Explore every episode of the podcast Makin Mighty Challenger Growth Podcast: Retail, sales and commercial thinking for underdog food and drink brands.

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Series 2 starts on Tuesday 6 October.

The podcast has a new name. The Challenger Sessions has gone, partly because it was trying a bit too hard for a man sat in a small office in St Helens, and partly because it told you nothing about what the show is actually for.

The first series finished five months ago. Since then Simon has been working with brands, sitting in buyer meetings, building sales plans, negotiating and getting things wrong, which is where most of the material for Series 2 came from.

Series 2 goes deeper into the things that actually decide whether a food or drink brand grows:

- How to approach buyers, and why nobody replies to your emails
- What retailers actually say yes to
- What happens after you get the listing
- Negotiation, pricing, distribution and rate of sale
- The commercial decisions founders have to make before they can afford a proper sales team

Founders, buyers and operators, plus plenty of Simon telling you how he thinks this stuff works. You are very welcome to disagree.

New episodes every Tuesday for twelve weeks, starting 6 October.

Follow the show and the first episode will land on its own.

**Makin Mighty**

Makin Mighty helps underdog food and drink brands sell like the big players do. Twenty years in FMCG, six of them inside a £16bn food business, now working fractionally with founders who are outgunned commercially and done with bad support.

Stuck and not sure what to fix first? Email Simon and ask for the **MOT Lite**. It is free, it is a short set of straight questions, and you get back a clear read on the biggest thing holding you up.

If you want the full picture, the **Mighty MOT** is the proper commercial health check. Around half an hour of your time, and within a week you get back the three things costing you most, what to do about each one, and an honest read on whether you need outside help at all. £795 + VAT at mightymot.com, and £495 + VAT when you run it again six to twelve months later.

LinkedIn: Simon Greenwood-Haigh | LinkedIn
Web: makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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What do retailers actually want from challenger brands — and what gets you ignored instantly?

In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh speaks with Chris Otto, who spent nearly 20 years at Co-op in buying roles and leading buying teams across frozen, impulse and grocery.

We get into:

•  what “challenger” really means from a retailer perspective 
•  why challenger brands matter to retailers (innovation, energy, relevance, younger shoppers) 
•  what gets a buyer’s attention vs the red flags that get you filed away 
•  how busy buyers really are (new supplier volume + existing supplier workload) 
•  what successful challengers do operationally and commercially once listed 
•  how to think beyond the first 6–12 weeks and build incrementally over time 

If you’re pitching retail — or trying to stay listed — this is essential listening.

Link:
 www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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AI is everywhere in sales right now — and most of what people are doing either turns into spam, or it’s so complicated nobody uses it.

In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh speaks with Craig — founder of Cheesies and a commercial operator/consultant turned AI practitioner — about how challenger brands can use AI to sell more without losing their human edge.

We cover:

•  why sales is one of the safer career paths in an AI world (and what will actually change) 
•  the biggest misuse Craig sees: generic inputs leading to generic output 
•  a practical “start here” setup (Claude Pro, global instructions, connectors, and better prompting) 
•  how to keep AI outreach human, on-brand, and believable 
•  what Craig learned building Cheesies: focus on a single audience and spot early traction signals 
•  what he’d do differently if starting a brand today with AI agents from day one 
•  Craig’s new venture, The Expedition, helping FMCG leaders integrate AI properly 

Link:
 www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Getting listed is exciting. Staying listed is the hard bit.

In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh speaks with Ja and Jag, founders of Superfoodio, about what really drives rate of sale once you’re on shelf.

They share practical, founder-level tactics on:

• why availability is the first battle (and how brands get caught out)
• early retail mistakes you only learn the hard way (including a barcode issue that nearly got them pulled)
• what they do first in a new retailer to drive volume
• activations that actually shift units (not just look good online)
• building store colleagues into brand champions when you can’t be everywhere
• how packaging becomes your salesperson when you’re not in store
• why improving 1% at a time through data and feedback loops keeps momentum going

If you’re a challenger brand trying to win once you’re in retail, this is gold.

Link:
 www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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How do you make a 200-year-old heritage brand behave like a modern challenger — without losing what made it famous?

In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh speaks with Josh Daly, who helped take Grey Poupon from being “in the wilderness” to behaving like a brand with a clear point of view.

We get into:

• why Grey Poupon got delisted (and why that was actually useful context)
• how to spot duplication and pull away from the incumbent
• what was sacred (product quality, the jar) vs what had to change (tone, audience, comms)
• fast, scrappy insight gathering (farmers’ markets, real conversations)
• the tactics that moved the needle: a challenger campaign, relevant creators, merch, and smart use of data
• what Josh would do more of, less of, and avoid completely

If you’re trying to modernise a legacy brand or sharpen differentiation in a crowded category, this one will land.

Link:
 www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Early-stage founders often try to rush to “perfect” — perfect branding, perfect plans, perfect decks — before they’ve sold a single unit.

In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner unpack what “good enough” really means for challenger brands, and why perfection is often just procrastination dressed up as strategy.

We cover:

• why selling early beats endless planning
• where you can compromise (and where you absolutely can’t)
• why big brands still launch products that flop, even after loads of testing
• the difference between being “rough and ready” vs being careless
• a useful mental model: “precisely wrong vs roughly right”

If you’re building a challenger brand and feeling pressure to look bigger than you are, this episode is a reset.

Link:
 www.makinmighty.com 

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Loads of challenger brands describe themselves as “premium”. But premium isn’t a word you write in a strategy doc — it’s something you deliver, end to end.

In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner break down the difference between looking premium and being premium — and why getting this wrong is one of the fastest ways to lose trust (and repeat purchase).

We cover:

• why premium needs to show up in the whole customer journey, not just the packaging
• how small details (emails, delivery, unboxing, service) create the premium feeling
• the Zappos story: customer service as the real differentiator
• how premium pricing without premium value (or margin) falls apart quickly
• why over-engineering can be as bad as under-delivering

Link:
 www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Founders love their origin story. Buyers don’t buy it.

In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner unpack why brand storytelling so often falls flat in retail and commercial conversations.

We talk about:

• why relevance beats romance when you’re trying to sell
• why your brand is the sidekick, not the hero
• when storytelling does work (and what it needs to do)
• examples where story builds credibility and trust (and where it’s just noise)

If you’re building a challenger brand and leading with your founder story, this is a useful reset.

Link:
 www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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A lot of founders blame the algorithm when their content doesn’t land. It’s a convenient scapegoat.

In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner unpack what’s really going on: most challenger brands don’t have an algorithm problem — they’ve got a messaging problem.

We get into:

• why “going viral” is not a strategy
• how consistency beats random spikes
• why knowing exactly who you’re talking to changes everything
• what great brands do differently (Surreal, Red Bull, and a couple of weird ones you’ll want to look up)

If you’re building a challenger brand and posting loads without seeing results, this episode will help you tighten the message and make content easier to create.

Links:
 Makin Mighty: www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Getting listed is not the win...it’s permission to start proving yourself.

In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh is joined by Jasmine Wheelhouse (CEO/“Pea-EO” of Taking the Pea) to talk honestly about the retail reality for challenger brands: getting a buyer’s attention, winning the pitch, and what it takes to stay listed once you’re on shelf.

We cover:

• what “retail ready” really looks like in practice
• buyer ghosting and the resilience required to keep pushing
• what buyers are actually listening for
• the “first big retailer” catch-22
• the money trap founders fall into when they’re desperate for traction

Links:
 Taking the Pea: www.takingthepea.com

Makin Mighty: www.makinmighty.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Design matters. But design cannot rescue a product or business that does not deliver.

In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner get into the uncomfortable truth founders need to hear: if you are using design to hide bigger problems, the market will find you out fast.

We talk about:

• why great branding cannot compensate for weak product experience (including Simon’s honest take on Ugly Drinks)
• how “cool” design can create hype that dies the moment someone tries the product
• the importance of knowing exactly who your core audience is (and using it as a filter for decisions)
• why big rebrands fall flat when they ignore brand equity and customer expectation (hello Jaguar)
• why founders copy the wrong brands and end up building something that feels disingenuous
• the power of being obsessed with a few clear USPs, not trying to claim 20 at once (we use Aldi as a great example of single-minded execution)

If you are building a challenger brand, this is a reminder that design should amplify clarity, not create it.

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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A lot of early-stage brands feel world-class before they’ve actually proven anything.

In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott dig into a pattern we keep seeing: confidence that shows up before competence...and how it quietly kills momentum.

We talk about where overconfidence shows up first (hint: it’s usually not where founders think), why design polish can become a mask for weak fundamentals, and what “earned confidence” actually looks like in challenger brands.

If you’re building a challenger brand in food and drink (or any crowded category), this episode will help you tighten the basics, focus on proof, and stop confusing vibe with traction.

To get in touch with Scott (who is the reason this episode is much better edited than any I do solo) email him at: coneyfilms@gmail.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Most food and drink brands say they’ve got a tone of voice but walk down any supermarket aisle and you’d struggle to tell them apart.

In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh is joined by Kevin Karaca, founder of The House Outside, to unpack what tone of voice actually is, why so many brands play it safe, and how challenger brands can use language to create clarity, memory and real stopping power.

We get into:

• why “sounding like everyone else” is usually fear, not strategy
• the difference between clear vs clever (and why clever often loses)
• what a brand really is (hint: it’s not your logo)
• a practical way to find a voice that’s actually yours

If you’re a founder or brand builder trying to stand out and sell more, this one will help.

Got a question you want answering or a topic covering? Why not text or send it into me? makinmighty@gmail.com

If you want to contact the amazing Kevin Karaca drop him a line on: hi@thehouseoutside.com or visit www.thehouseoutside.com

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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Chilled is one of the toughest places to build a food brand and most challengers don’t survive it.

In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh sits down with Gaz Booth, founder of Holy Moly, to talk honestly about what it really takes to break through in a brutal category.

We get into the real story behind the brand, the early mistakes, what scaling actually teaches you, and the misconceptions founders have about marketing and selling in chilled.

This is a grounded, practical conversation for anyone building a challenger brand in food and drink without the fluff.

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com

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In this first solo episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh breaks down what a challenger brand actually is and why most brands get it wrong.
It’s a short, honest look at the mindset that separates real challengers from the ones who only use the word in their pitch deck.
Simon shares the core truths he’s seen across the industry, the common traps founders fall into, and a simple definition of challenger behaviour that sets the foundation for the whole show. 

If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty

And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes.

Thanks for listening. See you next time

makinmighty@gmail.com