Jim Cregan built Jimmy’s Iced Coffee from a simple idea into a national brand. This episode captures how he pushed through debt, setbacks and doubt to create real momentum.

Speaking with Jim Cregan reminded me how often founders underestimate the grind behind a brand that looks simple from the outside. Jim described the early days of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee when he was £50,000 in debt, unsure of the next step and carrying the pressure of keeping the business alive. What shifted things was not luck. It was action. Handwritten letters, direct outreach, relentless product sampling and a refusal to step back when the numbers looked bleak. This Bite sized episode is a sharp reminder that momentum usually starts at the point where most people quit.

Guest: Jim Cregan, Co founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee

Key Takeaways:

• Momentum often begins when financial pressure is highest.

• Personal outreach can open doors large campaigns cannot.

• Simplicity and product quality build trust faster than branding claims.

• Resilience matters more than perfect planning in the early stages.

🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.

FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.

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The Atherton siblings built their careers on speed, resilience and control. What makes this bite sized episode powerful is how they used the same mindset to build a business. They went from dominating downhill racing to founding Atherton Bikes and taking ownership of their future rather than relying on sponsors or external decisions.

In this segment they walk through the moment they committed to designing their own downhill bike. They teamed up with suspension engineer Dave Weigel and created more than one hundred prototypes to refine the fastest bike they could produce. They adopted 3D printed technology used in F1 and aerospace, built accuracy into every component and set standards that many brands avoid because they take too long.

Their story highlights the discipline needed to shift from athlete thinking to business thinking. They learned to take calculated risks, build a team, trust specialists and stay patient through the early phases where nothing feels stable. Their approach shows founders what strong execution looks like. No shortcuts. No shortcuts. Just clarity, consistency and a willingness to build from the ground up.

This is a valuable lesson for anyone at the early stage of a product idea. The Athertons show that excellence in performance transfers to excellence in business when you keep your standards high and your process simple.

Key Takeaways:

• Calculated risks shape growth when backed by skill and preparation

• Prototyping reveals weaknesses quickly and strengthens final output

• A strong team accelerates progress and keeps standards high

• Innovation grows when you learn from other industries

• Racing discipline translates well into business discipline

• Ownership creates independence and long term stability

🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.

Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.

Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.

👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!

#ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Piers Linney delivered a clear message. AI is accelerating faster than most founders expect and the businesses that ignore it will fall behind. He showed how AI now handles cognitive work, personalisation, analysis and customer engagement at a scale no manual process can match. His point was direct. Founders must use AI every day and redesign their workflow around the tasks AI completes faster, cheaper and with greater accuracy.

Piers Linney is an entrepreneur, investor and co-founder of Implement AI and is known for his work on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, where he helped spotlight the next generation of technology driven businesses.

Key Takeaways:

• AI increases capacity without extra cost

• Personalised content and voice agents boost revenue

• AI uncovers insights hidden in everyday conversations

• Founders who act early gain a long term advantage

🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.

Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.

Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.

👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!

#ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship