Brand Growth Heroes

• Brand Alchemy: The £Multi Million Formula for Challenger Brand Success, with big fish Perry Haydn-Taylor

  In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona Fitz is joined by one of the most influential figures in UK brand building over the last 30 years:  the incredible Perry Haydn-Taylor, the creative mind behind one of the most famous brand consultancies in the business big fish®.Fiona first met Perry in 2006 during her time heading up Gü France, and this conversation is full of the same sharp insight, warmth, and strategic clarity that made their early boardroom chats unforgettable.With a client list that includes some of the UK’s most beloved challenger brands - think Gü, Charlie Bigham’s, Dorset Cereals, Clipper Teas, Sipsmith, Tyrrells, St. Pierre, Freddy’s Flowers, sofa.com, and more! Perry and his team at big fish® have consistently helped founders transform big ideas into commercially successful, category-defining businesses.In this episode, you'll learn:Why the most successful founders are “restless in pursuit of better”The Power of Three framework: clarity × focus × effort = sustainable growthHow to articulate your unfair advantage and make the right choice the easy oneThe role of charisma and storytelling in building buy-in from investors, retailers, and consumersHow Big Fish has reframed entire categories — from tea and chocolate to salad and flowersWhy hiring, values, and strategic simplicity are key to scaling wellThis is a candid and insightful deep dive into what matters when building a brand, not just design and packaging, but conviction, focus, and a deep understanding of your customer.If you’re navigating the messy middle of your growth journey, this episode is packed with practical frameworks and fresh perspective.Useful Links:big fish websiteConnect with Perry on LinkedInConnect with big fish on LinkedIn============================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm=============================================================If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.And that starts with the right legal partner.So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at [email protected]!==============================================A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

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• The Grocer Gold WINNERS Bold Bean Co: The People Power Behind the Beans!

  Last night, Amelia Christie-Miller won THE GROCER GOLD ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2025!!We're so proud of you, Ed and your team, and honoured to have supported you right from the very start of your journey!!Amelia makes the point that this win is not just hers, but that "it belongs to every single person who believed in the bean revolution:🏆 The Bold Bean Co | B Corp™ team who've hustled relentlessly to get us into 1000+ stocking points 🏆 My co-founder Ed Whelpton, who I eventually managed to persuade to join me on this mad journey and has transformed the business and experience for me.🏆 Our investors who backed beans when everyone else said "you'll never disrupt Heinz" or “commodity category brands won’t work”.🏆 The bean champs who clear our shelves at Waitrose & Partners and send our cookbooks to their friends! 🏆 The retailers who gave shelf space to a crazy idea about premium jarred legumes." (Amelia Christie-Miller, LinkedIn)So, in this week’s power-packed Brand Growth Heroes SHORT, Fiona chats with Ed Whelpton and Amelia Christie-Miller, the visionary co-founders of Bold Bean Co., about one of the most complicated but most critical challenges in early-stage FMCG brands: getting the right people into the business.From accidental brilliance to strategic investment, Ed and Amelia reveal:Why external advice is underratedHiring a fractional Head of People (yep, early!)Ditching the office for a ‘connectivity budget’What truly modern leadership looks likeWhether you’re scaling a team or just starting to hire, this is your short, sharp insight hit.This BGH Short is part of our people series, hand-picked by the brilliant team at MKJ Ignite – the FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles. This short is full of practical people insights. Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that thrive.A new 5-7 minute episode drops every two weeks, so make sure to HIT FOLLOW and don’t miss the next one.If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedInConnect with Immy Southwell on LinkedInConnect with Paul Jones on LinkedInFollow MKJ Ignite on InstagramConnect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

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• From Addiction & ADHD -> Creating A Billion Dollar Category - Josh White, Founder Cano Water

  Sometimes the most the powerful challenger brand stories are also stories of struggle, survival, overcoming personal battles and inspiring strength and resilience.In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona sits down with Josh White, co-founder of Cano Water, a brand that’s not only challenging the status quo of the bottled water industry but also reshaping it entirely.It all started with a question: Why are there so many plastic bottles in the sea AND why are we still drinking water from plastic bottles when cans are infinitely recyclable?What followed was a radical mission to reduce plastic waste. In the process, Cano Water helped create an entirely new sustainable category, which is now worth over a billion dollars.But behind the brand is a much deeper story.In this raw and intimate conversation, Josh opens up to Fiona Fitz about growing up with ADHD, his battle with addiction from a young age, and how his personal struggles became the driving force behind his purpose. He shares what it’s really like building a fast-growing challenger brand when the industry doesn’t want you to win, the loneliness of leadership, and the resilience it takes to prove people wrong.We explore how CanO Water came to define a new category in sustainability and what it takes to create real change in an industry that often resists disruption. Josh opens up about the early days—what it felt like to be laughed at by retailers and ignored by investors—and the moment it all changed thanks to an unexpected catalyst.We dive into how ADHD has shaped Josh’s journey as a founder, both as a challenge and as a superpower, and the emotional toll of leading a mission-led business when the pressure never lets up. And as a new Dad, Josh speaks candidly about fatherhood, the guilt that comes with trying to balance family and work, and the legacy he wants to build, not just as an entrepreneur, but as a parent.This is a conversation that will stick with you.Useful Links:Cano Water websiteConnect with Josh on LinkedInInstagram & Facebook & TikTok=============================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm=============================================================If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.And that starts with the right legal partner.So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at [email protected]!==============================================A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

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• The Perfect Ted People Strategy: Building the Rocket Ship While It’s Flying

  In just 5 mins, get your dose of insight and inspiration from Perfect Ted's co-founder Marisa Poster, and their brilliant Head of Sales, Shani Higgs!From the early grind of cold emails and constant rejection through post-Dragons’ Den momentum to scaling a £ 30M+ brand with just a 30-strong team, Marisa and Shani open up about how they’re building a really special team culture, as well as the global 'Matcha Movement'.Hear how Perfect Ted has become a magnet for kind, passionate, hardworking people:Why hiring for both skills and values matters now more than everThe power of team culture and shared belief in scaling fastWhy is it the easiest sales job you’ll ever have at Perfect Ted?How networking and saying yes can change everythingWhy does working with people you genuinely like make all the difference?Hand-picked by the brilliant team at MKJ Ignite – the FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles – this short is full of practical people insights. Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that thrive.A new 5-minute episode drops every two weeks — so make sure to HIT FOLLOW and don’t miss the next one.If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedInConnect with Immy Southwell on LinkedInConnect with Paul Jones on LinkedInFollow MKJ Ignite on InstagramConnect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn

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• Smol but mighty: The CGO & CMO Fueling this £44M Disruptor in Homecare

  What’s the ACTUAL difference between a Chief Growth Officer and a Chief Marketing Officer,what do they do and why might a high-growth brand need both?BGH host Fiona Fitz has been in the industry for 25+ years, and believe it or not, these roles are relatively new, borrowed from the worlds of tech and e-commerce, pure plays. So we decided it was high time to investigate what exactly a chief growth officer does and how they work alongside a chief marketing officer.In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona digs into that exact question with two of the most strategic minds behind one of the UK’s most successful DTC brands, smol. Neil Campbell is Chief Growth Officer, and Hilary Strong is Smol’s Chief Marketing Officer. Together, they break down how they work in tandem to scale a brand that’s grown to £44M in sales, without relying on traditional advertising or a big retail presence.Neil and Hilary explore how customer lifetime value, subscription retention, and channel strategy combine to build a high-repeat-rate, mission-led brand. They also discuss how Smol segments its audience, turns data into action, and balances performance marketing with long-term brand building.If you’ve ever wondered how to move from organic to scalable growth—or whether it’s time to bring in more senior commercial firepower to your team, this conversation will give you both the strategic context and the practical next steps. You’ll hear how Smol has built a brand so loved that customers travel across the country just to meet the team in person and why they’re still holding off on going big in retail despite the temptation.This episode is packed with real-world insight, actionable strategy, and a glimpse into what modern DTC growth leadership really looks like. Enjoy!Useful Links:smol websiteConnect with Neil CampbellConnect with Hilary StrongFollow smol on Instagram & FacebookA small favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please hit FOLLOW and even leave a review! This tiny gesture means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often. We see every new follower and read every review, so thank you in advance!=============================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm=============================================================If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.And that starts with the right legal partner.So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at [email protected]!==============================================A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.

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