The Unfounders

"Take yourself around the counter - if you have a problem or an issue, take that barrier out the way"

Today's episode is with David Morrin, the Commercial Director at Whole Foods Wholesale Ireland, shares his extensive experience in the health food industry.

He discusses the differences between the Irish and UK markets, the importance of building relationships with brands, and the evolving trends in health and wellness products across his 20 year career.

We discuss the need for empathy in customer service, and the value of storytelling in brand success.

David also provides valuable insights on how brands can effectively approach Whole Foods and navigate the complexities of the Irish market.

There is SO much richness in this - I really hope you enjoy it!

As always thanks to our fantastic sponsor Mission Kitchen!

If you're a chef, baker of food brand looking to grow, then head on over to book a tour at their site in Nine Elms, London today.

Check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

Chapters

00:00: Introduction to David Moran and Whole Foods Wholesale

01:45: David's Journey and Role at Whole Foods

04:40: Understanding the Irish Market for Brands

07:58: Trends in Health Products Over 20 Years

09:50: Sourcing Products and Customer Insights

11:29: Navigating Compliance and Market Trends

13:31: Impact of Brexit on Trade and Opportunities

15:20: The Importance of Customer Relationships

17:51: David's Career Path and Educational Background

23:49: Lessons from Hospitality Experience

24:34: Empathy in Business Relationships

26:22: Brand Evolution and Identity

28:25: Navigating Market Entry Strategies

30:49: Success Stories and Learning from Experience

34:45: Managing Expectations and Communication

38:57: Approaching Distributors Effectively

Ever wondered what it's like to build a fantastic workplace from the inside out? This week, we're diving deep with Sarah Fairbairn, the Head of People at MOTH Drinks, and she's spilling all the secrets!

Sarah shares her journey through various roles in HR, highlighting her experiences at Made.com, Moth Drinks and more.

She discusses the challenges faced during the administration of Made.com (missing out on maternity leave), the importance of employee engagement and retention strategies, and her insights from working in Dubai's SME landscape.

Sarah emphasises the significance of personal development and creating a supportive workplace culture, while also teasing exciting future developments at Moth Drinks including their latest delicious NPD!

This episode is full of tips on how to build a great workplace, and how to find a job you'll love.

If you're interested in how companies grow, or just want to hear an inspiring story, you'll love this!

As always thanks to our fantastic sponsor Mission Kitchen!

If you're a chef, baker of food brand looking to grow, then head on over to book a tour at their site in Nine Elms, London today.

Check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

00:00: Introduction to Sarah Fairbairn and Moth Drinks

02:57: The Importance of a Head of People in Startups

05:51: Recruitment Strategies and Company Culture

09:08: Knowing When to Hire: A Startup Perspective

12:10: Collaboration and Inclusivity in Business

15:03: Moth's Working Culture and Flexibility

18:03: The Role of HR in Modern Business

20:57: Sarah's Career Journey and Education

25:53: Navigating Career Transitions

28:30: Challenges in HR During Crisis

31:30: Learning from Experience

32:52: Working in Dubai's SME Landscape

34:57: Implementing Effective HR Processes

39:37: Retention Strategies and Employee Engagement

43:50: Future Plans and Exciting Developments

Today I speak to one of the most inspirational 26 year olds I have ever met!

Lewis Alexander Baxter is the COO of Kurogo, a personal branding agency, and we discuss the importance of building a personal brand no matter whether you're an entrepreneur, or an employee.

Lewis also opens up about his experiences with grief and mental health after losing his mother, emphasising the need for open conversations around these topics.

He's super passionate about getting more young people in charities having started one when he was 18.

He also shares insights from his TEDx talk (which he had to prepare for in 10 days) and why he encourages others to embrace their emotions while navigating their personal journeys.

We also touched on his future aspirations and new ventures in the functional drinks space with FUNC (watch this space).

This is a really open honest conversation and I am so grateful to Lewis for sharing so candidly.

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

Chapters

00:00: The Importance of Personal Branding

04:18: Building a Personal Brand: Strategies and Tips

06:52: The Role of Personal Branding in Career Advancement

09:51: Lewis's Journey and Involvement in Charities

12:37: The Impact of Mental Health on Career Choices

15:20: Youth Representation in Charities

19:18: Empowering Youth Through Charity Engagement

21:16: Navigating Grief and Mental Health

25:23: Balancing Education and Personal Challenges

29:36: The Impact of TEDx Talks on Mental Health Awareness

32:42: Finding Purpose in Helping Others

37:04: Advice for Those Struggling with Mental Health

40:41: Celebrating Achievements and Future Aspirations

Today's guest is Mike Spurr, the R&D lead at The Good Pulse Co. A company specialising in plant-based cheese made from split peas.

Mike shares his journey from nearly 20 years at PepsiCo to the startup world, discussing the challenges and innovations in food science

The conversation delves into the importance of communication, curiosity, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures in R&D

Mike emphasises the need for boldness in asking questions and the value of understanding consumer needs in product development and his anecdotes are brilliant.

I LOVED this one!

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Mike Spurr and The Good Pulse Co.

05:05 - Understanding P-Power Technology and Product Development

09:43 - Transition from Corporate to Startup: A Personal Journey

14:50 - Communication and Collaboration in Teams

17:25 - The Roots of Curiosity: From Childhood to Food Science

25:56 - Career Path: PepsiCo and Lessons Learned

31:12 - Investing in R&D for Better Products

36:29 - The Challenges of Big Corporations

42:45 - Learning from Tough Times

54:04 - People Development in Large Organizsations

57:40 -Advice for Aspiring R&D Professionals

Life's heavy enough... Your beer doesn't have to be!

Today's guest is Luke Chadwick - On Trade Manager at Local Beer

Local are on a mission to lighten up the beer industry with their award-winning, lower-calorie, floaty session pale ale

Luke made the move from banking to beer, stepping away from the corporate life at Santander and diving head first into the drink space.

He is SUPER passionate about the local pub community. From the landlords, the staff, the chefs, and of course the customers.

I loved digging into his journey as to where this passion stemmed from, his working journey and what made ultimately change direction to join the Local movement.

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

Dean Wilson Hartles is the Director of Food & Drink Concessions at The Restaurant Group (TRG) and has been there for 11 years now.

In this conversation I loved digging in to how Dean fell into the world of cheffing by accident as a teenager just over some inspiring conversations with the chefs on his break.

How he worked his way up in the industry in various kitchens, working under the incredible Mark Hix. To eventually earning a 2 AA Rosette during his first year as Head Chef.

We talked about how special his time was working in the world's oldest museum kitchen at the V&A Museum and cooking for David Bowie.

What it's like to operate within food & drink at an airport, where people expect their food to be on the table within just 15 minutes!

Plus how they like to work with suppliers, franchise partners and SO much more.

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

Today's guest is the wonderful ray of sunshine Lydia Granger - Content Marketing Manager at BOL Foods.

We are huge fans of the BOL range at home, from their soups and meal pots, to their new power shakes set to do big things in 2025.

Lydia went from studying art and language at University, into a few internships in design agencies.

From here she ended up in the world of FMCG and has been with BOL for nearly 4 years.

It was great to understand how her passions and skills turned into a career.

What her role as content marketing manager entails, and why she's all about building community.

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

Today's guest is a biggie! ⁠Tom Forsythe⁠ was one of the brilliant people behind Sainsbury's Future Brands program, a pioneering program designed to help challenger brands thrive in retail.

He's now back in the world of challenger brands as the Managing Director at ⁠Good & Proper Tea⁠ along with founder and wife ⁠Emilie Holmes⁠.

In this conversation we dig into:

- Tom's early career experience at PwC

- Why accelerators & incubators are so important for the industry

- Potential watch outs brands need to be aware of when joining these programs

- What it's like to be back the other side as a challenger now battling it out in the sector against some big competition

- What Good & Proper Tea do differently to stand out, from events, to positioning, to sourcing etc

And SO much more...

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing ⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠

Today's guest is Jorge Longman - National Account Controller at the gut-health superstars Bio & Me.

I met Jorge at a YF course for category management last year and I KNEW I had to get him on.

He's a man who know's his stuff, and this conversation is rich with insights and tangible lessons for anyone working in the world of retail.

We dive into:

His first sales role at American Tobacco after moving away from the idea of being a PE Teacher.

Moving on to The Big Prawn Company and the lessons along the way.

Joining Natural Balance foods (TREK & NAKD) and starting to thrive in a food & drink brand he truly believed in.

The experience of working through a major acquisition by Lotus bakeries and the changes that caused.

And why Bio & Me is such an exciting brand to be a part of.

Plus SO much more.

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing Unfounders Song Selection playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠Uppbeat

Rosie Long is an FMCG superstar, with incredible experience in brands like Tea Pigs, Indie Bay and more.

She's now the Managing Director at Blue Turaco Coffee - But what makes their coffee so special? Well POWERFUL COFFEE = POWERFUL IMPACT

Blue Turaco is the first coffee brand in the UK that is owned by an African farmer - Wycliffe Sande.

We discuss his story of being a farmer & founder and why they're on a mission to champion robusta coffee.

How they support direct trade with small hold farmers in Uganda and why this level of transparency is the backbone to what they represent.

What’s it like having a founder out of the country for a third of the year?

Various lessons Rosie learnt from her time in the industry.

And so so much more!

As always, thanks for tuning in and let me know what you thought of this episode ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ or in the comments below!

Also, check out the ever growing Unfounders Song Selection playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Intro Jingle Credits to All Good Folks - Free Flowin' from ⁠Uppbeat