‘Sales is a persistence game’In this episode i’m joined by Emily Boyce, founder of Sweet Thyme Foods. We dig into the real mechanics of getting on shelf - and staying there. Emily shares a pragmatic, step-by-step route from specialty to scale, how to pitch buyers who get 200+ emails a day, and why persistence beats perfection every time.In this episode:The “stepping stones” route to great distribution“Beacon outlets” as brand builders: credibility, discoverability, fast feedback loopsWhat buyers actually want (and why long emails kill deals)Persistence systems: staying on it when founders are spinning platesHow to pitch: keeping it short & sweetFounder mindset: progress over perfectionListen if: you’re building a challenger brand and want a calm, concrete roadmap for compounding growth.
“The startup will be a rollercoaster - the founder doesn’t have to be on it.”On paper everything’s winning; inside you’re burning out. Sound familiar? Thea unpacks the founder rollercoaster - from comparison traps and dopamine highs to the quiet power of staying level. We get practical on using mindset as a growth lever, building “anti-fragile” resilience, and why slower often equals faster.We cover:The startup rollercoaster and staying steady (joy vs dopamine)Mindset work that actually moves the needle (neural pathways + self-talk)“Slower is faster” - the counterintuitive growth tacticCustomer obsession as a company-wide pillar (beyond sales/marketing)Founder as the most important asset (maintenance > martyrdom)Burnout signals: presence, constant thinking, delayed recoveryDefining success on your terms - and aligning capital/partnersListen if: you’re a founder, operator, or investor who wants sustainable pace, clearer decisions, and growth without the crash.
“The danger for UK brands launching in the U.S is assuming its the same - it’s not. It just happens to speak English.”What does it take to build the UK’s #1 canned cocktail brand (in grocery) - and then take it to America?Rob Wallis, co-founder of MOTH, joins us to talk about how he and Sam Hunt built a high-trust, founder-led business on a foundation of friendship, flavour, and fearless brand bets.From investing 25% of their first raise into a bold rebrand, to launching into the US with no existing category - Rob shares the moments that defined MOTH’s rise. We dig into:How to turn brand copy into a premium ingredientWhen risk-taking is a superpower (and when it’s not)Why they built a full creative team in-houseHow to go about your first fundraiseWhat most UK brands get wrong when entering the USWhy “good branding” isn’t just aesthetic - it’s a commercial toolIf you’re a founder weighing rebrands, international growth, or just trying to get your product to beep at the Waitrose till - this one’s for you.
“Time is the only finite resource you have as a founder.”Ariana’s career arc runs from Juice Press to angel investing, with a deep love for food, wellness and the founders behind them. In this episode, she shares what she looks for in early-stage investments, how to spot a great founder, and why trusting your gut is sometimes better than over-analysing a spreadsheet.We talk about:What separates a “nice-to-have” from a “need-to-have” productHow great founders manage ego, feedback and growthAngel investing realities - why most projections are meaninglessProtecting your time (and your health) as a founderThe “better-for-you” shift from optimisation to enjoymentWhy sometimes the best advice is simple: eat the cake.Listen if: You’re a founder, investor, or operator trying to balance ambition, wellness and com
“There was a real lack of craft in the category. And I thought - where’s the origin story? The process? The people behind it?”What happens when a bartender and a brand strategist collide at 2am on a wedding dance floor - and end up building one of the UK’s most original non-alc brands?In this episode, I speak to Imme and Sam, co-founders of Botivo, the bold botanical drink that’s quietly redefining what non-alcoholic really means.We talk about:How a pleasure-first approach reframes non-AThe importance of founder chemistry (and weekly emotional check-ins)Why launching with one SKU, and making it iconic, was a deliberate choiceLetting go of the things you built by hand (literally)Craft, chaos, and chickens at a regenerative farm in HertfordshirePlus: how their yellow piano became a moving bar, and why marketing is mostly saying the same thing, over and over.This is a joyful, honest deep-dive into co-founder dynamics, brand building from scratch, and creating moments that matter.
“If you’ve got a really progressive, innovative brand, you're not going to hit average rate of sale out the gate - and yet that’s exactly what the system demands. We’re burning through founders and cash chasing short-term wins that kill long-term potential.”What if the biggest problem facing food startups isn’t the buyer - it’s the system they work in?This week, we talk to Andrew Allen, an ex-founder turned entrepreneur in residence, about the structural blockers that keep great ideas from scaling.We dig into why the innovation funnel is broken, how corporates and startups talk past each other, and why accelerators aren’t always the answer. Andrew also shares what buyers really want in a pitch (and what to stop doing), why founders should be more willing to walk away, and what a better system might look like - from venture studios to shared-risk retailer models.Key themes:The mismatch between startup pace and corporate systemsWhy zombie businesses persist - and what to do about themThe risk of founder burnout in a broken validation loopHow accelerators can help (and where they fall short)Why we need a new venture-builder model for food & drinkIf you liked this episode make sure you check out our chat with Rhys Harvey on Scaling, Exits and Staying true to the core.
“People don’t read - they recognize. If I have to say I’m cool, I’m not cool. But if you look at me and know it, that’s the ultimate power of branding.”What do challenger brands get wrong about design? Why do some refreshes fail while others build billion-dollar brands? And how do you know when to pivot - or just stay boring?In this episode, we talk to Fred Hart - the Colarado based brand strategist and CPG trade show enthusiast - about what makes great brands stand out, scale smart, and avoid getting lost in alphabet soup. We dig into 2025 trends, AI and subjectivity, the influencer brand bubble, and Fred’s five brand principles (including “People don’t read. They recognize.”)We get into:Design as strategy, not decorationBuilding distinctiveness vs. chasing trendsHow to test without killing creativityThe rise (and risks) of influencer brandsWhat makes a great refresh actually work
“When you’re bored of saying it, that’s when people are just starting to hear it.”In this episode, Luke Hemsley shares the honest story behind building Wednesday’s Domaine - an alcohol-free wine brand on a mission to preserve ritual without compromise.We get into:Why non-alcoholic wine has lagged behind beer & spiritsThe messy early days (and the accidental rosé that turned into a bestseller)What bigger players are getting wrong - and why that’s changingInternational growth, category resistance, and why patience is a brand-building superpowerIf you’ve ever wondered why wine is so culturally loaded - and how you might build something credible in a space full of sceptics - this one’s for you.
“Entrepreneurship isn’t taught - and if you don’t know, you don’t know.” On access, exposure, and who gets to build.In this episode, I talk to Emmie Faust - exited founder, angel investor, and the powerhouse behind Female Founders Rise. We dig into the realities of entrepreneurship for underrepresented founders, why communities are so hard to monetise, and how to lead with empathy, clarity and curiosity.From raising four kids to raising capital - this one’s full of honest lessons on boundaries, burnout, and building something bigger than yourself.
“I realised I’m not chasing happiness - it's the happiness of pursuit that matters.”What can pulses, parenting and product launches teach us about building culture-first brands?In this episode, we sit down with Richard Peake, Managing Director at Merchant Gourmet, to talk about shaking up “dusty” grocery categories, embracing chaos in NPD, and why psychological safety- not ping pong tables- actually powers performance.
“Marketing isn’t just colours and fonts. It’s getting to the beating heart of humanity.”What does it take to build a mission-led challenger brand… backed by mission-led celebrity investors Michelle Obama and Stephen Curry?In this episode, Sam Siegal (ex-PepsiCo, Death Wish Coffee) joins us to talk about launching PLEZi, the US better-for-you beverage brand rethinking sports drinks, sodas- and how we set habits for the next generation.
“What would a Michelin-starred restaurant do?”Applying service-level thinking to ecommerce and customer experienceBrodie Meah, co-founder of Top Cuvée, shares how a hospitality-first mindset became the foundation for a wine brand with real staying power. From fine dining in Melbourne to bike courier bottle drops in North London, we cover how community, consistency and a sense of humour helped shape the Top Cuvée story.
“Do things that aren’t scalable.”ManiLife founder Stu Macdonald shares the full, gloriously unpolished story - from a makeshift kitchen and 4,000 hand-blended jars to building a cult peanut butter brand with real depth and a stubborn refusal to do things the easy way.We talk naïveté vs strategy, scaling without losing soul, what most founders get wrong about advisors - and the underrated power of peanut butter dealers.
Building Popchips in the UK- one snacker at a timeWhat did it take to launch one of the UK’s most successful better-for-you snacks?In this episode, Ruth Fittock flips the mic to reflect on her eight-year journey launching and scaling Popchips in the UK, with Tomorrow Brands commercial lead Sofia DeCrescentiis, from Waitrose day-one listings to handwritten influencer boxes and navigating the brand’s acquisition by KP Snacks.They talk about:How a US startup mentality collided with UK market realitiesThe power of word-of-mouth before social mediaWhy internal culture is make-or-break for scaling teamsWhat marketing and sales can learn from each otherAnd what it really takes to build a brand of tomorrow (hint: it’s not just hype)If you enjoyed this episode, check out our Brand Success Story: Camden Town Brewery
“If you're bored of your brand, you're probably doing something right.”What makes a brand stick- and what causes one to quietly fade out? In this episode, Ruth sits down with Derek Springston, CEO of Boulder-based branding agency Moxie Sozo, to explore the deeper mechanics behind brand resilience.They cover:Why trends are often a trap- and how “being of the moment” can age you fastWhat US brands get right (and wrong) about differentiationBrand moats vs brand ecosystems- and why the latter matters moreWhen a rebrand is a great idea- and when it’s just a bored marketing team
“Direct-to-consumer wasn’t the plan. It was a survival move during the pandemic - but it became our best decision.”Bethan Higson is the founder of Mother Root, a non-alcoholic aperitif brand that’s as bold in its flavour as it is in its mission. In this episode, she shares their 6 year journey to retail. We talk about:Starting slow and building a brand with staying powerWhy DTC is the best way to educate a new marketNavigating a rebrand while staying close to your communityBuilding for women in their 40s and 50s - and why the industry often overlooks themUsing real customer insight to fuel marketing and innovationEmbracing patience, focus, and small-scale testing to grow with intention
“We’ve turned ‘challenger brand’ into an aesthetic. If you’re marketing only to Sophie from Clapham, you’re not really challenging anything.”In this wide-ranging episode, Ruth is joined by Lottie Unwin- founder of Brand Hackers and Up WorldThey cover:The difference between competition and category-buildingWhy marketing strategy is misunderstood (and underfunded)What actually makes a brand “challenger”Content, Reddit, and the underrated power of local Facebook groupsHow it feels to build something when you’re completely out of your depthIt’s a love letter to ambitious marketers, and a reality check for founders everywhere.If you enjoyed this episode check out our episode with Fred Hart, for more lessons on brand building (from the other side of the pond).
“Exit-readiness isn’t a checklist - it’s a constant state of being.”Rhys Harvey has helped steer multiple challenger brands through acquisition (Popchips, Plenish) and is now CEO of OceanSaver. In this episode, we unpack what really matters when you’re building toward scale or a potential exit.We talk:What acquirers really care about (hint: not what founders think)Why repeat rate is the metric no one talks about enoughHow operations and finance teams can drive brand valueThe truth about NPD - and why most of it gets mothballed post-acquisitionWhat it takes to build a business that still stands after you're goneWhether you're in scale-up mode or quietly building toward an exit, this episode is a masterclass in doing both with integrity.
“Social media has made everything feel a bit less fun. We need more weird, joyful moments - not just QR codes on billboards.”In this episode, Ruth sits down with Tom, a multi-time founder and creative mind behind Glug - a new UK-based olive oil brand. From selling 500 onesies a day at the height of festival culture to building a brand rooted in joy and quality, Tom shares how his early wins, mistakes, and experiments are shaping this next venture.They talk about why joy is missing in brand-building, how to do weird, subversive marketing in a post-algorithm world, and how AI is reshaping what small teams can do.
“There’s no shortage of ideas. What’s rare is the mindset to survive the hard parts.”In this episode Ruth talks to Charlie Gent, founder of Mission Kitchen, a London-based workspace and incubator for food founders. They explore what it really takes to scale a food business today - from product development and manufacturing to community, mentorship, and the emotional highs and lows of founder life. You’ll hear about the power of physical space, how DTC has changed early brand building, and why taste still reigns above all.Plus: which categories are heating up, why pickles and pulses are having a moment, and what makes a "safe place to fail."