HUNGRY.

STOP thinking like a Challenger Brand, please.

Zipping n’ zinging through the Challenger zeitgeist is a David vs. Goliath mentality.

Post BrewDog, challenger brands act like Punk Bands.

Minor Figures took a screw-that view and forged a new path.

They act like a FUNK BAND.

Stuart Forsyth, taught me: "We play our groove and let our people come dancing”

Mind-bendingly banging products.

Weird. Lurid. Wonderful.

Avant-garde, chilled-contrarians fusing music, coffee and art.

Cult-like evangelists, venerate the brand, blotching their body with Minor Figure tattoos.

Minor Figures won listings at: Waitrose & Partners, Tesco, Morrisons, Coles Group

Our conversation unshackled my noggin from the challenger-thinking straight-jacket.

My mind grooved into new forests of curiosity like a randy Truffle Pig.

Grab yourself a strong coffee, allow your mind to meander.

ON THE MENU:

1. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDER’S MUST "BITE OFF MORE THAN THEY CAN CHEW THEN CHEW LIKE HELL"

2. WHY FOOD AND DRINK BRANDS MUST THINK LIKE “FUNK BANDS” NOT “PUNK BRANDS” - TO AUTHENTICALLY STAND OUT IN CATEGORIES

3. WHY SMASHING IT IN TWO CHANNELS IS THE PREREQUISITE BUILDING A LIFESTYLE BRAND

4. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS MUST FALL IN LOVE WITH OBSTACLES AND CHOOSE YOUR STRUGGLE. = “I GET TO FACE THIS CHALLENGE” VS. “I HAVE TO FACE THIS CHALLENGE”

5. HOW FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDER CAN SEPARATE THEIR BUSINESS WORTH FROM THEIR SELF WORTH - “WHAT IF IT ALL ENDED TOMORROW? ”

Big thanks to Ben Vear for sorting this out.

Fully eppy goes live Monday 8am.

Cannae’ wait till then?

Other episodes in comments below.

#fmcg #podcast #challengerbrand #cpg #coffee

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HOW SEEDLIP PIONEERED THE LOW-TO-NO CATEGORY AND WON LISTINGS AT WAITROSE, M&S, OCADO AND MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANTS - BEN BRANSON  

This conversation CHANGED EVERYTHING.  

Ben taught me, NATURE IS EVERYTHING.  

Hold ya horses -  

You may think, 

I’m slipping into a pair of Tom’s, carousing through Tooting Bec, fondling Daphodiles, listening to Tame Impala (sounds banging tbf)  

It’s NOT.  

Nature and the founders journey are inextricably intertwined.  

Nature, like start ups: Pain and Chaos wield Flourishing Growth.  

Nature, like start ups: CONSTANT CHANGE, the seasons and the journey are in flux, Good, Bad and Ugly.  

Nature is where founders find thunderous creative-dynamite to blisteringly disrupt categories.  

Nature is ego-dissolving, perspective-altering - allowing founders to detach EGO from BRAND.  

Seedlip had rip-roaring flourishing success, single-handily pioneering  Low To No Category.  

• Won a Gold Medal at The Chelsea Flower Show  
• Sold 3000 Units in Selfridges in 3 weeks.  
• Won  listings at Ocado, M&S, Daylesford, Waitrose, Tesco, Whole Foods Market  
• Work with an illustrious list of Michelin Star restaurants.  

By far one of my favourite convo’s so far.  

Implore you listen to this puppy in a park or or woods or garden, let the hot sun tickle the nape of your neck.  

ON THE MENU:  

1. WHY *NATURE IS EVERYTHING* AND NATURE'S PARALLELS  WITH THE ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY: PROGRESS, PAIN, CHAOS, GROWTH, FLOURISHING  

2. WHY BEING YOUR OWN WORST CRITIC IS EMPOWERING - NOTHING ANYONE SAYS ABOUT YOU/OR YOUR BRAND CAN HURT YOU  

3. WHY HIRING A CORPORATE M.D. IS DANGEROUS FOR CHALLENGER BRANDS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT 

4. SEEDLIP'S HIRING PROCESS TO ATTRACT GREAT TALENT THAT ARE THE *RIGHT CULTURAL FIT* - SEEDLIPS SEVEN PSYCHO TESTING QUESTIONS  

5. THE SEEDLIP STRATEGY TO BUILD BRAND AWARENESS ON A TINY BUDGET - THE BRAND TOUCH POINT IS EVERYTHING.  

6. WHY YOU MUST LOOK *OUTSIDE* FOOD AND DRINK TO CREAT ORIGINAL IDEAS + NOTHING IS EVER TRULY ORIGINAL  

🤝 Let's Connect!

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If Willy Wonker chinned a few shandy’s and fornicated with Lego Land.

Their love child?

Pleesecakes.

Scrolling through their Insta, irreverent and utterly unctuous.

Cathedrals of Cheese cake, coquettish and magnificent, doused in delicious decoration.

Mind-bendingly banging.

Pleese Me, Pleese Me, Pleese Me - Teeeasee me babyyy, Til’ I lose control

My Childhood-Curiosity carouses with my Dad-Bod gluttony.

Pleeeeeese Sir, Gimme Mo’, MO

BUT.

Peel behind the pleasing veneer and meet their founder, Joe Moruzzi

Joe has thunderous-tenacity bubbling in his bones and transforms Fear from Foe to Friend.

Joe’s built a DIE-HARD community of Pleesecake fans.

- Won listings at Ocado Group, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh
- Made cakes for the Queen and whole bevy of celebrities.
- Pivoted their business Cheese Cake model to create Freeze Cakes
- Been on live TV with Holly Willoughby and Phil Schofield and entered the Dragons Den.

Our conversation is for anyone wading through repugnant-gloomy puddles of self-doubt, imposter syndrome and fear.

ON THE MENU:

1. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS MUST SAY NO TO MAJOR SUPERMARKETS - THE OPPORTUNITY MUST BE WIN-WIN

2. HOW FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS CAN TURN FEAR INTO THEIR FREIND - EMBRACE THE FEAR AS EXCITEMENT

3. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS MUST FALL IN LOVE WITH BAD DAYS TO APPRECIATE GOOD DAYS - GOOD DAYS. BAD DAYS MINDSET.

4. KEY LESSONS IN BUILDING A SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING FROM JOE WICKS: GREAT CONTENT WILL ALWAYS BE FOUND + AUTHENTICITY

5. HOW TO PIVOT YOUR INITIAL PRODUCT TO FIND THE PRODUCT-MARKET-FIT PANACEA: LOOK FOR THE SIGNALS

🤝 Let's Connect!

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An electric pudding of nerves - pacing and pacing and pacing.

Foiled in ferocious imposter syndrome.

Barrages of self-doubt pinged and zinged around my nut like furious pinballs.

"My first EVER DRAGON on the poddy!??!”

“I CANNAE do this, Dan-ae?!"

Sarah Willingham's career sparkles:

- Head of International Expansion at PizzaExpress and Planet Hollywood

- Bought, built and sold the UK’s largest chain of Indian Restaurants, Bombay Bicycle Club

- 2015 - 2017: Sarah was a Dragon alongside Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Nick Jenkins

- Founded and floated Nightcap PLC with net sales of £15.5 million in their FIRST YEAR (The London Cocktail Club)

- Investor and chair at TONKOTSU (best ramen this side of Japan) and The Craft Gin Club

My goal?

Peel back the veneer of Sarah's conglomerate business success. 

Sarah is warm, kind, extremely balanced human being.

Apres our convo, 

Utterly bamboozled, brain bulged and bubbled with life-changing-wisdom. 

ON THE MENU:

1. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS WILL FIND THEIR BUSINESS MODEL BY DOING: TAKE ACTION. TAKE ACTION.

2. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS *MUST TAKE HOLIDAYS* - ALL YOUR BEST IDEAS COME ON WEEK THREE OF A HOLIDAY

3. WHY FOUNDERS MUST DITCH THE *CAREER PATH* AND BUILD THEIR OWN *LIFE PIE CHART*

4. WHY ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS ARE THE FOUNDATIONS OF STRATEGY:

- WHAT DOES GREAT LOOK LIKE? 
- IF SOMEONE GAVE YOU A MILLION POUNDS TODAY. WHERE WOULD YOU SPEND IT? 
- DOES THIS ACTUALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE?
- DO MORE OF THE SAME. 

5. WHY FOUNDERS *SHOULDN’T RAISE* UNTIL THEY CREATED SHARE HOLDER VALUE: JUST SELL. SELL. SELL 

🤝 Let's Connect!

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►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

WIN FREE SAUCE SHOP SCOTCH BONNET CHILLI JAM (IT'S SOOO BANGING!!)

We're running a deliciously sauuucyyyy competition for this episode - WIN Scotch Bonnet Chilli Jam - take your sarnies or BBQ to a different stratosphere!!

How?

Simples.

1. Please SHARE this pod episode on your LinkedIn or Instagram stories

2. TAG ME. LinkedIn:  Daniel Pope or Instagram: _hungry.pod

3. We'll select  a WINNER at random and send you Sauce!!

Episode below -

Plunged into delicious oblivion.

Stumbled in 50-Shades-of-squiffy.

Ripped open a bag of Doritos.

Dunked in Sauce Shop x James Cochran Scotch Bonnet Chilli Jam

Other-worldly, face-meltingly banging.

Luscious rolling waves of crimson sticky-fudgyness - then BANG!!

A cantankerous chilli whip cackles and hisses and screams.

C’est Bon.

Sauce Shop are THE connoisseurs of collabs.

Most recently with FOALS.

Holy Fire Hot Honey - Holy Fuck, Hold my beer Hunny - different gravy delish.

Salacious Sauces giving every Fat-Fingered-Fat-Face-Three-Quarter-lengths BBQ fantatic the Horn.

They’ve won listings a Whole Foods Market, Sainsbury's Morrisons

AND BUILT THEIR OWN FACTORY FROM SCRATCH.

Pam and James are kind genuine souls and they’re the latest guests on HUNGRY.

ON THE MENU:

1. HOW TO LEAD YOUR TEAMS WHEN RUNNING YOUR OWN FACTORY: “OFFICE" VS. “FACTORY" WORKERS = SHAKE UP EVENTS + RADICAL CANDOUR

2. HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN FACTORY FOR £10’000

3. WHY YOU MUST FOLLOW YOUR CORE SOUL EVEN IF IT’S THE PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE - MAKE THE PRODUCT YOURSELF

4. THE TOOL KIT FOR INTROVERT FOUNDERS TO BECOME EXTROVERTS AND WIN LISTINGS AT SUPERMARKET. REPS. REPS. REPS.

🤝 Let's Connect!

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►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

Stoicism is THE operating system for F&B founders to smash through struggle. 

My latest guest on HUNGRY. is  Ed Hauck, co-founder The Curators. 

Ed, like me, is fascinated with stoicism. 

The Curators curate a smorgasbord of scrumptious snacks: Jerky, Billtong, Chorizo sticks, Pork Puffs and Peanuts. 

They’ve won listings at: Waitrose, Sainsbury's, TESCO, Morrisons 

My goal with our conversation?

Make stoicism palatable for buccaneering brands. 

ON THE MENU: 

1. HOW TO CRACK THE NPD PARADOX: INNOVATE OR DIE VS. INNOVATE TOO MUCH = LOSE FOCUS 

2. FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS, ALWAYS REMEMBER: “YOUR FIRST IDEA WILL NEVER BE THE IDEA THAT MAKES YOU FAMOUS” 

3. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDERS MUST IMPLEMENT T “IF YOU CAN’T WIN ON SCALE, YOU MUST WIN ON TASTE”

4. WHY ALL FOUNDER’S MUST ACCEPT THE "ONLY CERTAINTY IS UNCERTAINTY” AND “WE SUFFER MORE IN IMAGINATION THAN REALITY” 

If you enjoy the episode, please leave a review and share! 

Thank you so much!! 

🤝 Let's Connect!

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►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

In 2006, finally, something erupted.

Health food was an imbroglio of crusty and boggey-fied, innocuous yet alienating food.

Glib green and banal brown shelves had less personality than a broken Asthma pump in a hospital car park.

A cacophony of precocious cardboard-with-a-conscience.

In 2006, thankfully, a TECTONIC SHIFT ERUPTED!!!

Lashings of lurid orange and green and pink and red lava spilled over supermarket shelves.

A bombastic riot of eye-gorgingly-gorgeous products, coquettishly carousing your taste buds.

Rude Health, the Granola-gorging Jospeh and the technicolour Dream Coat.

Rude Health made you feel beautiful and bountiful.

They’ve scaled from +£20 million, won listings at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, TESCO, Booths.

My latest guest on HUNGRY is the wonderful, Camilla Barnard, co-founder Rude Health.

One of my favourite episodes to date!

ON THE MENU:

1. HOW TO BUILD GREAT LEADERSHIP TEAMS: BRAND FIT TRUMP SKILLSET EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. OF THE WEEK
2. HOW TO DRIVE ROS AT YOUR FIRST MULT ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET: ASK WHY? - SAMPLE YOURSELF (NOT AGENCIES)- WANGLE FREE PR.
3. WHY CONSTANTLY ASKING “WHY” IS THE NEXUS OF ALL GREAT CHALLENGER BRANDS
4. WHY CHALLENGER BRANDS MUST ADOPT “SERENDIPITY OVER STRATEGY” IN THE EARLY DAYS.
5. HOW TO CRACK THE EXPORT ENGIMA - RUDE HEALTH’S STRATEGY UNLOCKING HUGE LISTINGS IN PORTUGAL, NETHERLANDS AND SINGAPORE

🤝 Let's Connect!

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►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

Never been SO NERVOUS to publish a podcast.

Somedays, my mental health is a magnificent malignant feast.

Self-esteem like a feeble Pringle in a February puddle.

A seething swap of mucky self-doubt, pillaging positivity.

Nuclear explosions of imposter syndrome erupt through my noggin.

“You’re not good enough!”

“Why bother?”

“That was sh*t you scum bag””

My latest guest on HUNGRY. is Harry Turpin, a dear friend and a kind soul.

Harry is founder of The Savourists: they’ve won listings at Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic + a bevy of wholesalers.

Harry also hosts a delicious podcast, UNTOLD, exploring mental woes in founders.

If you’re struggling with mental health or anxiety or doubt, I implore you to listen.

ON THE MENU:

1. THE SUBTLE INTERVIEW PROCESS TO HIRE THE BEST TALENT - “WHO’S ORDERING THE COFFEE?”
2. CRUCIAL START UP LESSONS FROM THE WISE SAGES - MARK PALMER AND DAN BROUGHTON - CASH IS KING + STAY TOP OF MIND.
3. THE TOOL KIT TO PUSH THROUGH ANXIETY AND SELF DOUBT: MONKEY BRAIN, GRATITUDE, KINDNESS.
4. HOW TO INSPIRE YOUR SALES TEAM TO “BASH DOWN DOORS” - GET OUT THERE WITH THEM + CREATE A CULTURE CELEBRATING FAILURE
5. HOW TO TURN SELF-DOUBT AND ANXIETY INTO ROCKET FUEL TO PUSH YOU FORWARD

EPISODE GOES LIVE MONDAY 8AM.

LISTEN TO OTHER EPPY’S IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Have a great weekend x

🤝 Let's Connect!

►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/)

►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

At the door step, everything eased.

Mind churning like miffed butter, flecked with F*ck-me-there’s-just-too-much-on!

One of those INTENSE days.

Emails eviscerating Zen, to-do lists trampling Calm.

Instant Gratification masquerading as Instagram: scrolling your way to shameful oblivion.

Mindful Chef is more than a recipe box.

A panacea against the pummelling of putrid notifications.

Banging recipes and Build-Your-Own-Meditation-Retreat at home.

Slip into sliders and sarong (yeh, climbed MK 2013 - Milton Keynes Snow bowl)

Whack on a bit of MJ. Just Beat Ittttttt - the eggs and the work stress

Slice n’ dice your way into a Smooooth Criminal-Spring Well of Happiness.

Myles Hopper, founder of Mindful Chef is the latest guest on HUNGRY.

ON THE MENU:

1. WHY FOUNDERS MUST USE THE WORD “NO” AS PART OF A GROWTH MINDSET TO CONSTANTLY IMPROVE
2. WHY FOOD AND DRINK FOUNDER’S MUST BALANCE BIG AMBITION WITH DAILY BALANCE TO AVOID BURNOUT - “THINGS CAN ALWAYS WAIT
3. WHY FOOD AND DRINK BRANDS MUST ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION AROUND FAILURE: MINDFUL’S FEAST OF FAILURE
4. TAKE THE PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE TO CREATE DIE HARE FANS: “GET UNDER THE SKIN OF YOUR CUSTOMERS”
5. HOW TO MAINTAIN CULTURE AND BRAND AS YOU SCALE TO 130 EMPLOYEES: VALUES + CELEBRATING SMALLS WINS +
6. GREAT LEADERSHIP = KNOWING WHEN TO BE ON AND OFF THE DANCE FLOOR

🤝 Let's Connect!

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►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

My sleepy inner glutton woke in wild alarm with furious wet eyes.

Mooching through carbohydrate cathedrals of pasta and sarnies and sourdough.

Blistered rust-coloured chicken, chips with a glass-shattering crisp, swimming in a swamp of glistening gravy.

Pummelled with dish after dish of dee-lish.

Tom Straker’s food is other-worldly and soul-nourishing.

MANZZ GOT THA FOOOOOOD CUZZZZ.

Tom is the latest guest on HUNGRY.

My goal?

Unpack crucial lessons from running high-octane kitchens, apply them to challenger brands.

ON THE MENU:

1. HOW TO EFFECTIVELY GIVE FEEDBACK: LEAD WITH EMPATHY - EMPLOYEES WANT TO BE “HEARD” NOT “TOLD”
2. WHY “TRAIN HARD. FIGHT EASY” IS A MANTRA BRANDS SHOULD APPLY TO BUYER OR INVESTOR MEETINGS
3. THE PARALLELS OF GREAT RESTAURANTS AND BRANDS SERVICE. SETTING. FOOD >> TONE OF VOICE. BRAND. PRODUCT.
4. WHY SOCIAL MEDIA IS KILLING OUR CURIOSITY AND INQUISITIVENESS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

EPISODE GOES LIVE MONDAY 8 AM.

OTHER EPISODES IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Have a banging weekend

🤝 Let's Connect!

►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/)

►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)