Episode description

This week, we have Kane Dowell on the podcast. Kane is an entrepreneur and founder of gift & confectionary company Ask Mummy & Daddy. Kane began his career working with fellow dyslexic entrepreneur Cath Kidston before working his way up through the company and eventually leaving to start his own business. In the episode, we learn how a chance encounter led Kane Dowell to get his first job from Cath Kidston herself. Andrew and Kane discuss candidly how they both got in, and out, of debt. And the boys chat about how you know when a business has outgrown its founder.

Top quotes

“Because I couldn’t do so many things in school I had to supplement my short comings by developing my skills with people. That is definitely something dyslexia has given me.” - Andrew Kitley

“My invisible gift is the fact that I will speak and treat everyone the same. I think it’s something I learned working with Cath Kidston who is a multi-millionaire but who always appreciated people being direct and straight up. My invisible gift is not pretending to be something I’m not.” - Kane Dowell

About the guest

Kane Dowell is an entrepreneur and founder of gift & confectionary company Ask Mummy & Daddy. Kane didn’t get any GCSE’s. Despite this, he knew he was an intelligent with a head full of ideas, but wasn’t able to express them. He would learn he was dyslexic at age 11 and leave school at 15. Kane upon a chance meeting, would get a job working under fellow dyslexic Cath Kidston. He worked at there for nearly nine years as a retail marketing events and planning officer. Eventually he would move on and begin his own business - high end confectionary and gift company Ask Mummy & Daddy in 2017. The business immediately took off - they became permanent stockists in Selfridges stores across the UK, and were stocked in Fenwicks department stores. They also opened a pop-up store in the heart of Notting Hill for a year. Now the company is a full-time operation with their own production, marketing, and events teams.

About the host

The Invisible Gift is hosted by entrepreneur and dyslexic, Andrew Kitley. With twenty years experience, Andrew Kitley has worked his way up the metaphorical and literal ladder to become Managing Director of Kitall: an engineering firm. Under Andrew's guidance, Kitall is now one of the most sought after names to complete complex engineering projects in the UK. In each episode of The Invisible Gift, Andrew seeks the advice and inspiration of a fellow trailblazer who has defied the odds to achieve the extraordinary - turning the challenge of neurodiversity into a gift.

Resources

https://www.kitall.co.uk/

https://www.onefineplay.com/

https://www.askmummyanddaddy.com/