Lock-In by HappyStack 🥞

Meet Olivia Jenkins - the founder behind the fastest-growing jewellery brand in e-commerce.In 2020, she was burnt out, broke, and dealing with the recent loss of her mum. Alongside her partner Jack, she channelled this grief to start D. Louise — a multi-million pound jewellery brand now loved by thousands of women across the UK from Molly-Mae to Maya Jama.In this unfiltered episode, Olivia shares how she turned a side hustle into an eight-figure business.Chapters00:00 - Trailer01:10 - Introductions02:10 - Launching a brand with zero experience 08:30 - The importance of customer-centricity 10:24 - Sourcing and selling her first products13:20 - Bootstrapping the first drops 18:55 - Taking the leap full-time, & working with your partner24:50 - Black Friday: The day everything changed25:50 - Bringing Gymsharks ex-CEO on board29:50 - Importance of authenticity in collaborations33:40 - Handling negative reviews and customer experience35:10 - What made D.Louise stand out in a saturated market44:30 - Future categories and avoiding distraction47:00 - Why big brands can't copy D.Louise52:40 - Shifting Behaviours: Women buying themselves jewellery54:00 - The big vision for D.Louise56:30 - Rebranding: Telling her mother's story through design

Meet Grace Andrews, the 28-year-old Marketing Director behind the world's biggest podcast - Diary of a CEO. Grace joined Steven Bartlett as DOAC's third employee in 2020 when the podcast had just 8,000 subscribers. Through trial, error, and in Grace's own words 'lots of naivety' she built the marketing playbook that scaled the brand to more than 1 Billion listens in just four years. In our chat with Grace, we deep dive her playbook for building the world's biggest podcast while also diving into the top social media tips and trends for 2025. Not one to be missed!

Meet Michael Corcoran and Dave Morrissey. Mates, drinking buddies, and two of the UK's leading social marketers. Michael is the marketing genius who turned Ryanair into the world's leading airline on social, clocking up more than 1 billion organic impressions in 12 months. Now he's building Slice, a consultancy agency where he's helping some of the UK's top brands cut through the noise and grow on social. Dave has spent the last three years leading out e-commerce at TikTok where he has helped the UK's top DTC brands scale their revenues through TikTok Shop. In this unfiltered chat, we deep dive on the strategy that built Ryanair into a global leader on social, how brands can level-up on TikTok, and some hot takes on the future of social. Not one to be missed!

Bio.George Kruis and Dom Day aren’t your average founders, they’re former international rugby stars who went from scrums and stadiums to supplements and Sainsbury’s. As ex-Saracens teammates, their journey from elite athletes to co-founders of wellness brand ‘FourFive’ is full of unexpected pivots, hard-won lessons, and big wins in both the worlds of e-commerce and retail.In this episode, George and Dom get real about the moment they knew they had something special with FourFive, how they tackled the transition from rugby to retail, and the mindset shift that came with life after sport. From leveraging their athlete networks to landing shelf space in major retailers, they unpack how they found their “unfair advantage” and built a trusted name in the crowded wellness space. Including the challenges of scaling and building a brand around a highly regulated product, CBD.They talk Shopify, subscriptions, investor relationships, and even the science (or lack of) behind whether FourFive can really cure a hangover. We say it can.If you're a founder, athlete, or someone in between, this one’s packed with energy, insight, and inspiration. And a good load of laughs too.Timestamps0:00 Trailer01:30 The Back Heel Conversion02:56 The Aha Moment for FourFive/ The Idea for FourFive05:10 Transitioning from Rugby to Entrepreneurship07:55 Finding the Right People and Support09:15 Lessons in Communication09:52 Preparing for Life After Rugby/ Tapping into your Network14:18 Lean into your Skillset/ Finding your Unfair Advantage17:17 Getting into retail/ Sainsbury's20:43 The Ecom Pivot22.06 The Parallels between Sports Teams and Businesses29:35 Goal Setting31:49 Is FourFive a Hangover Remedy?36:53 Challenges of being in the CBD Space40:17 Shopify + Subscriptions43:38 Influencers and Investors46:15 Jack's POV

TikTok isn’t just for lip-syncing teens anymore. In the last three years, a host of social-first brands have broken-through to become multi-million pound businesses. Their secret? Content. And nobody in the beauty space does it better than Daisy Kelly and Glow For It. In just four short years, Daisy has taken Glow For It from a small side-hustle in her mum's kitchen, into a brand doing six figures a day on TikTok Shop.Daisy is the latest guest in the pub to chat about the brand's origin story, her playbook for success using TikTok Shop, the importance of authenticity when building a community, and how Glow For It recently sold a product every 19 seconds.. across a 12 hour TikTok Live! If you’re looking to crack TikTok in 2025, this isn’t one to be missed.

Some know Spencer Matthews as a Reality TV Star. Others know him as a World-Record Holder. But beyond the public eye, Spencer's journey over the last few years from overcoming addiction through to founding 'clean alcohol' brand CleanCo is one fit for a movie. Spencer is the latest guest into the pub, and this one is (quite literally at times) barking mad. Sharing stories from his early struggles with alcohol and the inception of CleanCo, through to his extreme physical challenges and family life, this is definitely our most inspiring episode yet.

Some of the world's best ecom brands were founded by a bullish founder from the comfort of their bedroom. But, Connor Martin must be the first to manufacture and sell fragrances from his!Connor founded The Essence Vault in 2019, with humble beginnings at local street markets in Belfast. He's since grown the brand to be the UK's largest online fragrance business, turning over more than £50 million per year. From becoming the first UK brand on TikTok Shop, to building out a 300 person team, Connor is one of Europe's sharpest brand operators. He joined us to chat through his journey, playbook, and to share some hilarious stories along the way.

Yanni Hufnagel isn’t your typical founder. He’s a former basketball coach that brings energy and motivation to the business world in a way we haven’t seen before. Yanni found his niche with the refreshing lemon water drink, Lemon Perfect, now the fastest growing enhanced water brand in the US. From seeing his product stocked in major chains like Whole Foods and CVS, to bringing Beyonce on board as an investor, Lemon Perfect has taken the beverage market by storm. Having crossed more than $100mn in revenue, Yanni is now pushing towards a billion dollar valuation. He sat down to chat with us about his early journey, the importance of relationships in building a retail brand, and the impact of bringing major celebrities like Beyonce on board when scaling. ____Timestamps:00:00 Trailer01:35 The Initial Idea for Lemon Perfect05:34 Fractional Resources: Running a Brand as a Solo Founder08:47 Why Athletes Make Great Entrepreneurs12:00 Wins & Losses in Year 1: The Pivot Away from Refrigerated15:50 Tips for Getting Into Retail21:27 The Impact of Celebrity Endorsements24:34 Why Building a Beverage Company is a Streetfight26:22 How Beyonce Became an Investor29:06 The Next 24 Months___Follow us across our socials:- Twitter: https://x.com/happystackhq- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/happystackhq/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happystackhq___Check out the HappyStack website: https://www.happystack.com/We connect the world's best DTC brands with the software they need to scale efficiently.___Check out Yanni & Lemon Perfect:https://www.linkedin.com/in/yhufnagel/https://www.instagram.com/yanni/https://x.com/yhufnagel___#ecommerce #podcast #founder #business #makemoneyonline #lemonperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world where new fashion brands are started every day, authenticity is rare. But Luke Murphy and his brand Almost Home, have it in droves. He’s prioritised creativity above all else, designing pitch-perfect products for his community, and prioritising the long term game, over short term monetary gains.From collaborating with industry giants like Cole Buxton and UVU, to seeing Rio Ferdinand repping his gear at the Champions League Final, Luke joins us for a few Guinness to give his unique take on building a fashion brand in 2025. ___Timestamps:00:00 Trailer01:25 Origins of Almost Home06:10 Taking the leap as a founder08:30 Building a brand first, ecom store second09:46 The importance of finding the right co-founder14:38 The story behind Almost Home's logo17:24 Daily ups and downs of running a business21:34 Balancing product quality with a sustainable business24:32 Working alongside Cole Buxton & UVU26:37 Why UVU have blown up as a brand30:23 Nail your product before attempting to scale33:03 Rio wearing Almost Home at the UCL final37:11 Getting the basics right as a new founder42:54 How ALD redefined the retail experience45:16 Staying true to your brand amidst ever-changing trends48:49 What Luke knows now, he wish he knew at the start Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

60% of marketers say influencer marketing delivers a higher ROI than traditional channels.Not only does creator marketing work - it’s essential for building a profitable, sustainable brand. The challenge? It’s overwhelming for marketers without experience, and the landscape is always changing. That’s where today’s episode comes in.Andy Cloyd and Anders Bill, the brains behind Superfiliate, help the world’s top DTC brands craft influencer campaigns that actually win. From Chamberlain Coffee and Dr. Squatch to MUD\WTR and Graza, they’ve seen firsthand how hundreds of 7 and 8-figure brands run influencer, affiliate, and referral campaigns.In this episode, they break down their playbook for success in word-of-mouth marketing—from sourcing the right influencers to measuring campaign impact. Whether you’re an influencer pro or launching your first campaign, this one’s for you!___Timestamps:00:00 Trailer01:00 Intro02:48 Should every brand be working with influencers?05:50 Product Creator Fit: Working with creators pre-launch10:29 Micro-Mentions: Design your product to be shareable12:11 How to approach your first creator campaign15:03 Sourcing the right influencers for your brand17:43 Affiliate, Up-Front or Equity: Structuring influencer deals22:07 Nailing Discovery: Get to know your creators27:25 How involved should brands be with content creation?28:46 Is pay-per-post a risky approach?30:50 Negotiating paid media deals37:01 Measuring success with influencer campaigns44:03 Future of the Creator Economy: What 2025 has in store48:43 What role will AI play in the creator space?52:31 Are social platforms facilitating creator/brand relationships?___Check out the HappyStack website: https://www.happystack.com/We connect the world's best DTC brands with the software they need to scale efficiently.___Follow us across our socials:- Twitter: https://x.com/happystackhq- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/happystackhq/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happystackhq Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owning a business is no easy task. But imagine running four successful businesses before the age of 30. Grace Beverley is the 28-year old entrepreneur, podcaster and social media star behind a multi-million pound empire. Since building fitness app Shreddy as a student at Oxford, Grace has gone on to launch and scale activewear brand TALA - raising more than £5mn in funding in the process. Basically, she knows what it takes to build brands that actually matter! Now she’s shaking up the creator economy with Retrograde, an AI-powered talent agent that’s revolutionising brand deals.Join us for an intimate dinner with Grace in Lisbon as we dive into:✅  Balancing career ambition with a busy personal life✅  The fight to close the gender funding gap, and why it matters✅  Why she’s pulled back from being an influencer despite her huge reach✅  And her social content strategy for upcoming creators___Timestamps:00:00 Trailer01:15 Intro04:55 Building Retrograde: The AI Talent Agent11:56 Balancing Life With Four Businesses16:05 VC Funding: The Motherhood Penalty18:24 Gender Funding Gap: How Do We Fix It22:47 VC Blind Spot: Female Entrepreneurs Outperform Men31:35 The Media Gap: Female Entrepreneurs Are Overlooked34:54 Why Grace Pulled Back From Being An Influencer41:23 Social Following Doesn't Equal More Revenue___Check out the HappyStack website: https://www.happystack.com/We connect the world's best DTC brands with the software they need to scale efficiently.___Follow us across our socials:- Twitter: https://x.com/happystackhq- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/happystackhq/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happystackhq Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Nugent is no stranger to the world of building brands. Back in 2017, fresh off the birth of their first child, he founded Ambr Eyewear alongside his wife Sacha. The couple built the blue light eyewear brand to 7 figures from their kitchen, winning a host of awards and sealing some lucrative retail partnerships along the way. The Post-Covid ecom collapse left Ambr Eyewear in turmoil, like so many others in the DTC space. After pausing to reassess the business and mistakes made along the way, Dan relaunched the brand as Everambr, a performance-focused eyewear brand in 2024. In our chat, Dan dives into some hilarious stories from his time building Ambr, from ‘almost’ getting sued by Specsavers, through to his son Theo’s birth on Black Friday as they experienced their biggest ever 24 hours. The learnings he’s taking into his new journey with Everambr are immensely valuable to anybody building a DTC business in 2025.Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:00 When Customer Support Goes Wrong03:55 Lightbulb Moment: Starting Ambr From The Couch07:18 Retail Brings Credibility: How Ambr Got Into Brown Thomas10:00 How Jack Met Dan12:39 Approach Pricing With Retail In Mind From Day One15:05 'Almost' Sued By Specsavers18:11 Lessons From Failure: Importance Of Product Diversification24:10 Everambr: Moving From Eyewear Towards Performance28:40 Know Your Financials!!32:41 Growth Tactics: Gifting Works36:00 UGC Is Essential In 202537:48 Marketing Failures: Avoid TV Ads40:25 How AI Is Changing The Content Game45:36 Authenticity Is Key When Building A Brand47:50 The Appetite To Go Again Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan Babenzien doesn't just follow e-commerce trends - he invents them!A veteran of the footwear and streetwear industry, Ryan has a long-history with brand building and e-commerce. In 2014 he founded the first digitally-native sneaker brand, Greats - a brand which he exited to fashion giant Steve Madden in 2019. Not one to chill on the beach and bask in his own success, Ryan immediately started Jolie - now one of the fastest brands in the DTC space!Ryan's journey with Jolie has seen him scale the brand to $50mn in revenue in a three year period, all while maintaining a lean team of just four full-time staff. In our chat he dives into his framework to build a successful DTC business, his not-so-subtle dislike of Meta, his experience exiting an eight-figure brand and how he's using AI to scale his business as leanly as possible.Timestamps00:00 Intro02:00 Success With Greats - The First Digitally Native Sneaker Brand04:01 If Meta Is So Great, Why Are Brands Losing Money?06:59 Has It Gotten Easier Or Harder To Start A DTC Brand?10:12 Think About Your Exit Before Starting A Business14:47 Ryan's Framework For Starting A Successful Brand17:17 The Importance Of Smart Product Positioning19:34 Staying Focused To Build A $50m Brand23:31 Growth Hack: The Water Report26:12 How To Test Your Market Before Building Your Product29:44 The Data Problem: We've Prioritized Measurement Over Performance33:38 How Jolie Scaled To $50m With Three Employees37:09 Is Software Replacing People in E-Commerce?40:41 How To Price Your Product48:41 What's Next For Jolie? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here we go, Episode One of Lock-In - and it's a cracker! Our guest this week is Matt Kelly, the founder of Spacegoods - Europe's fastest growing all-in-one Mushroom Coffee blend. His journey through e-commerce has been an absolute rollercoaster, from dropshipping ripped jeans, to building two 8-figure brands before both ultimately entered administration in 2021. It's the learnings he took from these that have helped him build Spacegoods into one of the UK's fastest growing food brands.Our conversation with Matt is raw and honest. You'll hear everything from his thoughts on VC funding vs bootstrapping, through to his ongoing struggles with hiring. Matt's a marketing genius, and today he dives into his playbook for success, sharing real insight into what's working and what isn't for Spacegoods.Timestamps:00:00: Intro00:45: How Matt Stumbled Into Entrepreneurship06:30: From Bedroom Brand to $50m - Simple Shit Scales15:25: Moving Into Retail - Does It Move The Dial For Brands?17:35: Building A Team - You Should Be Able To Do £20M Per Year With 20 People21:28: Should DTC Brands Raise VC Money?25:57: Building A Process When Raising Money29:45: Good Angels Add More Value Than VC's31:55: What Are The Biggest Challenges Spacegood's Faces?35:55: Starting A Business With An Influencer - The Key To Fast Growth40:12: When Influencer Marketing Goes Wrong42:27: Learning From Failure - What Went Wrong With Neon Beach50:53: What Do The Next 12 Months Look Like For Spacegoods?54:24: What's The Biggest Opportunity In E-Commerce Right Now? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.