The Marketing Hustle: Brand of the Match

“It required a huge amount of sacrifice and wasn’t a pleasant lifestyle at the time…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that cuts through the BS to bring you unfiltered stories from start-up Founders of bold brands.

This week, your host Lottie chats to the Founder of POT GANG, Sam Smith.

A lockdown business that stood the test of time, POT GANG is all about getting people into growing their own fruit, veg and herbs, via monthly subscription boxes… not a biz that helps you grow pot!

Sam has been on an incredible journey with the brand, which started trying to grow his own fruit and veg during lockdown. Fast forward to today, Pot Gang now has over 50k customers and is officially The Sunday Times Best Gardening Subscription. 

Tune in to hear Lottie & Sam talk openly about their mental health challenges, reaching 100k monthly web visitors and the powerhouse of community marketing.

Finally… if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review, it helps more than you know. Now let’s get stuck in!

Chapters:

[00:49] Where POT GANG originated

[06:16] The eras of start-up growth

[14:14] The pot line: WhatsApp for business

[21:25] The chapter of ads and consumer behaviour

[30:15] Transitioning acquisition models

[34:02] How to build subscription retention 

[37:69] From Co-Founder to Solo Founder

[43:30] Generalised Anxiety Disorder: An insight 

[48:17] The price for bootstrapped growth? A mental health reality

[50:26] Cheerleading for sustainable start-up Purdy & Figg

Connect with Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sambsmith96/

Explore POT GANG: https://www.potgang.co.uk/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/ 

“The glass isn’t half full or half empty, it’s actually both, simultaneously…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that cuts through the BS to bring you unfiltered stories from start-up Founders of bold brands.

This week, your host Lottie chats to the Co-Founder of SURI, Mark Rushmore.

Every year over 4 billion toothbrushes end up in landfill or in our oceans. That's enough to circle the globe twelve times

SURI may seem like the new kids on the electrical toothbrush block, but they are the highest rated toothbrush on TrustPilot… yes, surpassing Oral-B.

Their journey began back in 2021 with a mission to develop products that bring joy to the rituals people live by, while continually pushing the boundaries on what it means to be sustainable. They really are transforming one daily ritual at a time…

Tune in to discover Lottie & Mark discuss the ultimate power of product, focusing on consumer pinpoints and going back to business basics.

Finally… if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review, it helps more than you know. Now let’s get stuck in!

Chapters:

[1:02] Throwback to the P&G days

[3:58] Why SURI exists 

[7:19] Their first customer service lesson

[8:24] The key to SURI’s scale: biz basics

[14:55] The power of keeping things simple

[20:26] Having a complimentary Co-Founder

[22:48] Dealing with founder stress

[31:00] The equation for building teams

[38:30] Having a hustle mindset in startup world

[42:03] The edge to look for in top talent

[47:55] Staying on the sustainable path

Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-rushmore-b1240a19/

Explore SURI: https://www.trysuri.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/

“We are there for the people who don’t use Vinted…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that cuts through the BS to bring you unfiltered stories from start-up Founders of bold brands.

This week, your host Lottie chats to the Founder & CEO of Thrift+, Joe Metcalfe. 

Thrift+ journey began back in 2017 with one aim: to solve fashion resale, at scale. To date, the second hand market place has sold over 1 million items on their journey to ending fashion waste and are the biggest seller of second hand clothes on eBay.

As a brand, they have seen crazy growth, 80% in Q1 this year alone, but it has not come without its challenges…

Tune in to discover Lottie & Joe discuss the role that marketing plays (or lack of!) in this growing category, the real truth behind charity shops and the power of partnerships in brand evolution.

Finally, if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review, it helps more than you know. Now let’s get stuck in!

Chapters:

[01:28] Vinted & reframing the target audience

[06:18] The power of partnering with eBay

[10:30] Are charity shops brainwashing us?

[17:35] The effect of AI on fashion marketplaces

[20:16] Not relying on marketing to grow

[25:48] Focusing on a smaller community

[34:13] Aiming for ASOS success in the second hand world

[38:54] The draining reality of raising money

[46:05] Startup Founder lessons, 7 years in

[49:18] A reminder to speak to others on the same path

Connect with Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-metcalfe/ 

Explore Thrift+: https://thrift.plus/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/ 

“Ice baths make me feel like I’ve done a line of cocaine…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that cuts through the BS to bring you unfiltered stories from start-up Founders of bold brands.

This week, your host Lottie chats to the Founder & CEO of MyoMaster, Lottie Whyte.

MyoMaster was created with one goal: to revolutionize recovery and it's all based on one radical idea that recovery has the power to transform performance. Developed by Lottie and her ex-pro rugby player husband, Joe, on their kitchen table… to the grilling arena that is BBC’s Dragon Den, the brand has been on quite the start-up journey!

The MyoMaster range has now been embraced by over 10,000 athletes chasing their dreams, from elite athletes to everyday people doing extraordinary things, and has grown to an impressive 7 figure run rate in just three years.

Tune in to discover the two Lottie’s chat about rejecting society's expectations and motherhood, the power of focusing on one thing and that infamous pitch in the den…

Finally, if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review, it helps more than you know. Now let’s get stuck in!

Chapters:

[1:15] Why you need an ice bath

[5:36] Why f****** up is sometimes necessary

[9:48] How one mentor changed everything

[14:19] Are you cut out for Dragon’s Den?

[19:32] Returning to work after 2 weeks of mat leave

[24:16] MyoMaster at the kitchen table: Startup lessons

[28:49] A deep dive into the marketing structure

[33:55] Why you shouldn’t focus on your competitors 

[36:30] The power of focusing on one thing

[40:50] A Founders reality of fundraising

[42:10] Freedom > Growth

[45:09] Belief is infectious

Connect with Lottie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-whyte-07205918/ 

Explore Myo Master: https://myomaster.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/ Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/ 

“I would definitely err on the side of removing roles over marketing spend…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that hears from top marketers and Founders about what it takes to survive and thrive in startup life.

This week, Lottie chats to Freddie Blackett, Founder of Patch Plants. 

Since 2016, Patch Plants have been changing the way people think about buying plants. They were the first online plant shop and have delivered over 2 million plants to 500k happy customers! Freddie recently made his last green thumbed delivery, as he stepped away from the day-to-day of the brand, and he shares his reflections on his poignant time.

Tune in to discover Freddie and Lottie chat about building a community of plant lovers, the catalyst of local flyering to solve a problem, why content really is king, when budget is allocated AND the importance of taking time off as a Founder. So much to unpack.

AND if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review! It helps more than you know. 

Chapters:

[01:21] The early customers and that first sale

[5:00] Creating thread.com for gardeners

[11:52] How Patch drove and marketed category growth 

[21:16] The power of branding traditional sectors: Liquid Death case study

[27:23] Mental Vs physical availability of a brand

[32:20] The difficult experience of the acquisition process 

[36:45] The importance of taking a proper break as a Founder

[40:35] Removing roles Vs marketing spend

[46:33] The growing hole in the marketing mix

[50:03] Fancy coaching from Freddie?

Connect with Freddie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddieblackett/ 
Explore Patch Plants: https://www.patchplants.com/gb/en/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/

“I think purpose is exaggerated, you can also just love what you do.”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that hears from top marketers and Founders about what it takes to survive and thrive in startup life.

This week, Lottie chats to Huib van Bockel, Founder of TENZING. He was also head of marketing for Red Bull, so he knows a thing or two about making big moves in the energy drink world.

The TENZING story begins back in 2016, when they set out on a journey to change the energy drinks game for good…. They were tired of traditional energy drinks filled with artificial ingredients and loads of sugar.

SO, fast forward to today and TENZING has created a plant-based, low calorie, totally natural energy drink. They are number 1 in the natural energy category and you have no doubt seen them on the shelves of most retailers. Big moves in just 8 years!

Tune in to discover Huib and Lottie chat about why finding your why is bullshit, the power of community marketing and what’s the no hierarchy principle all about? Plus, hear all about his journey from Red Bull to Founder life.

AND if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review! It helps more than you know. 

Chapters:

[1:11] Why starting with your ‘why’ is bullshit 

[6:07] A dive into the Red Bull marketing hype 

[11:05] Look for your gap, not the gap in the market 

[16:25] How TENZING does marketing 

[26:21] Familiarity means everyone is a marketer

[30:02] Going big for your first OOH campaign

[33:24] Leading a 200 team to becoming a Founder

[41:55] Can you build a big biz and still be nice?

[45:55] A peek into the ‘no hierarchy’ principle 

[53:45] Timeless advice from Huib’s Grandfather

Connect with Huib: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huib-van-bockel-8454834/ 
Explore TENZING: https://tenzingnaturalenergy.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/

“In a world with Meta, we've all lost the art of brand building…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that hears from top marketers and Founders about what it takes to survive and thrive in startup life.

This week, Lottie chats to Matthew Herbert, Co-Founder of Tracksuit. Very much a startup, they’re on a big mission to make always-on brand tracking beautiful, accessible and affordable.

They have created a simple solution for marketers to track brand health, demonstrate return on marketing spend and answer the age old question, "Is what we're doing working?"

A brand born in New Zealand just 3 years ago, they’re now starting to make waves over in the UK. They raised a whopping  £10.7m earlier this year and currently work with brands such as Bondi Sands, All Good and English National Ballet to name a few!

Tune in to discover Matt chat about the shift from performance-heavy marketing to a balanced approach moving into the old school emotional brand building, whilst simultaneously measuring your brand, and most importantly, posing the question “how well is your brand actually known?” 

Have you ever wondered about the correlation between awareness and sales? Then strap in.

AND if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review! It helps more than you know. 

Chapters:

[1:26] What is Tracksuit all about? 

[4:40] The return of old school marketing

[9:45] Measuring traditional marketing

[15:39] When should you start tracking your brand? 

[16:28] Oat milk case study: battle of the brands 

[19:53] Tracksuit ad - discover the setup

[22:21] Taking brand tracking data into supermarkets

[30:40] How does awareness correlate to sales 

[33:20] Building a brand where art and science collide 

[35:55] Making data simple and effective 

[37:33] Solving the affordability problem for startups  

[40:06] Interested in tracking your brand? Listen up!

Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbertmattj/ 
Explore Tracksuit: https://www.gotracksuit.com/uk

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/

“For me, incremental change is boring. It’s what you need, but it doesn’t inspire me.”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that hears from top marketers and Founders about what it takes to survive startup life.

This week, Lottie chats to Camilla Barnard, Co-Founder of Rude Health, a brand who are shaking up the dairy free alternative world.

They’re a B-corp, have secured 23 great taste awards and are sold in 45 countries worldwide. They are a big deal.

You’ll have seen their much-loved dairy free milks on the chilled aisles of supermarkets, but Rude Health actually began 18 years ago, with a much smaller product range. 

They survived the 2008 economic crash, our most recent recession and became trailblazers in dairy-free alternatives along the way.

Tune in to discover the power of top ingredients, a deep dive into the evolution of a health brand and the raw realities of Founder life.

...AND if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review! It helps more than you know. 

Chapters:

[2:19] How puffed rice propelled the brand

[5:01] Surviving the 2008 recession

[7:20] Handling Founders and their big ideas 

[11:21] How Rude Health has evolved over 18 years

[16:32] The power of giving food a personality 

[21:17] Knowing when it’s time to grow up

[25:00] Being emotionally invested in your team

[30:37] Navigating shifts as a Founder

[32:51] Creating game-changing packaging

[36:56] Help Rude Health sell their Roasted Almond Milk! 

Connect with Camilla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-barnard-31b6999/ 
Explore Rude Health: https://rudehealth.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/

"Our greatest asset in marketing is our happy customers…"

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that breaks through the faff and hears from top marketers and Founders about what it takes to survive startup life.

This week, Lottie chats to Ben Parker, Co-Founder and Head Coach of Runna, the #1 rated running app in the world!

Runna’s journey began back in 2021 and whether you’re doing a couch to 5K or training for a marathon, their tailored training plans, world-class coaching and in-app community helps you to achieve those goals…

Tune in to discover the power of a great product, the misery of fundraising, the sacrifices of being a Founder and the simple (but not easy) formula for startup success. 

It’s time to dust those daps off… PLUS use code: MARKETINGHUSTLE to get 2 weeks free on the app!

AND if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review! It helps more than you know. 

Chapters:

[00:30] Bridging the gap: From beginner to advanced runners

[05:11] Challenges & growth of Runna

[06:57] The importance of product development & customer satisfaction

[08:48] Harnessing the power of word of mouth marketing

[16:12] The challenges of raising investment

[24:20] Running a Startup: Challenges & rewards

[25:42] Continuous learning & self-improvement

[26:41] Taking risks & learning from mistakes

[28:21] Creating a positive company culture

[35:16] Managing finances as the company grows

[43:43] The power of feedback for product improvement

Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-parker-840459217/ 

Explore Runna: https://www.runna.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/

“Founder life is really hard, but I would not change it for the world…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that breaks through the faff and hears from top marketers and Founders about what it takes to survive startup life.

Did you know the deodorant industry produces over 15 million pounds of plastic waste each year? That’s enough to fill over 200 Boeing 747s.

This week, we sweat the small stuff (you love the puns, we know it!) with Matt Kennedy, CEO & Founder of Fussy, the sustainable deodorant moving the needle on plastic waste.

You may recognise the brand from Dragon’s Den, a product created to protect your pits AND the planet. Fussy is the UK's highest rated refillable natural deodorant with plastic-free refills and clean effective ingredients.

It was born in 2020 after Matt’s pregnant wife struggled to find a sustainable and safe solution to staying fresh… and to date they have sold a whopping couple million refills. 

It’s safe to say, as with all startup journeys, there've been some brilliant highs, painful lows and a whole lot of ‘who knows?!’… including becoming an armpit sponsor! 

Tune in to discover performance Vs brand marketing, the deep realities of balancing parenthood with Founder life, and how being dyslexic and having a range of jobs led him to where he is today.

It’s time to dish the dirt…

AND if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review! It helps more than you know. 

Chapters:

[01:56] From DJ to Founder: Creative career insights

[06:46] How pregnancy highlighted a product opportunity 

[10:22] Using D2C as a route to market

[11:02] Taking the personal out of performance marketing

[14:42] Being a master of being a ‘jack of all trades’

[19:30] Founder resilience: on the brink of failure

[21:37] Becoming ‘The official armpit sponsor’ of footballers

[28:43] Nurturing and testing with TikTok 

[36:19] Marketing + ops = Growth

[42:29] Stop overcomplicating your marketing 

[44:20] Being aware (not obsessed) with competitors 

[51:53] The struggles of surviving Founder life

[59:26] Becoming a new dad post - Dragon’s Den 

[62:46] Female founders raising: how male Founders can help

Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkennedy1986/ 
Explore Fussy: https://www.getfussy.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/ Discover Up World: https://up-world.co/