Start-up marketing stories: The Marketing Hustle – Détails, épisodes et analyse

“It required a huge amount of sacrifice and wasn’t a pleasant lifestyle at the time…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that cuts through the BS to bring you unfiltered stories from start-up Founders of bold brands.

This week, your host Lottie chats to the Founder of POT GANG, Sam Smith.

A lockdown business that stood the test of time, POT GANG is all about getting people into growing their own fruit, veg and herbs, via monthly subscription boxes… not a biz that helps you grow pot!

Sam has been on an incredible journey with the brand, which started trying to grow his own fruit and veg during lockdown. Fast forward to today, Pot Gang now has over 50k customers and is officially The Sunday Times Best Gardening Subscription. 

Tune in to hear Lottie & Sam talk openly about their mental health challenges, reaching 100k monthly web visitors and the powerhouse of community marketing.

Finally… if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review, it helps more than you know. Now let’s get stuck in!

Chapters:

[00:49] Where POT GANG originated

[06:16] The eras of start-up growth

[14:14] The pot line: WhatsApp for business

[21:25] The chapter of ads and consumer behaviour

[30:15] Transitioning acquisition models

[34:02] How to build subscription retention 

[37:69] From Co-Founder to Solo Founder

[43:30] Generalised Anxiety Disorder: An insight 

[48:17] The price for bootstrapped growth? A mental health reality

[50:26] Cheerleading for sustainable start-up Purdy & Figg

Connect with Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sambsmith96/

Explore POT GANG: https://www.potgang.co.uk/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/ 

“The glass isn’t half full or half empty, it’s actually both, simultaneously…”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that cuts through the BS to bring you unfiltered stories from start-up Founders of bold brands.

This week, your host Lottie chats to the Co-Founder of SURI, Mark Rushmore.

Every year over 4 billion toothbrushes end up in landfill or in our oceans. That's enough to circle the globe twelve times

SURI may seem like the new kids on the electrical toothbrush block, but they are the highest rated toothbrush on TrustPilot… yes, surpassing Oral-B.

Their journey began back in 2021 with a mission to develop products that bring joy to the rituals people live by, while continually pushing the boundaries on what it means to be sustainable. They really are transforming one daily ritual at a time…

Tune in to discover Lottie & Mark discuss the ultimate power of product, focusing on consumer pinpoints and going back to business basics.

Finally… if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review, it helps more than you know. Now let’s get stuck in!

Chapters:

[1:02] Throwback to the P&G days

[3:58] Why SURI exists 

[7:19] Their first customer service lesson

[8:24] The key to SURI’s scale: biz basics

[14:55] The power of keeping things simple

[20:26] Having a complimentary Co-Founder

[22:48] Dealing with founder stress

[31:00] The equation for building teams

[38:30] Having a hustle mindset in startup world

[42:03] The edge to look for in top talent

[47:55] Staying on the sustainable path

Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-rushmore-b1240a19/

Explore SURI: https://www.trysuri.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Discover Up World + Brand Hackers: https://up-world.co/

“I feel like we’ve got our shit together, but at the same time I feel like we’re only just starting...”

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle, the podcast that breaks through the faff and hears from top marketers and Founders about what it takes to survive start up life.

This week, we spill the tea with Emilie Holmes, Founder of Good & Proper. Good & Proper was created to offer tea-drinkers the same quality experience that coffee-junkie folk across the UK love.

They have a range of award-winning teas available online, delivered direct to your door… and you’ve probably sipped on their brews in a cute indie cafe somewhere.

Since 2013, they have made ‘doing things properly’ their brand ethos, from sourcing the best tea leaves to becoming a B-corp biz… Founder, Emilie has been on quite the journey!

Tune in to peel back the layers of start up life, from marketing on a budget to navigating difficult conversations, and of course… getting the best from your brew.

A slice of what you’ll discover:

- How Good & Proper grew as a sustainable business

- The importance of a strong team structure

- Shaking up the tea industry

There are plenty of mentorship gems to pick up in this chat, so let’s pop the kettle on and get stuck in…

AND if you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review! It helps more than you know.

Chapters:

[2:15] Start up story: Selling tea from a van

[5:55] The power of focussing on less

[11:23] Creating an appetite for good tea

[17:08] Bringing purpose to activations

[23:39] Anxieties around growing a team

[29:05] Investments and what’s gone wrong

[34:47] Reframing failure with Lottie

[40:30] Being realistic with your brand goals

[46:55] The problem with female empathy

[49:49] Discovering leadership styles

[52:11] Navigating mum and entrepreneur life

[58:16] A quest for bringing magic to marketing

Connect with Emilie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilieholmes/

Explore Good + Proper: https://www.goodandpropertea.com/

Follow your host, Lottie Unwin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lottie-unwin-she-her-7b577742/

Join the UpWorld community: https://up-world.co/

In this episode of The Marketing Hustle, Lottie interviews Lee Thompson, CMO and Founder of Flash Pack, an award-winning adventure travel company that brings together solo travelers in their 30s and 40s. They discuss the journey of Flash Pack, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned. They also talk about the marketing strategies they employed, the disruption they brought to the travel industry, and their plans for future growth. Lee shares his insights on leadership, hiring, and standing out in marketing. 

Takeaways:

• Flash Pack was born out of a unique business idea and grew rapidly through innovative marketing strategies.

• The journey of Flash Pack has been a roller coaster ride, with highs and lows, but they have learned valuable lessons along the way.

• Marketing is not just the responsibility of the marketing team; it should be integrated into every aspect of the business.

• Standing out and being different is crucial in marketing, and candidates should showcase their creativity and unique ideas during interviews.

• Scaling a business in America can be challenging, and seeking advice and insights from others who have gone through a similar experience can be helpful

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Background

01:00: The Birth of Flash Pack

03:22: The Journey and Getting Stuff Done

06:36: Marketing Challenges and Lessons

13:10; The Roller Coaster of Flash Pack

17:05: Marketing Strategy and Growth

19:00: Leadership and Hiring

22:11: Disrupting the Travel Industry

23:38: Challenges and Future of Flash Pack

25:46: Marketing in America

28:38: Future Growth and Hiring

29:08: Standing Out in Marketing

31:00: Vulnerability and Honesty in Interviews

32:54: Scaling a Business in America

Barney Mauleverer, Co-Founder of Fuel 10k, is sharing his years of knowledge on how you get a business off the ground. 

In this episode, Barney and Lottie discuss the importance of product-market fit, branding, and marketing at the point of purchase. Barney shares lessons learned from failures and the influence of becoming a B Corp. Overall, the conversation highlights the challenges and successes of entrepreneurship and the importance of strategic decision-making. 

Barney also talks about the process of stepping back and how his ego handled the journey. He shares his realisation of being a generalist and the importance of surrounding oneself with specialists. Also explaining the strategy of handing over to a slicker team and creating opportunities for wannabe entrepreneurs.

Takeaways

• Building a successful business takes time and persistence.

• Marketing at the point of purchase can be more effective than traditional advertising.
• Learning from failures and being open to innovation are key to growth.
• Becoming a B Corp can have internal and external benefits for a business. B Corp certification can have a positive influence on a brand and its industry.
• Stepping back and letting go of control is an important part of the entrepreneurial journey.
• Being a generalist and surrounding oneself with specialists can lead to success.

• A strong team can multiply the founder's energy and contribute to the company's success.

Alex, the co-founder and CEO of Dash Drinks, provides insights into Dash's mission-driven approach, creative marketing strategies, and commitment to addressing food waste while also achieving commercial success.

From farming to tackling the government on mandatory food waste reporting for companies. Dash has evolved massively over time, from humble beginnings with basic products and minimum viable products to viral out-of-home campaigns that inadvertently gained attention due to a controversial image. 

Find out how Dash Drinks has made marketing and online sales work for them and helped a start-up go BIG. 

How Volcano Coffee Works pioneered a premium sub-category

Emma Loisel, Co Founder and Chairman of Volcano Coffee Works on how to build a business and change the definition “good coffee”. She talks about launching pods before the market was ready and why your caffeine from the supermarket isn’t what you think it is…

A lot goes into building a brand, we all know that. But we never get to see the many small steps that led to success; the first social campaigns, establishing a tone of voice and the marketing strategies that worked or didn’t. Sure, we might hear about the founding story or the huge campaigns years later that caught our attention. But what about the in between?

In this series Lottie Unwin, Founder of the Copy Club, explores the steps along the way.

The strategies, hustle and hard work that got some of our favourite brands their first 10,000 customers.

Find out more at: thecopyclub.co.uk

ATL media doesn’t drive sales and is prohibitively expensive, right? Tom Lucas at Squadron Media says no. He covers the three most common f*ck ups when brands buy media, how marketers forget who their customer really is and argues that it’s not your creative that needs to change to increase revenue but your media strategy. Hit the subscribe button to not miss an episode.

Reach out on LinkedIn if you’d like to recommend a guest. 

How Bold Bean Co reels get 100k impressions and more

Welcome back to The Marketing Hustle Season 5! In our debut episode, join my conversation with the Founder of Bold Bean Co (and the talk of the Marketing world right now), Amelia Christie-Miller. We discuss getting to 100,000 impressions per reel, how she revolutionised the bean brand into a trendy, culinary staple, her struggles with TikTok and much more.
Check them out on Instagram and TikTok at @boldbeanco
Thanks for listening and hit the subscribe button to not miss an episode!
If you’re interested in being a guest on the pod, drop an email to:
harrietking@up-world.co

In this episode, we talk to Akin ONAL, the founder of Baby MORI, a leading D2C baby and toddler clothing brand that prioritises the use of organic fabrics and high-quality materials to promote family well-being. Akin's journey to success was far from typical, with a background in engineering, management consulting, and investment banking. But despite the odds, he managed to get his products in the hands of none other than Kim Kardashian herself! Tune in as Akin shares his unconventional path to marketing, the challenges he faced along the way, and the strategies that propelled Baby MORI to the top of the industry. 

Lottie and Akin sit down to discuss:

• The importance of learning over testing

• How to ensure repeat customer purchases

• The difference between between relationships and influencers

• Hiring the perfect person for a startup and ensuring the correct cultural fit