Episodes

  • Built Like a Media Brand: BOSH!’s Challenger Brand Playbook: Founders Henry Firth & Ian Theasby

    Built Like a Media Brand: BOSH!’s Challenger Brand Playbook: Founders Henry Firth & Ian Theasby
    Mar 31 2026
    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 mins
  • How MOTH is Mixing Up Cocktail Category Rules | Rob Wallis, Moth Premium RTD Cocktails

    How MOTH is Mixing Up Cocktail Category Rules | Rob Wallis, Moth Premium RTD Cocktails
    Mar 17 2026

    Want a deliciously sharp lesson in brand growth, category creation and how challenger brands can win by bringing new shoppers into tired categories rather than fighting for share at the bottom shelf?

    Then dive into the insight served up in this episode by guest Rob Wallis, co-founder of MOTH Drinks, who takes me through how the brand created a new premium space in ready-to-drink cocktails and is driving significant category value.

    Rob explains how MOTH spotted a gap in the market for cocktails that tasted as good as what you would make at home, but with the convenience of a can. Most importantly, instead of designing to the existing category price point, MOTH built the best liquid first and priced it accordingly.

    Our conversation also explores what founders can learn from MOTH’s approach to where to play, how to build a strong category story for retail buyers, what premiumisation really looks like in practice, and why a culture of kindness and low ego can be a commercial advantage. Rob also shares how the team is approaching US expansion, why California matters so much in RTD, and how MOTH is thinking about AI without losing the human side of the brand.

    What You’ll Learn

    • How Moth went about creating a premium cocktail proposition - and persuading retail buyers that the market was there!
    • Why challenger brands should build product quality first, then price from there
    • How to identify the right channels and occasions to drive brand growth
    • What makes a strong category story for grocery buyers
    • Why culture, consistency and kindness can become commercial advantages

    Key Topics Discussed

    • Creating a top-shelf RTD cocktail brand
    • Premium pricing versus category norms
    • Building category value with incremental shoppers
    • UK versus US cocktail culture
    • Choosing where to play in retail and foodservice
    • Brand design and standing out on shelf
    • DTC growth and omnichannel strategy
    • Building culture in a scaling consumer brand
    • Managing quality with co-manufacturing partners
    • Using AI carefully inside a fast-growing CPG business

    If you enjoy this interview, PLEASE share it with a fellow founder, mate or colleague, subscribe or follow the show, and leave a review - it makes a real difference to us at Brand Growth Heroes!

    ============================================================

    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 today! To learn more contact hello@joelsonlaw.com

    ==============================================.

    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 our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEW
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    38 mins
  • The Secret Maths Formula YOU Need To Scale Your CPG Brand with Dr. James Richardson of Ramping Your Brand

    The Secret Maths Formula YOU Need To Scale Your CPG Brand with Dr. James Richardson of Ramping Your Brand
    Mar 3 2026
    What if I told you that there is a mathematical formula that separates those brands that scale really quickly and those brands that just tick along nicely? Well, there is one. I wish I had found out about it 25 years ago, but today the guest that we've got on the show (all the way from the USA) has studied this IN DETAIL, and comes on the show today to help YOU learn all about it.***If you like this episode and learn from it, PLEASE share it with a fellow founder or colleague, subsrcibe or folllow the show, and leave a review - it makes a real difference to us at Brand Growth Heroes**Dr James Richardson, author of 'Ramping Your Brand - How to Ride the Killer CPG Growth Curve', unpicks this maths for the first time, giving you the formula to help your brand scale like the enormous skate ramp brands in the USA.Ramping Your Brand (2nd Edition) - Dr. James Richardson's book on scaling premium CPG brands Dr. Richardson has lowered the price of the UK paperback from £18 to £9.99 until March 10What You'll Learn in This EpisodeThe Premium Pricing Trap - Why founders face unit economics that are 10-15x worse than big CPG companies (and why you can't avoid it)The 6-10% RoS Rule - The specific monthly growth rate in same-store sales that creates exponential "skate ramp" growthThe Heavy User Strategy - Why your first $10-25M requires a completely different customer acquisition approach than Byron Sharp's mass market playbookDistribution vs. Velocity - How to layer exponential velocity growth on top of linear distribution expansionThe Founder Evolution Journey - The #1 reason investors take over brands (and it's not what you think)Early Fan Research - How to identify and replicate your "Gonzo fans" without spending a fortune on market researchThe Danger of Slow Growth - Why growing too slowly can be just as fatal as not growing at all when you're undercapitalisedUseful LinksConnect with Dr James Richardson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/premiumgrowthsolutions/Ramping Your Brand (2nd Edition) - Dr. James Richardson's book on scaling premium CPG brands Dr. Richardson has lowered the price of the UK paperback from £18 to £9.99 until March 10Website: https://www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/Podcast: Startup Confidential (available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify)***If you like this episode and learn from it, PLEASE share it with a fellow founder or colleague, subsrcibe or folllow the show, and leave a review - it makes a real difference to us at Brand Growth Heroes**============================================================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 you to 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 for the second year running.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com==============================================.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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    29 mins
  • Stop Stealing Market Share & Create $100M Categories Instead with Category Pirate Eddie Yoon

    Stop Stealing Market Share & Create $100M Categories Instead with Category Pirate Eddie Yoon
    Feb 17 2026
    If you've ever heard me talk about Superconsumers, SuperGeos, or why you should Name, Frame, and Claim your new category - all of that thinking comes from today's guest, one of my heroes: Eddie Yoon.Eddie is one of the world's leading thinkers on category design. He's a longtime Harvard Business Review contributor, co-founder of Category Pirates (a top Substack you must subscribe to), and has spent decades advising Fortune 100 companies on how to create new categories instead of just fighting for scraps of market share.I've studied Eddie's work obsessively for years because he doesn't just teach marketing - he teaches thinking. AND in this conversation, we jam together (riffing on ideas, building on each other's thoughts) about why everything you've learned in marketing strategy is likely wrong.We talk about K-pop Demon Hunters, how Nespresso and Gillette grew massive categories, and why breakthrough categories don't come from better features or nicer packaging - they come from deeply understanding what outcomes your super consumers are looking for.This episode is PACKED with real-life brand examples: Velveeta, Keurig, Tesla, Spam Musubi, frozen peas, and more. Eddie brings category design to life with stories that will completely change how you think about growing your business.Next Steps: Go find your K-pop moment, your Velveeta insight, your frozen peas problem - that's where exponential growth lives!In This Episode You'll Learn:Why 99% of CPG brands are playing the wrong game - stealing market share vs. growing categories, and why the biggest companies are least likely to create new categoriesBenefits are dead, outcomes are everything - The Velveeta $100M growth story: how solving one super consumer outcome (getting kids to eat greens) unlocked massive growthThe power of super consumers & super geos - Why you should hire your super consumers, and the shocking Cherry Garcia data: 3,000 of 30,000 stores drove 80% of salesLightning strike marketing - How to turn a £60K budget into £600K of impact (the Dude Wipes strategy of keeping 75% of marketing unplanned)Don't be afraid to niche down - Why 99% of experts are wrong when they say you're leaving people behindUseful linksConnect with Eddie Yoon on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-yoon-ewg/Connect with Category Pirates on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/category-pirates/https://www.categorypirates.com/https://www.youtube.com/@categorypiratesMentioned in This Episode: Books & Frameworks:Competitive Strategy by Michael PorterSuperconsumers by Eddie YoonClayton Christensen's "Jobs to Be Done" (milkshake example)Byron Sharp (mentioned as conventional wisdom)Mentioned in This Episode: Brands & Case Studies:Gillette (China market expansion)Keurig vs. Starbucks VerismoNespressoVelveetaBen & Jerry's Cherry GarciaSpam & Spam Musubi (Hawaii)TeslaNvidiaK-pop Demon Hunters (Netflix)Dude WipesRogaineRoyal CaninAnheuser-Busch============================================================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 you to 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 for the second year running.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com==============================================.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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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Why AI Will Be Bigger Than the Internet With 'Silicon Valley's Most Wanted' Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer Fin.ai

    Why AI Will Be Bigger Than the Internet With 'Silicon Valley's Most Wanted' Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer Fin.ai
    Feb 3 2026
    Yep - we are at the start of a new world - a world where AI is going to be 'even bigger than the internet'. And as the leaders of challenger brands in CPG, we've gotta lean in. In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I’m joined by one of my oldest and best friends, Paul Adams, CPO & Marketing at a multi-billion dollar company, Intercom AND he is building Fin.ai. If you're not in 'Tech' you may not have heard of him, but Paul Adams is one of the world's most prominent tech product designers, researchers, and authors - recognised as one of the world's leading thinkers on the the intersection between humans and technology... and now between humans, commercialisation and AI.... amongst many other aspects of tech that most of us are not even privy to! Described as "one of Silicon Valley's most wanted", he's also one of my closest friends, and I can't tell you how proud we are of the young man who rocked up to live with us in Balham in 2002 to work at Dyson, his very first job. After only a few years he was poached by Facebook, where he made the platform 'mobile' and then Google, where he worked on making Gmail, Google and YouTube mobile too. It was while working for these behemoths that he moved to San Francisco with his wife Jennifer, who's one of my three besties (Love you, Jen), and became globally renowned on the Tech speaker scene. In this episode, Paul argues that AI isn’t just another new channel or tool. It’s a platform shift on the scale of the internet and potentially bigger. We talk about why the moment we’re in feels eerily similar to 1999, why marketing is getting less effective across the board, and why the brands that win next will look very different to the ones that won the last cycle.A bit more background on Paul:"Most Wanted" Status (2011): Paul Adams was highlighted by Fortune as a highly sought-after talent in Silicon Valley following his significant contributions to major tech firms.Google (Social Research): At Google, he led the social research team, and his work directly influenced the creation of "Circles," which became the foundational feature of Google+. He also worked on Gmail, YouTube, and mobile products.Facebook (Brand Experience): He later joined Facebook as the Global Brand Experience Manager, where he focused on research, design, and product strategy, working with marketers and advertising agencies.Intercom (Product Strategy): He joined Intercom as VP of Product in 2014, later becoming the Chief Product Officer.Thought Leadership: Adams is the author of Grouped: How Small Groups of Friends are the Key to Influence on the Social Web. His work on "The Real Life Social Network" is widely recognized as one of the most viewed presentations on the evolution of social networks.Background: Before his time in tech, he worked as a product designer at Dyson, where he designed electronic appliances. Current Status: As of September 2023, he was working as the Chief Product Officer at Intercom, focusing on product strategy in the age of AI.This isn’t a tactical 'AI' for the sake of AI episode. It’s a big-picture conversation about what’s actually changing, what’s already changed, and what brand builders need to understand to stay relevant over the next decade. it was this conversation that made me set up a buzzing new community called NextGen CPG - a community for AI-native founders. Take a look and see if you're eligible to join us hereUseful linksConnect with Paul Adams on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/Connect with Intercom The #1 AI Agent https://www.linkedin.com/company/intercom/Join the NextGen CPG WhatsApp community and LinkedIn page ============================================================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 you to 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 ...
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Why Marketing Doesn’t Matter Until You’re $100M+ SALES - David Lester, Co-Founder of OLIPOP

    Why Marketing Doesn’t Matter Until You’re $100M+ SALES - David Lester, Co-Founder of OLIPOP
    Jan 21 2026
    David Lester is the co-founder of OLIPOP, one of the MOST FAMOUS challenger brands in the United States. After our first interview IN PERSON at Bread & Jam Fest, London, David returns to us at Brand Growth Heroes to delve deeper into what it truly takes to scale a challenger brand at speed in the US. (cont'd below)============================================================The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 is back!Built for founders, marketers and brand leaders who want to grow brands the right way — with practical frameworks, real case studies and honest insight.Applications open: Monday 5th January 2026Applications close SOON: Midnight Sunday, 25th January 2026Limited places availableAll info & how to apply visit: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026============================================================(Cont'd) In this episode, David and I explore how businesses fundamentally change as they grow from a small founding team to an organisation of 250+ people. David shares why founders must constantly reassess their role as the company scales, how to think about hiring ahead of growth, and why senior hires should create an immediate sense of relief rather than uncertainty.The conversation also dives into fundraising across different stages of growth, with David unpacking what investors really care about at seed, Series A, B and C, why growth becomes the defining metric once revenue appears, and why raising more capital than you think you need can be a smart strategic move.Finally, David shares his perspective on expanding into the US, explaining why the scale, complexity and cost of the market are so often underestimated and why each state effectively operates like its own country.This episode is packed with practical insight for founders building teams, raising capital and navigating rapid growth especially those with ambitions to scale in the US.Useful linksConnect with David Lester on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lester-4b71b512/Connect with OLIPOP on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/olipop-pbc/OLIPOP WEBSITE https://drinkolipop.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooJ-CAEJQJEk4PaYpk7F5mOj0_nDbLy5H5PWaqed1idZWDd50NWFollow OLIPOP on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drinkolipop/Follow OLIPOP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drinkolipop========================================================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 you to 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 for the second year running.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com==============================================.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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    33 mins
  • STOP: Would You Build a House Without Instructions?

    STOP: Would You Build a House Without Instructions?
    Jan 12 2026

    Why do so many of us founders try to do the equivalent of building a flatpack house without the instructions? And then beat ourselves up internally when it turns out to be harder than expected? Or when you make mistakes that anyone would in the same situation? Would you spend years trying to make it work with no instructions — just half-torn pages you’ve collected along the way, doing your best to stitch them together?

    Not just the furniture mind you - The foundations. The skeleton. The plumbing. The electrics. The legal and safety stuff too....

    ... and while you're trying to build it, you're also trying to market it, sell AirB&B rooms and put the entire place up for sale?

    Would you spend 50-500k of your own money doing this, not to mention your unpaid time?

    That’s effectively what we do as consumer packaged goods founders.

    After a tough few years, after countless marathons, we often end up with good products, and a brand we feel passionate about.

    Perhaps we get some early D2C wins, and some early retailer traction too.

    But then the stakes get higher.

    We need to making pricing, channel, hiring and funding decisions without ever being able to see how the whole system fits together.

    So decisions get made in isolation - without us realising they are joined up. (think pricing decisions and customer or channel read-across - and if you don't know what that means, ask below and I will tell you from my own experience, mistakes and learnings!)

    Problems get fixed as they appear.
    But the cost shows up later - in margin, stress, or decisions that need undoing.

    This is happening to thousands of us, everyday.
    How ridiculous is that?
    We're all making the same mistakes, incurring the same costs, getting more and more stressed - without ever asking:

    Why am I not looking for a set of instructions for this?

    Why am I beating myself up for not getting it right without them?

    After 25+ years working inside and alongside consumer brands - from global blue-chip FMCG to fast-scaling challengers, I kept seeing this pattern repeat.

    So I built the decision-making framework I needed and I wrapped it up inside the BGH Mini MBA.

    With a peer and expert network, so you don’t have to carry this level of complexity on their own.

    Stop thinking you *should* be able to do this on your own.

    Fi Fitz ⚡ 💛


    Applications for the Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 cohort are now open.
    https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026
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    1 min
  • Blanco Niño: From Burrito Bar Detour to €10M Tortilla Chip Brand with Founder Phil Martin

    Blanco Niño: From Burrito Bar Detour to €10M Tortilla Chip Brand with Founder Phil Martin
    Jan 6 2026
    I'm thrilled to be interviewing fellow Irish person, Phil Martin, founder of Blanco Niño, to explore how an obsession with quality turned a burrito bar frustration into a multi-million-euro tortilla brand.... (cont'd below)============================================================The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 is back.Built for founders, marketers and brand leaders who want to grow brands the right way — with practical frameworks, real case studies and honest insight.Applications open: Monday 5th January 2026Applications close: Midnight Sunday, 25th January 2026Limited places availableAll info & how to apply visit: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026============================================================(Cont'd) Phil shares the unlikely path that took him from Ireland to Mexico in search of real corn tortillas and why learning how things fail allowed him to build something better. This is a conversation about how to turn craft into something that scales and choosing the long road when shortcuts would have been easier.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy Phil flew to Mexico with no contacts and asked to learn how to grow cornHow discovering real tortillas completely reset his understanding of qualityWhy it takes three days to make a Blanco Niño tortilla chip and why that mattersThe brutal realities of building a food factory from scratch (and nearly importing a “blowtorch attached to a tractor”)How Blanco Niño scaled from foodservice to retail and towards €10M in revenueWhy knowing every way something can fail allows you to push quality to the edgeThe personal cost of trying to do everything yourself and how founders avoid burnoutWhat it really means to build a challenger brand without shortcutsA big favour!So many of you regularly write to tell us how helpful Brand Growth Heroes interviews have been for you, how much you've learned and how it has helped you grow your consumer branded business...and we are so grateful every time we hear this!The podcast is something we do as a labour of love, so if our work has helped YOU, please please can you pay it forward by clicking FOLLOW & WRITING A SHORT REVIEW at the bottom of THIS page (by clicking Ratings and Reviews)Each review we get makes a MASSIVE difference to our business, the algorithms that performance it and the number of listeners THANK YOU.Useful linksConnect with Phil Martin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipmichaelmartin/Connect with Blanco Niño on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/blanco-nino/Blanco Niño website https://www.blanco-nino.com/Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/helloblanconinoFollow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/helloblanconinoThe book Phil mentioned: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday============================================================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 you to 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 for the second year running.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com==============================================. 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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    44 mins