The Scale Up Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with John Clarke, founder of John Clarke Sports Nutrition. John shares his life before entering the world of supplements and sports nutrition, and how hitting rock bottom ultimately pushed him to new entrepreneurial heights.

We dive into the importance of authenticity in the supplements industry, the role of controversial advertising, and how John’s recent ADHD diagnosis helped him better understand his strengths… and use them to his advantage.

After a short break, we’re back with another episode of The Scale Up Podcast!

To kick off this new batch of episodes, J&J’s Simon Wheeler sits down with Phil Rees, founder of Shipmax, who delves into his long and storied career in the logistics industry while offering extremely topical advice to eCommerce brands around cross-border shipping, growing overseas, how brands should be utilising AI in business, and much, much more.

If you're keen to break into new markets and have no idea where to start, this one's for you.

We catch up with the Founder of TikTok-vial brand Hair Syrup to discuss her growth journey and the truth behind her controversial Dragon's Den appearance.

In this episode, we sit down with Tom Holmes, the Founder of Tom’s Trunks—a loungewear brand known for its commitment to sustainability. Tom started the business at just 14 years old and has since grown it into a multi-million-pound eCommerce brand.
We explore Tom’s journey from teenage side hustle to full-time founder, diving into the realities of building a brand from the ground up. He shares insights on balancing time, navigating sustainability, creating brand loyalty, and surrounding yourself with the right people—valuable lessons for any entrepreneur.

Once upon a time, J&J Global Fulfilment was known as James and James—a name inspired by its founders, James Hyde and James Strachan. In this episode of The Scale Up Podcast, Simon Wheeler sits down with them to delve into the full journey of J&J.

From their days at Cambridge University to pivoting from software to fulfilment, they share how they built the business from the ground up—starting in makeshift offices in the men’s toilets! - to securing investment and scaling into a global company. They also open up about the tough decisions that led them to step back from the business.

Beyond the highs and lows of scaling a company, the James and James reflect on what it was like to go into business as close friends and the challenges of managing both friendship and fast growth.

We sit down with Julian Kynaston, a visionary entrepreneur known for shaping iconic brands. From an unconventional past rooted in football hooliganism, Julian went on to build Illamasqua, GHD, and his award-winning branding agency, Propaganda.

In this episode, Julian shares his story and offers powerful insights into why businesses don’t need to burn cash on marketing—instead, they should focus on building a brand that stands for something.

His rule? Never settle for being liked. Be loved, or be hated.

0:00 Introduction

0:49 Family & Background

4:55 Life on the Football Terraces

16:00 Building a Branding Agency

47:25 Disrupting the Beauty Industry

1:17:20 Supporting Women with Menopause Symptoms

1:28:18 Wrap Up