Bootstrap Your Life

In this final episode of this  3-part series, I speak about senior hires and the most important thing to find when bringing people into your business.  This is a must-listen for anyone who is thinking of hiring, or has hired and wants to learn more about the ins and outs of scaling a business through people. If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson. Reach me on my other social channels here: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivercookson/Twitter - https://twitter.com/olivercooksonInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrolivercookson/Timestamps:  2:45 - 10:30  - Making my first senior hires10:30 - 12:10 - Making your people work well together12:10 - 17:35 -  The interview process

Throughout August, I received a lot of questions around hiring.  The topic and answer deserves a lot of detail, and last week I started to go into it on what was the first of a 3-part episode run on how to hire for scaling a business, and here is the second part.  This is a must-listen for anyone who is thinking of hiring, or has hired and wants to learn more about the ins and outs of scaling a business through people. If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson. Reach me on my other social channels here: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivercookson/Twitter - https://twitter.com/olivercooksonInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrolivercookson/Timestamps:1:50 - 2:36 - Why sales and marketing hires came last2:36 -  5:20 - Advice for your early hires5:20 - 8:10 -  What makes a bad hire8:10 - 9:30 -  The danger in recruiting people too quickly9:30 - 13:00 - The importance of passion in a hire13:00 - 16:35 - What company culture should be focused on

Without question, one of the most important factors in the success of any business is your ability to hire the right people.  With this being such an important topic, I wanted to cover it in depth and have made this a 3-part episode, with the first episode being the start of covering the hiring process.  This is a must-listen for anyone who is thinking of hiring, or has hired and wants to learn more about the ins and outs of scaling a business through people. If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Reach me on my other social channels here: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivercookson/Twitter - https://twitter.com/olivercooksonInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrolivercookson/Timestamps: 0:00 - 5:29 - Intro5:30 -  8:27 - The importance of hiring8:27 - 9:30 -  Why you would hire and understanding yourself9:31 - 15:07 -  The first hires at Myprotein

Last week I spoke about mental health in business, and the question deserved an in-depth answer, so I decided to make it a two-part episode.  Hopefully sharing these thoughts and my story will help somebody in some way, that’s the reason for doing this. I also made an important announcement on the podcast.  Without further ado, here is that second part.  If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 2:22 - 3:08  - An important announcement on the podcast5:28 - 15:45 - Mental health in entrepreneurship part two

Building a business, especially bootstrapping, can bring a pressure, stress and loneliness that will test any human at times.  When you’re flying high and things are going great, it’s all roses but it’s impossible in any business to not have moments that can be out of your control and test your limits. In this episode, I shared some of the difficult moments in my journey and what it’s taught me If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 1:25 - 3:00 - The customer referral system for Myprotein5:35 - 13:10 - Mental health in entrepreneurship

Last week I was asked the question about what customer acquisition strategies I’ve used and what my advice would be to bootstrapped brands. I shared some stories of the early days of how we did it at Myprotein® and I felt I had a lot more to say on the subject, so I made the answer a two-part episode, and here is that second part.  If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps:  3:55 - 11:40 - The different ways I tested customer acquisition11:40 - 15:00 - The fundamentals of customer acquisition15:00 - 17:45 - How customer acquisition has changed over the years17:45 - 25:00 - The best methods for acquiring customers today

If you’re bootstrapping a business or starting with a small budget, you need to be smart with how you get your first customers, and the ways that you approach it can make or break your early years. I wanted to share how I approached acquiring our first customers for Myprotein® when we didn’t have a lot of money to spend and the tactics that I used in those early days that were pioneering at the time.  This is a big topic that I have a lot to say on, and this topic will be a two-part episode, so look out for the second part on the 15th of July.  If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 4:44 - 9:50 - How I got our first customers at Myprotein9:50 - 11:23 - Why you should test paid search11:23 - 18:12 - My best customer acquisition tactic

Self-reflection is something that has come to me later in my journey. I was always head down in the business and it's by stepping away and taking the time that I’m able to reflect properly, and it’s led to some interesting thoughts and been key in helping me take my next steps. I wanted to share those thoughts and how self-reflection can play a crucial role in your entrepreneurial journey.  If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps:  1:45 - 3:25 - Why I’ve started to self-reflect at this part of my journey3:25 - 5:05 - How I feel self-reflection can improve entrepreneurs5:05 - 6:00 - How has self-reflection helped me in writing my book and creating my podcast6:00 - 8:10 - What are my regrets in my career?

This question gets asked often and I wanted to start to dive into what the initial ‘eureka!’ moment was that led to Myprotein®. Whilst I’m documenting this story in full currently through writing my first book (due Spring ‘21), I wanted to touch on it here as I think there are a few key lessons for any budding entrepreneur out there that still stand true today.  If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 1:11 - 11:50 - How did I come up with the idea for Myprotein? 

Overdrafts, loans, angel investors, crowdfunding, private equity. When launching or growing a business, the decision on how to finance it is the most important you’ll ever make. It can mean the difference between surviving and thriving, but can also come back to haunt you when you’re looking at exiting. In this episode, I discuss the options available when funding a startup and what investors look for in an early stage startup. I also explain why I chose to bootstrap Myprotein and what I’d do today if I was starting a new business. If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 1:24 - 7:52 - What are the key things an investor wants to see in a start-up and do you think investor funding improves the chance of start-up success?7:52 - 8:34 - My advice on taking funding for startups8:34 - 9:28 - Why I chose to bootstrap Myprotein9:28 - 9:53 - What I’d have done if I did have investment for Myprotein9:53 - 10:21 - What I would do If I was starting a business again10:22 - 12:15 - My advice if you take investment

When I founded Myprotein, I used a £500 overdraft and a garage floor. In this episode, I discuss what I learnt during that time and my three key components to starting out. I also consider whether I believe the business would be as successful if it launched in today’s market, if I would have been able to bootstrap it, and which other sectors I’d look at if I was starting a new business in a post-Covid economy. If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 0:33 - 2:00 - Is it still possible to succeed on a low startup budget or have all the rags to riches opportunities been done? 2:00 - 4:10 - Do you think Myprotein could be started today? 4:10 - 4:50 - Why now is a great time to bootstrap your business4:50 - 10:23 - I’m thinking of starting a business, how do I do it? 10:23 - If I was to start a business with limited funds today, what would it be?

This episode comes at a time when the global economy is shifting into unknown territory. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way business operates, and for many, the impact it has had will mean almost certain failure. There is not one sector that hasn’t been affected by the pandemic, including the one in which my former business Myprotein operates - the health and fitness industry.  Here, I discuss what would have happened if a pandemic had hit in the early days of Myprotein, how businesses will need to adapt and improvise to survive, and I look at the opportunities that can be grasped even in the face of adversity.  If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 0:36 - 2:32 - What are your thoughts on the Health and Fitness sector after lockdown and how will health clubs and gyms manage with social distancing regulations?2:32 - 4:43 - How has COVID-19 affected startups?4:43 - 6:06 - How would Myprotein have coped during a pandemic? 6:06 - 8:15 - How will COVID-19 change business for the better?8:15 - 10:15 - What are the opportunities for entrepreneurs as a result of COVID-19?

This episode is very much the beginning of my journey, and a personal insight into why I wanted to start this podcast. When I first launched Myprotein, I had so many questions and although it eventually proved a huge success, I made plenty of mistakes along the way. I want to share those mistakes and my learnings with you. Whether you are an established CEO or a budding entrepreneur, building a business is an ongoing learning curve and I hope this podcast helps you along your journey. If you’re interested in submitting a question for me to answer in a future episode, please fill out the form at OliverCookson.com or tweet me @OliverCookson.Timestamps: 0:48 - 1:35 - My background1:35 - 4:11 - What the podcast is about4:11 - 7:54 - Why am I doing this podcast?7:54 - 9:17 - How I’m going to be adding value to you, the listener9:17 - 10:11 - The importance of ancestry and legacy