Wynter Karo quit her corporate grad scheme at Sky at 24, called her co-founder Alice, and asked a question nobody had answered yet: why hasn't anyone made a pre-batched spicy margarita?

Two months later, Pimentae was on Companies House.

Wynter gets into the full story, from product development during lockdown, nearly losing their first Waitrose listing to a blending disaster worth £25k, outselling Patrón at Taste London, landing Diageo's Distl Ventures backing, and building a festival activation model that now makes up 25% of their total revenue.

Chapters:

00:00 Wynter's Background & The Corporate Grind

02:47 How Pimentae Was Born on a Balcony

05:42 Why University Didn't Prepare Her For This

07:07 Why Alice Was the Right Co-Founder

10:18 Early Product Development & The MVP

14:47 Going Full-Time & Week One

18:26 When People Started Having Opinions

22:27 The Operational Reality Nobody Warns You About

25:20 What She'd Do Differently

27:06 The Co-Founder Relationship

29:32 The Waitrose Blending Disaster

35:49 Why Festivals Changed Everything

38:23 How They Made Festivals Profitable

41:04 The First Festival — £10k, An Amex & A Prayer

43:28 Distl Ventures & The Diageo Pitch

47:17 Pitching 20 Diageo Execs at 25 Years Old

51:30 The Entrepreneur's Curse

54:24 Celebrating Wins (Or Not)

56:01 Raising £580k & What It Unlocked

58:48 Making Their First Hires

01:03:21 Developing a Leadership Style

01:06:14 How She Thinks About Competition

01:08:37 What's Driving Pimentae's Growth

01:11:39 What the Future Looks Like

01:13:49 What It Actually Takes

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linkedin.com/in/wynter-karo-01076010b

https://www.pimentaedrinks.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorqg1QOx_fgL7dqQVzlxLqxrMWIol-0Drjr0EKhA6aqes1jDnx5

Kirk Haworth has been through every challenge the hospitality industry can throw at someone.

From training in some of the world’s best kitchens, to having his career completely stopped by chronic illness, to rebuilding everything from the ground up.

We go into the realities of kitchen culture, the physical toll of the industry, and the moments that force you to rethink everything.

You'll learn about standards, pressure, and what it really means to start again when you’ve already put years into something.

Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35Follow

Kirk:https://www.instagram.com/kirk_haworth/

Justin Lunny is the Founder & CEO of Everrati, a company redefining iconic cars into high-performance electric vehicles.

In this episode of What It Takes, Justin breaks down how he went from fintech entrepreneur to building one of the most unique automotive businesses in the world, restoring classic cars into EVs for clients including tech billionaires, Hollywood figures, and collectors.

Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35Follow Justin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinlunny/

Justin Lunny is the Founder & CEO of Everrati, a company redefining iconic cars into high-performance electric vehicles.

In this episode of What It Takes, Justin breaks down how he went from fintech entrepreneur to building one of the most unique automotive businesses in the world, restoring classic cars into EVs for clients including tech billionaires, Hollywood figures, and collectors.

We cover:

- Why Everrati turned down certain clients (and cars)

- How they built a global brand with zero marketing

- The reality of building cars with 5.2 billion data points

- Why EV adoption has been misunderstood

- And how they’ve built $500M+ in B2B opportunity without trying

Chapters

0:00 – 30-year career before Everrati

3:40 – Selling his first business

5:04 – Finding the right business partner

6:33 – The idea: iconic cars turned electric

7:28 – The moment that sparked it

9:59 – What starting actually looked like

11:10 – Hiring top engineers with just a vision

14:21 – 2 years to build the first car

15:50 – The funding reality

18:36 – First prototype & early momentum

20:08 – The PR moment that changed everything

21:20 – Who actually buys these cars

32:30 – The reason behind turning customers down

41:02 – Selling a lifestyle, not just a car

52:05 – $500M pipeline with zero marketing

56:40 – Inside a custom EV build

1:06:05 – What people get wrong about EVs

1:12:08 – Why some car brands won’t survive

1:22:19 – What it really takes to build a brand

Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/

Follow Justin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinlunny/

Kirk Haworth has been through every challenge the hospitality industry can throw at someone.

From training in some of the world’s best kitchens, to having his career completely stopped by chronic illness, to rebuilding everything from the ground up.In this episode, Kirk shares what it actually takes to operate at the highest level in hospitality and what happens when that level comes at a cost.

We go into the realities of kitchen culture, the physical toll of the industry, and the moments that force you to rethink everything. You'll learn about standards, pressure, and what it really means to start again when you’ve already put years into something.

Chapters:

00:00 Who is Kirk Haworth?

01:15 Early career in top kitchens

04:30 The reality of kitchen culture

07:10 Pressure, standards, and leadership in hospitality

10:45 When health started breaking down

14:20 Working through chronic pain and fatigue

18:05 The moment everything collapsed

21:30 Hitting rock bottom mentally

25:10 Rebuilding from zero

29:40 Rethinking food, health, and performance

33:15 Starting again with a new philosophy

37:20 Building Plates and a new kind of kitchen

41:50 The future of hospitality

Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/

Kirk:https://www.instagram.com/kirk_haworth/

Stuart Trevor is the founder of AllSaints and one of the most influential figures in British fashion. In this episode of What It Takes with Olly Fawcett, Stuart shares the extraordinary story behind building AllSaints into a global fashion brand, his early career designing for Reiss, and why he walked away from the company at its peak.

From growing up on a council estate in Dundee to dressing some of the biggest rock bands in the world, Stuart reveals the creative mindset that drove his success and how ADHD, risk-taking and instinct helped shape his career.

We also explore the realities of the fashion industry, the rise of fast fashion, and why Stuart is now building a new sustainable brand that produces no new clothes, using only upcycled garments.

This is a fascinating conversation about creativity, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and what it really takes to build a global brand.

00:00 Stuart Trevor Interview – Building AllSaints, Reiss & Sustainable Fashion

01:28 Growing Up in Dundee & First Fashion Experiments

05:28 David Bowie, Punk Culture & Early Style Inspiration

09:38 ADHD, School Struggles & Creative Thinking

13:54 Discovering Fashion College by Accident18:24 Learning Tailoring & Entering the Fashion Industry

21:48 Winning the Paul Smith Competition & Early Recognition

26:01 Getting His Break at Reiss

31:01 Designing Menswear at Reiss at Age 18

35:54 Why Stuart Trevor Left Reiss

39:47 Founding AllSaints & The Brand Name Story

45:10 The First AllSaints Collection in Paris

49:55 Building the AllSaints Retail Concept

53:55 Why AllSaints Became a Cult Fashion Brand

58:21 Dressing Rock Stars & Peak AllSaints Years

1:02:22 Why Stuart Trevor Left AllSaints in 2007

1:07:37 Building Bolongaro Trevor

1:12:56 How Fashion Changed in the 2010s

1:17:37 Fast Fashion, Waste & Industry Problems

1:23:04 Creating a Brand That Produces No New Clothes

1:27:54 Upcycling & The Future of Sustainable Fashion

1:31:53 Advice for Young Fashion Founders

1:34:37 What’s Next for Stuart Trevor

From Bollywood dance choreographer… to HSBC speechwriter… to one of the sharpest comics in the UK.Eshaan Akbar breaks down what stand-up actually teaches you: reading rooms, earning trust, surviving bad gigs, and why “bombing” is often an audience warm-up problem (his words… 😅).If you’ve ever felt like you’re starting late, pivoting careers, or trying to build confidence in rooms that weren’t made for you, this one lands.Chapters 00:00 Who is Eshaan Akbar?01:20 The pre-comedy life04:26 Why comedy started (a course, not a dream)05:51 Family, immigrant pressure, and dad’s support08:16 First open mic, March 201409:13 Mum’s sudden death + comedy becoming a lifeline14:27 Therapy 10 years later + what finally made him face it19:19 The grind years: unpaid gigs, long drives, learning every room29:24 Kings Lynn: the gig that turned ugly 41:38 How he writes: no scripts, built on-stage + reading rooms46:19 Crowd work, social media, and comedy’s new era58:32 Opening for Mickey Flanagan + the O2 arena realityFollow Eshaan: https://www.instagram.com/eshaanakbar/Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35

In this episode of What It Takes, we sit down with magician, TV presenter, and content creator Ben Hanlin to explore the magic behind creativity.

From his journey breaking into the entertainment industry to starring in Tricked and captivating audiences worldwide, Ben shares the highs, the challenges, and the secrets that have fuelled his success.

He also reveals practical tricks for unlocking creativity—whether you're a performer, entrepreneur, or just looking to bring more originality into your work. Follow Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hanlin-66508b142/ https://www.instagram.com/benhanlin/https://www.tiktok.com/@benhanlin?lang=en Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35

In this episode of What It Takes, we sit down with Raissa de Haas, the dynamic co-founder of Double Dutch Drinks, a brand that's taken the beverage industry by storm with its premium mixers.

Raissa shares the incredible journey of how she and her twin sister, Joyce, started their business from scratch, turning a passion for craft cocktails into an award-winning drinks company.

Raissa opens up about the challenges they faced as young entrepreneurs in a competitive market, from securing initial funding to scaling production while maintaining quality. She reveals the key moments that shaped their success, including building relationships with top-tier bartenders and creating a distinctive brand identity in a crowded space.

Raissa also delves into what it truly takes to run a thriving drinks brand. From leading with innovation to staying resilient in the face of setbacks, she shares her top strategies for scaling sustainably, fostering a strong company culture, and continuing to push boundaries in the drinks industry.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or curious about the secrets behind building a globally recognised brand, this episode is filled with actionable insights on what it takes to succeed.

Follow Raissa:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raissa-de-haas-02740a61/ https://www.instagram.com/doubledutchdrinks/?hl=en

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Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35

Williams F1 is a team full of history and success. They have also had their own struggles in their time as a business and as a Formula 1 team.