Virgin StartUp Changemakers

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene sits down with Paynter Jacket Co. founders Becky and Huw Thomas to explore how deliberately making less can help you build a stronger, more sustainable fashion brand.

From documenting their first jacket on Instagram to creating limited made-to-order batches that sell out in minutes, Becky and Huw share how transparency, community and an obsessive focus on quality shaped Paynter. They explore building in public, pricing, manufacturing, dealing with copycats and why they have resisted the pressure to pursue endless growth, even as demand has increased.

Whether you're building a fashion startup, developing a physical product or questioning the assumption that every successful business needs to scale as quickly as possible, this episode offers a different perspective on growth, customer loyalty and creating products designed to last.

In this episode:

• Building an audience before you have a finished product
• How customer input helped shape Paynter's first jackets
• Why Paynter chose limited, made-to-order production
• Creating scarcity without manufacturing marketing hype
• Turning transparency into customer trust and loyalty
• Building a premium brand without a big advertising budget
• Responding when other businesses copy your ideas
• Why growth does not always mean making and selling more
• Challenging fast fashion through quality, longevity and less waste

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene is joined by the founders behind Flexa, Unplugged and BetterSpace to explore how you build a strong team and company culture as your startup grows.

From flexible working and founder wellbeing to psychological safety, transparency and hiring the right people, the panel explores what workplace culture actually looks like in practice. They share lessons from cultures that worked and those that didn't, discuss how founders can lead by example, and consider how much responsibility businesses should take for helping their teams work in ways that suit them.

Whether you're making your first hire, scaling a growing team or rethinking how your company works, this episode offers practical perspectives on creating a culture where people can do great work without sacrificing trust, flexibility or wellbeing.

Featuring:

• Molly Johnson-Jones, co-founder of Flexa
• Hector Hughes, co-founder of Unplugged
• Jim Woods, co-founder of BetterSpace

In this episode:

• Building company culture intentionally from your first hires
• Why psychological safety matters in growing teams
• Hiring for values, humility and attitude as well as skills
• Flexible working and why different people work best in different ways
• How much transparency founders should share with their teams
• Supporting employee wellbeing without turning it into a workplace perk
• What founders can learn when company culture goes wrong
• Knowing when to hire slowly and when to act quickly if someone isn't the right fit

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene sits down with Pip & Nut founder Pip Murray to explore how a kitchen experiment became one of the UK’s most recognisable food brands.

From making her first nut butters at home and testing them at market stalls to crowdfunding, finding a manufacturer and winning supermarket listings, Pip shares the decisions that helped turn an early idea into a national brand. She also explores building a distinctive identity, managing cash flow, hiring the right people and why founders need to think carefully about scaling before chasing bigger distribution.

Whether you're developing a food or drink product, building a consumer brand or trying to take your startup into retail, this episode offers practical lessons on testing demand, building a brand people remember and growing without getting ahead of yourself.

In this episode:

• Finding a gap in a crowded food and drink market
• Testing your product with real customers before scaling
• Finding a manufacturer when you're an early-stage startup
• Crowdfunding and raising the money to launch
• Why distinctive branding matters from day one
• Getting into supermarkets and building distribution strategically
• Managing cash flow and the hidden costs of scaling a food brand
• Building a team and culture that can grow with the business
• Balancing commercial growth with sustainability and positive impact

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene is joined by the founders behind The Uncommon, LIHA Beauty and Untapped Digital to explore how startups can make social media work without being overwhelmed by every new platform, trend and algorithm.

From building an audience organically and finding the right influencers to experimenting with TikTok, creating video and knowing when paid advertising is actually worth it, the panel shares what they've learned from building brands and communities online. They also explore why understanding your audience matters more than chasing followers, and how founders can create a realistic social media strategy with limited time and budget.

Whether you're starting from zero, struggling to grow engagement or wondering where to focus your limited marketing resources, this episode offers practical advice for using social media to build awareness, community and ultimately your business.

Featuring:

• Henry Connell, co-founder of The Uncommon
• Abi Oyepitan, co-founder of LIHA Beauty
• Corrie Jones, founder of Untapped Digital

In this episode:

• Building a social media strategy around business goals, not trends
• Choosing the right platforms for your customers
• Growing an audience without a huge advertising budget
• Working with influencers authentically and effectively
• Why video and short-form content can help startups reach new audiences
• Turning social media attention into customers and retail opportunities
• Knowing which social media metrics actually matter
• Creating content consistently without letting social media take over your business

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're bringing you the final episode of our exclusive series, The Jump, available wherever you get your podcasts.

The final episode of Series 1! Meet Cemal Ezel, the inspirational founder of Change Please, who went from City trader to changing the lives of homeless people one cup of coffee at a time. In this episode we find out what inspired Cemal to create change, and how he ended up sat next to George and Amal Clooney on Necker Island, being mentored by one Richard Branson.

See virginstartup.org for more.

We're bringing you this podcast in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

The Jump is produced by Goldfish Studio.

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We interrupt your MeetUps so bring you an exciting new series from Virgin StartUp and give you exclusive access to the first episode. *click here to subscribe to the new feed to hear the rest of the series*

Launching a travel startup just before Covid hits. Being inspired by your daughter to launch a business which ends up landing Beyonce as a client. Going from a kitchen table blog to a multimillion pound business.

These are just some of the stories we've uncovered in our new startup podcast series; The Jump, hosted by Ben Keene.

Shedding light on inspiring tales from the world of startups in the UK, The Jump gets unrivalled access to founders to hear the stories behind the brands.

See virginstartup.org for more.

We're bringing you this podcast in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene is joined by the founders behind Meander Apparel, Leo’s Box and Box & Sprout to explore how you turn an early idea into a business with customers, purpose and room to grow.

From crowdfunding a first product and bootstrapping from a bedroom to testing ideas door-to-door, the founders share how they got started with limited resources. They explore funding, pricing, digital marketing, building a community and working with co-founders, alongside why having a bigger purpose can help keep you moving when startup life gets difficult.

Whether you have an idea you haven't acted on yet, are testing your first product or are working out how to fund and grow an early-stage startup, this episode offers practical lessons from three founders building their businesses one step at a time.

Featuring:

• Jill Henry, co-founder of Meander Apparel
• Lysander Bickham, co-founder of Leo’s Box
• Rob Ford, co-founder of Box & Sprout

In this episode:

• Turning an initial idea into a product people will pay for
• Testing demand before investing heavily in your business
• Bootstrapping, Start Up Loans, crowdfunding and raising investment
• Finding the right pricing strategy for your product
• Building a community before pushing for the sale
• What works and doesn't work when marketing a startup online
• Building a healthy relationship with your co-founder
• Why purpose can keep founders moving through the difficult days

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene sits down with Heights founder and Secret Leaders host Dan Murray-Serter to explore the relationship between founder wellbeing, failure and building a better business.

Dan shares how his own experiences of insomnia and anxiety led him towards brain health and eventually to Heights, but this conversation goes much further than one startup story. From closing a previous venture after raising millions to deliberately rebuilding around stronger values, he reflects on startup culture, fundraising, product development, mental health and the difficult decisions founders have to make as they grow.

Whether you're navigating the pressures of entrepreneurship, building a team or trying to create a healthier relationship with your business, this episode offers a candid perspective on learning from failure, looking after yourself and building with greater intention the next time around.

In this episode:

• How insomnia and anxiety helped inspire the idea for Heights
• What raising £5.5 million and closing a previous startup taught Dan
• Why company values matter most when things get difficult
• Building an audience before you've finished building the product
• Knowing when venture capital is right for your business
• Why founders need to stop having all the answers
• The role of nutrition, gratitude and movement in founder wellbeing
• Building in public and being honest when growth gets difficult

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene is joined by leaders from Virgin, the Better Business Act, Bethnal Green Ventures and the Institute of Belonging to explore how founders can build businesses where purpose and profit work together.

From embedding impact into your business model to attracting talent, securing investment and partnering with larger organisations, the conversation looks at what building a better business means in practice. The panel also explores B Corp, the Better Business Act, impact investing and why startups have an opportunity to tackle some of society's biggest social and environmental challenges.

Whether you're starting a purpose-led business, working out how to measure your impact or looking to make an existing company more responsible, this episode offers practical ideas for building positive impact into the foundations of your business.

Featuring:

• Holly Branson, Chief Purpose and Vision Officer at Virgin
• Chris Turner, B Corp leader and campaigner for the Better Business Act
• Dama Sathianathan, Partner at Bethnal Green Ventures
• Victoria Stoyanova, founder of the Institute of Belonging

In this episode:

• Why purpose and profit do not have to compete
• Building positive impact into your business from the beginning
• What B Corp can teach founders about better business
• How the Better Business Act aims to change the role of UK companies
• Finding funding for purpose-led and impact startups
• Building partnerships with larger organisations
• Why purpose can help attract talent, customers and investment
• Turning social and environmental problems into opportunities for innovation

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene is joined by innovators from Petit Pli, Bendi and Arkdefo to explore how founders can challenge fashion’s culture of waste and build sustainability into a business from the start.

From clothes that grow with children and unwanted denim given a second life to technology helping brands understand their supply chains, the conversation explores sustainability through design, data and new business models. The panel discusses made-to-order fashion, materials, packaging, transparency and the challenge of changing consumer behaviour without losing sight of commercial realities.

Whether you're building a fashion brand, developing a physical product or trying to make your supply chain more sustainable, this episode offers practical perspectives on creating products designed to last and using startup innovation to challenge established ways of doing business.

Featuring:

• Arabella Turek, COO of Petit Pli
• Mandeep Soor, co-founder of Bendi
• Andrew and Elizaveta Bennett, founders of Arkdefo

In this episode:

• Designing products to last rather than be replaced
• Turning waste materials into new products
• The realities of building a made-to-order fashion business
• Understanding sustainability across complex supply chains
• Making packaging more sustainable and useful
• Why transparency and product storytelling can change customer behaviour
• How startups can tackle problems established businesses struggle to solve
• Balancing sustainability, affordability and commercial growth

Changemakers is brought to you by Virgin StartUp, the not-for-profit organisation helping founders start and scale the businesses they're passionate about.

Recorded live at Virgin StartUp's Changemakers events, every episode features honest conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders sharing the lessons, challenges and ideas shaping the future of business.

Looking to start or grow your own business?

Find out more at virginstartup.org

Brought to you in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.