Building The Brand with James Burtt

How do you help build one of the UK’s best-known challenger beer brands, walk away from the business you helped create and then start all over again in a completely different industry?Hannah Williams helped build Tiny Rebel from a home-brewing experiment into a major independent brewery employing around 120 people, while acting as CFO and helping scale the company through rapid growth.Today, she is CEO of the Alacrity Foundation, working with technology startups and entrepreneurs, while simultaneously building Lucky No.7 Coffee alongside her husband Mo.And she’s doing it with many of the same principles that helped Tiny Rebel grow: move quickly, test the market, build a distinctive brand, surround yourself with great people and learn as you go.In this live episode of Building The Brand from Ideas Fest, Hannah shares the entrepreneurial lessons behind building Tiny Rebel, launching a coffee brand, scaling a startup, building a team and creating a brand people actually remember.Want more from Building The Brand?Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterIn this episode, Hannah reveals:How Tiny Rebel went from home brewing to employing around 120 peopleWhy they ignored advice that the business needed a traditional marketing budget and backed social media marketing insteadHow Tiny Rebel hit its original three-year forecast within just nine monthsWhy Hannah believes naivety can sometimes be more powerful than confidence when starting a businessWhy knowing when you are no longer adding value can be critical as a founder or senior leaderHow simply asking successful entrepreneurs for help led to mentorship and advice from people behind businesses including Gymshark and GrenadeWhy she hires for “will over skill” and believes attitude can be more valuable than experienceWhy great businesses require partnerships, co-founders and complementary skill setsHow Hannah and Mo created the Lucky No.7 Coffee brand around their blended family of sevenWhy Lucky No.7 used events to test its branding, products and customer response before expandingWhy moving into physical retail earlier than planned can sometimes create unexpected growth opportunitiesHow Hannah combines startup thinking, technology and ecommerce with a traditional physical product businessHannah also explains the personal side of entrepreneurship: leaving Tiny Rebel after more than a decade, growing up around entrepreneurial parents, raising children around business and why financial success means less to her than creating experiences and making a difference to other people.Lucky No.7 Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.no7coffee/Alacrity Foundation: https://alacrityfoundation.co.uk/Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/Under The Canvas: https://underthecanvas.co.uk/0:00 — From Tiny Rebel to Building Lucky No.7 Coffee03:35 — How Tiny Rebel Started With Beer Brewed at Home04:45 — Ignoring Traditional Marketing Advice & Betting on Social Media05:25 — Hitting a Three-Year Business Forecast in Nine Months06:30 — Why Naivety Can Be an Entrepreneurial Advantage08:00 — Why Hannah Walked Away From Tiny Rebel09:25 — How to Get Successful Entrepreneurs to Mentor You11:00 — Knowing When You’re No Longer Adding Value to a Business15:55 — “Will Over Skill”: Hannah’s Approach to Hiring Great People22:00 — Why Entrepreneurs Need the Right Partner Around Them26:45 — Building the Lucky No.7 Coffee Brand From Scratch30:30 — Launching Into Retail Without a Traditional Business Plan32:00 — Testing Your Brand Before Trying to Scale It35:00 — Why Moving Too Early Can Sometimes Create Your Biggest Opportunity36:25 — “Slow Down to Speed Up”: Balancing Momentum With Strategy40:45 — Building a UK Coffee Brand Beyond Physical Stores41:30 — AI Search, GEO & the Future of Ecommerce Discovery43:25 — Why Hannah Never Feels Like She Has Done Enough

How do you build a £50 million business empire, operate more than 30 companies, employ 3,000 people and keep acquiring businesses without giving away equity to investors?James 'Jimbo' Sinclair has spent his career buying businesses, building management teams, acquiring commercial property and turning struggling or overlooked companies into valuable assets.Starting out as a teenage children’s entertainer and magician, James has built a portfolio spanning leisure attractions, childcare, food service, hospitality, commercial property and self-storage.In this live episode of Building The Brand from Ideas Fest, James breaks down the business acquisition strategy, management systems and entrepreneurial mindset behind his £50m group.Want more from Building The Brand?Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterBig thanks to our much-loved partners for this pod - go show them some love:Ideas Fest https://ideasfest.uk/Lucky No.7 Coffee https://luckyno7coffee.co.uk/Under The Canvas https://underthecanvas.co.uk/In this tactical breakdown, James reveals:Why entrepreneurs should build a business to sell even if they never intend to sell itHis Entrepreneurship + Management = Success framework for scaling beyond the founderThe acquisition strategy he uses to understand a company before he even completes the purchaseWhy he refuses to give away equity to investors but is comfortable using bank debt to growHow content marketing has helped him recruit employees and find business acquisition opportunitiesWhy James believes a newsletter can generate more business value than a podcast or YouTube channelHow to identify businesses with protected leverage, strong margins and lower labour requirementsWhy self-storage and commercial property have become increasingly attractive parts of his portfolioWhy grit can be more important than talent when building a successful businessThe reality of cash-flow problems, losing millions and carrying responsibility for thousands of employeesJames also opens up about the darker side of entrepreneurship: why success can become increasingly lonely, why his brain never switches off and why entrepreneurs often create new problems the moment everything starts going well.This is a masterclass in how to buy a business, business acquisitions, scaling a company, entrepreneurship, business management, business growth strategy, content marketing and building wealth through business ownership.James Sinclair: https://www.youtube.com/@jamessinclairspodcastIdeas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/Lucky No.7 Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.no7coffee/Under The Canvas: https://underthecanvas.co.uk/Questions answered in this episode:How does James Sinclair buy and grow businesses?How do you scale a business without giving away equity?Why should you build a business as if you are going to sell it?How do entrepreneurs transition from operating a business to leading one?KEY MOMENTS:0:00 — Inside James Sinclair’s £50M Business Empire03:40 — The Reality of Running a Business in the UK in 202606:00 — How James Chooses Businesses to Buy08:25 — Why Your Business Needs Growth to Keep Great People09:32 — Entrepreneurship + Management = Business Success12:48 — The Businesses James Sinclair Has Bought This Year13:12 — Build Your Business to Sell — Even If You Never Sell17:03 — Why Entrepreneurship Gets Lonelier as You Scale18:38 — Grit vs Talent: What Actually Creates Successful Entrepreneurs?27:31 — James Sinclair’s Business Acquisition Hack Before Buying29:08 — How Content Marketing Generates Deals and Recruitment30:00 — Why James Refuses Investors but Uses Bank Debt33:46 — Why Newsletters Can Beat Podcasts and YouTube for Business38:47 — Why James Sinclair Is Investing in Self-Storage43:56 — The Entrepreneur’s Curse: Why Happiness Can Feel Boring45:55 — Losing Millions, Cash-Flow Problems and Building Resilience47:16 — Does Building a £50M Business Actually Make You Happy?

How do you build a multi-million pound ecommerce brand  without white-labelling, without forcing subscriptions, and without a big ad budget?Tariq Kazemi, co-founder of BLD BRO, did it by building a community before he had a product. What started as an Instagram page to change the narrative around hair loss has become a 7-figure skincare brand for bald men, stocked in their own warehouse, funded by the community that asked for it.Check our BLD BRO via https://bldbro.com/This episode of Building The Brand goes beyond inspiration to break down how success is actually built.Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterIn this tactical breakdown, Tariq reveals:How to build a brand community that validates your product before you manufacture (the 90% matte vs shiny test)Why BLD BRO refused to white-label and built a bespoke formula from scratchHow to launch a DTC brand building strategy on a 1,000-unit self-funded first orderThe retention playbook: Why 50% repeat customers beats forced subscriptionsHow a £1K budget Christmas ad ended up being a high-performing TV campaign that drove direct attribution This is a masterclass in brand building strategy, how to build a community around an underserved niche, how to start a business uk  the community-led way and business growth strategy for a physical product brand.Questions answered in this episode: How did Bald Bros build a community-led skincare brand?How a to validate a product idea with your audience before launching?How to build an ecommerce brand without paid advertising?What is a community to commerce strategy for DTC brands?Key Moments: 0:00 - Why This Bald Skincare Brand Became a 7-Figure Community00:18 - How to Build a Brand From Community: The Bald Bros Origin Story 02:22 - From Hair Loss Anxiety to Brand Purpose: Tariq's 10-Year Journey07:40 - Shaving His Head: The Moment That Built Bald Confidence12:48 - The £8 Billion Hair Loss Industry Lie Every Founder Should Know 14:36 - Finding a Market Gap: Why No Skincare Existed for Bald Men18:55 - App vs Physical Product: How to Choose Your First Business Idea20:22 - How to Validate Your Product Idea With Your Community (The 90% Matte Test) 23:29 - Why We Didn't White Label: Building a Bespoke DTC Product34:06 - Launch Day to Sold Out: How to Launch an Ecommerce Brand on 1,000 Units 47:31 - The Content Hire That Scaled Us: Hiring Jake Massey (Ex-LADbible) 53:01 - Bald Fest: How Community Events Build Brand Better Than Ads57:36 - The £1K TV Advert That Drove Real Brand Awareness

How do you start an influencer marketing agency at 17 whilst battling stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma, scale it to 7-figures and sell it for millions by 24? Suhit Amin did exactly that.WATCH THE FULL PODCAST NOW ON YOUTUBEIn this episode, host James Burtt sits down with Suhit Amin, founder of Saulderson Media, to deconstruct the tactical playbook behind building an influencer marketing agency from scratch, winning clients with cold outreach on LinkedIn, doubling revenue with the right advisor, and navigating the full M&A process to a multi-million pound exit to Journey Further.If you want to understand how to build an agency from scratch, how to sell your business in the UK, or how to turn cold outreach strategy into compounding revenue - this is your blueprint. In This Episode You'll Learn:How Suhit turned an MCN sub-network into a talent management business making £100k in 6 months at 16The cold LinkedIn DM system he used when LinkedIn was quiet - and why manual reps beat automation earlyWhy talent management evolves into an influencer marketing agency for higher margins and scaleThe exact M&A process: from teaser and information memorandum to 5 offers, due diligence, and the 24-hour wait for money to landWhy he chose a lower multiple from Journey Further over a higher US offer and what founders get wrong about business brokers and valuationConnect with Suhit Aminhttps://www.suhitamin.com/Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here:https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterKey Moments: 0:00 - Introduction: How a 17-Year-Old Built a 7-Figure Influencer Marketing Agency 02:31 - Why Starting a Business Young Was Suhit Amin's Unfair Advantage 04:11 - From Gaming Videos to 37K Subscribers: Learning YouTube MCNs and Sub-Networks 07:04 - Why Talent Management Beat Being a Creator: Spotting the MCN Decline 09:40 - How to Start an Influencer Marketing Agency From Scratch With 5 Clients 15:35 - Cold Outreach Strategy That Worked: Turning LinkedIn DMs Into Revenue 19:25 - Consistency & Manual Reps: Why Volume Beats Automation When Starting Out 31:47 - Thinking Like a Founder: Why He Always Planned to Sell His First Business 37:18 - Doubling Revenue in 12 Months: How Advisor Simon Penson Restructured the Agency for Sale 44:15 - How to Sell Your Business: The Full M&A Process, Due Diligence & Keeping It Secret 53:54 - Choosing the Right Buyer: Why He Took a Lower Offer From Journey Further 01:04:03 - What Happens When the Money Lands: Telling the Team and Calling His Parents 01:26:14 - Battling Stage Three Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 16 While Starting a Business 01:36:26 - How Cancer Changed His View on Business, Risk and ResilienceIn this show we answer: What is this episode about? This episode of Building The Brand features Suhit Amin explaining how he built and sold a 7-figure influencer marketing agency (Saulderson Media) before age 25, detailing his cold outreach on LinkedIn, transition from talent management to influencer marketing, and the step-by-step process to sell a business including valuation, buyer outreach, and due diligence.Who is Suhit Amin? Suhit Amin is a UK entrepreneur who founded influencer marketing agency Saulderson Media at 17, scaled it to over £100k revenue in six months, doubled revenue with consultancy Scaled, and achieved a multi-million pound exit to Journey Further - all after undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 16.How did Suhit Amin get clients for his influencer marketing agency? He used cold outreach on LinkedIn, identifying brands working with similar creators, connecting with marketing managers, and moving conversations from DMs to calls. He posted daily when LinkedIn was unsaturated and treated outreach like volume-based reps to learn what messaging converts.

How do you build a business from scratch with no assets, no backing and no safety net - twice?In this episode of Building The Brand, Andrew Coulson shares his brutal, tactical business failure story and comeback. From packing sandwiches at 8 years old after his father’s breakdown, to walking out of school at 15 to become a commodity trader, to building a design agency to 45 staff by age 25 - and then losing it all when his bank pulled a £2.5m overdraft days before a £15M deal.This is not a motivational story. It’s a playbook on how to rebuild after business failure, start again with nothing, and build a second business from his mum’s kitchen table.Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterCheck out the very delicious Novo via https://novosnacks.com/IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:→ How to start a business with no money or qualifications - and why sales skill beats credentials→ The scaling mistake that nearly killed a 45-person packaging design business→ Why a £15M reverse takeover collapsed: the overdraft trap every UK founder must understand→ What to do when you have no assets: how Andrew rebuilt from zero after losing everything→ The gym floor strategy: how rescuing a failing gym rebuilt his momentum and network→ How he became Head Judge for UK bodybuilding in 9 months - and spotted a gap in the market→ How he built one of the first online coaching businesses (Body Coaches) - pre-Instagram, pre-OnlyFans - using video + subscriptionKey Moments: 0:00 How do you build a business from scratch with no assets? Trailer01:08 Who is Andrew Coulson? From packing sandwiches at 8 after his father's breakdown02:45 How to start a business with no qualifications? Becoming a commodity trader at 1505:30 How he scaled a packaging design business to 45 staff by 25 - then lost a £15M deal07:40 Why did a £15M reverse takeover collapse a week before completion?09:55 What happens when the bank pulls your overdraft? 12:30 How to rebuild after business failure with no money? Penny shares and the satellite dish edge15:10 Sleeping on his mum's floor at 28: Starting again from the kitchen table18:40 Why rescuing a failing gym was his best business move23:15 How to become a UK authority fast: Becoming Head Judge for UK bodybuilding in 9 months28:40 How to build an online coaching business from scratch? The first video subscription platform (Body Coaches)33:00 How was the world's first protein crisp invented? The birth of Novo Nutrition46:05 Novo vs Walkers: Can a challenger brand beat the UK's biggest crisp brands?51:30 How to get into Tesco and Asda? The 72-hour packaging ultimatum that saved the product59:01 Is work-life balance a myth for entrepreneurs? Theobsession behind building a brand1:06:20 The true cost of success: Family, burnout and is the juice worth the squeeze?1:19:50 Legacy over money: Why he's still chasing Tesco after 14 years