エピソード

  • Here We Flo | Building a £10M Period Care Challenger Brand

    Here We Flo | Building a £10M Period Care Challenger Brand
    2026/07/07
    Tampons in an Ice Cream TubIn this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I’m joined by Tara Chandra and Susan Allen, co-founders of Here We Flo, the organic, sustainable period care brand turning one of the most shame-coded categories in consumer brands into something loud, funny, feminist and brilliantly visible on shelf. We talk about how two friends from LSE spotted a gap in women’s intimate products, started with a period care idea in a Hackney flatshare, and built a challenger brand now stocked across major retailers including Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Superdrug and Holland & Barrett.Here We Flo shows us the power of brand strategy to create value when the category ITSELF is broken. Tara and Susan didn’t just create organic cotton tampons, pads and liners; they questioned why period care was hidden, clinical and functional when other parts of consumer life had already moved towards better materials, better design and better conversations. We cover packaging as a growth lever, why their ice cream tub became a “trolley magnet”, how they think about rate of sale rather than just chasing distribution, and why their mission now stretches across cycle care, bladder care and sexual wellness.What You’ll Learn Why Here We Flo used packaging as their first “billboard” before they could afford media. How starting in independent Hackney stores helped them build product market fit. Why brand tone of voice matters so much in categories shaped by shame and stigma. How they think about growing rate of sale with existing retail partners. Why product reliability is non-negotiable in period care and bladder care. Key Topics Discussed Building a feminist challenger brand Organic and sustainable period care Packaging as a shelf strategy Launching in independent retailers Breaking into WHSmith Travel, Boots and Tesco Making taboo categories emotionally accessible Period care, bladder care and sexual wellness Growing through rate of sale, not just distribution Education on shelf and in-store communication Sports partnerships, stigma and period confidence Building a team of 31 women Scaling towards 50–100% growth ambitions Like this episode? PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves brilliant non-alcoholic drinks, or anyone trying to work out how to build a sharper, more focused growth model.Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.Join our community Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brandgrowthheroes) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-growth-heroes/?viewAsMember=true) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@brandgrowthheroes)Find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs here (https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026)AND Do you want to lean in to unlock value from AI? We have a whatsapp group -the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours. Do you want to join? *** A massive thanks thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm ***If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!Joelson is offering a FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION to all BGH listeners (mailto:hello@joelsonlaw.com) - we highly recommend you take them up on it!CREDITSThanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com and all the rest of the Brand Growth Heroes team.
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    40 分
  • Why TrueStart Coffee Chooses Profitable Growth Over Scale | Founder Helena Hills

    Why TrueStart Coffee Chooses Profitable Growth Over Scale | Founder Helena Hills
    2026/06/23
    We don't often hear about Challenger brands that are PROFITABLE...So let's do it! *** Find out more about the NEW Brand Growth Heroes September Sprint 4 week programme just launched June 2026 - applications are open through June and July***In this fab interview, I chat with Helena Hills, co-founder of TrueStart Coffee, about how she and co-founder Simon have taken a once-niche healthy coffee idea and turned it into a fast-growing challenger brand now on a £12m revenue run rate, profitably. So for those of you who are wondering if it's possible, here's some BRILLIANT insights, advice and experience!What I loved about this conversation is Helena's clarity around this decision, her conviction. And that TrueStart didn’t suddenly appear from nowhere. It spent years doing the hard, unglamorous work: testing the proposition, building a community at sports events, learning where the brand had real pull, and being incredibly choosy about what to invest in before stepping into scale-up mode.We talk about the contradiction at the heart of their growth: this is a coffee brand that didn’t lead with coffee culture, but with energy.Helena explains why TrueStart tests for quality and purity markers (I honestly didn't know this was important), why caffeine consistency matters (nor this, but it makes complete sense to me now!), how COVID became a light-switch moment for the brand, and why their Series A fundraise with Jam Jar felt like a full-circle moment after first naming them as a dream investor back in 2015. For founders building consumer brands, this is a brilliant conversation about patience, timing, culture, focus and what it really means to scale without building on sand. What You’ll Learn Why TrueStart built its early community through sports and fitness events. How a niche proposition became more mainstream as health, ethics and quality became more important to consumers. Why profitable growth became a deliberate strategic choice. How Helena and Simon divide leadership between outward energy and internal process. Why timing matters in innovation, especially with the launch of Coffee Concentrate. Key Topics Discussed Series A investment from Jam Jar Building a profitable challenger brand Healthy coffee and caffeine consistency Word-of-mouth growth at events Moving from startup to scale-up Coffee Concentrate and iced coffee at home Founder energy, ADHD and complementary co-founder roles Culture, hiring and decision-making guardrails AI, process and avoiding founder bottlenecks Find out more about TrueStart Follow TrueStart on InstagramLike this episode? PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves brilliant non-alcoholic drinks, or anyone trying to work out how to build a sharper, more focused growth model.Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.Join the Brand Growth Heroes tribeInstagram (https://www.instagram.com/brandgrowthheroes) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-growth-heroes/?viewAsMember=true) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@brandgrowthheroes)Join the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.*** Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm ***If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!Joelson is offering a free legal consultation to all Brand Growth Heroes listeners - just send an email to hello@joelsonlaw.com - we highly recommend you take them up on it, they are honestly brilliant. CREDITSThanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com and to the entire BGH team.
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    38 分
  • AF Drinks | How to Scale a Non Alc Challenger Brand in the USA

    AF Drinks | How to Scale a Non Alc Challenger Brand in the USA
    2026/06/09
    Most challenger founders assume international expansion should happen in neat, logical steps. New Zealand → Australia → UK → US. But Lisa's view was different, and that's why it's so interesting: In fact, conventional FMCG wisdom tells us to prove your business in nearby markets first. But founder Lisa King of Free AF Drinks ignored that advice! After building a 40% share brand in New Zealand, Lisa decided to skip Australia entirely and went straight after the most competitive drinks market in the world...the USA!Why? --> If the ambition was always to build a globally valuable business, she asked herself why spend years proving the model somewhere that wasn't ultimately where the biggest opportunity sat?In this brilliant conversation with Kiwi female founder Lisa, you'll hear how today AF Drinks is stocked in more than 4,500 stores across the US, including Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger, and just HOW they're doing it. We discuss why she made they made the decision they did, how Pernod Ricard Ventures invested before the US launch, what it really takes to build a beverage brand in America, why alcohol-free RTD cocktails are outperforming expectations, and the lessons founders should understand before attempting to scale internationally.Lisa takes us through a masterclass in the realities of the beverage market in the United States; Why alcohol-free RTD cocktails are growing faster than many expected and finally, how she has approached fundraising, equity and scaling internationally!Key Topics Discussed Alcohol-free drinks category growth Building challenger brands internationally International expansion & export to USA Listings with Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger US grocery retail Walmart and Target listings Fundraising and investor strategy Pernod Ricard Ventures investment Beverage category economics Product innovation, IP & technology Ready-to-drink cocktails Scaling consumer brands globally Founder leadership Building brands from New Zealand USEFUL LINKSAF Drinks WebsiteAF Drinks InstagramLike this episode?PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves brilliant non-alcoholic drinks, or anyone trying to work out how to build a consumer packaged goods business.Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.Follow usInstagram (https://www.instagram.com/brandgrowthheroes)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-growth-heroes/?viewAsMember=true)Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@brandgrowthheroes)Find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs here (https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026)Join the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.*** Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm ***If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why I'm proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!Joelson is offering a FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION to all BGH listeners (mailto:hello@joelsonlaw.com) - I honestly recommend you take them up on it, they're brilliant.CREDITSThanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com
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    51 分
  • Mother Root's £16M Secret Growth Equation | Bethan Higson & Alice Gallsworthy

    Mother Root's £16M Secret Growth Equation | Bethan Higson & Alice Gallsworthy
    2026/05/26
    In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I’m joined by founder Bethan Higson and Alice Gallsworthy of Mother Root. Get this: Mother Root is already the UK’s number one non-alcoholic spirit brand in terms of revenue driven per product. Whoah.So what's the deal? This ginger-based non-alcoholic aperitif is different to most playing in food and beverage, as it only has one core SKU, but an incredibly powerful DTC growth engine. Even though it's the UK's No1 non-alc spirit, it still only has around 6–7% distribution - talk about headroom for growth!As you might imagine, Bethan and Alice are incredibly clear on the choices that created their growth. We talk about why they stopped trying to do everything, how they went all-in on DTC, how customer interviews and jobs-to-be-done thinking shaped their marketing, and why the product itself delivers something so many non-alcoholic drinks miss: flavour, ritual, heat, length and a real adult drinking moment. We also get into team building, finding the right second-in-command, launching into the US, and why operations has to scale at the same rate as marketing if you don’t want the business to break.What You’ll Learn How Mother Root grew from around £1.5M to £15–16M run rate. Why focus on one channel helped build a repeatable and scalable growth model. How jobs-to-be-done customer interviews shaped Mother Root’s digital marketing. Why the non-alcoholic drinks consumer is not necessarily the Gen Z sober-curious stereotype. How Bethan and Alice think about hiring, operations, US expansion and scaling without breaking the business. Why AI is part of EVERY part of the working day at Mother RootKey Topics Discussed Mother Root’s growth from early-stage brand to £15–16M run rate Building a challenger brand with one core SKU The evening drink ritual and the role of non-alcoholic drinks Ginger, apple cider vinegar, slow burn and flavour architecture Choosing where to play and walking away from distracting channels Building a DTC growth engine Paid social, customer interviews and jobs-to-be-done insight Word of mouth and repeat purchase Nielsen performance and retail headroom Hiring a brilliant number two Scaling operations alongside marketing Launching Mother Root in the US Why the non-alcoholic category is not just about Gen Z Useful Linkshttps://motherroot.com/https://www.instagram.com/motherroot/Like this episode? PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves brilliant non-alcoholic drinks, or anyone trying to work out how to build a sharper, more focused growth model. Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.Join our community on Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube, and find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs, as well as the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.Follow Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.*****Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm *****If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!To learn more contact hello@joelsonlaw.com - in fact, Joelson is offering Brand Growth Heroes listeners a FREE Legal consultation - we highly recommend you take them up on this! CreditsThanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com and all the Brand Growth Heroes team.
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    36 分
  • World Leading US Brand Expert | Why We've Got 'Brand Community' All Wrong

    World Leading US Brand Expert | Why We've Got 'Brand Community' All Wrong
    2026/05/12

    In this episode, I’m joined by digital strategist Sara Wilson, who coined the term “digital campfires” in Harvard Business Review, to explore why community is becoming one of the most important growth channels for CPG challenger brands. Sara works with brands including Nike, Netflix, YouTube, Airstream, Yahoo, PopSockets and Prince Street Pizza, helping them understand how to show up inside the communities where influence, identity and belonging are really being shaped.

    This conversation completely EVOLVED how I think about social media and its role in driving brand growth - genuinely.

    We talk about why the most important conversations may no longer be happening publicly on Instagram or TikTok, but in DMs, WhatsApp groups, niche communities, gaming spaces, Substack, Reddit and beyond.

    Sara shares why brands need to stop thinking only about reach and followers, and start thinking much more deeply about identity, transformation and the communities their consumers already belong to.

    Watch the episode on Youtube here.

    What You’ll Learn

    • Why Sara believes the future of influence is happening inside “digital campfires”.
    • The three types of digital campfires: private messaging, micro-communities and shared experiences.
    • Why relevance matters more than reach if you want people to share your brand.
    • How brands like Poppi and McDonald’s have embedded themselves into communities.
    • Why founders need to understand the transformation their brand offers.

    Key Topics Discussed

    • Community as a growth channel.
    • Why DMs and private spaces matter.
    • The “OMG, that’s so me” effect.
    • Identity, belonging and relevance.
    • Why brands should embed into existing communities.
    • Poppi’s winning 'sorority' strategy.
    • McDonald’s Grimace and Mets community moment.
    • How to create high-value community engagement.
    • Why sampling and discounts are not enough.
    • How founders can rethink brand strategy through a community-first lens.

    Useful Links

    Connect with Sara Wilson on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraewilson/

    Sara Wilson’s newsletter
    https://communitycatalysts.substack.com/

    Sara Wilson’s website
    https://swprojects.co/

    We love inspiring you and helping your business to grow! PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves thinking about community, culture and the future of brand growth.

    Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.

    Join our community on Instagram, LinkedIn, and find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs, as well as the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.


    **** Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm.****

    If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.

    But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.

    That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.

    Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!

    ***The fabulous team at Joelson is offering a free legal consultation to any CPG founder listening - Book your session today!**

    Credits

    Thanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com.
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    42 分
  • How Citizens of Soil Is Reinventing Olive Oil

    How Citizens of Soil Is Reinventing Olive Oil
    2026/04/28
    In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Sarah and Michael Vachon, the founders of Citizens of Soil, one of the most exciting challenger brands in food and drink right now. We explore how they are transforming olive oil from a commoditised pantry staple into a brand built on transparency, craft, regenerative farming and fairer value for producers, while building a modern consumer brand with real emotional connection and standout commercial momentum.What I loved about this conversation is that it is about so much more than premium olive oil. Sarah and Michael share how they spotted a broken supply chain, why they chose to back small producers and female-led groves, and how a simple shift from calling something a subscription to calling it a club changed the business's growth trajectory. If you are building a consumer brand and thinking about community, premiumisation, founder focus and how to create real value in a category, there is so much to learn here.What You’ll Learn- Why Citizens of Soil saw a much bigger opportunity than simply selling premium olive oil- How changing “subscription” to “club” drove a dramatic increase in member growth- What founders can learn from borrowing packaging and positioning cues from adjacent categories- Why direct customer insight and social listening led to the launch of the Health Club- How Sarah and Michael are balancing rapid growth, team building and direct producer relationshipsKey Topics Discussed- Rebuilding value in a commoditised olive oil category- Regenerative farming and fairer producer economics- Borrowing premium cues from the wine category- DTC growth and the Olive Oil Club model- Community building versus transactional selling- Nutrition-led innovation and high polyphenol oils- Retail growth across Waitrose, Ocado, Booths, Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges- Building a team to support DTC and brand-led growth- Working as a husband-and-wife founder team- Premium pricing, value creation and consumer behaviourUseful LinksWebsite https://www.citizensofsoil.com/Connect with Michael https://www.linkedin.com/in/vachonline/Connect with Sarah https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahfulton/Connect with Citizens of Soil on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/citizens-of-soil/posts/?feedView=allWe love inspiring you and helping your business to grow! PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves brilliant food brands and category reinvention. Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.Join our community on Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, and find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs, as well as the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.Follow Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.*****Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor Joelson, a B Corp-certified commercial law firm****************If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.Scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, TRIP, Two Chicks, graze and Crosta & Mollica, and advised the Innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them today!Joelson are SO brilliant that they are offering a free consultation to any CPG brand founder - book your consultation with one of the Joelson lawyers here: https://joelsonlaw.com/contact/bookings/*****************Thanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS https://socialkews.co.uk/
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    51 分
  • Female Founder Leadership | Emma Woods, Chair of Ancient+Brave, ex CEO of wagamama

    Female Founder Leadership | Emma Woods, Chair of Ancient+Brave, ex CEO of wagamama
    2026/04/14
    Today, I’m joined by Emma Woods, Chair of Ancient+Brave, ex CEO of wagamama, and one of the most experienced growth leaders I know.Emma has done the full journey - Unilever, high-growth markets in Mexico, PizzaExpress, Merlin, Wagamama and now she brings all of that to the challenger brands who need it most, as a chair and board director.This isn't a conversation about corporate playbooks. It's about what actually works when you're building something from the ground up.We go deep on boards - why so many founders get this wrong, and what to do instead. Emma introduces the concept of a Growth Chair: not just governance, but someone who's been at your stage of growth and can help you make better decisions, faster.We also get into confidence, imposter syndrome, leadership stretch, and why, despite real progress, women are still underrepresented in the rooms where it matters.Emma shares her Vital 5 - a framework for the metrics and decisions that actually move a brand forward.If you're building a challenger brand, this one will change how you think.What You'll Learn- Why most founders get their board wrong and what a Growth Chair actually does- How to find and brief the right advisors for your stage of growth- Emma's Vital 5: the metrics and mindset shifts that drive real growth- How to lead when you're constantly outside your comfort zone- Why confidence isn't a personality trait… it's a practice- The real state of women in senior business leadership and what needs to changeKey Topics Discussed- Emma Woods’ journey from Unilever to Wagamama CEO to board leadership- What high-growth markets teach you about speed, instinct and leadership- When founders should introduce a board and why timing matters- Governance vs growth: what boards should actually be doing- The “Vital Five” and how to focus your business- Why consumer brands are “leaky buckets” (and what to do about it)- The PizzaExpress promotion lesson and the long-term cost of short-term growth- What makes a great chair-founder relationship- Growth leadership vs traditional leadership- Women in business: boards, CEOs and the “power seat” gap- Confidence, imposter syndrome and leadership stretch- Emma’s Conversations in Confidence seriesUseful links:Connect with Emma Woods on LinkedInEmma’s Conversations in Confidence series We love inspiring you and helping your business to grow. Please share this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague, or a mate who is interested in the future of food, content-led growth and scaling consumer brands. Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and please leave a review too. Both of those actions make a massive difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.You can also connect with Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, find out more about the programmes and courses I run, and join our NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning into the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.======================================================================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, a B Corp certified commercial law firm.If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, TRIP, Two Chicks, graze and Crosta & Mollica, and advised the Innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them today!Do you need legal advice as you grow your brand? Take this BIG opportunity and book a free consultation with one of Joelson lawyers here. =====================================================================================================Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.
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    42 分
  • BOSH!’s Challenger Brand Playbook: Founders Henry Firth & Ian Theasby

    BOSH!’s Challenger Brand Playbook: Founders Henry Firth & Ian Theasby
    2026/03/31
    This week, I’m joined by Henry Firth & Ian Theasby, the founders of BOSH!, to explore how an audience-first approach helped them build one of the most recognisable plant-based consumer brands in the UK. For founders scaling challenger brands, this is an incredible lesson in brand growth through content & community first. Long before their recent Tesco launch with their delish PIZZA, BOSH! had already spent years building attention, trust and demand through daily recipe content, bestselling cookbooks and a clear mission to put more plants on plates.What makes this conversation especially useful is that Henry and Ian did not stumble into this model by accident. They set out to build a food brand, but chose to do it the lean way: validating demand, learning from audience behaviour and evolving from videos to cookbooks, licensing and then fully controlled product ranges. We talk about how they used views, comments, polls and first-principles thinking to shape products, why they moved away from licensing, what it took to launch into Tesco in just nine months, and what all of this means for founders who want to think more like media companies and less like traditional CPG brands.What You’ll Learn- How BOSH! built an audience before building a food brand- Why a media-first strategy can reduce risk for scaling consumer brands- How social content, polls and engagement can inform product development- Why Henry and Ian moved from licensing to building their own supply chain- What founders can learn from BOSH!’s rapid Tesco launch and lean operating modelKey Topics Discussed- Building one of the world’s biggest plant-based video channels- Using The Lean Startup mindset to validate product-market fit- The shift in plant-based eating from niche to mainstream- Why BOSH! focused on taste first, then health, then sustainability- Using audience insights, comments and polls to shape NPD- Moving from content to cookbooks, TV and supermarket shelves- Why licensing was useful, but ultimately too limiting- Building an in-house team and supply chain for greater control- Choosing product categories like meals, pizza and curry from first principles- Launching into Tesco and trading ahead of forecast- Co-founder dynamics, leadership and role splitting- AI, learning mode and operating leaner as a modern brand teamUSEFUL LINKSConnect with Henry on LinkedIn Connect with Ian on LinkedIn BOSH! Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Read: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Tesco links: BOSH! Creamy Mac & GreensBOSH! Teriyaki Mushroom NoodlesBOSH! Ultimate Bean ChilliBOSH! Hearty LasagneBOSH! Tofu Tikka MasalaBOSH! Comforting Veg PieBOSH! Goan Chickpea CurryBOSH! Creamy No-Duja PastaBOSH! Spicy N-Duja Sourdough PizzaWe love inspiring you and helping your business to grow. Please share this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague, or a mate who is interested in the future of food, content-led growth and scaling consumer brands. Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and please leave a review too. Both of those actions make a massive difference to our mission to help more founders just like you!You can also connect with Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, find out more about the programmes and courses I run, and join our NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning into the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.======================================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor — Joelson, the commercial law firm.If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping fou...
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    39 分