus category norms
Building category value with incremental shoppers
UK versus US cocktail culture
Choosing where to play in retail and foodservice
Brand design and standing out on shelf
DTC growth and omnichannel strategy
Building culture in a scaling consumer brand
Managing quality with co-manufacturing partners
Using AI carefully inside a fast-growing CPG business

If you enjoy this interview, PLEASE share it with a fellow founder, mate or colleague, subscribe or follow the show, and leave a review - it makes a real difference to us at Brand Growth Heroes!

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.

But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.

That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.

Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the Innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them today! To learn more contact hello@joelsonlaw.com

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You can also connect with Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, find out more about the programmes and courses I run, and join our NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning into the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEW

The Secret Maths Formula YOU Need To Scale Your CPG Brand with Dr. James Richardson of Ramping Your Brand

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:52:59 +0000

What if I told you that there is a mathematical formula that separates those brands that scale really quickly and those brands that just tick along nicely? Well, there is one. I wish I had found out about it 25 years ago, but today the guest that we've got on the show (all the way from the USA) has studied this IN DETAIL, and comes on the show today to help YOU learn all about it.

***If you like this episode and learn from it, PLEASE share it with a fellow founder or colleague, subsrcibe or folllow the show, and leave a review - it makes a real difference to us at Brand Growth Heroes**

Dr James Richardson, author of 'Ramping Your Brand - How to Ride the Killer CPG Growth Curve', unpicks this maths for the first time, giving you the formula to help your brand scale like the enormous skate ramp brands in the USA.

Ramping Your Brand (2nd Edition) - Dr. James Richardson's book on scaling premium CPG brands Dr. Richardson has lowered the price of the UK paperback from £18 to £9.99 until March 10

What You'll Learn in This Episode

The Premium Pricing Trap - Why founders face unit economics that are 10-15x worse than big CPG companies (and why you can't avoid it)

The 6-10% RoS Rule - The specific monthly growth rate in same-store sales that creates exponential "skate ramp" growth

The Heavy User Strategy - Why your first $10-25M requires a completely different customer acquisition approach than Byron Sharp's mass market playbook

Distribution vs. Velocity - How to layer exponential velocity growth on top of linear distribution expansion

The Founder Evolution Journey - The #1 reason investors take over brands (and it's not what you think)

Early Fan Research - How to identify and replicate your "Gonzo fans" without spending a fortune on market research

The Danger of Slow Growth - Why growing too slowly can be just as fatal as not growing at all when you're undercapitalised

Useful Links

Connect with Dr James Richardson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/premiumgrowthsolutions/

Ramping Your Brand (2nd Edition) - Dr. James Richardson's book on scaling premium CPG brands Dr. Richardson has lowered the price of the UK paperback from £18 to £9.99 until March 10

Website: https://www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/

Podcast: Startup Confidential (available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify)

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.

Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board for the second year running.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com

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Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Stop Stealing Market Share & Create $100M Categories Instead with Category Pirate Eddie Yoon

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 07:47:44 +0000

If you've ever heard me talk about Superconsumers, SuperGeos, or why you should Name, Frame, and Claim your new category - all of that thinking comes from today's guest, one of my heroes: Eddie Yoon.

Eddie is one of the world's leading thinkers on category design. He's a longtime Harvard Business Review contributor, co-founder of Category Pirates (a top Substack you must subscribe to), and has spent decades advising Fortune 100 companies on how to create new categories instead of just fighting for scraps of market share.

I've studied Eddie's work obsessively for years because he doesn't just teach marketing - he teaches thinking. AND in this conversation, we jam together (riffing on ideas, building on each other's thoughts) about why everything you've learned in marketing strategy is likely wrong.

We talk about K-pop Demon Hunters, how Nespresso and Gillette grew massive categories, and why breakthrough categories don't come from better features or nicer packaging - they come from deeply understanding what outcomes your super consumers are looking for.

This episode is PACKED with real-life brand examples: Velveeta, Keurig, Tesla, Spam Musubi, frozen peas, and more. Eddie brings category design to life with stories that will completely change how you think about growing your business.

Next Steps: Go find your K-pop moment, your Velveeta insight, your frozen peas problem - that's where exponential growth lives!

In This Episode You'll Learn:

Why 99% of CPG brands are playing the wrong game - stealing market share vs. growing categories, and why the biggest companies are least likely to create new categories

Benefits are dead, outcomes are everything - The Velveeta $100M growth story: how solving one super consumer outcome (getting kids to eat greens) unlocked massive growth

The power of super consumers & super geos - Why you should hire your super consumers, and the shocking Cherry Garcia data: 3,000 of 30,000 stores drove 80% of sales

Lightning strike marketing - How to turn a £60K budget into £600K of impact (the Dude Wipes strategy of keeping 75% of marketing unplanned)

Don't be afraid to niche down - Why 99% of experts are wrong when they say you're leaving people behind

Useful links

Connect with Eddie Yoon on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-yoon-ewg/

Connect with Category Pirates on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/category-pirates/

https://www.categorypirates.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@categorypirates

Mentioned in This Episode: Books & Frameworks:

Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter
Superconsumers by Eddie Yoon
Clayton Christensen's "Jobs to Be Done" (milkshake example)
Byron Sharp (mentioned as conventional wisdom)

Mentioned in This Episode: Brands & Case Studies:

Gillette (China market expansion)
Keurig vs. Starbucks Verismo
Nespresso
Velveeta
Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia
Spam & Spam Musubi (Hawaii)
Tesla
Nvidia
K-pop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
Dude Wipes
Rogaine
Royal Canin
Anheuser-Busch

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com

==============================================.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Why AI Will Be Bigger Than the Internet With 'Silicon Valley's Most Wanted' Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer Fin.ai

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:41:33 +0000

Yep - we are at the start of a new world - a world where AI is going to be 'even bigger than the internet'.

And as the leaders of challenger brands in CPG, we've gotta lean in. In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I’m joined by one of my oldest and best friends, Paul Adams, CPO & Marketing at a multi-billion dollar company, Intercom AND he is building Fin.ai.

If you're not in 'Tech' you may not have heard of him, but Paul Adams is one of the world's most prominent tech product designers, researchers, and authors - recognised as one of the world's leading thinkers on the the intersection between humans and technology... and now between humans, commercialisation and AI.... amongst many other aspects of tech that most of us are not even privy to!

Described as "one of Silicon Valley's most wanted", he's also one of my closest friends, and I can't tell you how proud we are of the young man who rocked up to live with us in Balham in 2002 to work at Dyson, his very first job. After only a few years he was poached by Facebook, where he made the platform 'mobile' and then Google, where he worked on making Gmail, Google and YouTube mobile too. It was while working for these behemoths that he moved to San Francisco with his wife Jennifer, who's one of my three besties (Love you, Jen), and became globally renowned on the Tech speaker scene.

In this episode, Paul argues that AI isn’t just another new channel or tool. It’s a platform shift on the scale of the internet and potentially bigger. We talk about why the moment we’re in feels eerily similar to 1999, why marketing is getting less effective across the board, and why the brands that win next will look very different to the ones that won the last cycle.

A bit more background on Paul:

"Most Wanted" Status (2011): Paul Adams was highlighted by Fortune as a highly sought-after talent in Silicon Valley following his significant contributions to major tech firms.
Google (Social Research): At Google, he led the social research team, and his work directly influenced the creation of "Circles," which became the foundational feature of Google+. He also worked on Gmail, YouTube, and mobile products.
Facebook (Brand Experience): He later joined Facebook as the Global Brand Experience Manager, where he focused on research, design, and product strategy, working with marketers and advertising agencies.
Intercom (Product Strategy): He joined Intercom as VP of Product in 2014, later becoming the Chief Product Officer.
Thought Leadership: Adams is the author of Grouped: How Small Groups of Friends are the Key to Influence on the Social Web. His work on "The Real Life Social Network" is widely recognized as one of the most viewed presentations on the evolution of social networks.
Background: Before his time in tech, he worked as a product designer at Dyson, where he designed electronic appliances.

Current Status: As of September 2023, he was working as the Chief Product Officer at Intercom, focusing on product strategy in the age of AI.

This isn’t a tactical 'AI' for the sake of AI episode.

It’s a big-picture conversation about what’s actually changing, what’s already changed, and what brand builders need to understand to stay relevant over the next decade.

it was this conversation that made me set up a buzzing new community called NextGen CPG - a community for AI-native founders. Take a look and see if you're eligible to join us here

Useful links

Connect with Paul Adams on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/

Connect with Intercom The #1 AI Agent https://www.linkedin.com/company/intercom/

Join the NextGen CPG WhatsApp community and LinkedIn page

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com

==============================================.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Why Marketing Doesn’t Matter Until You’re $100M+ SALES - David Lester, Co-Founder of OLIPOP

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

David Lester is the co-founder of OLIPOP, one of the MOST FAMOUS challenger brands in the United States. After our first interview IN PERSON at Bread & Jam Fest, London, David returns to us at Brand Growth Heroes to delve deeper into what it truly takes to scale a challenger brand at speed in the US. (cont'd below)

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The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 is back!

Built for founders, marketers and brand leaders who want to grow brands the right way — with practical frameworks, real case studies and honest insight.

Applications open: Monday 5th January 2026

Applications close SOON: Midnight Sunday, 25th January 2026

Limited places available

All info & how to apply visit: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026

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(Cont'd) In this episode, David and I explore how businesses fundamentally change as they grow from a small founding team to an organisation of 250+ people.
David shares why founders must constantly reassess their role as the company scales, how to think about hiring ahead of growth, and why senior hires should create an immediate sense of relief rather than uncertainty.

The conversation also dives into fundraising across different stages of growth, with David unpacking what investors really care about at seed, Series A, B and C, why growth becomes the defining metric once revenue appears, and why raising more capital than you think you need can be a smart strategic move.

Finally, David shares his perspective on expanding into the US, explaining why the scale, complexity and cost of the market are so often underestimated and why each state effectively operates like its own country.

This episode is packed with practical insight for founders building teams, raising capital and navigating rapid growth especially those with ambitions to scale in the US.

Useful links

Connect with David Lester on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lester-4b71b512/

Connect with OLIPOP on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/olipop-pbc/

OLIPOP WEBSITE https://drinkolipop.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooJ-CAEJQJEk4PaYpk7F5mOj0_nDbLy5H5PWaqed1idZWDd50NW

Follow OLIPOP on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drinkolipop/

Follow OLIPOP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drinkolipop

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com

==============================================.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

STOP: Would You Build a House Without Instructions?

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:19:20 +0000

Why do so many of us founders try to do the equivalent of building a flatpack house without the instructions? And then beat ourselves up internally when it turns out to be harder than expected? Or when you make mistakes that anyone would in the same situation? Would you spend years trying to make it work with no instructions — just half-torn pages you’ve collected along the way, doing your best to stitch them together?

Not just the furniture mind you - The foundations. The skeleton. The plumbing. The electrics. The legal and safety stuff too....

... and while you're trying to build it, you're also trying to market it, sell AirB&B rooms and put the entire place up for sale?

Would you spend 50-500k of your own money doing this, not to mention your unpaid time?

That’s effectively what we do as consumer packaged goods founders.

After a tough few years, after countless marathons, we often end up with good products, and a brand we feel passionate about.

Perhaps we get some early D2C wins, and some early retailer traction too.

But then the stakes get higher.

We need to making pricing, channel, hiring and funding decisions without ever being able to see how the whole system fits together.

So decisions get made in isolation - without us realising they are joined up. (think pricing decisions and customer or channel read-across - and if you don't know what that means, ask below and I will tell you from my own experience, mistakes and learnings!)

Problems get fixed as they appear.
But the cost shows up later - in margin, stress, or decisions that need undoing.

This is happening to thousands of us, everyday.
How ridiculous is that?
We're all making the same mistakes, incurring the same costs, getting more and more stressed - without ever asking:

Why am I not looking for a set of instructions for this?

Why am I beating myself up for not getting it right without them?

After 25+ years working inside and alongside consumer brands - from global blue-chip FMCG to fast-scaling challengers, I kept seeing this pattern repeat.

So I built the decision-making framework I needed and I wrapped it up inside the BGH Mini MBA.

With a peer and expert network, so you don’t have to carry this level of complexity on their own.

Stop thinking you *should* be able to do this on your own.

Fi Fitz ⚡ 💛

Applications for the Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 cohort are now open.
https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026

Blanco Niño: From Burrito Bar Detour to €10M Tortilla Chip Brand with Founder Phil Martin

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I'm thrilled to be interviewing fellow Irish person, Phil Martin, founder of Blanco Niño, to explore how an obsession with quality turned a burrito bar frustration into a multi-million-euro tortilla brand.... (cont'd below)

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The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 is back.

Built for founders, marketers and brand leaders who want to grow brands the right way — with practical frameworks, real case studies and honest insight.

Applications open: Monday 5th January 2026

Applications close: Midnight Sunday, 25th January 2026

Limited places available

All info & how to apply visit: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026

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(Cont'd)
Phil shares the unlikely path that took him from Ireland to Mexico in search of real corn tortillas and why learning how things fail allowed him to build something better. This is a conversation about how to turn craft into something that scales and choosing the long road when shortcuts would have been easier.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why Phil flew to Mexico with no contacts and asked to learn how to grow corn
How discovering real tortillas completely reset his understanding of quality
Why it takes three days to make a Blanco Niño tortilla chip and why that matters
The brutal realities of building a food factory from scratch (and nearly importing a “blowtorch attached to a tractor”)
How Blanco Niño scaled from foodservice to retail and towards €10M in revenue
Why knowing every way something can fail allows you to push quality to the edge
The personal cost of trying to do everything yourself and how founders avoid burnout
What it really means to build a challenger brand without shortcuts

A big favour!
So many of you regularly write to tell us how helpful Brand Growth Heroes interviews have been for you, how much you've learned and how it has helped you grow your consumer branded business...and we are so grateful every time we hear this!
The podcast is something we do as a labour of love, so if our work has helped YOU, please please can you pay it forward by clicking FOLLOW & WRITING A SHORT REVIEW at the bottom of THIS page (by clicking Ratings and Reviews)

Each review we get makes a MASSIVE difference to our business, the algorithms that performance it and the number of listeners
THANK YOU.

Useful links

Connect with Phil Martin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipmichaelmartin/

Connect with Blanco Niño on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/blanco-nino/

Blanco Niño website https://www.blanco-nino.com/

Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/helloblanconino

Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/helloblanconino

The book Phil mentioned: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place.
So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board for the second year running.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com

==============================================.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Goodrays CBD: Scaling a £20M Functional Beverage with Founder Eoin Keenan

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

This week, I am absolutely delighted to welcome Eoin Keenan, the founder of Goodrays, to the show. Goodrays is a UK functional beverage brand that is absolutely killing it in the challenger brand space.

I loved talking to Eoin about his unique path to becoming a founder. We go right back in time to when he left university and travelled (and slept) in the back of a beat-up car in California, visiting the best hemp farms to learn how to grow the very ingredient that would become central to his brand. It’s an incredible story of commitment to the value proposition and this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in scaling a successful challenger brand.

We talk about:

Building a Category: What it truly takes to create a new category and why it often requires more than just one brand to make it happen.
Incremental Value: What it means to be "incremental" to your category and how to achieve it.
The Irish Founder Experience: The unique mix of pride and pressure that comes with being an Irish founder building a brand in the UK.
Team and Growth: How a small, highly committed team of just 16 people is driving such incredible, industry-defining growth, and Eoin's philosophy on hiring.

I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I did!

Useful links

Connect with Eoin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoin-keenan-009a8380/

Follow Goodrays on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/goodrays/

Connect with Goodrays on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodrays/

Goodrays website https://goodrays.uk/

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Luxury, Science & Sisterhood: Inside SISTERLY with Co-Founder Jennifer O’Connell

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:30:35 +0000

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got a graveyard of supplements in a cupboard or under the sink, half-empty jars of vitamins that promised the world but now just gather dust. And when you do remember to take them, you’re faced with a mountain of pills of all shapes and sizes. Ugh.

Well, my guest this week is here to save us from that nightmare. Jennifer O’Connell, a friend of mine from our university days, left a 20-year career as a top barrister in Dublin and New York to co-found SISTERLY, alongside her two brilliant friends, Aoife Matthews and Louise O'Riordan.

We chat about:

How Jennifer’s legal career helped her navigate everything from trademarks to manufacturing disputes
Why designing for women not small men makes all the difference
The three-year journey to perfecting a powder supplement that’s now winning awards (and hearts!)
How community and authenticity are driving their grassroots growth – from cold-water swims at the 40 Foot to Sisterly Summits in London and Dublin
The power of organic advocacy: think Sonia O’Sullivan, Liz Earle, Trinny Woodall, and even the cast of Rivals (Victoria Smurfit doppleganger?!)

What I love about this story (and I hope you will too) is that it’s about more than supplements; it’s about sisterhood, collaboration, and creating something that truly elevates women’s everyday health.

Oh, and “Women are not small men.” When you design specifically for women, you make a better product for women. SISTERLY have nailed that, from the science to the packaging to the way they show up in the world. And I love how they’re building community in such a natural, joyful way, not just selling a product but inviting women to connect, dance, swim, and lift each other up.

Enjoy, I hope you all learn loads!

Useful links

SISTERLY website https://sisterlylabs.com
Follow on Instagram @sisterly_lab
Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sisterlylab
Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-o´connell-b1066022a/
Connect with Aoife Matthews https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifematthews/
Connect with Louise O'Riordan https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-oriordan/

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

From £14M -> $100M: How TRIP is Building a Truly Global Brand

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Today I’m absolutely thrilled to have Olivia Ferdi, CEO and co-founder of TRIP, join us once again on fhe show.
Since her last appearance on Brand Growth Heroes, TRIP has skyrocketed from around £14 million in annual sales to a projected $100 million this year.

In this episode, Olivia shares with me how she and her team have achieved incredible growth, from blending CBD drinks in their kitchen as newlyweds to leading a global brand that’s changing how we think about calm, wellbeing, and soft drinks. We talk about:

How TRIP’s super impressive recent raise came together and what it means for the next stage of growth
Expansion and growth in the US marker
Building a globalbrand around the feeling of calm
The power of consumer insight and innovation in scaling fast
Balancing bold ambition with authenticity, motherhood, and leadership
How Olivia herself has evolved from lawyer to founder and the hidden ‘superpowers’ she’s discovered along the way- and how you can find yours too

What struck me most in this conversation is Olivia’s honesty about growth, instinct, and personal transformation. She reminds us that every one of us might have a hidden superpower we haven’t yet discovered, and that’s both liberating and exciting.

If you enjoy this episode, please like, follow, or subscribe on your podcast app, and share it with a fellow founder or colleague who’ll be inspired by Olivia’s story.

Useful links

TRIP website

TRIP Instagram

Connect with Olivia Ferdi on LinkedIn

Connect with TRIP on LinkedIn

Find out more about CALM: The #1 app for sleep, meditation and relaxation here

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn,Facebook, Instagramand YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Childs Farm Founder Joanna Jensen's Blueprint to Make Business EASY

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 05:00:00 +0000

A few seasons ago, I invited Joanna Jensen, founder of Childs Farm, on the show to tell us how she built one of the UK’s most loved family skincare brands and how she successfully exited. You can find the original episode by scrolling back to season 7, or clicking here

Since then, Joanna has written a brilliant new book called 'Making Business Child’s Play'. Brand Growth Heroes listeners can buy the book at at a discount using code CFsales30 here!

Like Joanna herself, it's a no-nonsense, practical guide for founders on the startup and scaling journey. In it, she shares everything she wishes she’d known when she started out, the things no one gives you a playbook for.

***If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review! Follow me on LinkedIn here***

In this candid chat, Joanna gives us a taster of what’s inside the book and the key lessons she’s distilled from 15+ years of building and growing Childs Farm. We talk about:

Market validation – how to test your idea properly before you dive in.

Knowing your consumer – why Meta doesn’t know them as well as you think.

Protecting your IP – how to safeguard your brand and avoid costly copycats.

Building real relationships – the human side of scaling a business.

Getting your P&L right – how to plan with the numbers that really matter.

Joanna’s “Little Black Book” – Joanna’s personal list of trusted experts and resources to help founders fast-track their growth.

As always, Joanna’s advice is refreshingly candid, funny, and full of hard-earned truth bombs for anyone building a brand from scratch.

Useful links

Joanna’s website

Joanna’s Instagram

Connect with Joanna on LinkedIn

Book: Making Business Child's Play, by Joanna Jensen use code CFsales30 here

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, THE leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

Don't forget to hit FOLLOW! This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often. You won’t want to miss the next episode, where I'll chat to another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

JOIN OUR Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Mid-Day Squares & Perfect Ted LIVE Part 2 "How to Build a Brand Out-Loud"

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:45:04 +0100

YES! It's Part Two of our LIVE London event with Jake Karls of Mid-Day Squares and Shani Higgs of PerfectTed, hosted LIVE by our wonderful friends at Lucky Saint Pub, London.

This episode is a recording of the audience Q&A that followed the live interview. And WOW! what a session it was. Founders and industry friends in the room asked some incredible questions, and the answers from Jake and Shani (PerfectTed’s Head of Sales, who stepped in after Marisa left) were packed with honesty, insight, and lessons you're going to be able to take away and use to add real value to the way you work.

If you haven’t listened to Part One yet, scroll back one episode to catch the full conversation about how both brands have scaled so quickly, from kitchen tables to category creation.

What we talk about:

Jake on scaling Canadian brand Mid-Day Squares NATIONALLY the USA and even beyond.
Shani on building PerfectTed’s sales engine and breaking into retail.
How they balance ambition with resilience when things get tough.
The importance of storytelling and transparency in attracting fans (not just customers).
Lessons on founder communication, trust, and team dynamics from two fast-growth brands.
Practical insights into category creation, competition, and global expansion.

If you enjoy this episode, please share it with a friend, colleague, or fellow founder! And don’t forget to hit follow/subscribe to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app so we can continue to bring you the best guests and the most valuable golden nuggets.

Useful links
Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Mid-Day Squares on LinkedIn

Perfect Ted LinkedIn

Midday Squares Instagram

Perfect Ted Instagram

Perfect Ted TikTok

Lucky Saint on LinkedIn

Lucky Saint
Midday Squares

Perfect Ted

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Mid-Day Squares & PerfectTed, Live in London PART 1 How to Build a $100M Brand Out Loud:

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0100

I am so thrilled to share this very special LIVE episode with you. I had the absolute joy of sitting down in London with Marisa Poster, co-founder of PerfectTed and Jake Karls, founder of Mid-Day Squares, for an unforgettable conversation about scaling challenger brands, radical transparency, and building community. And yes, I got to TASTE a Mid-Day Square and it's INCREDIBLE. In fact, I actually ate 3 in a row.

If you haven’t come across Mid-Day Squares yet, they’re the Canadian-born brand redefining healthy afternoon snacking with functional chocolate AND now scaling rapidly across the US. Co-founder Jake Karls last joined me on Brand Growth Heroes in 2023 (scroll back to hear the original episode), and since then, the business has experienced significant growth, expanding from $8M to tens of millions in revenue, with its sights firmly set on reaching $100M.

Because it was PerfectTed who first introduced me to Jake, it felt only right to have Marisa Poster join in the conversation as co-host!

And thanks to Lucky Saint who SO kindly offering us their fab upstairs event room, we gathered 50 friends, founders, and partners for a night of storytelling, snacking, and straight-talking about what it really takes to scale a challenger brand.

In this episode, we dive into:

How Mid-Day Squares grew from the kitchen table to producing 150,000 bars a day.
Why therapy, radical transparency, and “building a business out loud” became part of their DNA.
The importance of building fans not just customers.
How PerfectTed is making matcha accessible and creating a whole new category.
The realities of expanding into the US market (and what’s different from Canada, the UK, and beyond).
Why team communication and trust are make-or-break for founders.
How Storytelling fuels challenger brands.
What happens when new competitors enter a category and how to stay focused.
The role of product excellence in sustaining growth.
The highs, lows, trolls, and resilience it takes to keep going.

This is part one of our Mid-Day Squares live series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did hosting it!

Next week we’ll be sharing the Q&A session, which ran for a whole extra hour and was packed with brilliant audience questions.

And as you’ll hear at the end of this episode, Shani Higgs, Head of Sales at PerfectTed (and their fourth team member after the founders), will be stepping in to co-host with me for part two. You’re going to learn A LOT so stay tuned!

Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it. And if you’re not already, go check out Midday Squares and PerfectTed on Instagram and LinkedIn; their storytelling is world-class.

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires YOU to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review, and maybe share with someone you know will enjoy it?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

Useful links

Midday Squares LinkedIn

Perfect Ted LinkedIn

Midday Squares Facebook

Midday Squares Instagram

Perfect Ted Instagram

Perfect Ted TikTok

Midday Squares

Perfect Ted

Lucky Saint on LinkedIn

Lucky Saint

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

Join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Brand is Everything: Founder Kate Prince on Building Ancient+Brave

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0100

Davina McCall is my daily running/dog-walking buddy (okay, okay... only in my earbuds), SO when I heard that she was promoting Ancient+Brave on her podcast, I just KNEW I had to see if I could get founder Kate Prince onto Brand Growth Heroes to find out just HOW she is scaling this incredible wellness business.

Because a brand that gets (and can afford) someone like Davina on their *team* has got to be doing something right, right?

Founder Kate began her career as a City lawyer, to discovering her creative side working as a lawyer at Endemol (right at the beginning of Big Brother...), through a first founding venture into Tea, to building one of the UK’s most exciting wellness brands.

In this honest conversation, Kate shares the harsh realities of scaling fast, why obsession with brand and storytelling matters, and how learning to let go as a leader can become a founder’s greatest strength.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why there’s no silver bullet in scaling AND how Kate got from £1m to £10m by stacking growth in layers.
Why Kate believes brand is everything AND how design, packaging, and storytelling turned Ancient + Brave from products into a movement.
The surprising choice to hire nutritionists early and why it paid off for credibility and product leadership.
How Ancient+Brave raised money but kept it in the bank, a rare approach that gave them confidence and control.
Why ritual and experience matter as much as product features, and how to make consumers feel something.
The lessons Kate learned about team, culture, and leadership along the way.

I loved recording this conversation. I’ve already listened back three times, and I’m still learning from it. I know you will too. Enjoy.

Did this episode make you think differently or give you an idea?

If so PLEASE SHARE THE LOVE BACK BY taking a few minutes to

1. Hit 🔔 FOLLOW or 🔔 SUBSCRIBE

2. SHARE WITH A FRIEND

3. SHARE ON LINKEDIN

4. LEAVE a review on iTunes

5. Add a comment under the episode on Spotify ⬇️

...every new subscriber and comment or question makes my day - leave your name and I'll drop you a message on Linkedin !!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Useful links

Connect with Ancient + Brave LinkedIn

Ancient + Brave website

Ancient + Brave Instagram

Ancient + Brave Facebook

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Founders: Should YOU be CEO? Are You Sure?

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 09:57:13 +0100

Founder-led doesn’t HAVE to mean being founder-run.

What does it really take to step away from the founder grind and still stay true to your business?

In this 5-minute short, Stu Macdonald, founder of ManiLife Peanut Butter, explains why so many entrepreneurs get stuck doing “an elite job they’ve never been trained for” and how he escaped the stress hole by changing the way he structured his business.

Stu reflects on:

Why being founder-led doesn’t have to mean being founder-run
Why most first senior hires don’t work out and why that’s okay.
How the right team can turn chaos into momentum.

Selected and hand-picked by the brilliant team at MKJ Ignite – the FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles – this short is full of practical people insights. Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that thrive.

If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can e-mail Billy directly at billy.maddock@mkj-ignite.co.uk

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

Most Downloaded Episodes: Seedlip Founder on How to Be Disruptive

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:33:56 +0100

In case you've JUST discovered Brand Growth Heroes podcast, we're digging into the treasure trove of our most downloaded episodes from our back-catalogue so YOU don't miss A SINGLE BUSINESS INSIGHT!

From slow-burn visionaries to fast-moving disruptors, the show has featured founders of brands like Perfect Ted, Lucky Saint, Seedlip, Wild, Strong Roots, Oddbox, and global challengers like Waterdrop, Mid-Day Squares, Olipop, and Tony’s Chocolonely and many many more…

Next up in this special series, we are re-releasing one of the most loved and downloaded episodes of all time, an interview with Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip.

In this replay, Fiona sits down with Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit and arguably the original poster child of the No & Low alcohol movement.

Started on a garden table in 2016, Seedlip didn’t just disrupt the drinks industry — it invented a new category. Now sold in 49 countries, with a sales value in the tens of millions, Seedlip has become a global benchmark for what true brand disruption looks like.

In this episode, Ben shares:

How to build a brand that redefines an entire category
Why he chose to partner early with Diageo, and how it changed Seedlip’s trajectory
His unconventional approach to culture, team-building, and roles
What inspires him creatively from robot chefs to the 47,000+ plant-based ingredients that fuel innovation

This is an episode that founders still rave about and for good reason. It’s full of insights for anyone trying to scale something bold, disruptive, and lasting.

If you do learn some good stuff from this episode (and we hope you do), please, please share it, follow the show, AND leave a quick review. It all helps bring more brilliant founders and insights to you, our Brand Growth Heroes community!

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

From Panic Attacks to Dream Job : Stu Macdonald | ManiLife Peanut Butter

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:58:16 +0100

We loved chatting to Stu....and you're going to love learning from this GOLD taken from our recent episode:
What happens when a founder steps back from doing everything and instead builds a team that can take the business further than they ever could alone?

In this 5-minute clip, Stu Macdonald, founder of ManiLife Peanut Butter, shares why building their own factory was a turning point, not just for product quality and innovation, but for company culture.

Stu opens up about:

- Why making their own product was essential for both quality and commercial success.
- The power of trusting great people to lead where he couldn’t.
- The difference between working “insanely hard” versus building a business that hums.
- His raw experience with burnout and the shift that saved both him and the company.

This is a powerful reminder that YOU, the FOUNDERS, perhaps DON'T don’t need to do it all...or at least that you can CHOOSE to work towards a time when you're NOT doing it all. The right team, the right timing, and the right role for you can play to your strengths and drive even stronger growth.

This clip was selected and hand-picked by the brilliant team at MKJ Ignite, the FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles, and is full of practical people insights. Directors Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that THRIVE.

A new 5-minute episode drops every two weeks — so make sure to HIT FOLLOW and don’t miss the next one.

If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can e-mail Billy directly at billy.maddock@mkj-ignite.co.uk

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

Most Downloaded Episodes: TRIP's Co-Founder Olivia Ferdi on TRIP's First 2 Years

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:35:00 +0100

In case you've JUST discovered Brand Growth Heroes podcast, we're digging into the treasure trove of our most downloaded episodes from our back-catalogue so YOU don't miss A SINGLE INSIGHT!

To kick off this special series, we are re-releasing one of the most loved episodes of all time: an interview with Olivia Ferdi, Co-founder of TRIP, which we recorded when TRIP Was just 2 years in to their growth journey, but was already close to £20M in sales.

TRIP is the UK's market-leading CBD drinks company. Since its launch in 2019, UK consumers have spent literally millions of pounds on TRIP's delicious CBD-infused canned drinks, as well as on their dinky little dropper bottles of CBD oils.

In this episode, Fiona spoke to co-founder Olivia Ferdi about leaving her law career to step into the unknown, about how she and her husband have created a mainstream category out of something that had tremendous barriers to purchase up until now, and we learn how the TRIP team have had to drive demand in the old fashioned way through experience and word of mouth rather than through paid advertising.

This conversation is PACKED with insights we don't want you to miss. Plus, we'll be doing a new interview with Olivia VERY SOON, so this is a great way to remind you all of where the market was only a few years ago!

If you do learn some good stuff from this episode (and we hope you do), please please share it, follow the show, AND leave a quick review. It all helps bring more brilliant founders and insights to you, our Brand Growth Heroes community!

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Bold Bean Co's Model: Remote First & Big Culture Vibes

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:03:00 +0100

Bold Bean Co is doing team and culture differently.

In this episode, co-founders Amelia and Ed discuss how the'yre building a high-performing, remote-first team with people working all across the UK and quite a few other countries.

They want their team's motivation to be powered by the business mission, and as this is key it's important to them to allow their team to work their jobs around their lives, rather than the other way around!

What you'll learn:

Why "trust first" is key for Ed and Amelia and how they lead
How a remote working model allows Bold Bean Co to look globally for exceptional talent, rather than only searching in the UK.
Why 'Culture' isn't something that you start thinking about once you're further on up the growth curve - it's got to be nurtured from the outset!

So, if you're building a team and wondering how to do it well without a traditional office setup, this one's for you.

This 'BGH Short' is part of our People Series partnership with MKJ Ignite - The FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles. Directors Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that thrive - and as a result, this short episode is PACKED with golden nuggets around people, team and culture.

A new 5-minute short episode drops every two weeks — so make sure to HIT FOLLOW so you don’t miss the next one.

If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can e-mail Billy directly at billy.maddock@mkj-ignite.co.uk

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

Grenade's £200M Exit to Mondalez: Juliet Barratt Co-Founder of Grenade LIVE On Stage

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 01:25:00 +0100

This is one of our favourite interviews EVER! In this very special LIVE edition of Brand Growth Heroes, recorded at Bread & Jam Fest 2025, Fiona Fitz sits down in front of a live audience with the absolutely brilliant and hilariously honest Juliet Barratt, co-founder of the category-defining sports nutrition brand, Grenade. Juliet shares the fab story of how she and then-partner Al Barrett took Grenade from the back of a big night out in Birmingham to the shelves of Tesco, WHSmith and petrol stations across the UK, and ultimately to a £200M exit to Mondelez - without ever compromising on what made them different.

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, PLEASE could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review, AND share it with a fellow founder - it could help them too!

The conversation covers so much - from how branding (and “weirdness!”) can be a superpower, to the moment they realised their “retire-on-a-beach” plan was delusional, to driving a tank into BodyPower Expo (yes, really) to get noticed by GNC. Juliet also opens up about how being “all in” meant no days off for four years, about hiring people who weren’t “knobs,” and about what it really felt like when the money landed in her bank account after the deal closed, and interestingly, why it WASN'T the moment of glory people imagine!

She also shares her views on today's funding-obsessed food and drink ecosystem, and why she believes too many founders are chasing other people’s stories instead of writing their own.

Wait for it...Juliet also shares her (perhaps controversial?!) views on the 'female founder' movement - we'd love to know what you think (if you're listening on Spotify, you can comment below!)

Juliet’s energy is infectious, her insight razor-sharp, and her advice unmissable for any challenger brand founder.

And yes, we talk about the Oreo bar. (Don’t eat five a day. Just… don’t.)

PS: Don’t miss the audience questions at the end. Golden nuggets tsunami!

Enjoy.

Useful links:

Connect with Juliet Barratt on LinkedIn

Follow Grenade on LinkedIn

More about Bread & Jam Festival

Follow Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn

Connect with BGH host Fiona Fitz on LinkedIn

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

How Tonic Health Built a Team to Scale

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:50:30 +0100

From Solo Hustle to Remote Rocketship: How Tonic Health Built a Team to Scale

In this 5-minute power-packed short, handpicked by MKJ Ignite, we hear how Sunna Van Kampen, founder of Tonic Health scaled from a solo founder to a fully-fledged team—all while navigating the chaos of COVID.

Hear how Tonic health built their TEAM and CULTURE:

- Hiring a full leadership team across ops, finance, sales, marketing & growth

- Building a remote-first culture from necessity (and stuck with it)

- Balancing speed with values as the team expanded

- Codifying culture to keep pace with rapid growth

Handpicked by the team at UK CPG recruitment specialist MKJ Ignite, this SHORT 5-minute golden nugget is packed with insight into what it really takes to scale and what you need to survive as a team while doing it.

Don’t forget to hit follow for more bite-sized founder wisdom every 2 weeks.

If you're wondering whether you need help finding the right people or would like some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy from the MKJ Ignite team here!

Connect with Billy Maddock

Connect with Immy Southwell

Connect with Paul Jones

How Bio & Me Grew 15X in 4 Years - Without Losing Their Gut Instinct!

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 02:00:00 +0100

Bio & Me is one of the UK’s fastest-growing gut health food brands, co-founded by one of Fiona's former bosses at Nestle UK - Jon Walsh, and leading gut health expert Dr. Megan Rossi. Built on a brand platform that teaches us that consuming loads of different plants each week = better gut health, their award-winning range of granolas, porridges, and kefir yoghurts is now stocked nationwide.

In this latest episode, Fiona reconnects with Jon, four years after he first appeared on Brand Growth Heroes, when Bio & Me was hitting £1M in sales. Today? They’re doing £15–£20M annually.

You'll learn about:

The real growth journey: from founder hustle to scaling a national brand
Why great strategy means nothing without killer execution
How to balance taste vs. health in both product and communication
Why Jon still answers customer emails himself
What it takes to win with retailers as a challenger brand
The magic that happens when you listen to your team and your shoppers

Jon shares candid insights into what it takes to grow a purpose-led food brand in today’s competitive market, without losing your soul or your edge.

Useful Links

Bio & Me website
Follow Dr. Megan Rossi on Instagram: @theguthealthdoctor
Connect with Jon on LinkedIn
Follow Bio & Me on LinkedIn
Mention: Eddie Yoon – co-founder of Category Pirates

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Why Olipop's Co-Founder Dynamic WORKS

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 11:01:35 +0100

In this episode of BGH SHORTS: The People Series, the team at MKJ Ignite have hand-picked this SHORT 5-minute golden nugget packed with insight into what it really takes to scale and what you need to survive as a team while doing it.

David Lester, co-founder of Olipop gives us insight into the human side of the co-founder relationship behind OLIPOP’s explosive growth - growing from an unlikely partnership to a half-billion-dollar brand.

Hear how:

Two very different co-founders turned past failures into this incredible success
A mission-driven mindset can become the ultimate competitive advantage
Staying aligned (without killing each other) is half the battle!

Don’t forget to hit follow for more bite-sized founder wisdom every 2 weeks.

And...if you're wondering whether or not you need help to find the right people, or would like to ask for some advice, why not take half an hour to discuss it over a no-obligation call with Billy from the MKJ Ignite team team here!

Because your business is only as strong as your team.

It really shouldn’t be this hard — but it is.

So let’s make it a little easier!

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at just HOW HARD it is for founders to find the right people for their business.

There are fewer applicants than there used to be for roles in sales and marketing in CPG businesses
It's even tougher to find that magic mix of mindset, experience and soft skills— as well as someone who genuinely fits your culture and values.
And the process? It's a lot: search, connect, schedule, first interviews, follow-ups, feedback loops — all while juggling a scaling business — and you STILL might not end up with the right person.

It struck me that so many of the incredible guests on Brand Growth Heroes have shared absolute gold when it comes to building teams — how they hire, how they lead, and what they’ve learned when it all goes wrong.

So the brilliant crew at MKJ Ignite - Billy, Paul and Immy, have gone through the Brand Growth Heroes archives and handpicked some snippets from the founders of your favourite challenger brands (think Olipop, Child's Farm, Perfect Ted and Tony's Chocolonely), pulling out the best people insights.

And as a result....BGH SHORTS: The People Series was born!

Short 5 min episodes.
Golden nuggets.
Actionable insights

Every 2 weeks, we’ll drop a new 5-minute clip - so don't forget to HIT FOLLOW!

👋 If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!

Connect with Billy Maddock

Connect with Immy Southwell

Connect with Paul Jones

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on Linkedin

Have a listen and don't forget to hit FOLLOW so you can collect all the tips, stories, and real-world advice to lighten the load.

Thanks again to MKJ Ignite for bringing us BGH SHORTS: The People Series

Brand Alchemy: The £Multi Million Formula for Challenger Brand Success, with big fish Perry Haydn-Taylor

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona Fitz is joined by one of the most influential figures in UK brand building over the last 30 years: the incredible Perry Haydn-Taylor, the creative mind behind one of the most famous brand consultancies in the business big fish®.

Fiona first met Perry in 2006 during her time heading up Gü France, and this conversation is full of the same sharp insight, warmth, and strategic clarity that made their early boardroom chats unforgettable.

With a client list that includes some of the UK’s most beloved challenger brands - think Gü, Charlie Bigham’s, Dorset Cereals, Clipper Teas, Sipsmith, Tyrrells, St. Pierre, Freddy’s Flowers, sofa.com, and more! Perry and his team at big fish® have consistently helped founders transform big ideas into commercially successful, category-defining businesses.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why the most successful founders are “restless in pursuit of better”
The Power of Three framework: clarity × focus × effort = sustainable growth
How to articulate your unfair advantage and make the right choice the easy one
The role of charisma and storytelling in building buy-in from investors, retailers, and consumers
How Big Fish has reframed entire categories — from tea and chocolate to salad and flowers
Why hiring, values, and strategic simplicity are key to scaling well

This is a candid and insightful deep dive into what matters when building a brand, not just design and packaging, but conviction, focus, and a deep understanding of your customer.

If you’re navigating the messy middle of your growth journey, this episode is packed with practical frameworks and fresh perspective.

Useful Links:

big fish website

Connect with Perry on LinkedIn

Connect with big fish on LinkedIn

============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

The Grocer Gold WINNERS Bold Bean Co: The People Power Behind the Beans!

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:09:06 +0100

Last night, Amelia Christie-Miller won THE GROCER GOLD ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2025!!

We're so proud of you, Ed and your team, and honoured to have supported you right from the very start of your journey!!

Amelia makes the point that this win is not just hers, but that "it belongs to every single person who believed in the bean revolution:
🏆 The Bold Bean Co | B Corp™ team who've hustled relentlessly to get us into 1000+ stocking points
🏆 My co-founder Ed Whelpton, who I eventually managed to persuade to join me on this mad journey and has transformed the business and experience for me.
🏆 Our investors who backed beans when everyone else said "you'll never disrupt Heinz" or “commodity category brands won’t work”.
🏆 The bean champs who clear our shelves at Waitrose & Partners and send our cookbooks to their friends!
🏆 The retailers who gave shelf space to a crazy idea about premium jarred legumes."
(Amelia Christie-Miller, LinkedIn)

So, in this week’s power-packed Brand Growth Heroes SHORT, Fiona chats with Ed Whelpton and Amelia Christie-Miller, the visionary co-founders of Bold Bean Co., about one of the most complicated but most critical challenges in early-stage FMCG brands: getting the right people into the business.

From accidental brilliance to strategic investment, Ed and Amelia reveal:

Why external advice is underrated
Hiring a fractional Head of People (yep, early!)
Ditching the office for a ‘connectivity budget’
What truly modern leadership looks like

Whether you’re scaling a team or just starting to hire, this is your short, sharp insight hit.

This BGH Short is part of our people series, hand-picked by the brilliant team at MKJ Ignite – the FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles. This short is full of practical people insights. Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that thrive.

A new 5-7 minute episode drops every two weeks, so make sure to HIT FOLLOW and don’t miss the next one.

If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

From Addiction & ADHD -> Creating A Billion Dollar Category - Josh White, Founder Cano Water

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:57:45 +0100

Sometimes the most the powerful challenger brand stories are also stories of struggle, survival, overcoming personal battles and inspiring strength and resilience.
In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona sits down with Josh White, co-founder of Cano Water, a brand that’s not only challenging the status quo of the bottled water industry but also reshaping it entirely.

It all started with a question: Why are there so many plastic bottles in the sea AND why are we still drinking water from plastic bottles when cans are infinitely recyclable?

What followed was a radical mission to reduce plastic waste. In the process, Cano Water helped create an entirely new sustainable category, which is now worth over a billion dollars.

But behind the brand is a much deeper story.

In this raw and intimate conversation, Josh opens up to Fiona Fitz about growing up with ADHD, his battle with addiction from a young age, and how his personal struggles became the driving force behind his purpose. He shares what it’s really like building a fast-growing challenger brand when the industry doesn’t want you to win, the loneliness of leadership, and the resilience it takes to prove people wrong.

We explore how CanO Water came to define a new category in sustainability and what it takes to create real change in an industry that often resists disruption. Josh opens up about the early days—what it felt like to be laughed at by retailers and ignored by investors—and the moment it all changed thanks to an unexpected catalyst.

We dive into how ADHD has shaped Josh’s journey as a founder, both as a challenge and as a superpower, and the emotional toll of leading a mission-led business when the pressure never lets up. And as a new Dad, Josh speaks candidly about fatherhood, the guilt that comes with trying to balance family and work, and the legacy he wants to build, not just as an entrepreneur, but as a parent.

This is a conversation that will stick with you.

Useful Links:

Cano Water website

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn

Instagram & Facebook & TikTok

=============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

The Perfect Ted People Strategy: Building the Rocket Ship While It’s Flying

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:22:47 +0100

In just 5 mins, get your dose of insight and inspiration from Perfect Ted's co-founder Marisa Poster, and their brilliant Head of Sales, Shani Higgs!

From the early grind of cold emails and constant rejection through post-Dragons’ Den momentum to scaling a £ 30M+ brand with just a 30-strong team, Marisa and Shani open up about how they’re building a really special team culture, as well as the global 'Matcha Movement'.

Hear how Perfect Ted has become a magnet for kind, passionate, hardworking people:

Why hiring for both skills and values matters now more than ever
The power of team culture and shared belief in scaling fast
Why is it the easiest sales job you’ll ever have at Perfect Ted?
How networking and saying yes can change everything
Why does working with people you genuinely like make all the difference?

Hand-picked by the brilliant team at MKJ Ignite

– THE FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles – this short is full of practical people insights. Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that thrive.

A new 5-minute episode drops every two weeks — so make sure to HIT FOLLOW and don’t miss the next one.

If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

Smol but mighty: The CGO & CMO Fueling this £44M Disruptor in Homecare

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:13:37 +0100

What’s the ACTUAL difference between a Chief Growth Officer and a Chief Marketing Officer,what do they do and why might a high-growth brand need both?

BGH host Fiona Fitz has been in the industry for 25+ years, and believe it or not, these roles are relatively new, borrowed from the worlds of tech and e-commerce, pure plays. So we decided it was high time to investigate what exactly a chief growth officer does and how they work alongside a chief marketing officer.

In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona digs into that exact question with two of the most strategic minds behind one of the UK’s most successful DTC brands, smol. Neil Campbell is Chief Growth Officer, and Hilary Strong is Smol’s Chief Marketing Officer. Together, they break down how they work in tandem to scale a brand that’s grown to £44M in sales, without relying on traditional advertising or a big retail presence.

Neil and Hilary explore how customer lifetime value, subscription retention, and channel strategy combine to build a high-repeat-rate, mission-led brand. They also discuss how Smol segments its audience, turns data into action, and balances performance marketing with long-term brand building.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from organic to scalable growth—or whether it’s time to bring in more senior commercial firepower to your team, this conversation will give you both the strategic context and the practical next steps. You’ll hear how Smol has built a brand so loved that customers travel across the country just to meet the team in person and why they’re still holding off on going big in retail despite the temptation.

This episode is packed with real-world insight, actionable strategy, and a glimpse into what modern DTC growth leadership really looks like. Enjoy!

Useful Links:

smol website

Connect with Neil Campbell

Connect with Hilary Strong

Follow smol on Instagram & Facebook

A small favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please hit FOLLOW and even leave a review! This tiny gesture means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often. We see every new follower and read every review, so thank you in advance!

=============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

How People & Team Drive Tony Chocolonely's UK Growth

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 11:52:28 +0100

In this bite-sized Brand Growth Heroes SHORT episode, Ben Greensmith, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland of Tony’s Chocolonely, reveals:

Why out-of-home is Tony’s secret weapon
How their sales team of 30+ is structured to drive growth
A surprising revenue stream that’s doubling year on year

If you want to gobble up even more insights, don’t forget to like, follow, or subscribe Brand Growth Heroes podcast — and if you're keen for full conversation between Fiona and Ben, you can find it in our catalogue (December 2024.

#BrandGrowthHeroes #TonysChocolonely #FMCG #ChallengerBrand #MKJIgnite #Recruitment #HR #GoldenNuggets

This BGH SHORT is hand-picked by FMCG recruitment pros MKJ Ignite.

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at just how HARD it is for founders to find the right people for their business.

There are fewer applicants than there used to be for roles in sales and marketing in CPG businesses
It's even tougher to find that magic mix of mindset, experience and soft skills— as well as someone who genuinely fits your culture and values.
And the process? It's a lot: search, connect, schedule, first interviews, follow-ups, feedback loops — all while juggling a scaling business — and you STILL might not end up with the right person.

So the brilliant crew at MKJ Ignite - Billy, Paul and Immy, have gone through the Brand Growth Heroes archives and handpicked some snippets from the founders of your favourite challenger brands (think Olipop, Freja Bone Broth, Child's Farm, Perfect Ted and Tony's Chocolonely), pulling out the best people insights.

And as a result....BGH SHORTS: The People Series was born!

Short 5 min episodes.
Golden nuggets.
Actionable insights

Every 2 weeks, we’ll drop a new 5-minute clip - so don't forget to HIT FOLLOW!

Because your business is only as strong as your team.

It really shouldn’t be this hard — but it is.

So let’s make it a little easier! If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team -

here!

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

Gut Instinct: Biotiful’s CMO on Building the Brand That Recently Sold to Müller £115M+++

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:53:47 +0100

In this latest Brand Growth Heroes podcast episode, we’re talking all things gut health, consumer trends, and brand-building at scale with Vince Lawson, CMO of Biotiful Gut Health, the #1 kefir brand in the UK - recently bought by MULLER!

Launched initially as Biotiful Kefir, the brand has undergone a bold transformation to become the go-to name in natural gut health, and the results speak for themselves, with nearly £90M in retail sales pre sale to Muller.

Biotiful Gut Health, was founded by Natasha Bowes in 2012 with a mission to bring ancient Kefir recipes to the UK market. The business has grown rapidly over that period and is now the leading UK gut health brand in the diary sector covering a wide range of kefir related products in drinks, yogurts and other sectors, delivering on Natasha’s vision of improving the gut health of the UK and the world by using natural ingredients.

As CMO, Vince Lawson takes us inside the engine room of Biotiful, from leading product innovation and marketing to building a category-defining brand in one of the most competitive spaces in food and beverage. We unpack how Biotiful stays ahead of the curve with clean protein innovation, food-to-go formats, and ambient gut health boosters—and how a marketing team can become the engine of cross-functional growth.

This episode is packed with real insight on how consumer needs, product development, and commercial success intersect in a scaling brand.

And... in fact, our very own podcast sponsor, Joelson, the leading London law firm, was the sole advisor on the successful recent sale of the business to Müller (“Müller”)! Müller is one of the global leaders in dairy products and has identified functional health as a key driver for growth in the dairy segment of the market in which it is not currently active.

The Joelson team, led by Phil Hails-Smith (Partner) with support from Emma Vantine (Associate), Georgia Edmondson (Solicitor) and Katie Braddell (Solicitor).

Natasha Bowes, Founder of Biotiful, commented:

“It was such a pleasure working with the team at Joelson on this transaction and over the last few years. A huge thank you to Phil and his fantastic team – they have guided me though every step of this transaction. Their reputation in the consumer space is well deserved and I would highly recommend Joelson to any founders in the consumer space who need legal support on any form of transaction.”

Phil Hails-Smith, Partner at Joelson added:

“Congratulations to Natasha on this transaction. We pride ourselves on being the market leading corporate firm for founders. We are so delighted to have worked with a pioneering female founder who has developed an era defining brand and category based on a clear mission and vision to improve the gut health of their consumers. It’s been a privilege to work with Natasha and her team and I’m sure that Biotiful will go from strength to strength with its new owners.”

=============================================================
A small favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please hit FOLLOW and even leave a review! This tiny gesture means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.
We see every new follower and read every review, so thank you in advance!

=============================================================

Useful Links:

Connect with Vince Lawson on LinkedIn

Connect with Biotiful on LinkedIn

https://biotifulguthealth.com/ https://biotifulguthealth.com/

https://www.instagram.com/biotiful_gut_health/

https://www.facebook.com/biotifulguthealth

=============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Freja Bone Broth: The Right Investors + The Right Team + The Golden Ratio

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 28 May 2025 12:32:24 +0100

Because your business is only as strong as your team - it really shouldn’t be this hard — but it is...So let’s make it a little easier!

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at just how HARD it is for founders to find the right people for their business.

There are fewer applicants than there used to be for roles in sales and marketing in CPG businesses
It's even tougher to find that magic mix of mindset, experience and soft skills— as well as someone who genuinely fits your culture and values.
And the process? It's a lot: search, connect, schedule, first interviews, follow-ups, feedback loops — all while juggling a scaling business — and you STILL might not end up with the right person.

So the brilliant crew at MKJ Ignite - Billy, Paul and Immy, have gone through the Brand Growth Heroes archives and handpicked some snippets from the founders of your favourite challenger brands (think Olipop, Freja Bone Broth, Child's Farm, Perfect Ted and Tony's Chocolonely), pulling out the best people insights.

And as a result....BGH SHORTS: The People Series was born!

Short 5 min episodes.
Golden nuggets.
Actionable insights

Every 2 weeks, we’ll drop a new 5-minute clip - so don't forget to HIT FOLLOW!

If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

Matcha Millions: How Perfect Ted has scaled to £30+ Million

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 21 May 2025 08:16:22 +0100

If you’ve ever wondered how to transform a niche idea into a mainstream success, this episode is for you.

In this special live recording, host Fiona Fitz heads to London to catch up with two friends from the Perfect Ted team: Marisa Poster, one of the brand’s three co-founders, and Shani Higgs, their brilliant Head of Sales.

Since their last appearance on Brand Growth Heroes, Perfect Ted has seen phenomenal growth, hitting a revenue run rate of nearly £40 million. And they’re just getting started.

In this latest episode, Fiona dives into the strategies behind Perfect Ted’s rise—from cracking the UK mass market with matcha, to becoming one of the top five importers of matcha globally. Listeners will also hear about their recent global partnership with Oatly, the launch of their new flavoured matcha latte in a can, and what it really takes to scale a challenger brand at speed.

Marisa and Shani also share fresh insights from their recent trip to Japan, what it’s like growing a fast-moving team, and the biggest lessons they’ve learned along the way. You’ll get the entire scoop.

Stay tuned until the end. Fiona shares about her visit to Perfect Ted’s new offices, located in none other than Steven Bartlett’s HQ!

Useful Links:

Connect with Marisa on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-poster/

Connect With Shani on LinkedIn

Connect with Perfect Ted on LinkedIn

Perfect Ted website

Perfect Ted Instagram

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola!
As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Co-founder of Wild Deo Freddy Ward on Success

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 14 May 2025 03:00:00 +0100

What kind of career helps to make a great future entrepreneur? In this week's Golden Nugget, you can hear all about the career trajectory of Freddy Ward, co-founder of Wild Deo, before he took the leap into 'founderdom'.

With it's recent sale to Unilver for a reported £235M, Freddy and Charlie Bowes-Lyons certainly had what it took to build a business that scaled to £60M pre-sale.

Thanks again to MKJ Ignite for bringing us BGH SHORTS: The People Series!

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at just how HARD it is for founders to find the right people for their business.

There are fewer applicants than there used to be for roles in sales and marketing in CPG businesses
It's even tougher to find that magic mix of mindset, experience and soft skills— as well as someone who genuinely fits your culture and values.
And the process? It's a lot: search, connect, schedule, first interviews, follow-ups, feedback loops — all while juggling a scaling business — and you STILL might not end up with the right person.

Short 5 min episodes.
Golden nuggets.
Actionable insights

Every 2 weeks, we’ll drop a new 5-minute clip - so don't forget to HIT FOLLOW!

Because your business is only as strong as your team.

It really shouldn’t be this hard — but it is.

So let’s make it a little easier!

If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!

Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

Have a listen and don't forget to hit FOLLOW so you can collect all the tips, stories, and real-world advice to lighten the load.

Thanks again to MKJ Ignite for bringing us BGH SHORTS: The People Series

#brandgrowthheroes #mkjignite #people #foundergrowth #leadership #scaling #foodanddrink #consumerbrands #startuplife

Why Multi-Million Pound Supplements Brand Tonic Health is Leading with CONTENT

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 07 May 2025 05:00:00 +0100

What if the best way to grow your brand wasn't just about selling, but about educating, empowering, and building real trust with your audience?

In this latest episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona Fitz is joined by Sunna van Kampen, the founder of Tonic Health, the UK’s fastest-growing vitamin brand. With a run rate of £6M and growing exponentially, Tonic Health is revolutionising the supplement industry, calling out low-dose, sugar-laden vitamins and replacing them with high-potency, plant-based alternatives that actually work.

But here’s what’s really fascinating: Sunna didn’t just build a vitamin business, he has built a content machine that has amassed millions of followers on Instagram and TikTok, regularly hitting 50M+ organic views per month. His short, sharp, educational videos don’t just sell vitamins; they get people talking, thinking, and making better health choices.

In this conversation, Sunna reveals:

*How he built a market-leading brand from scratch (despite launching just as COVID shut down retail).

*The power of content-first brand building—and why he ignored investors who told him to stop.

*The myths and misinformation in the vitamin industry—and why most supplements don’t work.

*What’s next for Tonic Health as they scale at lightning speed?

- Tune in, take notes, and get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about vitamins, content, and brand growth.

Useful links:

Tonic Health Website

Connect with Sunna on LinkedIn

Connect with Tonic Health on LinkedIn

Instagram

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A BIG/SMALL favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

(04:12) - Fiona - Tonic Health - Audio - Main.1

David Lester, Co-founder of Olipop on Why Founders Must Convince People To Do Unreasonable Sh1t!

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 01 May 2025 05:00:00 +0100

David Lester, Olipop On Why Founders Must Convince People To Do Unreasonable Sh1t!

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at just how HARD it is for founders to find the right people for their business.

There are fewer applicants than there used to be for roles in sales and marketing in CPG businesses
It's even tougher to find that magic mix of mindset, experience and soft skills— as well as someone who genuinely fits your culture and values.
And the process? It's a lot: search, connect, schedule, first interviews, follow-ups, feedback loops — all while juggling a scaling business — and you STILL might not end up with the right person.

Short 5 min episodes.
Golden nuggets.
Actionable insights

Every 2 weeks, we’ll drop a new 5-minute clip - so don't forget to HIT FOLLOW!

Because your business is only as strong as your team.

It really shouldn’t be this hard — but it is.

So let’s make it a little easier!

👋 If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!

Connect with Billy Maddock on Linkedin

Connect with Immy Southwell on Linkedin

Connect with Paul Jones on Linkedin

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on Linkedin

Have a listen and don't forget to hit FOLLOW so you can collect all the tips, stories, and real-world advice to lighten the load.

Thanks again to MKJ Ignite for bringing us BGH SHORTS: The People Series

#brandgrowthheroes #mkjignite #people #foundergrowth #leadership #scaling #foodanddrink #consumerbrands #startuplife

The Secret Ingredient in Bold Bean Co.'s Category Defining Growth

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:15:45 +0100

Host Fiona Fitz is joined by two powerhouse co-founders, Amelia Christie-Miller and Ed Whelpton from one of the most recent but well-loved UK challenger brands food - Bold Bean Co. What started as a mission to make people obsessed with beans has become one of the most exciting new category-creating brands in the UK.

In this episode, we’re getting behind the scenes on how they've driven growth: from designing a new category to TV appearances on Dragon's Den and This Morning (UK), the importance of traditional PR as well as seeding their product with the best chefs in the UK.

We also spend time talking about how they're creating something truly different with their people, team and culture.

The huge news is that Bold Bean Co is launching their first-ever co-branded product with Yotam Ottolenghi as we go live, take a listen and hear how it all happened!

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a brand that truly stands for something, scale without losing focus, and get people talking about your product in a way that creates real demand—this one is for you.

Useful Links:

Bold Bean Co website

Bold Bean Co LinkedIn

Connect with Ed Whelpton on LinkedIn

Connect with Amelia Christie-Miller on LinkedIn

=============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.

Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review? This small gesture from you means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Joanna Jensen, Founder Child's Farm On Why Staff is THE Hardest Thing You Will Do

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:32:01 +0100

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at just how HARD it is for founders to find the right people for their business.

There are fewer applicants than there used to be for roles in sales and marketing in CPG businesses
It's even tougher to find that magic mix of mindset, experience and soft skills— as well as someone who genuinely fits your culture and values.
And the process? It's a lot: search, connect, schedule, first interviews, follow-ups, feedback loops — all while juggling a scaling business — and you STILL might not end up with the right person.

Short 5 min episodes.
Golden nuggets.
Actionable insights

Every 2 weeks, we’ll drop a new 5-minute clip - so don't forget to HIT FOLLOW!

Because your business is only as strong as your team.

It really shouldn’t be this hard — but it is.

So let’s make it a little easier!

👋 If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!

Connect with Billy Maddock on Linkedin

Connect with Immy Southwell on Linkedin

Connect with Paul Jones on Linkedin

Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

Connect with MKJ Ignite on Linkedin

Have a listen and don't forget to hit FOLLOW so you can collect all the tips, stories, and real-world advice to lighten the load.

Thanks again to MKJ Ignite for bringing us BGH SHORTS: The People Series

#brandgrowthheroes #mkjignite #people #foundergrowth #leadership #scaling #foodanddrink #consumerbrands #startuplife

The Exit Playbook: Secrets to Selling your Brand (from a CPG Investment Banker)

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:40:20 +0100

If you're the founder of a scaling brand, you've likely thought about selling your business. But when should you start preparing, and how do you find the right buyer?

In this episode, we discuss mergers and acquisitions with Charles Lanceley, Managing Director of Alantra's consumer team. Alantra is a leading investment bank specialising in consumer brands.

Charles has worked on major deals, including Fuel 10K, Strong Roots, and Grenade, and shares what makes a brand valuable—from strong financials to a compelling investment story.

He explains why building a business solely to sell is a mistake and how focusing too much on an exit can hurt your chances of achieving a great one. You’ll learn why being ‘for sale’ is never ideal, how the best deals happen behind the scenes, and why top M&A advisors don’t just find buyers—they already know who’s in the market.

We also cover common founder mistakes, like underestimating due diligence and not preparing for the workload of an exit. Charles highlights how an advisor can ease this process, letting founders stay focused on running their business—because if performance dips, so does the deal’s value.

Finally, we discuss how private equity and trade buyers view businesses differently, the impact of market cycles, and why the best way to maximise your exit is to build a brand buyers can’t ignore.

Whether you're considering selling soon or just want to create a lasting brand, this episode is packed with essential insights. Enjoy!

Useful links:

Connect with Charles on LinkedIn

Learn more about Alantra

========================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=========================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

=========================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

The 'Menopause' Category.... & Swinging From the Chandelier

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:41:18 +0000

Did you know that 1 billion women globally are menopausal at any given time?
Yet, until recently, the retail industry has largely overlooked this audience.
Well....that’s all about to change!

In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, we explore the groundbreaking work of GenM, the menopause partner for brands and retailers, and its mission to reshape how women shop for menopause-friendly products.

Our latest #BGH guest, Heather Jackson (CEO and co-founder of GenM), is the unstoppable force behind GenM. She shares how GenM is pioneering the MTick accreditation—a universal shopping symbol that helps women find products proven to support their menopause journey. With major players like Tesco, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Unilever, and Procter & Gamble already on board, this is more than just a trend—it’s a retail revolution.

This episode explores how GenM convinced top retailers and brands to take menopause seriously and why menopause-friendly shopping is a permanent category, not a passing fad.

We discuss the commercial opportunity for brands that get it right, the science-backed credibility of the MTick accreditation, and the groundbreaking launch of Tesco’s first-ever permanent menopause-friendly aisle.

Heather shares eye-opening insights, including the startling reality that only 5% of women feel confident navigating menopause, and just 2% feel they are thriving. With 86% of women seeking non-HRT solutions, the demand for menopause-friendly products has never been greater.

Why You Should Listen: If you're a founder, brand leader, or retailer, this episode is a must-listen. The menopause market isn’t niche—it’s 20% of your customer base and finally getting the visibility it deserves.
=============================================================
A small favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please hit FOLLOW and even leave a review! This tiny gesture means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often. We see every new follower and read every review, so thank you in advance!

=============================================================

Useful Links:

Learn more about GenM and the MTIC accreditation
Follow Heather Jackson on LinkedIn

=============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

From DIY to £10M by 2027: ManiLife The 'World's BEST Peanut Butter'

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:49:27 +0000

A small favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please please hit FOLLOW and even leave a review!This tiny gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often. We see every new follow and read every review so thank you in advance!
=============================================================

In this latest Brand Growth Heroes episode, host Fiona Fitz chats with Stu MacDonald, founder of what's said to be the world's BEST peanut butter... ManiLife.

After years of crossing paths, they finally get to dive deep into Stu’s story—from hand-blending peanut butter in a rugby club kitchen to scaling up and running his own factory.

Stu opens up about the pressures of growth, the realities of burnout, and the difficult decision to step back from running the business in order to help it thrive in a new way.

As well as some REALLY honest, deep and raw stuff from Stu about a period of burnout, you'll hear about:

The surprising accident that led to Deep Roast Peanut Butter
Why 44% of peanut butter sales now come from bulk tubs
The mindset shift from being a founder who runs the business to one who supports its growth in a different role
The impact of having the right team and how it changes everything

We hope you enjoy one of the most raw and real conversations we've had on the show to date!

Useful Links:

ManiLife website

Stu Macdonald LinkedIn

ManiLife LinkedIn

ManiLife Instagram

ManiLife FB

=============================================================

Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

=============================================================

If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

With long term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.

Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place...so thanks Joelson - we’re delighted to have you on board.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line on hello@joelsonlaw.com!

==============================================

A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?

This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Why You Need Legal Kryptonite (& Why ChatGBT Can't Give it To You)

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:36:25 +0000

Scaling a CPG brand isn’t just about great products and standout branding—it’s also about navigating a legal maze that can come with fast business growth, in many different guises.
In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona Fitz sits down with Phil Hails-Smith and Paul Chiappe, managing partners at corporate law firm Joelson, to cover the legal essentials every CPG founder needs to know.
With over 30 years of experience supporting some of the fastest-growing CPG brands - clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin - Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola.

From intellectual property and contracts to regulatory compliance and international expansion, we explain how the right legal partners can protect your brand while unlocking new opportunities. We also chat about:

The biggest legal pitfalls CPG founders face (and how to avoid them)
Why contracts, IP, and compliance are make-or-break for scaling
How a great legal team can help you negotiate better deals and partnerships Real-world examples of legal strategies that fuel business growth.

We're also thrilled to announce that Joelson is now the official sponsor of Brand Growth Heroes, continuing their commitment to empowering founders with the knowledge and legal support they need to scale successfully.

So tune in to learn why legal expertise isn’t just about risk mitigation—it’s can actually be a strategic weapon for scaling smarter and faster, if you're smart!

Useful Links:

Joelson website

Joelson LinkedIn

Paul Chiappe LinkedIn

Phil Hails-Smith LinkedIn

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth. Plus, this small gesture will be truly appreciated.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner. With long term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola!

Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place.
Finally, as an almost all-female team here at BGH, we're especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line on hello@joelsonlaw.com!
Joelson - we’re delighted to have you on board.

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How Merchant Gourmet Doubled Sales from £15M to £30M in just 4 years

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 12:22:12 +0000

In this episode, Fiona Fitz chats with Richard Peake, Managing Director of Merchant Gourmet and one of the rare non-founder guests to grace our show. When Richard entered the role, Merchant Gourmet was a £15 million business. Fast forward four years, and the company has doubled its revenue to £30 million.

Bold innovations, a revamped product range, and strategic market expansion have powered this incredible growth. Our conversation delves into the power of innovation and the importance of staying ahead of consumer trends. Richard shares invaluable lessons in new product development (NPD). One particularly fascinating theme we covered was servant leadership—how Richard and his team drive Merchant Gourmet’s growth by empowering their people and focusing on purpose.

Additionally, we explore how export markets present an exciting new frontier for brands looking to scale. It was also refreshing to hear Richard admit that even seasoned professionals can find brand positioning a challenge. So, if you’ve ever struggled with getting it just right, you’re in good company!

Enjoy the episode, and as always, let us know your thoughts!

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm
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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place...so thanks Joelson - we’re delighted to have you on board.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line on hello@joelsonlaw.com!

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If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social kews
ZnmPvZOnCDIffjwMVXXI

£15M worth of meals BOOTSTRAPPED with GSN founder Craig Allen (Gold Standard Nutrition)

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:55:16 +0000

In the latest episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona Fitz sits down with Craig Allen, the founder of Gold Standard Nutrition (GSN), who joins us from Selby, York. GSN has become a standout brand for its high-quality, healthy, and convenient frozen meals that taste amazing!

At just 21, Craig launched GSN with a bold vision, growing it into a multi-million-pound business—all without any external funding.

The idea for GSN was born 12 years ago during a family outing to a local Chinese restaurant with his Dad. That “light bulb” moment set Craig on a pathway to create a brand that thrives today as a case study in profitability, brand growth, and focused strategy.

In this episode, Craig shares the triumphs and challenges of his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how staying true to his vision and focusing on overlooked market opportunities propelled his success. Enjoy!

Useful Links:

Key Takeaways

Spotting a Market Opportunity

Craig reveals how he identified a gap in the high-protein, healthy frozen meals market and turned it into a thriving business.

The Bootstrapping Journey

Building GSN without external funding wasn’t easy. Craig discusses the challenges and rewards of starting and scaling a business from scratch.

Hard Lessons in Business

An early hurdle forced Craig to downsize his team, teaching him valuable lessons about thoughtful growth, self-belief, and sound financial planning.
Cash flow management became a critical takeaway after hard-won experiences.

Staying Focused in Entrepreneurship

Craig’s journey underscores the importance of adaptability, clarity of vision, and self-belief, even when navigating competitive pressures.

The “Where-to-Play” Strategy

GSN thrives by serving underserved markets—like police stations, gyms, and universities—rather than competing directly in crowded grocery aisles. This strategic focus has been a cornerstone of the brand’s growth and scalability.

Responding to Market Needs

GSN’s rebrand from Goldstein Nutrition to GSN reflects a strategic pivot to resonate with mainstream audiences. This move expanded its appeal beyond bodybuilders, championing an inclusive vision for healthy eating.

Looking Ahead: GSN’s Future Growth Potential

Craig’s commitment to “doing things properly” underpins the brand’s success, and he shares exciting plans for the next phase of GSN’s journey.

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA Powered by Alantra has opened (Jan 6th) - apply here!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS

LATEST NEWS from Tony's Chocolonely: Revolutionising the Cocoa Industry for Good

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:52:43 +0000

In this latest episode of Brand Growth Heroes, we’re over the moon (as always) to welcome back one of our favourite guests, Ben Greensmith, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland of Tony’s Chocolonely.

Since we last chatted to Ben on the show, Tony’s Chocolonely has not only achieved impressive sales growth in the UK but has also made remarkable strides in driving positive change within the cocoa industry.

In this episode, Ben and Fiona dive deep into the progress Tony’s Chocolonely has made, covering:

Their growth and performance and market share in the UK
Exciting new product launches and brand innovations
But most importantly, the impact of Tony’s Open Chain on the Cocoa industry.

We also discuss the brand’s unique approach to marketing, including:

The learnings from their Advent Calendar launch
The UK Sweet Solutions campaign that captured media attention
Balancing awareness of critical cocoa supply chain issues with Tony’s playful tone of voice—all while reminding consumers just how delicious their chocolate tastes
What’s happening next?

Useful Links:

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

If you find Brand Growth Heroes episodes useful, then imagine spending 12 weeks on a Mini MBA programme run by host Fiona Fitz: The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2025 powered by Alantra will be open for applications on January 6th.

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep78: Beehive to £50M - How Scott Davies Built Hilltop Honey Empire

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 11:19:47 +0000

In this latest episode, we’re diving into the remarkable story of Scott Davies, the visionary Welsh founder of Hilltop Honey. From an early career as a bricklayer and coal yard worker to building a £50M business (number two in the market) and designing and building his own 55,000 square foot factory, Scott’s story is a testament to resilience, innovation, and an unyielding passion for bees and business!

Scott takes us behind the scenes of Hilltop Honey’s unlikely start and rise to success, sharing his experiences and the strategies that have helped him overcome challenges and achieve incredible growth. It's packed with inspiration for founders, dreamers, and anyone looking to turn adversity into opportunity. If you are interested in understanding what it takes to grow and lead a business of this size, then this is an episode for you.

By the way, if you're listening to this on Spotify, you'll find a place where it says ASK A QUESTION. You can ask Fiona Fitz a question, and she will be able to answer you. So, if you have any questions about this episode or anything you thought helpful, please let Fiona know!

Useful links:

Hilltop Honey Website

Scott Davies LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

AND ... if this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, PLEASE click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE and leave a review. You don't want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth. Plus, your small gesture will be truly appreciated

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to keep learning from the founders of challenger brands who are thinking differently about growth:
Follow us across our BGH socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA here.

Thanks to my Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep77 VITHIT’s Roadmap to £80M in Global Sales in 2025, Gary Lavin ( Part 2)

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:05:57 +0000

We are thrilled to welcome back Irish entrepreneur Gary Lavin, the founder of VITHIT Drinks. VITHIT is brand that’s seen incredible growth in recent years, establishing itself as a leader in the vitamin water in the UK and Ireland. With an £80 million run-rate in 2025, and multiple international markets, VITHIT is now a global player to be reckoned with.

But, like so many others, the real story here lies in founder Gary's relentless journey - one that that transformed a small idea into a business that knocked global brands such as Vitamin Water from off their perch in the UK, in the space of just a few years.

And Gary Lavin isn’t just a guest; he’s one of Fiona’s oldest friends in business. He joins us to share his story of resilience, taking on industry giants, navigating new markets, and building a brand with a laser focus on innovation and grit.

And if you’re interested in hearing more, we’ve just re-released our first interview with Gary from four years ago as a companion to this episode. So, if you’re listening now, consider this episode, part two of the VITHIT story! LINK PART ONE

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, PLEASE click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE and leave a review. You don't want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth. Plus, your small gesture will be truly appreciated.

Useful links:

By the way, if you're listening to this on Spotify, you'll find a place where it says ASK A QUESTION. You can ask Fiona a question, and she will be able to answer you. So, if you have any questions about this episode or anything you thought helpful, please let Fiona know!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to keep learning from the founders of challenger brands who are thinking differently about growth.

Thanks to my Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep76 VITHIT Vitamin Water: Founder Gary's Blueprint to Becoming Category Leader (Part 1)

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:57:45 +0000

VITHIT: This episode is the first in a 2-part series where we dive deep into the journey of the leading vitamin water in the UK and Ireland, through the eyes of its Irish founder, Gary Lavin.

VITHIT is a brand close to my heart, because the branding was designed by my truly talented brother and best friend, Dave of Dave Fitz Design, a boutique brand design agency in Dublin.

VITHIT is a great example of a winning brand that has taken it's time to learn, grow and get to a category leadership position, but where it hasn't happened over night, and there have been plenty of challenges overcome along the way.

In this episode recorded a few years ago, you'll learn Gary's secrets to getting the brand to 30 million pounds in sales through his tenacity and hands-on approach, and in the next episode - which will be released straight after this one - we catch up with Gary in real time (November 2024) to find out how he's managed to hit a run-rate of £80m in global sales for 2025!

Ep75 HANX Condoms are Creating the Sexual Wellness Brand Your Mum Will Love

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Ever been embarrassed at the till buying condoms?!
This week, Fiona Fitz is joined by Farah Kabir and Sarah Welsh, the brilliant duo behind HANX, a scaling challenger brand in the sexual wellness category.
Farah and Sarah turned an awkward personal experience into a market-leading company by spotting a glaring gap in the female-focused sexual health market. They've now built a brand that, although it started in condoms, has evolved to support women throughout all stages of their lives, addressing the various ways that women's bodies change and show up at different ages.

They're securing distribution in major retailers like Boots, Tesco, and Sainsbury's and are even making waves in the U.S. with Urban Outfitters.

HANX is evolving beyond just being a condom brand—it's becoming a comprehensive women's health and wellness brand.

So why not see how it's done in a category that might be very different from the one you operate in?

Note: Sarah was moving between locations during the recording, so you might notice video and sound quality changes throughout the episode.

By the way, if you're listening to this on Spotify, you'll find a place where it says ASK A QUESTION.

You can ask Fiona a question, and she will be able to answer you. So, if you have any questions about this episode or anything you thought helpful, please let Fiona know!

Useful links

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to my Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep74: (Part 3) After The Sale of Fuel 10K to Premier Foods: Barney Mauleverer

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:50:39 +0100

We're thrilled to welcome back Fuel 10k founder Barney Mauleverer for his third appearance on Brand Growth Heroes.

Barney's just wrapped up an incredible 13-year journey with Fuel 10K, and he's here to chat about the grit and patience it takes to build and sell a company. Trust us, if you're a founder facing your own hurdles, you'll want to tune in for this one!

Barney's story shows that success isn't always about sprinting to the finish line. Sometimes, it's more like running a marathon. Every experience, good or bad, plays a part in the big picture. His journey is super-inspiring for founders out there, reminding us that there is something to learn from every experience - even the not-so-glamorous stuff like factory floor checks!

But wait, there's more! Barney's also spilling the beans on his latest venture. He's just launched the 'FUTURE OF FOOD competition, a cool competition for entrepreneurs who are shaping what we'll be eating tomorrow (unusually, it's free to enter and attend).

The final round will be held on November 26th at the stunning venue: The Royal Geographic Society - 16 finalists pitch to win in front of food industry luminaries, with an audience of entrepreneurs, investors, buyers and journalists. I'm lucky enough to be a judge on the day, so come and say hello!

Thank you, Barney, for shining a light on the future of the industry/market/how we will feed ourselves. We hope you enjoy this episode and will join us on the 23rd November - register to attend here!

By the way, if you're listening to this on Spotify, you'll find a place where it says ASK A QUESTION.

You can ask Fiona a question, and she will be able to answer you. So, if you have any questions about this episode or anything you thought helpful, please let Fiona know!

Useful links/info:

Future Food Competition info here

Barney’s LinkedIn

The Future of Food Competition is a free, fully inclusive, not-for-profit event. Amidst significant global changes and rapidly evolving megatrends, this challenge shines a spotlight on opportunities and issues in the food industry. By encouraging debate, entrepreneurialism and innovative thinking, we seek to drive progress and positive change. We hope this event becomes a regular highlight in the calendar for everyone passionate about investing in food entrepreneurship.

Here's the running order:

12am – Attendees arrive and network

12.45 – Doors shut

13.00 – Setting the scene...

Mike Berners-Lee – author of There Is No Planet B and How Bad Are Bananas & passionate expert in Carbon Footprinting.
Pen Hadow – Arctic record-breaker and conservationist dedicated to protecting the seas and its wildlife.
Kevin Dorren is an AI enthusiast and shifting populations specialist.

14.30 - All attendees circulate the Pitch Tables

15.30 - Judges preside & with a Popular Vote, and select 3 of the best

Miranda Ballard from NielsenIQ uses case study data to explain how entrepreneurial endeavour can impact big business.

16.00 – 3 top finalists invited to pitch in the iconic Ondaatje Theatre + Q&A

16.45 – Judges & Popular Vote (Strictly style!) Gold, Silver, Bronze are announced & prizes awarded

17.00 - It’s a wrap!

Future Food Competition info here

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to my Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane,

Ballagroove.com

and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts,

Social KEWS

Ep73: Founder Ruby Raut on FemTech brand WUKA, Empowering Women & Redefining Period Care.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 07:00:00 +0100

In this latest episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona sits down with the inspirational human being Ruby Raut, the founder and CEO of WUKA (Wake Up, Kick-Ass), to discuss her remarkable story from growing up in Nepal, where menstruation was shrouded in taboo, to creating a brand that is revolutionising the Fem Care category, and giving dignity back to girls and women every month.

Ruby’s background in environmental science and her passion for sustainability inspired her to create WUKA, a brand offering sustainable, leak-proof period underwear that drives positive change in the Femtech space.

Ruby highlights WUKA’s incredible milestones, from becoming the first period underwear brand to hit supermarket shelves in the UK to successfully campaigning to remove VAT on these essential products.

She opens up about the grit and determination it took to bring her ideas to life, from cleaning toilets at the 2012 Olympics to founding a pioneering company.

What we loved learning in this episode

A world-class example of how authentic business purpose can inspire true innovation and customer loyalty.
Insights into the process of developing sustainable products
How focusing on a single SKU instead of a complete range can keep things simple - for you and for your shopper
Practical advice for entrepreneurs on overcoming challenges, keeping costs down, and focusing on social impact.

Find out today how and why Ruby Raut is reshaping the future of period care for millions.

By the way, if you're listening to this on Spotify, you'll find a place where it says ASK A QUESTION.

You can ask Fiona a question, and she will be able to answer you. So, if you have any questions about this episode or anything you thought helpful, please let Fiona know!

Useful links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruby-raut-49987b58/

WUKA website

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to my Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep72 How to Grow from £0 - £20m in JUST 5 YEARS with Child's Farm Joanna Jensen

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 19:14:23 +0100

Listen and learn from Joanna Jensen, the founder of Child's Farm!

This multi-award-winning natural skincare brand was founded (like 99% of businesses born to female founders) from Joanna's own need for something that didn't exist in the category at the time: a bath time solution for her child with medically diagnosed eczema.

Created in 2010, Childs Farm was the number-one brand in the category by 2019 (ahead of Johnson's Baby, Baby Dove, and Aveeno).

Joanna scaled the business to £20 million and decided the time was right to source additional funding for growth, but instead sold to PZ Cussons, which owns brands Imperial Leather, St Tropez and Carex.

She describes herself as a driven workaholic, but she is also a brilliant mentor and advocate of female founders and female-founded businesses. She is also an investor in some of the businesses we've had on the show, including Freya Bone Broth and Hunter and Gather (look for their episodes on the show page of your favourite podcast player)

During their chat, Joanna gives us many of what Fiona calls "those £500k ‘aha’ moments", including advice on margins, cash flow, when to hire and at what level, what to look for in your team, and more.

Fiona’s challenge - how do we all get to the point where we're clear that the solution we're offering doesn't exist out there? Then, we can enter any negotiation, whether with a buyer or an investor, and we feel just as confident as Joanna does.

By the way, if you're listening to this on Spotify, you'll find a place where it says ASK A QUESTION! You can now ask Fiona a question, and she will be able to answer you. So, if you have any questions about this episode or anything you thought helpful, please let Fiona know!

Useful links:

Childs Farm website

Childs Farm Instagram

Childs Farm Facebook

EIS Association

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme

Stop It by comedian Bob Newhart

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to my Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep71 $500M: OLIPOP Explodes the USA Soda Market

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 11:59:14 +0100

$500M: OLIPOP explodes the USA Soda Market

Join us for Fiona Fitz’s recent conversation with OLIPOP Co-Founder & President David Lester, recorded live at the Bread and Jam Festival.

OLIPOP Co-Founders David Lester and Ben Goodwin landed on the foundational recipe for “a new kind of soda”, redefining how consumers perceived the category. OLIPOP has successfully persuaded consumers to swap out sugary, familiar favourites for healthier alternatives.

In colourful cans with vintage logos and fantastic flavours, OLIPOP aims to smash its target of $500 million in sales in 2024.

Listen to this episode and find out how they've done it.

David reveals:

The eight-year journey behind OLIPOP's rapid growth, explaining that despite its apparent surge since the 2018 launch, the company actually underwent a crucial four-year trial process beforehand.

The importance of balancing taste with health benefits and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with being a founder.

We all expected this interview to be about how he and Ben grew the business. In fact, David offers candid insights on ego, vulnerability, and the true meaning of success.

If you are still alive then you are succeeding.

Useful links:

https://drinkolipop.com/

Bread and Jam Festival

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and our social media manager/podcast producer, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep70 Sauce Shop Secrets Unveiled: What DOES it take to manufacture in-house?

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0100

Sauce Shop Secrets Unveiled: Pam & James Digva on everything from building their own factory to getting a national listing in Tesco

If you’re ever wondering what it takes to own and run your own manufacturing facility, then this episode is for you.

Brand Growth Heroes host Fiona Fitz has been tasting packaged food and beverage products as part of her job for over 25 years. When she first tasted Sauce Shop's lime and aioli sauce at the Alantra Fast 50 dinner, she knew she had to find out how it tasted so good.

So, in this latest episode, Fiona chats with Sauce Shop's founders, Pam and James Digva, who explain exactly how they make products that taste just like they weren’t made in a factory at ALL.

They have well over 20 years of food manufacturing experience, and there are just so many nuggets in this interview that we can't wait to share with you.

We talk about building your own manufacturing facility while still staying true to the craft, as well as the importance of a dedicated team you can rely on, especially in high growth and challenging times.

During the chat, Pam and James reveal their latest listing in one of the UK's largest retailers. Stay tuned until the end, as this source (sauce!!) of growth will really inspire you.

Useful links:

Sauce Shop® | UK Made Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce & Ketchup | 35+ varieties

(27) James Digva | LinkedIn

(27) Pam Digva | LinkedIn

Sauce Shop | Facebook

Sauce Shop (@sauce_shop) • Instagram photos and videos

(31)Sauce Shop (@sauceshop) | TikTok

If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and our social media manager, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Freja Bone Broth: How to Hit a £10M Run-Rate in Just 3 Years

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:08:43 +0100

Episode 69: Freja Foods, Founder Ed Armitage

How to Hit a £10m Run Rate in 3 Years!

In this latest episode, Fiona talks to Ed Armitage, founder of Freja Bone Broth, who shares the secrets behind his award-winning, digital-first, scaling food business.
With a vision to become Europe's No. 1 bone broth brand, you'll hear how husband and wife team Ed and Jess built a multi-million-pound brand in just over three years - during extremely difficult economic conditions.
Investors like Harry Cain, the ex-MD of innocent smoothies Giles Brook and the ex CEO Unilever Paul Polman, have all invested in the business, find out why here!

By the way, we do a quick-fire Q&A at the end, and Ed is incredibly generous with his tips on how to grow a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brand profitably, so make sure you stay around and don’t miss these valuable nuggets.

Here are the top 5 things you will learn from this episode:

How Ed and Jess have built a business that turned over £1M in the first four weeks of 2024 alone!
Why Harry Cain, the ex-MD of innocent smoothies Giles Brook ex CEO Unilever have all invested in the business
How a digital-first brand allows them to avoid the gate-keepers that make business hard in retail grocery
How to overcome the challenges that most consumer brand startups face
Ed’s 'turnover per full-time employee' Rule of thumb' that steers you on how many people to employ

I hope you enjoyed this episode and that it has helped you and your business in some way!
If it has, please hit FOLLOW to subscribe and keep an eye out for the next episode, where I'll talk to another successful founder of a challenger brand who will share more valuable insights into driving growth. Your FOLLOW makes a big difference to me and to my business, thank you.
Click the Follow button beside Brand Growth Heroes by finding it on your favourite podcast app here.

Useful links:

Freja's Website

Find the founders on LinkedIn: Jessica Higgins & Ed Armitage

Freja on Instagram

Freja on Facebook

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Thanks to my Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and my producer, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

Ep68 (Part 2) Fuel10k Sells to Behemoth Premier Foods - The Week Before the Sale

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 09:35:22 +0000

Founder Barney Mauleverer describes Fuel10k as 'a 12 year overnight success'

In Part 2 of our two part series covering the growth journey & sale of the protein breakfast brand Fuel10k to Premier Foods, learn:

The three reasons that Fuel10k was the perfect fit for Premier Foods already impressive national brand portfolio
It Fuel10K 10 years to get to £10 million in revenue but 2.5 years to do the next £10 million
£10 million turnover is the magic number: the figure at which your P&L and growth trajectory to change for the better
Why Fuel10K NEVER had an injection of big bucks & why they wanted to grow their business the old-fashioned way
The role of Student Reps working in, in universities as part of their field sales and marketing team
Why it's never too early to build relationships with the M&A advisory world
One of Barney's key talents is putting the right people in the right roles
Why Barney and his co-founders gave 1 years salary to those employees who had been in the business for over 2 years.

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I really hope that you enjoyed this episode & that it has helped you in some way!
If so, would you take 3 mins to click FOLLOW on your podcast app, as well as leave a review?
This small gift from you has a big impact on me ... and on MY business.
Thank you 🙏

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Ep67 (Part 1) Fuel10k: Build a £Multimillion Protein Breakfast Brand & Then Sell It

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 14:53:50 +0000

Are you curious to know what it's like for a founder in the week before a sale of their business?

➡ If you're building your consumer packaged goods business with the hope of one day selling it, and if you've ever wondered what it would be like to sell your branded business, then you've got to listen to this. Last week, FUEL10K (protein breakfast range) was sold to renowned UK CPG business Premier Foods.

In a two part series, Brand Growth Heroes host Fiona Fitzpatrick talks to Barney😜 Mauleverer about:

- How he & his team BUILT FUEL10K

- Why it was the right FIT for Premier Foods, and

- What it was like for him in the WEEK BEFORE the sale of the business at the end of October 2023.

First up - we revisit our episode with Barney from 2020, where the business was already turning over £12M in revenue and present in multiple international markets.

Barney Mauleverer cut his teeth in food and drink during the front five years of early stage Innocent Drinks. Leaving in 2006 as European Manager, Barney sought a more entrepreneurial route of his own and set up food brand exporting company Fresh Marketing with pal Alex Matheson.

Listen to how Barney and his team built the Fuel 10K business, and in the next episode launching soon, we'll explore what it took to sell the business to Premier Foods.

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Ep66 How COOK Grew to £130M With NO External Investment

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:28:46 +0100

COOK is an award winning frozen meals company based in the UK. It’s impressive turnover of £130M comes from its it 98 retail stores and 1000 concessions that it supplies from its own manufacturing facilities. Yet some 28 years from inception, the business STILL doesn’t sell to any major UK grocery retailers!

Founder Ed Perry tells me how he has managed to keep the business 100% privately owned, how their passion for creating a great company culture plays a central role in what they do, and how- to achieve their mission- they still cook using the same ingredients and techniques that a good cook would use at home in order

Here are the top 5 things you'll learn :

COOK started with just 1 store in 2006, and now has over 1600 employees and a turnover of £130M...yet is still 100% privately owned!
How COOK's core brand promise is the driving force behind their success
How the company's RAW TALENT program strives to help people rebuild their lives and contribute positively to society
Why Ed advises believes you have to measure your company culture
How building a business for the long term can give you the freedom to make decisions that can lead to better outcomes for society as a whole

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Ep65 Brand Building Masterclass with Rude Health Co-founder Camilla Barnard

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 07:56:10 +0100

I've been in love with the bright, punchy and delicious Rude Health brand since it launched in 2006.

Originally a muesli business, Rude Health's revenue now comes predominantly from alt. milks, although this is something Camilla never would have imagined when they first launched them!

A well-known and much-loved brand in 4 major markets, Rude Health is admired for it's brightly coloured boxes and cartons which inject joy into mornings across the U.K, Portugal & Benelux.

Co-founder Camilla Barnard began the business 18 years ago with her ex-husband, with the intention of making healthier eating a celebration, not a sacrifice for as many people as they could. Compared to the expectations of many founders starting out today, you could say that the business has grown relatively slowly, however there's a massive upside to this: Rude Health is still over 90% privately owned, with their only 'major' minor shareholder being....PepsiCo!

Here are the Top 9 things you'll learn :

Camilla didn't know much about running a product-based business, let alone a food business, before she started, and why this mattered.
How Rude Health's earliest vision was always MASSIVE: to make healthy eating a celebration, not a sacrifice.
How Camilla is obsessed asking the right questions to her shoppers, consumers and retail buyers, and learn how you can do this too.
What the brand-design process for the Rude Health brand looked like, in detail.
What the 'clothing' your brand wears says about it in terms of when and how to use it, and whether it's for you or not...
Why Rude Health has chosen to play mainly in Grocery Retail and not Online
How Rude health split their marketing budget now vs. 3 years ago
The role of new product development in their business and how this has changed over time
How to recruit the right people for your business - is it skill, experience or mindset?

Could you #Payitforward?
If you enjoy this episode & it has helped you in some way, will you take 3 mins to leave a review on your podcast app?
This small gift from you has a big impact on me ... and on my business.
Thank you 🙏

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Email Fiona for a 1-1 coaching session: fiona@fionafitzconsulting.com

See how Fiona can help you design and develop group-coaching programmes for your senior commercial and marketing teams: Fiona Fitz Consulting

Ep64 How to Create Content that SELLS & Drives GROWTH, with Dan Knowlton

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 10:43:13 +0100

"What is Susan who's 40 talking about with her friends when she picks the kids up from school? Or what is Dave who's 50, who's a builder, sharing in his WhatsApp group? What kind of videos are you sharing that you're seeing online? Or what kind of TV shows are they watching and talking about with their friends?'

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As a rule, I don't interview marketing agencies on Brand Growth Heroes, but I made an exception when I reached out to our next guest.
Dan Knowlton is one half of Knowlton, a digital and social media market agency that has me in stitches with the videos they create and post on LinkedIn. If you don't follow them yet, I suggest you do.

Both Dan and his brother Lloyd Knowlton are hilarious. But why is this of value to you? Well, since I interviewed Jake Carls of Midday Squares and then Teddy and Marissa of Perfect Ted a few episodes ago, I've been exploring how the concept of advertainment works and why it's way more important to you as a grocery brand leader than just posting product shots.

Dan knows way more about advertainement than I do, so I thought a good chat with him would be of real value to us all.

Here are the top 5 things you'll learn :

How to truly understand your Target Audience, in a way you never have before
How to Connect with What Really Matters to your Audience
How to Trigger their Emotions
How to Build Trust and Overcome Objections
Where to Allocate your Budget in your marketing funnel

Please leave a review on your podcast app if you enjoyed this episode!

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How ODDBOX Grew to £32M: Dig Deep into their D2C Journey

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 20:39:36 +0100

ODDBOX is a D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) BCorp business with a bold vision: a world where all food grown is eaten.

Husband & wife team Deepak Ravindran and Emilie Vanpoperinghe founded the business 8 years ago, and have allowed their passion for sustainability to design their clever business model.

ODDBOX delivers boxes of fruit, vegetables, and other products that are at risk of waste to their 500,000 D2C customers. Working closely with growers and suppliers, they originally focused on produce that may not meet cosmetic specifications or size requirements set by retailers but is still perfectly good to eat.

In this episode, they share their journey from coming up with the idea for ODDBOX and testing it with 20 customers, to eventually growing the business to £32 million

You’ll learn :

How they started their business packing ODDBOXes in a local church hall
How they accessed the cash to fund their spectacular growth
The importance of their relationships with growers, managing the supply chain and ensuring excellent customer experience
Their plans for future growth, including their recently launched ODDSHOP and ODDBOX-branded consumer packaged products
How they implemented geo-targeted marketing strategies, focusing on driving demand in the specific areas where they were delivering their boxes.
Why traditional marketing methods like leaflet distribution through door-to-door worked well for them
Their thoughts and experience of the effectiveness of influencer marketing but later found it to be successful in building awareness and trust.

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See how Fiona can group-coach your senior commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting

Founders' Hotline: Bold Bean Co's Viral Mistake

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 25 May 2023 08:05:00 +0100

Get ready for a dose of entrepreneurial truth bombs as the vivacious trailblazer, Amelia Christie-Miller, spills the beans on one of the blunders she made whilst venturing towards business triumph! Bold Bean Co.

YOU too can be featured on Brand Growth Bloopers! Just send me a WhatsApp on +447418605547 and tell me the following:

Your name
Your brand website and Instagram handle
A quick outline of your brand growth blooper, for example, 'manufacturing disaster, wrong ingredients' or 'no laptop power at a Tesco buyer meeting' etc
What's in it for you? If you are chosen to feature on the show, you'll have the opportunity to share your brand growth blooper story as well as sharing your website, instagram and LinkedIn handles to thousands of listeners around the world. You could even do what Simona Deifta did in one of our first bonus episodes, and share a coupon code so that listeners can buy your product with an exclusive discount!

So that you don't miss your favourite brands talk about how they grew their inspirational businesses,
click the Follow button beside Brand Growth Heroes on your podcast app (on apple podcasts it's three dots like this (...)

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Become part of the Brand Growth Heroes community!
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Email Fiona for a 1-1 session: fiona@fionafitzconsulting.com
See how Fiona can group-coach your senior commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting

Nurture Brands: Co-conquering your Costs with Other Brands. Ben Arbib.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 22 May 2023 07:16:44 +0100

As the founder or leader of a grocery brand, have you ever thought it would be GREAT to pool your central costs with other brands like yours?

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I certainly considered it when I was launching GU Chocolate Puds in France years ago, and as a result, I created a shared field sales team with Innocent France for the French market, and it was certainly something worth doing for the period of time it worked for both businesses.

I wanted to explore what this looks like today, so in this next episode, I talk to Ben Arib, founder of Rebel Kitchen, and more recently Nurture Brands, a cohort of eight better-for-you brands - Rebel Kitchen & Myracle Kitchen, Primal Pantry, Doisy & Dam, Emily, Jax Coco, Indie Ba - that share the same platform (and equity) in order to mutualize a lot of their costs.

Ben explains how the Nurture Brands' shared model works, why he started it, and all the economics behind it.

So that you don't miss the leaders of your favourite brands talk about how they grew their inspirational businesses, click the Follow button beside Brand Growth Heroes on your podcast app (on apple podcasts it's three dots like this (...)

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See how Fiona can group-coach your senior commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting

Renée Elliott: Rescuing Planet Organic. Empowering Women.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 17 May 2023 09:40:36 +0100

Renée Elliott is the original founder of much-loved UK organic retailer Planet Organic...and now she's back: to rescue the business out of administration. At the time of recording, we are 3 weeks into this rescue deal. All the latest insider info is right inside this episode, along with some invitations to suppliers to join Planet Organic on their new journey, as well as information on Renée's upcoming women's retreat (www.womentree.uk).

Founders' Hotline: Nojo London's Big Screw Up

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 10:21:30 +0100

Have you ever messed up and felt like you were the only founder in the world to make such a stupid mistake?

Simona Deifta, female powerhouse and founder of the brilliant sauces and dressings Nojo London, shares one of the biggest brand growth bloopers she's made along the way to getting national listings with Ocado, Co-Op, Wholefoods and Amazon.

YOU can be featured on Brand Growth Bloopers! Just send me a WhatsApp on +447418605547 and tell me the following:

Your name
Your brand website and Instagram handle
A quick outline of your brand growth blooper, for example, 'manufacturing disaster, wrong ingredients' or 'no laptop power at a Tesco buyer meeting' etc
What's in it for you? If you are chosen to feature on the show, you'll have the opportunity to share your brand growth blooper story as well as sharing your website, instagram and LinkedIn handles to thousands of listeners around the world. You could even do what Simona did, and share a coupon code!

Follow Brand Growth Heroes here on Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin

Become part of the Brand Growth Heroes community!
Sign up here for news and information on Brand Growth Heroes Accelerator Programme
Email Fiona for a 1-1 session: fiona@fionafitzconsulting.com
See how Fiona can group-coach your senior commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting

Founders' Hotline: Perfect Ted's Manufacturing Disaster

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 08:47:03 +0100

Hear how Marisa and Teddy learned from their big-green-explosion-mistake, whilst preparing for their first-ever show - the London Coffee Festival!

If you'd like the chance to be featured on Brand Growth Bloopers, please send us a WhatsApp on +447418605547 and tell us the following:

Your name & email address
Your brand website and instagram handle
A quick outline of your brand growth blooper, for example 'manufacturing disaster, wrong ingredients' etc
If you are chosen to feature on the show you'll have the opportunity to share your brand with our audience including what you make, who you’re for, and your website, instagram and LinkedIn handles.
Every brand that is featured on the Brand Growth Blooper bonus episodes will go into a draw with the chance to win a place on the next Brand Growth Accelerator programme (formally The Growth Strategy Programme) in October 2023.

Click the Follow button beside Brand Growth Heroes on your podcast app (on apple podcasts it's three dots like this (...)

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Become part of the Brand Growth Heroes community!
Sign up here for news and information on Brand Growth Heroes Accelerator Programme

See how Fiona’s group coaching programmes can help develop your senior commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting

How Perfect Ted Grew From £0-5M in Just 18 months

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 09:21:52 +0100

Perfect Ted, the natural energy drinks brand powered by matcha green tea, has taken the UK food and drink industry by storm.

Despite launching just 18 months ago, Marisa, Teddie, and Levi have grown their business to a run-rate of £5M, secured a national listing with Tesco UK across three different in-store categories, and even won offers from all five dragons on Dragon's Den.

What's more, they've accomplished this by successfully taking a niche ingredient that they are passionate about into the mass market.

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In this episode, Marissa and Teddie chat with Fiona about their journey to success. They discuss the biggest mistakes they've made, how they struggled with positioning their brand and the role of matcha, and how they ultimately hit on the winning solution through their work on The Growth Strategy Programme. They emphasize the importance of focusing on product benefits rather than just ingredients and reveal the advice they would give to any founders preparing for a pitch to investors, buyers or Dragons!

The duo also share their experience on Dragon's Den and how it was by far the biggest risk they've taken to date. They talk about the impact the show has had on their sales, and the personal investment necessary to grow their business. Additionally, they discuss the benefits of having a strong multi-channel customer base and reveal how they secured their first Michelin star listing.

Finally, Marisa and Teddie answer the question everyone wants to know: what it's like to have Dragon and serial entrepreneur Steven Bartlett as a mentor!!

Tune in to hear their inspiring story and valuable insights into building a successful brand.

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Perfect Ted Instagram
Perfect Ted Tiktok
Perfect Ted website
Teddie Linkedin
Marisa Linkedin

Mid-Day Squares: How to Disrupt the $8Billion Healthy Snacking Category

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 07:30:08 +0000

Mid-Day Squares is the Canadian functional chocolate sensation that EVERYONE in the food and drink industry is talking about.

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Heroes podcast

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Launched in 2018, this family-led business is planning to disrupt the $8 billion dollar health bar market in the USA.

But they're also disrupting what Food & Bev marketers define as best practice, in terms of approach to Social Media!

Forbes 30 under 30 co-founderJake Karls talks Fiona through:

How he, his sister Lezlie and brother-in-law Nick had been 'swinging and missing' with other startups before Mid-Day Squares was conceived...
How they ended up with such a great product market fit...
How they decided on the 1 MASSIVE way the brand would 'show up' to the world...
How they built the momentum, energy, and hype that means their product is PULLED off shelf...
Why an understanding of the entertainment world - and story-telling- is so important to marketers....
Why Jake didn’t originally want to get involved in this family business...
His pitch for the brand to 'show-up' as a blend of the best of The Kardashians, the best of Shark Tank, and the best of Elon Musk...
How to break through the biggest barrier to every F&B business - the 'Attention Barrier'...
How you need to be unapologetically yourself, even if 50% of people are going to dislike you...
The 3 things you need to tell an amazing story...
The three pillars around which the Mid-Day Squares business is organized...
How therapy has been the answer to help them run the business successfully...
How they personalized their relationship with their consumers in the early days, and how they continue to do that at scale...

Want to work with Fiona?
Email Fiona for a 1-1 session: fiona@fionafitzconsulting.com
See how Fiona can help develop your commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting

Mid-Day Squares Instagram
Mid-Day Squares Tiktok

Verlinvest: The 3 Secrets that Founders Looking for Investment NEED to Know

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:46:30 +0000

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CPG Founders: Want to know the secret *three NEW must-haves* that investors are insisting on in the current economic climate?

Verlinvest is the investment company behind your favourite insurgent brands like Tony's Chocolonely, Oatly, Mutti, Vita Coco and Who Gives a Crap.

Their investment - and their team - is helping to build some of the world's largest consumer brands.

In this episode (recorded a few months back), I speak to Director Ben Black and I get some top advice for founders looking for funding.

But most importantly...we'll let you in on a secret:

There are THREE NEW THINGS that investors are looking for in today's economic climate. These are not listed here, you’re going to have to listen to the show!

And as a bonus…you'll also learn:

At what point in time do you need to be showing profitability in your business plan?
What a consumer revolution is and why it matters
What Fiona means by 'understanding your consumers’ ‘inflation-friction’ and why it's KEY
What VCs actually DO to help founders other than offer money
How you know that you're not trying HARD enough....

I hope you enjoy this latest episode and learn as much as I did recording it!

Want to work with Fiona?
Email Fiona for a 1-1 session: fiona@fionafitzconsulting.com
See how Fiona can help develop your commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting

Veganuary, Vegan Fried Chick*n, Veg Capital & Sentient Ventures with Matthew Glover

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 13:29:09 +0100

As the founder of Veganuary, Veg Capital, Vegan Fried Chick*n or VFC, and most recently a new venture capital fund called Sentient Ventures, Matthew Glover is a business activist and a serial founder whose initiatives have contributed significantly to the changes we are all experiencing in how we eat today.

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In this episode, Matthew shares how he left his career in double-glazing to fight animal cruelty; the exact steps he and his wife took to create the Veganuary movement and, arguably, how it has been the tipping point for the plant-based revolution in our eating habits and in the food industry today. He also tells us why he's made the decision to 'invest in growth up-front' in the VFC (Vegan Fried Chick*n) brand.
Finally, we learn about his venture capital businesses - Veg Capital and Sentient Ventures, including what they look for when evaluating new investments.

I hope you enjoy this latest episode and learn as much as I did recording it!

Get Fiona on your brand team here: The Growth Strategy Programme and Fiona Fitz Consulting

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Healthy Soil, Healthy People, Healthy Planet: How Wildfarmed Can Change How We Eat.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 18:20:50 +0100

If you work in the food industry, you need to start swotting up on this subject area:
**Regenerative Agriculture**

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Wildfarmed is a regenerative food brand bringing together farmers, food businesses and consumers to build the largest soil and biodiversity restoration programme on British arable land. But uniquely, they are making delicious food grown in healthy soils widely available to the high street customer, whilst guaranteeing a stable price committed to the farmer who makes the transition to regenerative practices.

Fiona speaks to Edd Lees, who along with Andy Cato of Groove Armada and George Lamb, is one of the co-founders of this revolutionary new business.

Founded in 2018, Wildfarmed’s overriding premise is to 'fix the planet by fixing food'.

Wildfarmed prioritises soil health and never uses pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, so the land is left rich for future harvests. This in turn ensures that any Wildfarmed loaf of bread will always be chemical-free and nutrient-dense. There are now 40 farmers growing under contract with Wildfarmed (with an ever-growing waitlist), representing a staggering 1% of British arable land.

Wildfarmed’s first ever bakery partner was Jolene in Newington Green, London and soon Pizza Pilgrims, HIDE, Twelve Triangles, all joined the movement. They’re now up to a total of nearly 230 customers who bake, cook and educate consumers through using Wildfarmed flour.

If you work in the food industry, how can you engage with regenerative farming practices?

Find out more about Wildfarmed here. and on mob here

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How to Build a $100M Beverage Business in Under 5 Years

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 11:44:33 +0100

waterdrop® is the $100M insurgent beverage brand that may not yet be on your radar...at least if you're based in the U.K.
But you need to be all over it...here's why:

What is waterdrop®?
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waterdrop® is a 'microdrink' company that offers dissolvable cubes of flavour that you can carry with you and drop into tap water whenever you want a drink. Their flavour-cubes are plant-based, sugar-free, and even include vitamins, teas and energy. From a marketing strategy point of view, the cube becomes a carrier to deliver solutions to many different types of people, needs and occasions.

waterdrop®'s purpose is to make it easy for everyone to drink more tap water, more often. The ecosystem of products and 'water-tech' that the company is building in order to deliver on its purpose is so clever that your eyes will water. They are present in 14 countries, and have 25 waterdrop® stores across the world, including a presence in supermarkets and high street beauty stores, as well as concessions in shopping malls. Believe it or not, they are now the largest seller of drinkware in Europe...and they've just launched an intelligent water bottle cap so you can keep track of how much water you're drinking.

The business performance stats are astonishing too. In under 5 years, the company has turned over $100M, with over north of 100M drinks sold. They’ve recently raised a series B round of $60M, to invest in conquering the US market.

We talk to founder Martin Murray about why and how he started the company, the mistakes he made along the way…and something I know you’re going to love – how martin and his co-founders persuaded their co-manufacturers to pay for the machinery and trials they needed to make waterdrop cubes a reality.

What you'll learn in this episode:
- How Martin came up with the idea for waterdrop® while he was on an aeroplane with his mother
- Why it made NO sense for anyone to try and do what they did...
- How they got their co-manufacturer to pay for their R&D and machinery, each time they needed to scale.
- How they are aiming to help more people to drink more clean water, more easily.
- Why D2C was a blue ocean for beverages
- How to create massive barriers to entry to the market you've created
- Why you should never accept the status quo

Find out more about waterdrop® here.
Get Fiona on your brand team here: The Growth Strategy Programme and Fiona Fitz Consulting

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How to Get a Retail Buyer's Attention with Scott McCulloch, Founder of The Vegan Kind Supermarket

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 22:57:34 +0100

Scott McCulloch and his wife Karris started their vegan subscription box from the living room of their flat in 2013. Nine years later, The Vegan Kind Supermarket is a multi-million pound UK online vegan grocer, the first and largest of its kind.

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In this episode - our first with a grocery retailer - you'll learn:

- Why and how Scott and Karris started their vegan subscription box business - including the steps they took to find their first 50 subscribers
- How the business evolved to become the UK's biggest online exclusively-vegan supermarket
- The exact steps YOU need to take to get YOUR retail buyer's attention...
- Scott's view on what the vegan market/landscape will look like in 5 years' time (and it's radical...)
- How you're going to have to get ready to compete with significant private-label/retailer own-brand vegan ranges over the coming year or so...
- and why the time is right for him and his wife Karris to step back from running the day-to-day of their multi-million pound online supermarket.

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Follow The Vegan Kind Supermarket here.
Come to Fiona's workshop at Bread and Jam Festival in London 18/19 July 2022 here
Learn more about the opportunity to work with Fiona's here: The Growth Strategy Programme and Fiona Fitz Consulting

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Click the subscribe or 'bell' button beside Brand Growth Heroes on your podcast app to make sure you get the latest from Brand Growth Heroes podcast.

Why Your DTC Business Isn’t Working & How to Fix it!

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 11:13:21 +0100

Follow Brand Growth Heroes on Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin.

Serial founder and bestselling author Mike Stevens talks to Fiona about his new book 'The Direct-To-Consumer Playbook', and shares his learnings from 20 years in consumer packaged goods - and from being one of the first challenger food brands to sell directly to consumers.

Hear how Mike and his co-founder built a successful DTC business with Peppersmith; why he sold the business; how and why he went about writing his best-selling business book; the secrets to winning at DTC straight from the mouths of the most successful founders and brands in this space...and finally, what Mike would do differently, knowing what he knows now.

What you'll learn :

When DTC is right for your business - and when it ISN'T.
What you NEED to figure out to make DTC work financially for your business
The importance of talking to your consumers on the phone or in-person every week
What Mike means by 'Having a Brand that Can Tell the Story'
Why multi-channel is often crucial to winning
What successful challenger brands are DOING DIFFERENTLY and what YOU can take from their strategies and implement in your own business...NOW.
What Mike would do differently with all this knowledge and experience under his belt.

Find Mike's book here.
Meet Mike at Bread and Jam Fest here
Come to Fiona's workshop at Bread and Jam Fest here

The Cheeky Panda is Changing How We Wipe

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 17 May 2022 19:15:24 +0100

The Cheeky Panda is on a mission to transform the type of paper products we all use across Household, Beauty, and Baby products. By using surplus bamboo instead of trees as their raw material, The Cheeky Panda makes products that are kinder to your skin as well as to the planet. In this episode, founders Chris and Julie tell us how and why they set up the business, and how they’ve grown it to £17M in sales in only 6 years, with relatively little external funding.

Find out more about The Cheeky Panda - and try some!
Follow Brand Growth Heroes on Instagram
Discover more about Fiona Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionafitz/
Discover more about the show: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/

Like what you hear & want to work with Fiona, and join a network of hundreds of scaling CPG brands?
Discover her programmes for the founders of consumer/grocery brands below:

For the founders of SCALING grocery brands: The Growth Strategy Programme: The only online Business Accelerator for scaling consumer packaged goods brands. Read the testimonials here: https://www.fionafitzconsulting.com/courses/brand-growth-strategy-programme
For EARLY-STAGE brands, try Brand Growth Bootcamp Masterclass Membership - Fiona's classes & group for founders of early-stage startup consumer brands https://fionafitzconsulting.mykajabi.com/offers/eRBTBioC/checkout

Thanks to Strong Roots for supporting series 5 of Brand Growth Heroes.

How to Build a £20M Multi-Channel Business in Just 18 Months: Wild Deodorant

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 12:09:44 +0100

How do you build a £20M multi-channel business in just 18 months?
Wild deodorant is the sustainable, natural deodorant that smells good and looks great, delivered straight to your door. Founded by childhood friends Freddy Ward and Charlie Bowes-Lyons only 18 months ago, Wild has sold £20M worth of their deodorant in as many months. How did they do that? Fiona gets a masterclass in building a DtoC business from Freddy Ward. Don't miss this one!

Find out more about Wild Deodorant https://www.wearewild.com/
Follow Wild on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wildrefill/
Discover more about Fiona Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionafitz/
Discover more about the show: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/

Want to work with Fiona?

Scaling brands:
Join The Growth Strategy Programme: The only online Business Accelerator for scaling consumer packaged goods brands. Read the testimonials here: https://www.fionafitzconsulting.com/courses/brand-growth-strategy-programme

Start-up brands:
Join Brand Growth Bootcamp Masterclass Membership - A monthly masterclass from Fiona for just £49 ...as well as access to her community of founders of early-stage startup consumer brands https://fionafitzconsulting.mykajabi.com/offers/eRBTBioC/checkout

Thanks to Strong Roots for supporting Series 5 of Brand Growth Heroes.

Seedlip: How To Be Disruptive.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 08:18:51 +0100

In the 'No & Low' alcohol category, Seedlip is arguably the original poster child of insurgent brands. Started on a garden table in 2016, it quickly became the world's No 1 distilled non-alcoholic brand. It now sells across 49 countries and has an undisclosed market sales value in the £10s of millions of pounds.

In this episode, founder Ben Branson talks to Fiona about how he developed one of the ultimate disruptive brands; why he got into bed with Big Co (Diageo) so early on; and he talks us through the disruptive way he approaches building culture, people, roles and teams.

They also chat about robot chefs, about how there are 47,000 plant-based ingredients available out there...and Ben tells us about some big, exciting plans for Seedlip coming down the line.

Find out more about Seedlip - and try some! https://www.seedlipdrinks.com/en-us/
Follow Seedlip on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/seedlipdrinks/
Discover more about Fiona Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionafitz/
Discover more about the show: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/

Want to work with Fiona? Discover her programmes for the founders of consumer/grocery brands below:
The Growth Strategy Programme: The only online Business Accelerator for scaling consumer packaged goods brands. Read the testimonials here: https://www.fionafitzconsulting.com/courses/brand-growth-strategy-programme
Brand Growth Bootcamp Masterclass Membership - Fiona's group for founders of early-stage startup consumer brands https://fionafitzconsulting.mykajabi.com/offers/eRBTBioC/checkout

Thanks to Strong Roots for supporting series 5 of Brand Growth Heroes.

Strong Roots: How to Raise $55M Investment for a Minority Stake in your Business

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 14:39:15 +0000

Sam Dennigan gives Fiona the latest news from Strong Roots HQ, explaining the backstory to their new TV ad; why they've sold a minority stake in the business to McCain Foods; and together Fiona & Sam announce a big piece of shared news: not only is Strong Roots sponsoring Brand Growth Heroes Series 5, but Sam also announces that he is offering a bursary for 2 founders to join The Growth Strategy Programme, Brand Growth Heroes' online business accelerator for the founders of scaling CPG brands.

Brand Growth Heroes catches up with Sam and Strong Roots every 6 months or so. So if you want to follow the growth journey of an insurgent CPG brand in real-time, then check out Strong Root's other interviews on back episodes of Brand Growth Heroes: There's one in Sept 2021, May 2020 and June 2019.

If you're the founder of a scaling consumer goods brand and you'd like to work with Fiona to drive growth for your business, check out The Growth Strategy Programme at https://www.fionafitzconsulting.com/courses/brand-growth-strategy-programme

If it's too early for The Growth Strategy Programme, why not consider joining Brand Growth Bootcamp - Masterclass Membership group.

See you there!

Hunter & Gather: Serving your Tribe. Honestly.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 07:45:00 +0000

Hunter and Gather is a cross-category food AND supplement brand that's already achieving a gross sales value of nearly £6 million pounds.
In this episode, clever and passionate founders Amy Moring and Jeff Webster offer us a world-class case study on consumer targeting: if you can pinpoint a group of people who have a specific, higher-order need rooted in health, and you offer them a solution that satisfies this need in a far superior way to alternatives, the rules that the food industry has slavishly followed for 40-50 years can be broken.
We talk half-truths from big food, charging £14 for a jar of mayonnaise, lost ancestral wisdom, and why Hunter & Gather is NOT a vegan brand.

TRIP CBD Drinks & Oils: Finding Calm in the Everyday Chaos

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 22:31:02 +0000

TRIP is the UK's best-selling CBD drinks company. Since its launch in 2019, UK consumers have spent literally millions of pounds on TRIP's delicious CBD infused canned drinks, as well as on their dinky little dropper bottles of CBD oils.

Fiona speaks to co-founder Olivia Ferdi about leaving her law career to step into the unknown, about how she and her husband have created a mainstream category out of something that had tremendous barriers to purchase up until now, and we learn how the TRIP team have had to drive demand in the old fashioned way through experience and word of mouth rather than through paid advertising.

Nice: Wine Fit for Purpose...Whenever, Wherever!

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 14:11:27 +0000

Nice describes itself as a 'Future Wine Company'. This modern, accessible brand offers wine in cans AND in boxes, so that you can have a great glass of wine wherever you are... without having to buy or open a whole bottle.

Founders Lucy Wright and Jeremy May talk to Fiona about their massive multi-channel growth since launch, about the consumer and trade customer frictions that they're solving, about how they approached their recent round of funding and finally about the importance they place on people and culture.

Little Moons: Revolutionising Ice Cream

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 20:02:06 +0000

Over the past 20 months, Little Moons has become a national obsession. Although the company was founded in 2010, the brand has only recently brought transformational growth to the nation's favourite frozen category, and now sells tens of millions of pounds of their delicious mochi ice cream across all major supermarkets and foodservice channels... and employs over 300 people.
We talk to sister and brother founders Vivian and Howard Wong about their manufacturing journey; how food service was the right channel for them to build their business initially, and about the business impact of 320 million views on TikTok.

Tribe: Mission & Community at the Core. Delicious too.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 22:28:09 +0100

Tribe is the UK's leading plant-based performance brand, offering a range of bars, active oats and shakes that are super tasty and appeal to more than just serious fitness fanatics.

But more importantly, Tribe is an *Impact* organisation that began in 2013 with a community long-distance 'Run for Love' to set up the first home for trafficked children in the UK. The product range was launched only after the community had already found a life of it's own, and sales gained serious traction at the beginning of lockdown. With the brand doubling in size, it's now about to hit £6 million in retail sales value at the end of this year.

Tribe really is more than your average challenger brand. It's an ecosystem that includes their food business + their charitable organisation 'The Tribe Freedom Foundation' + the active community the founders have built since their very first run for love in 2013.

I think Tribe has all the makings of a future mega-brand. Why?
- It appeals to a potentially very large market of active people who want to enjoy their food, while making modern choices around nutrition, and ensuring their choices also help people & planet.
- It shows up with a clear and consistent point of view. It started with a social mission, ergo the mission at the centre of the brand is authentic.
- It's visually appealing and has lots of stand-out on-shelf in the categories it's in.
- It's a cross-category brand with a consistent value proposition.
- It's plant-based....but delicious.

This is one to watch.

How Bio&Me's 'Good for your Gut' Ranges are Driving Growth Across TWO Categories

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 13:23:34 +0100

Bio&Me offers consumers a range of granolas, porridges mueslis and yoghurts, all of which are allowed to carry the claim 'Good for your Gut'. In this episode:

Dr. Megan and Jon tell us why Megan started Bio&Me instead of working with some well-known Big Food brands
The science behind why Bio&Me was the first to be allowed to say that their products are 'Good for your Gut'
How business is going now, and where it's going to next!

Dr. Will's: Taking on 'Big Food' in the Ketchup & Mayo Aisle

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 08:55:22 +0100

Dr. Will Breakey is the Co-founder of Dr Will's natural condiments brand.
In this episode you'll hear:

How Dr Will's is taking on Big Food in the Ketchup & Mayo aisle
What it's like being a real doctor and the founder of a food company
About the brand's recent successes on social platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn
Why did they choose to have a virtual team
And their recent crowdfunding, that resulted in nearly 800 new investors.

Scrumbles: How Pretty Poos are Driving Growth in Petfood

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 13:13:41 +0100

In this episode, Fiona speaks to Aneisha Soobroyen, founder of the gorgeous pet food brand Scrumbles, food for cats and dogs that's good for their gut AND good for the planet.
Hear how 'pretty poos' are driving category growth, how Scrumbles competes in the highly competitive pet food category against global players, what it's like to work with your husband... and why they decided to raise funds early on in their growth journey.

Strong Roots: Heading for £100m by Driving Growth on a GLOBAL scale.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 18:50:54 +0100

Strong Roots has strong plans to hit £100 million in sales over the next few years.
In this third episode together, the founder Sam Dennigan and I discuss HOW they're going to do this.

So if you want to hear what big-ticket innovation really means, how Sam and his team are approaching international expansion in both the USA and Europe, how their foray into Dark Kitchens in New York City is going AND why they've brought their creative agency in-house - and how that works - then don't miss this!

https://www.strongroots.com/usa/
https://www.instagram.com/strongrootsusa/
https://www.facebook.com/strongrootsirl

How to Build a €50M Brand - Twice. Founders of Fulfil Bars and Cali Cali Foods.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 21:07:35 +0100

You may not know their names yet, but you certainly know the first of their €50M brands.
Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon are legends in the Irish Consumer Goods industry, but in all fairness, they should actually be named and recognised as Consumer Goods brand-legends globally.
The Founders of Fulfil Nutrition protein bars, they built this business to €60M in the 2 years after launch, and ranking in the Top 5 brands in Ireland.
How did they do this? They are proud to have taken a systematic, strategic approach to brand building, an almost geeky dedication to The 4Ps and Byron Sharp's rules for Brand Growth. Listen and weep at just how systematic serious success might need to be!
Cali Cali Foods
Instagram Cali Cali
Fulfil Nutrition

Biotiful Dairy: Creating the Gut Health Category

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 10:34:00 +0100

Natasha Bowes, the founder of innovative Kefir company Biotiful Dairy, shares the spellbinding business story behind the brand's success. It's a story that highlights the dedication, hard work, and obsessional focus on product quality that's necessary to become a brand leader in today's competitive marketplace. With a portfolio of 7 ranges and market retail sales value of around £30M, this is a brand we're going to see a lot more of in the future.

Minor Figures: The £30M Secret Success in Oat Milk

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Mon, 17 May 2021 10:44:25 +0100

Minor Figures is the secret success story and insurgent brand that I really wasn't all that aware of before now.

At its origin, Minor Figures is a coffee business that was started in 2013 by barista friends Jonathan Chiu, Stuart Forsyth and Will Rixon. But although its original home was in the food service channel, in recent years a tremendous amount of growth has come from the Oatmilk category in Grocery Retail.

The business now has retail sales of around £30M, employs 71 people across 3 offices, and is selling in over 25 countries across the globe..

Fiona speaks to Commercial Director Ben Vear, who along with his team has been behind much of this transformational growth.

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minorfigures/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minorfigures

How to win in Consumer Packaged Goods...without Competing

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 04 May 2021 14:31:50 +0100

Fiona talks to Alex Smith, the founder of innovative Strategy Consultancy Basic Arts.

A TedEx veteran, Alex has got some really interesting and different ideas around how a brand can create uncontested market space, how we should all avoid the current trend of 'Blanding', and how Brand Purpose has been hijacked.

I came across Alex's Ted talk when I was deepening my understanding of Blue Ocean strategy or how to compete in uncontested market spaces, and you can find it here.

Alex has a a great weekly newsletter and an email-based short-course that will stretch your strategic brain, which you can sign up for here

Dash Water: Wonky Fruit. Delicious Drinks. Category Growth.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 09:38:54 +0100

At the start of this episode we advertise The Growth Strategy Programme. Here’s the link to sign up for a discovery call and
Recruiting NOW for June/July Cohort:
https://www.fionafitzconsulting.com/courses/brand-growth-strategy

How do you grow a branded beverage business that is described by the The Grocer magazine as the brand that the traditional category brand leaders now have to challenge?

Dash Water is a delicious range of canned infused sparkling water without any sugar or sweetener, made with wonky fruit and veg and thereby saving hundreds of tons of food waste every year!

Founded in 2017 by Alex Wright and Jack Scott, both originally from farming backgrounds, Dash's retail sales are tracking at around £10M, and the brand boasts the leading market share in its category (37%).

Dash is now available in 5,000 stores across the EU. In the UK you can find Dash at Sainsbury's, British Airways, Boots, Ocado and Amazon.

In this episode we talk about the importance of sustainability at the core of their business, about how Alex and Jack invested a lot of time and shoe-leather driving brand awareness and trial from the ground up, as well exploring their very recent launch into the Soda Water market.

Dash instagram https://www.instagram.com/dashdrinks/
Brand Growth Heroes instagram https://www.instagram.com/brandgrowthheroespodcast/
Podcast website: Brand Growth Heroes

Moju Drinks: Creating a category and leading an omni-channel grocery business

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 11:45:47 +0000

In this episode, we we talk about how Rich Goldsmith and his team have built an entire category and a strong omni-channel business, the importance of creating the ideal end-to end consumer experience and of course, and as always, the different phases of growth of the business and the all important question of funding and investment.

This is one of my favourite interviews so far, so I hope you enjoy it and learn as much as I did doing it!

How to Think About Growth: Tenzing, The UK's Leading Natural Energy Drink

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 11:27:39 +0000

In 2016, Tenzing was the first Natural Energy drink to be launched on to the UK market, and for the past few years, it has been the LEADING Energy drink in terms of growth, and is (at time of recording) turning over between £5-6M in UK retail sales.

It's founder, Huib van Buckel has an illustrious career in Energy Drinks, including 8 years at Red Bull, where he was Head of Marketing for Holland, UK and Europe. So there is TONS we can learn from him.

In this video and audio episode you'll learn:

How Huib explored the market opportunity for his idea of a plant-based, naturally-sourced energy drink, with 60% less sugar.
How he came up with the name and the concept for Tenzing (circa 4.40 youtube)
What "Chipping away at Growth" means to Huib and why it works (circa 11.39)
Huib's philosphy on teams & managing people, and what it's like to work at Tenzing, where you can choose your own boss (circa 30mins)
Why Huib doesn't buy many of the marketing myths that are peddled by some of the big name Marketing gurus like Mark Ritson or Simon Sinek (39mins)

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZzsoJx3-OtZ_zRViEG3CA
Brand Growth Heroes Website: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/

Lucky Saint: Changing the face of Alcohol Free Beer.

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 10:44:16 +0000

Not happy with the alcohol free beers on the market, Luke Boase spent 741 days in research, travelled over 7,500 miles and brewed nearly 60,000 litres of beer before he came up with what he calls the definitive alcohol free lager, which he called Lucky Saint. The multi award winning 0.5% pilsner launched in the On-trade in October 2013... And after only a year, Lucky Saint. was listed in over 1500 venues, including over 30 Michelin star restaurants and casual dining institutions like Dish Room, the Ivy Collection and Honest Burgers. It was also the first alcohol free lager to launch on draught in January 2020 and 50 pubs and bars across London.

Learn how Luke and his Managing Director Emma Heal (ex innocent, Graze) pivoted their out-of-home business model right at the start of the pandemic, to drive #transformationalgrowth.

Cully & Sully: The original Irish insurgent is now #4 in the UK!

Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA | — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:31:59 +0000

If you’re thinking about building the kind of food business that creates its very own category, where it continues to win for years to come, then you need to listen to this episode where we interview Cullen Allen, co-founder of Ireland’s original insurgent food brand, Cully & Sully.

In this interview, you’re going to learn what an obsession with product really means; the common mistakes that Cullen has seen prove fatal for many scaling food brands over the past 20 years; and what it’s like to love going to bed with your investor every day.

Launched in 2004, Cully and Sully soups, broths and pies are still market leaders in Ireland, but also racing up the ladder as the challenger brand in UK Chilled Soup, where their delicious range of soups is available in over 5000 stores nationwide. (Tesco, Co-op, Asda).

https://cullyandsully.com/our-meals

The pea soup Cully mentions during the interview:
tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/268045486

Update episode & launch of Brand Growth Blueprint online Growth Strategy programme

Fiona @ Brand Growth Heroes — Sun, 22 Nov 2020 15:44:15 +0000

Hello everyone! In celebration of hitting 10.5K downloads, welcome to the first UPDATE episode of Brand Growth Heroes podcast, where I'm going to spend just 5 minutes or so telling you what you can expect over the coming months. I'm really excited to share some big launch news right at the end, so don't go anywhere just yet!

First of all, I can't believe that it's nearly 18 months since the first BGH episode. What started out as a way of updating my suitcase of brand growth case studies, BGH has now become way bigger than I ever intended it to, with over 50 5star ratings in different iTunes stores across the world. This might be still small in the world of podcasts, but it's helping me to realise MY brand purpose, which is to create lightbulb moments for leaders of scaling brands, in order to smooth their path to profitable, transformational growth.

So, thanks so much to all of you who have listened, subscribed, reviewed it on iTunes and written to me to say just how much you're learning from the interviews. I'm learning a huge amount from too, and for that I'm truly grateful to all of our super guests. Big shout out particularly to James McMaster of Huel for taking the risk of being my first interviewee, that could have gone either way, so thank you James.
Another shout out to Ivan Juric at Octopod productions (https://octopod.productions/), the best sound editor in the world, Gyp Buggane here at Ballagroove recording studios (https://studio.ballagroove.com/)- the best recording studio in the world you guys have both been a huge help both technically and with moral support.

We've just begun recording series 3, in which alongside more insurgent food and beverage brands, we're going to dip in and out of learning about scaling personal care brands such as soap, feminine care and the future of toothpaste. This month and next we are recording episodes with Lucky Saint beer and as well as another Masterclass with Mark Mulhern from Brand Performance Labs in New York, this time on what Performance Marketing is and why you need to understand it.

I've been spending lots of time preparing for a big talk I'm giving to the grocery industry in Austria tomorrow, as well as working on some exciting new developments that I'll share with you at the end of this update.
The week before last was a massive week where I was helping out at our favourite Food and Beverage start up festival, Bread and Jam 2.0.
I loved meeting many of our UK and Europe-based listeners, and got the chance to chat to you when we worked together at my workshop on ‘Crafting a Compelling Value Proposition’. At this, we went through how you can make sure you’re offering something of real value to your target consumer or customer, based on solid consumer insight. We looked at WHAT a value proposition is, what YOUR value proposition is, WHY you need to define it, why it needs to be based on CONSUMER INSIGHT and HOW to go about it working through.
Thanks to so many of you who wrote to me on LinkedIn after the workshop, it was great to get to meet you and I'm glad it was useful for you.

OK so finally I wanted to share some big news: Over the past 10 years, my own business has evolved from delivering traditional consultancy projects for consumer goods clients, to helping them upskill their teams to do this work themselves. This, I'm reliably informed, is called Capability Development, and that's squarely where I serve.. I do this through individual and group coaching of senior teams, but also by developing and delivering workshops and programmes to help clients develop their strategic thinking and people. Why am I telling you this? Because in January I'm launching a new online course arm to the business, under the sub-brand Brand Growth Blueprint.
We'll be delivering self-directed quick, deep-dive courses on topics such as Crafting a Compelling Value Proposition, How to Sharpen your Consumer Targeting, and How to Evaluate the Size of the Opportunity you're targeting.
But we're also launching a live, accompanied 6 week programme for founders/CEOs of successful scaling brands called The Growth Strategy Programme which will give you a bespoke framework, tools and support to make clear decisions about where you want to play and create the roadmap to growth that you, your team and your potential investors need. Starting mid-January, working with 10-15 founders of non competing brands, we look at how you can articulate your brand or business purpose define your vision and objectives for this business, one that works for ourselves, our family , our team, for the community and for the environment sharpen your definition of your consumer and customer targets, and decide which of their needs to target with our offer ensure our value proposition is clear and compelling - that it can win We also look at which geographies, customers and channels we going to focus our sales and marketing efforts? and what kind of activities should we invest in, as well as the team you’re going to need to accompany you. If you're the founder or CEO of a successful scaling brand, and you recognise that the time has come to start formalising your strategy, then register your interest on www.fionafitzconsulting.com/onlinecourses.
If you’re already sure you want to join the first cohort of this programme starting the week of Jan 11th, then drop me a note on Linkedin and I can sign you up directly!

That's it from me, watch out for our new episodes coming late November!

The Little Soap Company: Parallels between Food/Personal Care with Emma Heathcote-James, Founder/ CEO.

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 10:00:03 +0100

So here’s a question for you:

Which grocery category of non-edible products do you shop making increasingly careful choices around the products’ ingredients, choosing your favourites based on something very akin to flavours, looking for additive free or organic options, and even buying different versions of the product to cater for different members of the household?

For me, there are quite a few parallels between how we shop Food & Beverage grocery categories, and how we shop the Personal Care categories. After all, the products in Personal Care are about how we take care of, nourish and draw experience from our bodies from the outside-in, whereas we buy Food and Beverage products to solve these needs from the inside-out.

Another really interesting parallel is that like Food and Bev. start-ups, skin and hair care brands also increasingly try to develop their products from natural kitchen-cupboard ingredients and have a brand purpose that is centred on being kind to nature. Another striking similarity is that these businesses often start at the kitchen table, getting proof of concept at farmers markets, before moving into retail.

What I find interesting about the Personal Care category is that it remains majorly dominated by the large global brands that our grandmothers and mothers would recognise: Head&Shoulders, Radox, Palmolive, Dove… or slightly more recently, all the “famous hairdresser” hair care brands that have launched since I was in my 20s.

And although there has been a real change on the fringes of the category for years, in the Whole Foods and the Holland& Barretts, why aren’t more of the local, natural, purpose-led brands not stealing share from big brands in the supermarkets?

I have decided to pepper this series with the odd interview with founders of insurgent brands across various Personal Care categories, to see if we can learn from their experiences in a different category, in a different stage of the unavoidable 21st century category overhaul we are seeing across the board.

I recently came across an inspiring emerging brand in Personal Care that started out on the kitchen table 12 years ago, but now has national listings across all the major grocery retailers and drugstore chains in the UK , has 30 employees and is currently seeing at at least £4M in market sales.

The Little Soap Company is a purpose driven, vegan, cruelty free, ethically produced, free-from brand with a range of soaps, solid shampoo and shaving bars that use organic ingredients that you’d easily recognise. It was the first- and is still the only – “free from” range on the supermarket shelves, and has just started what could be a revolution for the category – a range of solid shampoos and washes, to avoid packaging in plastic containers.

We also discuss whether it’s useful to talk about what it’s like being a female founder.

To start to start your journey in understanding how emerging brands can transform the Personal Care category, and what we can learn from their experience, LISTEN to our interview with award winning and inspirational Founder/CEO Emma Heathcote-James.

Hear how Emma’s vision is “to make pure soap the norm not the niche” and how as the first – and often only– “free from” range on the supermarket shelves, The Little Soap Company is at the forefront of some real category transformation.

www.thelittlesoapcompany.co.uk

Instagram: little_soap_co; eco_warrior_soap

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes or Spotify & SHARE it on LinkedIn (Brand Growth Heroes) and Instagram (brandgrowthheroespodcast)

The Carbonated Soft Drinks Revolution: Real Fruit Sodas and Dalston's Soda Co. Interview with Dan Broughton Co-Founder & CEO

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 09:48:44 +0100

Across the Western world, the Carbonated Soft Drinks category is experiencing real transformation… thanks to the sugar backlash, the resulting sugar tax and the fight against plastic.

I recently heard that the majority of fizzy soft drinks sold in the supermarkets now contain no or low amounts of added sugar, which really surprised me. For a category that has been built on the white stuff for over 100 years, that’s a pretty big change.

It goes without saying that it has been a difficult few years for some of the big global soft drink brands, but the other side of that coin is that there are plenty of exciting emerging brands taking advantage of the move towards Healthier and Natural. They and creating new category sub segments some real #transformational growth. Think real fruit sodas, no added sugar seltzers, and even the more niche Kombuchas, kefir waters, sparkling coconut waters….

If you live in the UK, you probably recognise the very cool British soft drinks brand Dalston’s soda, whose mission is to put real ingredients back at the heart of soft drinks.

I think their range of highly distinctive, brightly coloured metallic cans with the big standout D for Dalstons on the front is a future brand icon – just the right mix of cool yet accessible to the mass market. Together with great drinks made with real fruit, low sugar, local ingredients and even distilled botanicals for serious amount of great flavour, Dalston’s is one to watch.

Dan Broughton, CEO Dalstons

I spoke to Dan Broughton, CEO and Co-Founder to find out how he and his team is setting the brand up for success.

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes or Spotify

& SHARE it on your social media

Oatly: the Insurgent Brand on Everyone's Lips. The 5 levers the UK team pulled to drive the business's #transformationalgrowth

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 10:57:48 +0100

The case study in Category transformation that is on everyone’s lips right now is Oatly.

But did you know that Oatly has been around for 30 years in the Dairy Alternatives Category?

It’s only really in the past 5 years that something has changed massively, at least in the UK market.

In 2016, Oatly’s UK revenue was around £6M, but this year they are looking at hitting around £75M!

If you want to know how they did this, then you’re in luck! We spoke to Ishen Paran, UK Country Manager who told us about the 5 levers that he and the Oatly UK team have pulled to drive this incredible growth…

#oatmilk #oatly #transformationalgrowth #brandgrowthheroes #plantbased

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes or Spotify

& SHARE it on your social media

How should your Approach to Marketing Investment Change as you become a Grown-up Brand?

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 09:49:50 +0100

Mark Mulhern is a Brand Performance Coach with a spectacular CV in brand advertising and through-the-line Marketing investment. He’s worked agency-side for the past 20+ years managing advertising accounts worth £100M of pounds and dollars, for clients such as Mars, Unilever, McDonalds, Amazon, Virgin and Sainsbury’s.

If you’ve listened to the first few episodes of Series 1 of Brand Growth Heroes, you’ll know that one of the New 4Ps of Transformational Growth is PROCESS – how insurgent brands define and attack challenges differently to incumbent or less successful brands.

One of these challenges is managing the transition of how you approach your MARKETING INVESTMENT as a start-up, vs. how you think about it and deliver it as an emerging brand with a serious growth trajectory.

If you’ve been pootering along nicely with sampling and social media, but recognise that the time has come to get your head around what a more strategic approach looks like, then this episode is for you.

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes or Spotify

& SHARE it on your social media

Child labour in your Chocolate? Warning - it's worse than it was. Tony’s Chocolonely UK update episode.

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 22:14:39 +0100

How many of us eat chocolate or other cocoa-based products without realising – and this is deadly serious – that we could be unwittingly funding child labour and even child slavery in West Africa?

Almost a year ago, we interviewed Ben Greensmith, the UK country manager of Tony’s Chocolonely, and we heard how this amazing company is trying to change the cocoa industry and eradicate child labour and childhood slavery. If you’d like to listen to this episode, look for Series 1 Episode 8 (SE1Ep8) on your podcast player.

A month or so ago, I learned that the level of child labour in West African cocoa farms had actually increased over the past 10 years, which just really shocked and saddened me.

In this special catch-up episode, I asked Ben to bring us up to speed with the situation in West Africa, as well as share with us how Tony’s Chocolonely is doing in the U.K. market since its launch.

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes or Spotify

& SHARE it on your social media

S2EP12 Timestamps to follow.

Funding/investment 101 by Piper, the investment partner of choice of Propercorn, Mindful Chef and many many more!

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 12:01:22 +0100

It’s tough times out there for many brands. Even for the lucky ones who are seeing an increase in sales due to the current situation, future plans are up in the air and investment in growth is on pause, with so much depending on how things pan out over the next few months.

We wanted to find out what’s happening in the world of investment & funding for brands with big growth plans: have most put their investment journeys on hold? What should you do if you were planning to raise money this year?

In this episode we’re talking to Yasha Estraikh, who’s an Associate Partner at Piper, the investment partner of choice for brands such as Propercorn, Mindful Chef and many more you’ll recognise. Yasha is in charge of Brand and Customer Research and Insight, and he helps brands keep their customer at the centre of everything they do.

I learnt SO much from this hour with Yasha – not only that most sources of investment are focusing on their current portfolios at the moment, but tons about how funding and investment for growing brands works in general. If you have ever really wanted to understand how it all works, you need to listen to this!

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes & SHARE it on your social media!

S2EP11 Timestamps to follow.

Buymie On-Demand Grocery delivers in just 1hr… & it just got €2.2M in Funding

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Mon, 18 May 2020 20:54:19 +0100

Buymie was conceived when Founder Devan Hughes learned that the £9bn online retail grocery industry in UK & Irl, was loosing over £300M per year…and he reckoned it was therefore ripe for disruption.

Buymie is a mobile-first, on-demand grocery delivery platform enabling consumers to order any grocery or household item from local stores using their mobile device, and get them delivered in as little as 1 hour.

The Buymie platform connect customers, via the app, to a fully vetted and trained crowd sourced personal shopper network.

Listen to Devan share the inside track on the super-charged growth that Buymie has seen over the past 18 months, how they’ve just received £2.2M in funding, and how they are now the online delivery platform for Lidl Ireland!

An episode not to be missed!

Buymie.eu

Devan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Same day grocery e-commerce platform Buymie. Devan holds a degree in Finance from the National College of Ireland, and has worked in the start-up sector for most of his career. A guest lecturer in some of Europe’s best Business Schools, Devan is recognised as one of Europe’s foremost thought leaders in the fields of grocery e-commerce, platform economics and architecture.

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes & SHARE it on your social media!

S2EP10 Timestamps to follow.

Strong Roots Follow-up: The USA 1 year on…and the Covid 19 effect.

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Wed, 13 May 2020 20:56:25 +0100

In Episode 5of Series 1, we spoke to Sam Dennigan, founder of insurgent frozen brand STRONG ROOTS, which offers tasty plant-based food designed for busy lives.

Sam promised to come back on the show and update us on how their impending launch in the USA went…which he does in this episode.

Shortly after we recorded our update, Covid 19 hit, so we recorded a further section on how the current crisis has effected the Strong Roots business.

An episode not to be missed!

strongroots.com

Instagram: Strong Roots Irl Strong Roots UK Strong Roots USA

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes & SHARE it on your social media!

S2EP9 Timestamps to follow.

Bread & Jam, supporting 1000 Food & Bev Entrepreneurs a week with Training, Networking & Motivational Socials

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Thu, 07 May 2020 10:41:50 +0100

We’re going to spend the next few episodes exploring how growing Food & Bev. businesses are coping with the current crisis, the kind of help they need, and some of the resources available to help them.

In this episode we’re talking to Jason Gibb, one of the co-founders of Bread & Jam. Once an annual business festival for Food & Beverage entrepreneurs, now Bread & Jam is helping several hundred companies a week, joining them from as far away as Australia!

From evening workshops to morning socials, entrepreneurs can sign up for free and paid events that will build key skills, their industry network and their confidence.

Bread & Jam was borne from the success of Jason’s online community, The FoodHub, which is the biggest community of food & drink entrepreneurs in Europe

Jason also has his own plant-based food start-up, called Unruly Burger https://www.eatunruly.com/

Listen to Jason on why he started Bread & Jam, and how it works:

Bread & Jam

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes & SHARE it on your social media!

S2EP8 Timestamps to follow.

BOL Foods on Great Teams, Brave Decisions and How BOL is Managing the Current Crisis #COVIDSPECIAL

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 21:41:56 +0100

LISTEN AND RATE THIS EPISODE ON ITUNES HERE

Listen to this episode on Spotify HERE

If you’ve listened to the first few episodes of Series 2 of Brand Growth Heroes, you probably know that one of the themes we are exploring is the BRAVE decisions that food & Bev founders sometimes have to make.

In this episode we’re talking to Paul Brown, CEO and Founder of BOL Foods, a fast growing chilled food brand that offers plant-based Dinner boxes, Veg Pots, Salad Jars and Soups to busy foodies, and is available in most retailers nationally across the UK.

***Covid 19 addition: Paul and I caught up again last week to record an update in which Paul takes us through how he and the team are getting through the Covid 19 crisis***

Paul launched BOL after 14 years at Innocent drinks, where he gained invaluable experience across roles from Field Sales, to Sales Controller, and finally as General Manager of Innocent Food in 2014.

He launched BOL in 2015…and what’s particularly fascinating about this story is the brave decision Paul made – for ethical reasons – that led to BOL becoming the first FMCG food brand IN THE WORLD to drop all meat, fish and dairy from their products …to become 100% plant based.

Listen to our interview earlier this month where Paul tells us about the learnings at innocent that have helped to drive growth at BOL, his super- brave decision to pivot his business model to 100% plant-based, and his thoughts and plans around plastic packaging….

https://www.bolfoods.com

https://www.instagram.com/bolfoods/ : @bolfoods

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes & SHARE it on your social media!

S2EP4 Timestamps:

[00:28] – Introducing, Paul Brown, CEO and Founder of BOL foods; a fast growing chilled food brand offering 100% plant based options to busy foodies.

[01:55] – Introduction to BOL; what do they make and where can we find their products?

[02:33] – Why did Paul start the company back in 2015?

[03:23] – BOL is on a mission to inspire the world to eat more plants. Why is that and how has BOL’s mission evolved since its inception?

[04:19] – BOL has big ambitions and fast growth. How many people are there in the offices at BOL?

[05:04] – Paul has managing experience he brings with him after 14 years at Innocent. What else has he learned that he has been able to use while setting up BOL and driving growth?

[07:30] – The food industry is really hard, particularly the chilled foods sector. What are the things that stick out to Paul as particularly difficult to manage as a chilled supplier to a grocery retailer, that he was able to overcome more quickly because of his experience at Innocent?

[10:42] – What kind of roles are absolutely critical to have on the team to make a company like BOL successful? The business is split into five key functions; finance team, operations team, commercial teams, brand marketing team, and people team.

[13:58] – At what point in BOL’s trajectory did they decide to add more people? How do you make the leap from 5 to 20 people?

[16:08] – Paul explains how everybody in the company interviews the new people coming in.

[17:57] – One of the big draws for people interviewing for food companies is the free products that always find themselves around the office. Are the fridges in the offices at BOL filled with their products?

[20:15] – Paul talks about product innovation.

[21:27] – Initially BOL had meat, fish and dairy as part of their range. How did they make the brave decision to pivot to focus entirely on plant based ranges?

[24:46] – We often talk about a company’s mission coming from a place of authenticity. Paul’s mission came about because he believes there is a real need rather than because he thinks it is where the market is going.

[26:31] – Paul explains why phasing out the meat, fish and dairy slowly to reduce the risk didn’t feel right. He also talks about bringing up his kids with this new mindset about how they look at food.

[29:31] – What it means to be a really authentic mission driven company. Paul talks about his relationship with investors and shareholders.

[33:07] – BOL recently made the decision to launch their dinner boxes in 95% plant based packaging and are aiming for a 100%. How do they reconcile the plastic packaging in their business?

[36:21] – Paul explains how the lack of better options means they can’t take the same approach to the plastic packaging as they did with plant based food products and simply pivot away from it. What approach are they taking?

[38:14] – Finally, what is next for BOL? Paul talks big growth ambitions, increasing the range, and international ambitions.

***Covid 19 addition: Paul and I caught up again last week to record an update in which Paul takes us through how he and the team are getting through the Covid 19 crisis***

#COVID SPECIAL Featuring Jamie Mitchell, Founder of All Together: Pro Bono Mentoring, Coaching and Business Advice for Companies affected by COVID-19.

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 20:39:18 +0100

LISTEN AND RATE THIS EPISODE ON ITUNES HERE

Listen to this episode on Spotify HERE

We’re going to spend the next few episodes exploring how growing Food & Bev. businesses are coping with the current crisis, the kind of help they need, and some of the resources available to help them.

In this episode we’re talking to Jamie Mitchell, Founder All Together, an initiative offering CEO-CEO coaching, mentoring and business advice to companies affected by COVID 19.

Through All Together, Jamie has brought together a punchy panel of 60 well-known Chairpeople, CEOs and Investors, who are all offering their help on a voluntary basis. Advisors include Adam Balon and Jon Wright of Innocent Drinks, Xavier Vidal of Flying Tiger, Hema Patel and Jules Hydleman, to name but a few. See the almost complete list of advisors here

Jamie himself brings a wealth of experience to All Together, in his capacity as Non-Exec Chairman of Rare Restaurants and Keatz, and as Ex CEO of Tom Dixon, Daylesford Organic and Innocent Smoothies UK.

Listen to Jamie on why he started All Together and who and how they can help; and his thoughts on the 3 stages your company should plan for during the crisis.

alltogether.company

If you enjoy this episode, it would be really helpful if you REVIEW it on iTunes & SHARE it on your social media!

S2EP6 Timestamps to follow.

Loop Founder CEO Tom Szaky on how LOOP actually works.

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 21:21:20 +0000

In this episode, we're talking to Tom Szaky, the 38 year old founder of Terra Cycle, the world’s leading company in the collection and reuse of the non-recyclable stuff we all throw away every day. Think turning Colgate toothpaste tubes into school playgrounds, or enabling P&G to offer money off coupons to consumers in return for their dirty pampers, which are then recycled into new materials.

You may have read that Terra Cycle has just launched a new company called LOOP, which aims to tackle packaging waste at its root cause and could potentially see us buying all of our favourite consumer packaged goods in branded durable and reusable containers, rather than the staple single-use packaging they are mostly in now.

For those of us who work with Consumer Packaged Goods, Loop is so far reaching that if it works, it will change everything from how you design, package and sell your products, all the way through to what your Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations and P&L will look like.

In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Tom goes into depth on how Loop offers CPG brands the opportunity to shift from single use disposable packaging forms to durable reusable forms, and what the benefits are for you as a brand, over and above the obvious and most important benefit of the reduction of your brand’s impact on the environment.

Fuel 10k on How To Approach International Business Development

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 06:13:00 +0000

LISTEN AND RATE THIS EPISODE ON ITUNES HERE

Listen to this episode on Spotify HERE

and on STITCHER here

If you’ve listened to the first few episodes of Series 2 of Brand Growth Heroes, you probably know that one of the themes we are exploring is the BRAVE decisions that food & Bev founders sometimes have to make.

Creating Tansformational Growth depends on getting a lot of things right. And in the food industry, there are a hell of a lot of things that can trip you up. But the thing is, they are mostly things that don’t need to trip you up if you know about them in advance, if someone explains to you how something works, or points something out to you that has often gone wrong for them in the past.

Something I’ve done throughout my career is to have collected a bunch of seasoned food entrepreneurs who I have built lovely relationships with, and whom I can call out of the blue to ask them who the best distributor in Germany is for Chilled, what margin I should expect to give to Spar in Switzerland, or whether sampling in Carrefour is worth the investment.

One such person is Barney Mauleverer. Barney cut his teeth in the food and drink industry during the first 5 years of early stage Innocent Drinks. In his last role as European Manager he headed up a new international strategy at Innocent to scope out new opportunities in Europe. In 2006, Barney left innocent to seek a more entrepreneurial route of his own and set up Fresh Marketing with his school and uni mate Alex Matheson.

Fresh Marketing is an international business development consultancy and distributor. It was founded on spotting new innovations in food and drink that often emerge in the US and then head ‘East’. Product types include smoothies, premium crisps, cereal bars, flavoured popcorn and breakfast granola. Fresh Marketing has been involved in the overseas development and distribution of some of the UK’s fastest growing consumer food and drink brands including Innocent Drinks, Eat Natural, Burt’s Chips and more recently Candy Kittens, Deliciously Ella and a number of other high potential start-up brands. Fresh Marketing currently supplies over 40 international markets!

in 2013, Barney and Alex launched their own protein boosted breakfast brand FUEL10K. FUEL10K is now stocked across all the major UK retailers and many convenience and food service customers. Self-funded from the start and with a brilliant team of 19 FUEL10K turns over £12m at retail sales value.

Listen to Barney share his 20+ years experience on how to approach international business development, how he felt saying No to 2200 stores in the USA, how long his upcoming deal in Australia took to close and much, much more…

Pip & Nut, on the growth-driving role of innovation, leadership as a female founder in the food industry, and certifying as a BCorp.

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 21:38:32 +0000

Pippa Murray founded Pip & Nut in 2015, out of a passion for running and a love of nut-butter, but not finding exactly what she wanted on the market.
The range is now sold in more than 5000 stores and is the fastest growing nut butter in the UK. Last year, the company was named Fasttrack 100s "one to watch" and The Evening Standard has named Pippa as one of London's most influential people! Here's our interview from the end of December, where we discuss BCorp certification, innovation as a growth-driver and managing people when you've never done it before.
https://www.pipandnut.com/

Giles Brook, renowned CEO, Entrepreneur & Investor on driving growth, investment criteria and the challenges facing founders

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 14:28:07 +0000

Giles Brook, renowned CEO, Entrepreneur and Investor has built up probably the most superb CV in the food and beverage industry, not to mention a supurbe portfolio of investments.
Giles has been behind the growth of numerous insurgent brands – Innocent, Bear, Vita Coco, Pip and nut to name but a few. He is currently CEO of Vita Coco (for Europe Middle East and Africa) - which he launched over 10 years ago - and which is now turning over £40m in sales.
Although he is the highest-ranked individual in The Grocer’s ‘Food & Drink Power List outside of global and multi-national CEOs, he is also nice, as he takes time out of the office to mentor and guide entrepreneurs. Here’s our interview earlier this month where we talk about what Giles looks for when investing in a company, whether looking for investment upfront or driving organic growth should be the thing, and how it can be really hard for founders working in the food industry

UGLY Drinks talks to us about BRAVE DECISIONS...have you made any?

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 11:45:19 +0000

UGLY DRINKS was founded by best friends Hugh Thomas and Joe Benn in 2017. Coming from Vita Coco, they were concerned at the lack of healthy or unsweetened- options in the soda category for the average family. UGLY is a range of sparkling water that is flavoured but unsweetened, in brightly coloured, potentially iconic CAN, and is setting out to challenge the Ugly Truth behind Big Soda.

Ugly’s website positions it as “just a drink, no unobtainable lifestyles, no ridiculous promises”…and somewhat bravely (given the enormous competitors in this space) asks us to “Can the Other Cans”.

Listen to Hugh Thomas discuss the brave decisions he and his co-founder have made around brand and category positioning, naming & flavouring, setting up in the USA and funding/invesment and its role in driving growth!

(Francais) Entretien avec Nicolas Chabannes de C'est Qui le Patron", €0-120M in 2.5 years

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 11:37:39 +0100

L'entretien originale avec Nicolas Chabanne (episode 9) en francais.
C'est Qui Le Patron est une marque alimenaire multi-catégorielle qui était créée et est gérée par des consommateurs francais, afin de garantir des prix équitables aux agriculteurs et aux producteurs. Elle a été lancée il y a 3 ans sur l'un des marchés d'épiceries les plus traditionnels, les plus inflexibles, les plus difficiles à négocier et les plus coûteux d'Europe - d'après ma modeste expérience. Et pourtant, en seulement 2,5 ans, elle a révolutionné de nombreuses catégories d’épiceries en France, a généré un chiffre d’affaires de plus de 120 millions d’euros, dispose d’un portefeuille de plus de 30 produits et sont déjà achetés par 11 millions de ménages français. Et voici la chose: tout cela a été fait sans investissement dans la publicité traditionelle, sans force de vente et avec très peu de négociations traditionnelles avec les acheteurs de la Grande Distribution.
Cet entretien souhaite explorer les facteurs à l'origine de cette croissance incroyable.
L'interview est également disponible en anglais, voir episode 9 de Brand Growth Heroes

€0-120M in 2.5 years...is this THE Most Exciting Revolution in Food & Bev. Grocery Ever?

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 11:26:40 +0100

How do you grow a brand to €120M in sales in only 2.5 years, launching 30 products, and revolutionising more than a few grocery categories along the way? And how do you achieve household penetration of 11 million French households, with NO advertising, NO field sales, and very little traditional negotiation with grocery buyers? When you consider that this is happening in France - one of the most inflexible, difficult to negotiate and costly European retail grocery markets - and is coming to the UK, USA, Germany, Italy and more markets imminently, every company supplying a food & bev product into retail grocery better be ready with a response!

Tony's Chocolonely launches in the UK...and it's flying

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 09:20:56 +0100

How do you grow a Chocolate brand to €70m in Sales without ever spending a penny on advertising? How do you get into EVERY SINGLE Sainsbury's store in the UK at launch...and account for over 35% of Chocolate sales at Wholefoods UK within 16 weeks?

Listen to Ben Greensmith of Tony's Chocolonely tell us about THE most authentic and meaningful brand promise in Food and Bev - the serious attempt by Tony’s Chocolonely to change the Cocoa industry from the inside out, in order to eradicate childhood slavery and child labour in Cocoa producing countries.

Founder of The Coconut Collaborative and GU Chocolate Puds on building 2 insurgent food brands

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 22:53:47 +0100

Who manages to create and build not 1 but 2 insurgent food brands that transform categories and what shoppers expect from their supermarket aisle? That's right, James Averdieck of The Coconut Collaberative and GU Chocolate Puds! Listen to James describe the drivers of the transformational growth he has experienced with both his businesses, from the importance of having people with Food Industry experience on his teams to being obsessed with product quality and great, quirky brands that resonate with consumers.

Founder of VitHit, UK's Best Selling & Fastest Growing Functional Drinks brand talks to us about how long it can take

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 15:26:14 +0100

Did you know that it's NOT a Coke or a Pepsi-owned brand that holds the title of the UKs best-selling functional drink, but an Irish brand called VITHIT! I really enjoyed talking to my old buddy and fellow-Irishman Gary Lavin, Founder of this super-charged, low calorie vitamin drinks range https://www.vithit.com. I’ve known Gary and followed VITHIT's progress for over 15 years, and
what really intrigues me about this story is that most of this growth has been unlocked over the 5 past years. I’m also really inspired by Gary’s sheer honesty about mistakes he thinks he made and the doggedness that has been necessary to get the business to where it’s at today. Listen to Gary take us though the drivers of this recent transformational growth, how he recognised them, and what he’d do differently if he had to start over.

Sam Dennigan, Founder of Strong Roots, the UK's Fastest Growing Food & Beverage brand

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 09:12:41 +0100

In this episode we talk to Sam Dennigan, Founder and CEO of the UK’s Fastest Growing Food Brand, Strong Roots. Strong Roots is a super-successful frozen food brand that offers plant-based, tasty, convenient and healthy food for everyone. Founded and launched in Ireland, it has delivered transformational growth in both Ireland and the UK, doubling its turnover each year and recently taking pole position as the UK's Fastest Growing Food & Beverage brand. Listen to Sam desecribe how his experience in his family’s food business has shaped Strong Roots’ success, on how everyone in the company needs to be a Sales person, and the importance of earning the respect of early adopters and being “found” or discovered by consumers.

World-leading expert in Global Consumer Goods Industries tells us what's worrying large CPG companies right now

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Sun, 12 May 2019 15:02:00 +0100

Fiona Fitz and Professor Dr Jan-Benedict Steenkamp, author, distinguished scholar and one of the world’s leading experts in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, discuss what's worrying large Consumer Packaged Goods companies about driving organic growth. Professor Steenkamp suggests three things large CPG companies should be doing differently. http://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/2019/02/01/episode-4-interview-with-jan-benedict-steenkamp-leading-expert-consumer-goods-industries/

Huel: How to drive growth in 3 insurgent brands, CEO James McMaster

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Fri, 10 May 2019 13:00:31 +0100

James McMaster, CEO of insurgent brand Huel, describes his experience of driving transformational growth at 3 well-known global food brands. He talks about how mindset beats skill-set, the importance of choosing the right people, and how transformational brand can radically change both consumer and shopper behaviour. http://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/2019/01/03/episode-3-interview-with-james-mc-master-ceo-of-huel/

Ep 02: Introducing the new 4Ps of Transformational Growth in CPG categories

Fiona Fitzpatrick — Thu, 02 May 2019 14:44:59 +0100

Your host Fiona Fitzpatrick of Fiona Fitz Consulting introduces the New 4Ps of Transformational Growth in Consumer Goods Categories: People (or the kinds of people who work for the company), Process (or how the job to-be-done gets both defined and approached), Category Positioning (or where the brand positions itself relative to the competition) and finally, the Brand and Product Promise. http://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/2019/01/02/episode-2-introducing-the-new-4ps-of-transformational-growth/

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How MOTH is Mixing Up Cocktail Category Rules | Rob Wallis, Moth Premium RTD Cocktails

The Secret Maths Formula YOU Need To Scale Your CPG Brand with Dr. James Richardson of Ramping Your Brand

Stop Stealing Market Share & Create $100M Categories Instead with Category Pirate Eddie Yoon

Why AI Will Be Bigger Than the Internet With 'Silicon Valley's Most Wanted' Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer Fin.ai

Why Marketing Doesn’t Matter Until You’re $100M+ SALES - David Lester, Co-Founder of OLIPOP

STOP: Would You Build a House Without Instructions?

Blanco Niño: From Burrito Bar Detour to €10M Tortilla Chip Brand with Founder Phil Martin

Goodrays CBD: Scaling a £20M Functional Beverage with Founder Eoin Keenan

Luxury, Science & Sisterhood: Inside SISTERLY with Co-Founder Jennifer O’Connell

From £14M -> $100M: How TRIP is Building a Truly Global Brand

Childs Farm Founder Joanna Jensen's Blueprint to Make Business EASY

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Mid-Day Squares & PerfectTed, Live in London PART 1 How to Build a $100M Brand Out Loud:

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Founders: Should YOU be CEO? Are You Sure?

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From Panic Attacks to Dream Job : Stu Macdonald | ManiLife Peanut Butter

Most Downloaded Episodes: TRIP's Co-Founder Olivia Ferdi on TRIP's First 2 Years

Bold Bean Co's Model: Remote First & Big Culture Vibes

Grenade's £200M Exit to Mondalez: Juliet Barratt Co-Founder of Grenade LIVE On Stage

How Tonic Health Built a Team to Scale

How Bio & Me Grew 15X in 4 Years - Without Losing Their Gut Instinct!

Why Olipop's Co-Founder Dynamic WORKS

Brand Alchemy: The £Multi Million Formula for Challenger Brand Success, with big fish Perry Haydn-Taylor

The Grocer Gold WINNERS Bold Bean Co: The People Power Behind the Beans!

From Addiction & ADHD -> Creating A Billion Dollar Category - Josh White, Founder Cano Water

The Perfect Ted People Strategy: Building the Rocket Ship While It’s Flying

Smol but mighty: The CGO & CMO Fueling this £44M Disruptor in Homecare

How People & Team Drive Tony Chocolonely's UK Growth

Gut Instinct: Biotiful’s CMO on Building the Brand That Recently Sold to Müller £115M+++

Freja Bone Broth: The Right Investors + The Right Team + The Golden Ratio

Matcha Millions: How Perfect Ted has scaled to £30+ Million

Co-founder of Wild Deo Freddy Ward on Success

Why Multi-Million Pound Supplements Brand Tonic Health is Leading with CONTENT

David Lester, Co-founder of Olipop on Why Founders Must Convince People To Do Unreasonable Sh1t!

The Secret Ingredient in Bold Bean Co.'s Category Defining Growth

Joanna Jensen, Founder Child's Farm On Why Staff is THE Hardest Thing You Will Do

The Exit Playbook: Secrets to Selling your Brand (from a CPG Investment Banker)

The 'Menopause' Category.... & Swinging From the Chandelier

From DIY to £10M by 2027: ManiLife The 'World's BEST Peanut Butter'

Why You Need *Legal* Kryptonite (& Why ChatGBT Can't Give it To You)

How Merchant Gourmet Doubled Sales from £15M to £30M in just 4 years

£15M worth of meals BOOTSTRAPPED with GSN founder Craig Allen (Gold Standard Nutrition)

LATEST NEWS from Tony's Chocolonely: Revolutionising the Cocoa Industry for Good

Ep78: Beehive to £50M - How Scott Davies Built Hilltop Honey Empire

Ep77 VITHIT’s Roadmap to £80M in Global Sales in 2025, Gary Lavin ( Part 2)

Ep76 VITHIT Vitamin Water: Founder Gary's Blueprint to Becoming Category Leader (Part 1)

Ep75 HANX Condoms are Creating the Sexual Wellness Brand Your Mum Will Love

Ep74: (Part 3) After The Sale of Fuel 10K to Premier Foods: Barney Mauleverer

Ep73: Founder Ruby Raut on FemTech brand WUKA, Empowering Women & Redefining Period Care.

Ep72 How to Grow from £0 - £20m in JUST 5 YEARS with Child's Farm Joanna Jensen

Ep71 $500M: OLIPOP *Explodes* the USA Soda Market

Ep70 Sauce Shop Secrets Unveiled: What DOES it take to manufacture in-house?

Freja Bone Broth: How to Hit a £10M Run-Rate in Just 3 Years

Ep68 (Part 2) Fuel10k Sells to Behemoth Premier Foods - The Week Before the Sale

Ep67 (Part 1) Fuel10k: Build a £Multimillion Protein Breakfast Brand & Then Sell It

Ep66 How COOK Grew to £130M With NO External Investment

Ep65 Brand Building Masterclass with Rude Health Co-founder Camilla Barnard

Ep64 How to Create Content that SELLS & Drives GROWTH, with Dan Knowlton

How ODDBOX Grew to £32M: Dig Deep into their D2C Journey

Founders' Hotline: Bold Bean Co's Viral Mistake

Nurture Brands: Co-conquering your Costs with Other Brands. Ben Arbib.

Renée Elliott: Rescuing Planet Organic. Empowering Women.

Founders' Hotline: Nojo London's Big Screw Up

Founders' Hotline: Perfect Ted's Manufacturing Disaster

How Perfect Ted Grew From £0-5M in Just 18 months

Mid-Day Squares: How to Disrupt the $8Billion Healthy Snacking Category

Verlinvest: The *3 Secrets* that Founders Looking for *Investment* NEED to Know

Veganuary, Vegan Fried Chick*n, Veg Capital & Sentient Ventures with Matthew Glover

Healthy Soil, Healthy People, Healthy Planet: How Wildfarmed Can Change How We Eat.

How to Build a $100M Beverage Business in Under 5 Years

How to Get a Retail Buyer's Attention with Scott McCulloch, Founder of The Vegan Kind Supermarket

Why Your DTC Business Isn’t Working & How to Fix it!

The Cheeky Panda is Changing How We Wipe

How to Build a £20M Multi-Channel Business in Just 18 Months: Wild Deodorant

Seedlip: How To Be Disruptive.

Strong Roots: How to Raise $55M Investment for a Minority Stake in your Business

Why You Need Legal Kryptonite (& Why ChatGBT Can't Give it To You)

Ep71 $500M: OLIPOP Explodes the USA Soda Market

Verlinvest: The 3 Secrets that Founders Looking for Investment NEED to Know