Mindset, Mistakes & Scaling a Food Business

What does it take to pivot from chasing music dreams to building one of the UK’s most exciting Caribbean food brands?

In this episode of Founder Stories, Simon Kallu sits down with Michael Johnson, founder of Marjayz, to unpack the bold decisions, mindset shifts, and business lessons that shaped his journey from rap artist to restaurant entrepreneur.

After walking away from a creative career, Michael risked everything to secure a restaurant lease — with borrowed money. Today, Marjayz is a fast-growing Caribbean food brand with big expansion plans and a clear focus on culture, consistency, and community.

✔️ How a rap career built the resilience needed to succeed in business

✔️ The story behind launching Marjayz and its early challenges

✔️ Why customer experience and culture beat trends every time

✔️ The hardest mistakes he made — and how he came back stronger

✔️ What it takes to scale a food brand without losing authenticity

This conversation blends founder honesty, growth mindset, and real-world strategy — ideal for anyone navigating pivots, pressure, or purpose-driven growth.

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🔑 Pivoting industries isn’t failure — it’s foundation for growth

🔑 Community and customer culture matter more than hype

🔑 Setbacks are setups for stronger comebacks

🔑 Longevity requires vision, discipline, and grit

If you’re a founder building a brand from scratch, bouncing back from failure, or scaling in a crowded market — this episode is for you.

Michael Johnson is the founder of Marjayz, a Caribbean food brand and restaurant known for combining authenticity with big-picture thinking. His journey from music to hospitality brings a fresh, creative perspective to business — grounded in grit, vision, and community.

Simon Kallu is the founder of GrowFactor and host of Founder Stories, where he helps entrepreneurs scale smarter and live life on their terms.

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes: youtube.com/@founderstoriespodcast

🌐 Learn more: www.growfactor.com

🎙 Follow Simon Kallu:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/simonkallu

Instagram: instagram.com/simonkallu

TikTok: tiktok.com/@simonkallu

🎙 Follow Michael Johnson:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/micheal-johnson-951855199

Instagram: instagram.com/marjayzbirmingham

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