Brand Growth Heroes

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.

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 [email protected]

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

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.

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/

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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.

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 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 [email protected]!

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

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.

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/

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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.

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 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 [email protected]!

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

 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.

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.

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 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 [email protected]!

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

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.

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.

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 Joelson, THE 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 [email protected]!

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

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.

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.

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 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 [email protected]!

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

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.

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.

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 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 [email protected]!

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

 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.

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.

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 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 [email protected]!

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

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.

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 [email protected]

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

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!

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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 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 [email protected]!

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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.