Building The Brand with James Burtt

How do you build a business from scratch with no assets, no backing and no safety net - twice? In this episode of Building The Brand, Andrew Coulson shares his brutal, tactical business failure story and comeback. From packing sandwiches at 8 years old after his father’s breakdown, to walking out of school at 15 to become a commodity trader, to building a design agency to 45 staff by age 25 - and then losing it all when his bank pulled a £2.5m overdraft days before a £15M deal. This is not a motivational story. It’s a playbook on how to rebuild after business failure, start again with nothing, and build a second business from his mum’s kitchen table. Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Check out the very delicious Novo via https://novosnacks.com/ IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: → How to start a business with no money or qualifications - and why sales skill beats credentials → The scaling mistake that nearly killed a 45-person packaging design business → Why a £15M reverse takeover collapsed: the overdraft trap every UK founder must understand → What to do when you have no assets: how Andrew rebuilt from zero after losing everything → The gym floor strategy: how rescuing a failing gym rebuilt his momentum and network → How he became Head Judge for UK bodybuilding in 9 months - and spotted a gap in the market → How he built one of the first online coaching businesses (Body Coaches) - pre-Instagram, pre-OnlyFans - using video + subscription Key Moments: 0:00 How do you build a business from scratch with no assets? Trailer 01:08 Who is Andrew Coulson? From packing sandwiches at 8 after his father's breakdown 02:45 How to start a business with no qualifications? Becoming a commodity trader at 15 05:30 How he scaled a packaging design business to 45 staff by 25 - then lost a £15M deal 07:40 Why did a £15M reverse takeover collapse a week before completion? 09:55 What happens when the bank pulls your overdraft? 12:30 How to rebuild after business failure with no money? Penny shares and the satellite dish edge 15:10 Sleeping on his mum's floor at 28: Starting again from the kitchen table 18:40 Why rescuing a failing gym was his best business move 23:15 How to become a UK authority fast: Becoming Head Judge for UK bodybuilding in 9 months 28:40 How to build an online coaching business from scratch? The first video subscription platform (Body Coaches) 33:00 How was the world's first protein crisp invented? The birth of Novo Nutrition 46:05 Novo vs Walkers: Can a challenger brand beat the UK's biggest crisp brands? 51:30 How to get into Tesco and Asda? The 72-hour packaging ultimatum that saved the product 59:01 Is work-life balance a myth for entrepreneurs? The obsession behind building a brand 1:06:20 The true cost of success: Family, burnout and is the juice worth the squeeze? 1:19:50 Legacy over money: Why he's still chasing Tesco after 14 years

Can being £24,000 in debt become the foundation for building one of the UK’s fastest-growing personal finance brands? Sammie Ellard-King is the founder of Up The Gains, a UK personal finance platform built around helping Britain get financially fit, and the founder of Gains App - a money management and fintech app designed to make budgeting, spending, cashback and everyday financial decisions simpler. Connect with Sammie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammieellardking/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this episode of Building The Brand, Sammie explains how authenticity transformed his content strategy, why talking openly about his £24,000 debt sent social media views from thousands into the millions and how he built Up The Gains by making complicated financial education simple, relatable and entertaining. He also breaks down the transition from content creator to fintech founder, including why the rise of AI made him question the long-term value of a founder-led media business and why he decided he needed to build a product that could exist without his personal brand. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — From £24,000 debt to becoming a UK personal finance educator 03:00 — The psychology of overspending and trying to impress people 06:17 — The simple retirement calculation that changed his relationship with money 09:36 — Ronnie Scott’s, entrepreneurship and growing up around business uncertainty 16:17 — Becoming Head of Marketing at 24 while struggling with debt 22:06 — How GameStop and a WhatsApp group helped create Up The Gains 29:10 — Building a side hustle around a full-time job 35:20 — How personal storytelling turned thousands of views into millions 39:56 — Founder burnout: why eight productive hours can beat sixteen 43:40 — Why Sammie chose to build a fintech app instead of staying a content creator 47:55 — AI, personal brands and the risk of building a business around your own face 51:00 — How Gains App combines budgeting, bank accounts, cashback and AI 58:43 — Reaching 10,000 users in around two and a half months 1:00:04 — How a 13,000-person waitlist converted more than 7,500 users 1:05:04 — Freemium pricing, fintech economics and building towards profitability 1:09:24 — Choosing co-founders, organic growth and scaling customer acquisition 1:15:34 — The reality of launching a startup, delays, burnout and founder pressure

Can going viral actually grow your business… or are most brands chasing attention without knowing what to do with it? Joel Macadar is the founder of 8original, a multi-award-winning social media agency that has generated more than half a billion organic views in the last 12 months. In this episode of Building The Brand, Joel breaks down the social media strategy behind viral content, organic growth, TikTok marketing, Instagram content and turning online attention into real commercial results. Connect with Joel Macadar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelmacadar/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter He explains why brands destroy potentially successful content by over-controlling the creative process, how the “road to beige” turns social-first ideas into forgettable adverts and why 8original operates a post-first, feedback-afterwards model designed around speed rather than endless approval processes. Joel also reveals why shares can be more valuable than likes or views, how his team connects TikTok virality with high-intent Google searches and why understanding the psychology behind a social media trend is far more powerful than simply copying whatever is currently going viral. Plus, the changing relationship between football, creators and traditional media - including Baller League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland and the rise of live, behind-the-scenes social content at major sporting events. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Social media strategy in 2026: what brands are getting wrong 02:17 — How to turn viral social media attention into revenue 07:23 — The “road to beige” that destroys great social content 09:23 — Why 8original posts first and gets client feedback afterwards 12:25 — Why shares can matter more than likes and views 16:28 — How TikTok virality can drive high-intent Google searches 23:26 — How to spot social media trends before competitors 40:02 — From football agent to building a social media agency 46:15 — Why live sports content is changing football media 54:38 — Baller League, content distribution and the power of speed 1:03:54 — Cristiano Ronaldo vs Erling Haaland: personal brand strategy 1:13:43 — How AI will change social media marketing 1:19:22 — Using ChatGPT and Claude for content creation and marketing 1:23:43 — How Push Play uses AI to automate content repurposing 1:27:16 — Scaling a founder-led agency by learning to step back

Can AI make founders more efficient without making business less human? Recorded around a real fireside, this special episode of Building The Brand brings together Ideas Fest founders Frankie James and Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE with $100M exited founder Andrew Hulbert for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, business growth and founder loneliness in 2026. Connect with Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter With customers spending more carefully, operating costs remaining high and AI changing how companies work, Frankie, Dyan, Andrew and James discuss why building a successful business has become more challenging - but also why the right founders now have access to more powerful tools than ever before. They chat about why most businesses are barely scratching the surface of AI, how founders can use automation to remove repetitive administration and why simply using ChatGPT to create social media content is unlikely to provide a lasting competitive advantage. Plus Andrew shares the practical lessons behind building his business from a bedroom start-up into a business generating more than £50 million in annual revenue. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Welcome to Founders By The Fireside 01:29 — The state of UK entrepreneurship in 2026 01:52 — How the cost-of-living crisis is affecting business 03:52 — Using AI to automate business administration 05:46 — Why most businesses are barely using AI properly 06:11 — The businesses that will win in the AI era 07:04 — The danger of building a business entirely on AI 08:27 — Why AI is increasing demand for human connection 10:04 — Why community-led business events are growing 11:34 — Founder loneliness and the reality of entrepreneurship 13:24 — Using networking events to build a personal brand 16:40 — Growing Ideas Fest from 1,200 attendees 20:39 — How the first Ideas Fest was launched 22:13 — Why cancelling can sometimes be the right business decision 24:56 — Why sustainable business scaling takes experience 26:47 — The hidden costs of running a major business event 31:07 — How entrepreneur awards can build credibility 32:13 — Why founders need to escape their industry bubble 33:18 — The power of networking across different industries 35:53 — Why SMEs are critical to the UK economy 38:38 — How to scale a business from £1m to £10m 40:06 — Finding the founder skill you should go all in on 40:54 — When founders need to start hiring and delegating 41:16 — How £1m investment helped Pareto scale beyond £20m 41:42 — Delegating without losing company culture 43:54 — Using AI for finance, customer service and operations 44:38 — What 25 years of fast-growth business data reveals 45:20 — The three foundations of sustainable business growth 45:53 — Why hiring and developing great people comes first 46:08 — Managing cash and finance during business growth 46:25 — Why customer retention beats customer acquisition 48:11 — Growing your business alongside fast-growth customers 48:48 — Working with ASOS, Deliveroo and Paddy Power Betfair 52:16 — Why entrepreneurs should attend Ideas Fest 53:30 — How founder communities combat business loneliness 57:11 — Why accessibility makes Ideas Fest different 59:48 — Why great businesses often start by solving your own problem

Can a frustrated dad with no fashion experience build one of the biggest brands in women’s football? Connor Stanbridge is the founder of Footballher, a women’s football clothing and sportswear brand created specifically for women and girls. Connect with Footballher https://footballher.co.uk/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter The idea began during the Women’s Euro 2022, when Connor tried to buy football clothing for his young daughter and discovered that most major retailers offered little beyond boys’ kits or poorly fitting unisex products. After finding that thousands of other parents and players had experienced the same problem, he left his existing business and committed to building the solution. Using TikTok to document the journey, Connor built a community before footballher had produced a single product, gathered direct feedback from women and girls outside football stadiums and grew an email waiting list of 15,000 people before launch. In this episode, Connor explains how to validate an idea without a marketing budget, turn social media followers into customers, build products through community feedback, find manufacturers, manage stock and compete against global sportswear brands by creating a brand people genuinely want to belong to. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Can a girl dad build the biggest brand in women’s football? 01:04 — The Oxford Street shopping trip that inspired footballher 03:22 — Turning a frustrating customer experience into a business idea 05:13 — Discovering the lack of clothing designed for women footballers 07:30 — Why naivety can be a founder’s greatest advantage 08:11 — Building an audience before creating the product 08:49 — Using TikTok when you have no marketing budget 10:38 — Why footballher became a community-led brand 11:11 — Crowdsourcing product ideas outside football stadiums 13:18 — Creating the footballher Black Card 14:28 — The moment strangers recognised Connor before the brand launched 16:11 — Listening to customers without designing by committee 18:28 — Turning social media followers into an email waiting list 19:19 — Getting locked out of TikTok one week before launch 20:48 — How long it really takes to develop a clothing product 22:34 — Why Connor refused to use print-on-demand clothing 23:55 — The first footballher sale and learning through small product drops 25:02 — Hiring an experienced sportswear designer 26:53 — Contacting up to 200 factories and manufacturers 29:26 — Why followers do not automatically become customers 30:33 — The lesson that changed footballher’s product strategy 31:21 — Why selling out can create serious business problems 32:11 — Competing with Nike, Adidas and global sportswear brands 34:12 — Building community as a competitive advantage 35:04 — Bringing more than 100 women and girls together at footballher’s first event 37:02 — Moving from founder-led storytelling to a professional brand 39:48 — The opportunity to create football kits for professional clubs 41:19 — Using TikTok, Instagram and Meta retargeting together 42:52 — Scaling the business without breaking its foundations 45:45 — Why girls need to see women playing football 48:09 — Connor’s three-to-five-year vision for footballher

Can one self-taught editor change how an entire industry promotes its content? Anthony Smith is the former Diary Of A CEO trailer editor who helped transform podcast promotion from simple social media clips into cinematic, emotionally charged miniature movies. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter After struggling to break into the film and television industry without money, contacts or formal training, Ant started his own production company and taught himself to edit because he could not afford to employ an editor. That decision eventually led him to work on major campaigns involving Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel before joining The Diary Of A CEO when the team consisted of fewer than ten people. Over the next four and a half years, Ant created or oversaw more than 450 podcast trailers, helping turn Steven Bartlett’s podcast into one of the world’s biggest media brands. His documentary-inspired storytelling, cinematic sound design and emotionally driven editing style helped redefine how podcasts, creators and brands promote long-form content. You will hear: ▪️Working on campaigns involving Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel ▪️Joining Diary Of A CEO when the team had fewer than ten people ▪️Why Steven Bartlett told Ant not to study other podcasts ▪️Turning podcast trailers into cinematic miniature documentaries ▪️The storytelling principles behind more than 450 trailers ▪️How music, sound design and editing can provoke emotion ▪️Why Diary Of A CEO’s trailers helped define the brand ▪️Why copying the Diary Of A CEO style will not work for every business ▪️The 15-point mindset checklist used to train trailer editors ▪️Why brands must create content from first principles ▪️The difference between building a brand and chasing attention ▪️Why going viral can become an addictive and destructive cycle ▪️How vanity metrics cause brands to abandon their identity ▪️Why a million views may produce no customers or meaningful community ▪️How AI and human creativity can work together 0:00 — Has Ant Smith changed the podcasting industry? 4:00 — Growing up believing success happened to other people 8:17 — Working on Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel campaigns 13:10 — Pressure, burnout and becoming addicted to difficult work 17:50 — Joining Diary Of A CEO for an “easier” creative role 19:49 — How cinematic trailers transformed the podcast 21:15 — Turning a podcast into a global media show 23:31 — Ant’s first day with Jonny Wilkinson and Wretch 32 30:01 — Why Steven Bartlett told him not to watch other podcasts 32:10 — Creating the first Diary Of A CEO trailer 34:05 — The first and final trailers that bookended Ant’s journey 37:28 — Creating and overseeing more than 450 trailers 38:25 — An estimated 1.5 billion episode views and what comes next 40:24 — Why copying successful content causes industries to stagnate 47:18 — How trailers helped define the Diary Of A CEO brand 48:50 — Why brand building should be treated as an art form 55:22 — Creating different identities for new podcast brands 59:59 — The 15-point mindset checklist behind effective trailers 1:01:32 — What brands get wrong about short-form content 1:03:27 — Why going viral can become a destructive addiction 1:05:28 — The dopamine crash that follows viral success 1:09:45 — Leaving the world’s biggest podcast 48 hours earlier 1:10:23 — Why success left Ant feeling empty and worthless 1:12:49 — The friendships behind Diary Of A CEO’s growth 1:15:10 — Leaving a powerful brand and questioning your own value 1:16:54 — What comes after Diary Of A CEO? 1:17:40 — Stepping into the unknown without another job 1:18:14 — Building a better relationship between AI and creativity 1:20:29 — Challenging the belief that employment equals safety 1:22:07 — Reflecting on a career that changed podcast promotion

Can losing your father, losing the business you built in his honour and taking a job you never expected become the foundation for your biggest opportunity? Danny Gray is an entrepreneur, commercial strategist, former Commercial Partnerships Director within Steven Bartlett’s business ecosystem and co-founder of LVLS, a wellness brand launched into 750 Boots stores from day one. After losing his father to Parkinson’s disease, Danny became driven to build businesses that improve people’s health, going on to launch an award-winning functional nutrition restaurant before joining Steven Bartlett’s early team, helping build the commercial engine around The Diary Of A CEO. Through his Venture Capital fund building, he has now co-created Hide, stocked in 1,000 Tesco stores, and launched LVLS alongside Beta Squad’s Sharky, brokering a deal to get the product into 750 Boots stores from day one. In this episode, Danny explains how Levels secured major retail distribution before launch, reduced its funding requirements through smart payment terms, built authentic creator partnerships and set out to make wellness more fun and accessible for everyday people. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Join the Building The Brand newsletter: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Key Moments: 0:00 — Losing His Dad Two Weeks After Launch 1:21 — Danny Gray: Entrepreneur and Levels Co-Founder 2:14 — How Money, Shame and Family Created His Drive 6:53 — His Father’s Battle With Parkinson’s Disease 10:58 — Opening a Restaurant Before Losing His Father 15:05 — Creating a Functional Medicine Restaurant 18:54 — Building One of London’s Breakout Restaurants 20:09 — Manifestation as Tactical Business Planning 23:38 — The Final Phone Call From His Father 27:00 — Sleeping in the Restaurant to Pay Staff 30:09 — Why Founders Cannot Outwork Grief 34:41 — Scaling Into Google, Chelsea FC and Retail 39:22 — Pivoting From Restaurants to Healthy Ready Meals 42:45 — Joining Steven Bartlett With Three Bullet Points 45:39 — Commercialising The Diary Of A CEO 48:40 — Leaving Steven Bartlett to Become a Founder 51:33 — Why Taking a Job Is Not a Step Backwards 55:58 — Launching Hide Into 1,000 Tesco Stores 57:46 — Athlete Equity Deals and Business Ownership 1:01:01 — Identifying the Mainstream Wellness Opportunity 1:03:46 — Launching Levels Into 750 Boots Stores 1:05:34 — Retail First vs Direct-to-Consumer Strategy 1:07:24 — How to Structure a Mutually Valuable Deal 1:09:40 — Partnering With Sharky From Beta Squad 1:11:33 — Why Creator Equity Beats Celebrity Endorsements 1:18:32 — Why the Wellness Industry Is Too Serious 1:21:25 — Building a Wellness Brand for Everyday People 1:23:18 — Entering the Crowded Electrolyte Market 1:28:20 — Building a Business to Make His Son Proud 1:31:15 — Funding a 750-Store Retail Launch 1:32:19 — Negotiating Payment Terms to Protect Cash Flow 1:34:16 — Taking Risks and Building Without Regret

Can a working-class entrepreneur build a £50 million revenue business from his spare bedroom, sell it for $100 million and still hold on to the things that matter most? Andrew Hulbert is the founder of Pareto Facilities Management, the bootstrapped business he grew from a laptop in his bedroom to £50 million in annual turnover, 550 employees and a $100 million business exit. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Andrew explains how Pareto competed against multibillion-pound facilities management companies by being more agile, flexible and customer-focused. He reveals how that strategy helped the company grow organically from £18 million to £32 million in a single year. ▪️How Andrew built Pareto Facilities Management from his bedroom to £50 million in turnover ▪️The working-class upbringing that shaped his ambition and work ethic ▪️Why his original financial freedom target was only £2 million ▪️How customer-first flexibility helped Pareto grow during COVID ▪️Growing organically from £18 million to £32 million in one year ▪️How smaller businesses can compete against multi-billion pound corporations ▪️Why hiring senior leaders helped scale beyond the founder ▪️Building a powerful B2B brand in an unglamorous industry ▪️Using networking, PR, awards and major client names to create authority ▪️Winning brands including Twitter, Yahoo, Bulgari and London Zoo ▪️How Pareto won a £2.3 million contract while turning over only £1.5 million ▪️The brutal family sacrifice behind Andrew’s business success ▪️Answering 835 due diligence questions and completing a $100 million exit KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — The real sacrifice behind Andrew’s $100 million exit 2:10 — Going all-in on Pareto for 10 years 3:24 — Working-class roots and the original £2 million exit target 6:45 — Why the founder eventually becomes the bottleneck 10:36 — How COVID became the catalyst for Pareto’s growth 13:43 — Growing organically from £18 million to £32 million 16:46 — Turning a business crisis into a competitive opportunity 26:56 — PAUSE POINT: Building a B2B brand around mission 29:29 — The £104 billion facilities management opportunity 39:30 — Learning business inside a chaotic SME 43:29 — The corporate takeover that triggered Pareto 46:06 — Networking before you need something 49:17 — Using awards to build authority and credibility 54:31 — Risking his marriage, house, money and reputation 1:11:47 — Winning a £2.3 million contract at £1.5 million turnover 1:17:35 — PAUSE POINT: Choosing premium clients intentionally 1:21:10 — Putting his daughter down to answer a customer 1:33:41 — 835 due diligence questions in three and a half weeks 1:36:54 — Decompressing after the exit and rebuilding family life 1:45:17 — Andrew’s next 10-year chapter

Can a 20-year-old with no experience turn one TikTok creator into a £250,000 opportunity and build one of the UK’s most respected social-first talent agencies?Benjy Leslie is the founder and CEO of Connect Management, one of the UK’s leading creator talent management and influencer marketing agencies. In just six years, Connect has grown from a lockdown start-up into a major force in the creator economy, working with social-first talent, YouTubers, TikTok creators, brands, agencies and some of the biggest names in modern media.Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Connect with Benjy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjy-leslie-837b64144/ In this episode, Benjy explains how he made £250,000 from one creator in three months, why social media is “the free lottery” for founders, how Connect Academy generated £1m for micro-creators in its first year, why brands need to move beyond one-off influencer campaigns, and why the future belongs to creators, entrepreneurs and businesses that can build attention, adapt quickly and turn content into long-term brand value.▪️How Benjy Leslie built Connect Management during lockdown ▪️Turning one TikTok creator into £250,000 revenue ▪️Why energy, belief and naivety can beat experience ▪️How creators become salespeople, media brands and business owners ▪️How Connect Academy generated £1m for micro-creators ▪️Why brands need to move beyond one-off influencer campaigns ▪️How YouTube shows are shaping the future of branded content ▪️Why social-first creators are changing TV and media ▪️Building culture through incentives, rewards and high standards ▪️Why founder content drives clients, talent, trust and recruitment ▪️Why social media is the free lottery for entrepreneurs ▪️Launching Connect Management in America without losing culture KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Why social media is the free lottery 1:33 — 3.3 billion views and the bedroom start-up story 3:43 — Making £250,000 from one TikTok creator 5:14 — Naivety, belief and early-stage founder energy 6:05 — What Connect Management does for creators 7:02 — Connect Academy and the creator pathway 10:06 — What makes a creator commercially valuable 13:21 — Using data and AI to track creator trends 15:05 — Scaling to 60 staff while staying bootstrapped 19:51 — PAUSE POINT: Culture as a business growth strategy 24:53 — Best boss PR, incentives and sales motivation 30:52 — Why brands get influencer marketing wrong 31:05 — YouTube shows and the future of branded content 33:08 — Why creators need patience and consistency 37:57 — Targeted sales, attention and commercial logic 40:24 — Why great salespeople listen and move on 47:17 — Why TV is not dying, it is evolving 49:39 — 360 talent management and creator brands 51:30 — PAUSE POINT: Evolution, relevance and content strategy 54:41 — Why founders should treat social media as the free lottery 58:11 — Recruitment, founder brand and social proof 1:00:14 — Launching Connect Management in America 1:02:43 — Selling Fletcher Holman to Wolves through social media 1:03:59 — PAUSE POINT: Finding million-pound ideas in unexpected places 1:06:58 — Scaling without losing company culture 1:10:30 — Ronaldo, Haaland and authentic content

Benjy Leslie is the founder and CEO of Connect Management which has grown from lockdown start-up into a social-first talent agency representing the biggest names in modern media. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE NOW

Can rebellion, enthusiasm and one strange idea change your entire life? Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL and the wider YO! brand, shares the extraordinary journey from boarding school, rebellion, prison, rock and roll stage design and TV rights to launching YO! Sushi at 45 and building one of Britain’s most recognisable modern brands. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Get Simon’s book YO! Man: https://yo.co.uk/yoman/ ▪️Why Simon believes enthusiasm is the trait behind his success ▪️Why rebellion can become entrepreneurial fuel ▪️Going to prison and how it changed Simon’s life ▪️How Simon became a rock and roll stage designer ▪️Working around Rod Stewart, Queen, ABBA, Jethro Tull and major live shows ▪️Spotting the opportunity in music TV rights before the market existed ▪️Why the best founders can be early to a market without being reckless ▪️How a lunch meeting sparked the idea for YO! Sushi ▪️Why conveyor belt sushi, robots and Japanese culture felt like the future ▪️Launching YO! Sushi at 45 with his own money on the line ▪️How word of mouth turned YO! Sushi into an iconic British brand ▪️The story behind YOTEL and building a brand across multiple verticals ▪️Why Simon still believes in YO! Home, YO! Airships and future YO! concepts KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — The trait behind Simon’s success 2:06 — Boarding school, authority and rebellion 7:17 — Getting arrested and going to detention 12:43 — Working on yourself as a founder 16:31 — PAUSE POINT: Work on yourself 23:31 — Intensity, enthusiasm and leadership 28:32 — Becoming a rock and roll roadie 32:06 — Band, brand and live spectacle 38:00 — Spotting the music TV rights opportunity 43:06 — Being early to new markets 45:04 — PAUSE POINT: Early or mistaken? 49:24 — The lunch that sparked YO! Sushi 52:04 — Researching and believing in the idea 55:13 — Gut instinct vs market research 56:35 — YO! Home and future living 1:02:09 — Opening YO! Sushi to an empty room 1:02:50 — The queue that lasted five years 1:05:24 — Growing YO! Sushi and YOTEL 1:08:26 — PAUSE POINT: Unrelenting enthusiasm 1:13:57 — Simon’s advice for entrepreneurs

Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL and the wider YO! brand, shares the extraordinary journey from boarding school, rebellion, prison, rock and roll stage design and TV rights to launching YO! Sushi at 45 and building one of Britain’s most recognisable modern brands. Full episode out now on APPLE | SPOTIFY | AMAZON MUSIC

Can you lose a multi-million-pound fashion business almost overnight… and still come back to build a brand in a completely different industry? Charles Gay is the founder of Favela, the Brazilian-inspired beer brand bringing sunshine, culture, gluten-free lager, hospitality partnerships and premium party energy into the UK and European drinks market. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this episode of Building The Brand, Charles shares the incredible story of going from fashion entrepreneur and brand creator to launching Favela Cerveja, a Brazilian beer brand built around culture, community, purpose and one very clear gap in the market. But this conversation is not just about beer, hospitality or building an alcohol brand. It is about losing everything, having to shut down a successful fashion business almost overnight, dealing with the pressure of staff, suppliers and cancelled orders, rebuilding from scratch, raising investment, learning a new industry, cold-calling bars, driving beer across Europe himself, and proving that brand-building principles can transfer across completely different markets. He also breaks down the realities of the drinks industry, from brewery partnerships, wholesalers, distributors and hospitality groups through to premium venues, football sponsorship, Ibiza activations, Amazonico, Dubai, Marbella, O Beach Ibiza and the strategic move into aluminium bottles. Connect with Favela: https://www.favelacerveja.com/ IN THIS EPISODE: ▪️How Charles Gay went from fashion entrepreneur to beer brand founder ▪️Why Brazil inspired the creation of Favela Cerveja ▪️Spotting the gap for a Brazilian beer brand in the UK drinks market ▪️Creating a gluten-free, vegan and purpose-led beer brand ▪️The role of brand design, packaging, IP and trademarks ▪️How Charles raised his first £1M to launch Favela ▪️Why investors backed the founder, the story and the purpose ▪️How to build a drinks brand through bars, restaurants and wholesalers ▪️Why cold-calling and hand-delivering product still matters ▪️How Favela partnered with O Beach Ibiza and Amazonico ▪️The strategic importance of aluminium bottles in beer ▪️The difference between on-trade, off-trade and supermarket distribution ▪️Why the right venue partnerships matter more than being everywhere KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Charles Gay on raising £1M, Ibiza and building Favela 1:05 — From fashion entrepreneur to Brazilian beer brand founder 3:15 — Creating a gluten-free, organic, vegan beer concept 5:22 — Spotting the gluten-free trend before the market caught up 9:25 — PAUSE POINT: Market gaps are easier to see from outside the industry 11:37 — Losing the fashion business and saving Favela 19:18 — Relaunching Favela and raising the first £1M 22:06 — The Favela Foundation and building a purpose-led beer brand 23:45 — PAUSE POINT: What survives when a business collapses? 26:37 — Rebuilding the brewery, team, marketing and distribution 30:05 — Cold-calling bars and hand-delivering beer in Glasgow 33:33 — Starting again, swallowing your ego and leaving fashion behind 39:15 — Why aluminium bottles are a major opportunity for Favela 42:15 — Getting Favela into O Beach Ibiza 47:01 — Driving beer through Europe to Ibiza with his dad 48:44 — PAUSE POINT: Founder mode means doing whatever it takes 52:25 — Amazonico, Dubai, Monaco, Miami and premium global venues 56:29 — Why on-trade comes before supermarket retail distribution 1:00:15 — The biggest lessons from losing a multi-million-pound business 1:03:40 — World Cup activations, Dubai, Spain and Favela’s next stage

Meet Charles Gay, the entrepreneur who has raised £4M to create Favela Cerveja, the Brazilian beer brand set to take on the drinks industry giants! His journey from multi-million pound fashion mogul to FMCG challenger brand is a wild ride - you'll love this! Get the FULL EPISODE now, on your favourite podcast player

Can you build serious wealth without academic success, qualifications or even being able to properly read a contract? James Martin who is an entrepreneur, investor, mentor and commercial landlord who has amassed a huge net worth through business and property certainly thinks so! Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this episode of Building The Brand, James shares the brutally honest story of growing up with severe dyslexia, leaving school at 14 with no qualifications, turning rejection into opportunity, building his first business before the age of 18, selling and buying back that company, moving into land, planning and commercial property, and eventually building a multi-million-pound property portfolio. James explains how dyslexia shaped the way he thinks, why he built teams around him from a young age, how a trusted business partner ripped him off for millions, what that taught him about contracts, partnerships and control, and why founders need to understand the rooms they are operating in before the stakes get too high. He also shares how he built Ruskins from cutting grass and hanging baskets into a serious commercial business, how he sold it, bought it back for a fraction of the price, then sold it again, before moving into planning, land acquisition, wedding venues, commercial estates, container storage and business mentoring. Connect with the brilliant James Martin on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jamesmartinentrepreneur/ IN THIS EPISODE: ▪️Growing up with severe dyslexia and the shame of not being able to read properly ▪️Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications ▪️Why James hired a PA at 18 and built his business around his weaknesses ▪️Turning rejection from drama school into his first real client ▪️Building a landscaping and tree surgery company before the age of 20 ▪️Winning pub, brewery, council, MOD and commercial contracts ▪️Selling Ruskins, buying it back, then selling it again ▪️Why being good at a business does not mean you should stay in it ▪️How James moved from trading businesses into land, planning and property ▪️Getting ripped off for millions by a trusted partner ▪️The importance of shareholder agreements, contracts and exit clauses ▪️Why commercial property became James’s favourite business model ▪️How he uses delegation, management and expert operators across multiple businesses ▪️The mindset shift required to go from £2M turnover to the next level KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — James on shame, scars, trust and being ripped off for millions 1:00 — Why the positive should be primary 2:14 — Growing up severely dyslexic 3:34 — School, shame and becoming the “cheeky chappie” 8:38 — Trusting solicitors, PAs and people around him 9:30 — PAUSE POINT: Build around your weaknesses 12:41 — The business partner who ripped him off for millions 15:10 — Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications 18:32 — How drama school became his first client 20:01 — PAUSE POINT: Rejection can become market research 21:36 — Winning 35 pubs before the age of 18 23:20 — Building Ruskins and growing into tree surgery 31:07 — Breaking into council and commercial contracts 34:39 — Brokering international rights and licensing deals 36:39 — Selling Ruskins for the first time 42:00 — Buying the business back from receivers 46:39 — PAUSE POINT: Does the business still fit the life you want? 49:39 — Moving into land, planning and development 51:39 — Why contracts and partnership agreements matters when millions are involved 59:28 — Why James loves commercial property 1:01:00 — Delegation, management and expert operators 1:04:54 — Baby steps, risk and learning before diving in 1:08:02 — Why James created the Baddow Park Mastermind 1:10:34 — Helping entrepreneurs think bigger 1:11:57 — James’s ambition: buying property until the day he dies

If you love this short clip, you will LOVE the full episode where James Martin shares how he went from leaving school at 14 and being unable to read contracts, got ripped off for millions, bought back the business he sold, and built a £50M+ property empire from lessons that nearly broke him. FULL EPISODE OUT NOW ON YOUR FAVOURITE PODCAST PLAYER

Can you start at the bottom of an industry, back yourself before anyone else does, raise millions, build a fast-growth startup and sell it within three years? FOR THE FULL STORY GET KAROLINA’S NO.1 BEST SELLING BOOK ‘HER PLAY’ Karolina Pelc is an entrepreneur, investor, advisor, author and the founder of BeyondPlay, the iGaming startup she launched in 2021, raised £6.1 million for, and sold to FanDuel within just three years. Want more BTB goodness!? Connect Here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Karolina’s journey started far from the world of startup exits, venture capital and acquisition deals. At 19, she trained as a casino dealer in Poland, worked in tough casino environments, moved to London, lived in difficult conditions, worked on cruise ships, and eventually fought her way into the online gaming industry from the very bottom of the career ladder. In this episode of Building The Brand, Karolina breaks down how she turned lived experience in real-world casinos into a powerful insight about the future of online gaming. She explains how she raised £1.2 million from a pitch deck, built BeyondPlay through the pandemic, scaled the team to 50 people, navigated product pivots, licensing complexity, investor pressure, founder burnout and eventually sold the company to FanDuel. She also shares why she does not believe in luck, why starting again can be a strategic move, why founders cannot make everyone like them, and why hustle only works when it is intentional. Karolina shares: ▪️ Why she does not believe luck created her success ▪️ Why she was willing to start again in a junior role ▪️ How real-world casino experience shaped the idea for BeyondPlay ▪️ Raising £1.2 million from a deck during the pandemic ▪️ Why approval cannot be the operating system for founders ▪️ Selling BeyondPlay to FanDuel within three years ▪️ What really happens during a fast acquisition process Find out more about Karolina Pelc here: https://karolinapelc.com/ Key Moments: 0:00 — Karolina Pelc on quitting, growth, pressure and selling BeyondPlay 1:07 — Why Karolina does not believe in luck 3:16 — Starting, funding and selling BeyondPlay within three years 6:57 — The brutal training process to become a dealer 8:00 — Her first major casino customer and early resilience 12:19 — Arriving in London and the reality of starting again 17:35 — Homelessness and learning the hard way 21:20 — Reality distortion filter, belief and ambitious goals 24:05 — Understanding the different levels of the casino world 30:47 — Moving from casinos and cruise ships into online gaming 34:35 — The idea that eventually became BeyondPlay 37:21 — Raising £1.2 million during the pandemic 44:18 — What BeyondPlay actually built 50:33 — Regulation, licensing and startup complexity 52:21 — The risky second product that changed the company 57:00 — Founder mode and transparent leadership 59:00 — Why CEOs cannot have everyone agree with them 1:00:12 — Work-life balance, values and startup reality 1:06:40 — People pleasing, burnout and founder pressure 1:09:30 — Building BeyondPlay with an exit in mind 1:11:13 — Selling the company in two months 1:14:54 — What the day of signing the deal actually felt like 1:17:13 — Leaving the company after acquisition 1:19:49 — Achievement addiction, writing the book and what comes next 1:24:14 — Who Karolina wrote the book for

Can you rebuild your life after narcissistic abuse, trauma, anxiety, depression, debt and losing almost everything? Caroline Strawson is a trauma therapist, nervous system expert, author, coach and founder of The Mental Wellbeing Company and TIDAL. After experiencing narcissistic abuse, anxiety, depression, PTSD, self-harm, chronic illness, £70,000 of debt and having her house repossessed, Caroline rebuilt her life as a single mum and went on to create one of the UK’s fastest-growing trauma-informed mental wellbeing brands. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Connect Here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Caroline breaks down how she went from rock bottom to building a multi-million pound business helping people heal from trauma, narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse and toxic relationships. She explains why traditional talk therapy was not enough for her recovery, why the nervous system is the missing piece in mental health, and how trauma can impact business, leadership, relationships, health and self-worth. She also shares how she built a powerful personal brand, launched trauma-informed coaching certifications, created The Mental Wellbeing Company, generated £1.9 million at launch and learned to lead a growing team without losing the compassion at the heart of her work. Caroline shares: ▪️ How she rebuilt her life after narcissistic abuse, debt and repossession ▪️ Why narcissistic abuse is a form of domestic abuse and trauma ▪️ Why talk therapy helped her understand her pain but did not change how she felt ▪️ How nervous system healing became the missing piece in her recovery ▪️ How she turned lived experience into a trauma-informed business ▪️ Why The Mental Wellbeing Company took £1.9 million at launch ▪️ Why founders and leaders need nervous system capacity, not just strategy ▪️ How stress, struggle and chaos can become addictive for entrepreneurs ▪️ Why trauma-informed leadership requires both compassion and boundaries ▪️ How Caroline is evolving from personal brand to business empire Find out more about Caroline Strawson here: https://carolinestrawson.com/ Key Moments: 0:00 — Caroline Strawson on narcissistic abuse, trauma and rebuilding her life 1:13 — Anxiety, panic attacks and sitting in a repossessed house 3:55 — Why her children became the driving force behind her recovery 5:14 — Building a business around motherhood 14:13 — What narcissistic abuse actually means 16:49 — Googling “narcissistic sociopath” and understanding her experience 18:30 — £70,000 of debt, repossession and single motherhood 20:08 — Why counselling helped but did not fully heal her 21:12 — Discovering nervous system healing 23:31 — The £58,000 launch that changed what felt possible 25:05 — Creating trauma-informed coaching certifications 27:05 — Taking £1.9 million at launch 29:42 — Listening to your audience without abandoning your beliefs 32:45 — Building a trauma-informed business with integrity 34:00 — Victimhood, responsibility and healing 38:01 — Why founders can become addicted to stress 42:24 — Functional freeze, burnout and business performance 45:04 — Caroline’s Capacity Plus framework 52:21 — Using nervous system capacity in business 57:38 — Handling hard conversations as a leader 1:02:30 — Why you cannot lead beyond what your nervous system can hold 1:05:56 — Lessons from a difficult team exit 1:11:00 — Empathy, codependency and trauma-informed leadership 1:16:15 — Moving from personal brand to scalable companies 1:19:07 — Challenging the traditional mental health system 1:22:51 — Becoming visible as the woman she is today 1:25:56 — Why doing your own healing is a gift to your children

Phil Graham is an entrepreneur, business strategist, investor, mentor and founder of the multi-million pound brands Fitness Entrepreneur and Expansion Partners. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, Phil refused to accept the limitations placed on his life. He rebuilt his health through bodybuilding, nutrition, training and self-education, before turning that knowledge into one of the most successful fitness business coaching companies in the UK. Connect Here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter He breaks down why most entrepreneurs are not really chasing revenue - they are chasing freedom, peace, control and options. He also explains why many founders build businesses from fear, scarcity and external validation, then wonder why success still feels unfulfilling. Phil shares: ▪️ How he became one of the UK’s leading fitness business coaches ▪️ Why skills come before cash when building a profitable business ▪️ Why most founders are really chasing freedom, peace and control ▪️ How to build a business around your life, not a life around your business ▪️ How emotional mastery affects business growth, leadership and decision-making ▪️ Why customer success, retention and repeat revenue create real wealth ▪️ How to scale a business with a lean, high-performance team Find out if Phil’s Expansion Partners is right for your business https://phil-graham.com/expansion-partners/ Key Moments: 0:00 — Phil Graham on defiance, freedom and success 6:00 — Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16 10:23 — Bodybuilding, nutrition and self-mastery 13:27 — Getting his first client and discovering business 15:18 — Moving from personal training into business coaching 17:23 — Scaling from one-to-one to one-to-many 18:37 — Building Fitness Entrepreneur 20:06 — Why clarity comes from action 21:12 — Business as personal development 25:05 — Emotions as a tool for growth 34:31 — Phil’s near-death experience 39:24 — Building from scarcity versus abundance 42:24 — Building a business around the life you want 45:49 — Why founders want freedom more than revenue 46:42 — The founder operating system 50:27 — Why skills lead to cash 54:19 — The Founder’s North Star 58:26 — The five growth drivers 1:00:24 — Why retention creates real wealth 1:02:46 — Leaving the laptop at home 1:05:28 — The lean team behind a profitable business 1:08:40 — Why big teams can create bloat 1:13:45 — Scaling without creating a monster 1:18:22 — Authority, profit and freedom 1:19:39 — The 90-day execution model 1:22:39 — Boutique versus mass-market growth 1:26:06 — Why profit matters more than turnover 1:27:20 — Business as the key to freedom

Frankie James is the founder behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Ideas Fest and one of the UK’s most influential entrepreneur communities. In this episode of Building The Brand, Frankie shares how she built a platform that celebrates and connects British founders, startup leaders, scale-up businesses and some of the UK’s most exciting future household-name brands. The Great British Entrepreneur Awards have helped spotlight entrepreneurs and brands including Grenade, BrewDog, Tangle Teezer, Dr.PAWPAW, Zilch, Cera Care and Simmer Eats. But this conversation is not just about business awards, black tie events or winning trophies. It is about the real power of UK entrepreneurship, founder community, business networking, face-to-face events, visibility, resilience and human connection. Frankie explains why entrepreneurial spirit in Britain is still alive and well, why the government needs to listen to founders across every region and industry, how GBEA became more than an awards programme, and why Ideas Fest has become known as the Glastonbury of business. She also opens up about intuition, ADHD, working with her partner Dylan, using AI in business communities, and why the best entrepreneurs are often not the ones with the perfect business model — but the ones hungry enough to keep figuring it out. Watch more episodes and connect here: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter ▪️ Why UK entrepreneurship is still alive and well ▪️ How Frankie James built the Great British Entrepreneur Awards ▪️ Why Ideas Fest became known as the Glastonbury of business ▪️ Why business awards can help founders build visibility and credibility ▪️ How founder communities help entrepreneurs through difficult times ▪️ Why entrepreneurship is not just tech companies in London ▪️ What Frankie looks for in future household-name founders ▪️ Why face-to-face events still matter in an AI-driven world ▪️ How AI can help connect founders, investors, partners and business support ▪️ Why the best entrepreneurs are hungry, resilient and willing to pivot ▪️ How Grenade, Simm Eats and other UK brands came through the GBEA ecosystem ▪️ Why there is nothing wrong with building a great business you enjoy running Key Moments: 0:00 — Frankie James and the UK entrepreneurship scene 0:30 — Is British entrepreneurship still alive and well? 1:52 — Why entrepreneurship is not just tech companies in London 3:57 — Frankie’s journey into business and entrepreneurship 7:03 — How the Great British Entrepreneur Awards started 8:38 — Building GBEA with data, insight and founder stories 10:03 — Spotting future household-name entrepreneurs 11:12 — Why business awards matter for founders 13:31 — Building community beyond trophies and events 15:21 — Ideas Fest: the Glastonbury of business 17:31 — Founder intuition, ADHD and big business decisions 19:13 — Scaling Ideas Fest from 1,200 to 6,000 people 22:12 — Why founder community matters during difficult times 24:47 — The hidden fear behind successful entrepreneurs 25:32 — Grenade, GBEA alumni and British business success stories 27:48 — The future of Ideas Fest and entrepreneur networking 31:11 — How AI could make business communities more human 35:16 — Creating meaningful connections at large-scale events 37:32 — Building a business you actually enjoy running 39:16 — Why Simmer Eats is a UK founder story to watch Reach out to Frankie ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/frangbea/⁠ Find out more about the Ideas Fest ⁠https://ideasfest.uk/⁠ Enter this year's ⁠Great British Entrepreneur Awards ⁠