Wax Lyrical

One of the main challenges you’ll face as you scale your business is attracting and retaining the best people.  And that’s the subject for episode two of our Scale Up Playbook. Wax/On's Mark Runacus and Harry Neale are joined by founders and leaders who generously share their own fascinating experiences of the people side of growing a business. We discuss your leadership role and your skills; how to make your strategy understandable and accessible by everyone in the company; support networks and mentors; making those big important senior hires; team-building and team-work; diversity and inclusion; and the vital ingredients of the very best scale-up culture.  Thanks to our podcast guests from Eve Sleep, Virgin Media O2, Bread and Jam, Double Dutch, Fitbakes, RealWork, Lucky Saint, Waken, YuLife, and Horseplay Ventures. +++++   Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com   

Ask any Founder and they’ll tell you that raising money to grow your business is hard work. There are urban myths about it being easier to pitch for a million than for five thousand.  So whether you’re scaling up or even starting up, which funding approach should you take? And why?  In this episode we find out by speaking to the people who've done it: Snaffling Pig’s Udhi Silva; Will McDowell from Tastily; Direct To Consumer Expert Mike Stevens; Scott Simpkin from Seedrs; Chris Smith from Playfair Capital; and Nick Telson from Horseplay Ventures.  Mark and Harry and their guests guide you along the entire scale-up funding journey, from pre-seed, through crowd-funding and angels, to series A and B and venture capital.  +++++   Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com   

Udhi Silva, co-founder of pork snacks brand Snaffling Pig joins Harry and Mark to explain how they transformed the humble pork scratching from a pub food accompanying a pint and a game of darts, to an artisan snack targeted at 30-something women.   He talks about bringing to life their tongue-in-cheek ethos of escaping the rind of life with the most pun-packed brand personality; their successful Dragon’s Den experience; the power of crowd-funding; their brand innovations including sell-out advent calendars and barbeques;  and a favourite TV ad that broke the internet with over 300 million views!   +++  This is our final podcast of 2021.  THANK YOU for listening and THANK YOU to all our guests. We'll be back in 2021 with our fourth season which we're calling The Scale-Up Playbook - sharing what we've learned from the many successful Founders we've met in the past 50+ episodes.   +++++   Meanwhile talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.

Our latest Wax Lyrical guest, Will McDowell Founder and CEO of Tastily, talks us through the meal subscription space; one that is still in its infancy in the UK. He explains that Tastily is for food lovers who are short on time. He also takes us on his bumpy journey from initial idea to production, and shares his direct to consumer marketing tips: what's worked well, and what hasn't worked quite so well.  If you're interested in exciting (and tasty - we've tried them!) new food products, you must give this a listen.  +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com   

Mike calls himself "the start-up guy" having learned the ropes in the early days at Innocent, and then founding and successfully exiting from his own confectionary brand Peppersmith. He realised the importance of the direct to consumer channel but found little useful guidance out there, so he decided to write it himself. He joins Wax/On's Harry and Mark to talk about his own start-up and scale-up experiences, and what he's learned interviewing other Founders to gather the insights for his book on direct to consumer best practice. Mike explains how Innocent's "superbrain" was the key to its success; his post COVID positive outlook for direct to consumer brands; and how he hopes his book truly inspires the next generation of Founders. One of the reasons he loves D2C is because "it's the best way to test the market without a retail buyer telling you your product's not right for their store."   If you're interested in D2C, you must give this a listen.   +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your

Jason Gibb had a successful career as a TV producer: he brought Scrapheap Challenge to our screens,, exported it as Junk Yard Wars to the US and lived in Hollywood. But he tired of what he describes as his shallow existence in LA, and decided to do something more "wholesome" so he moved to Italy, bought an olive grove, and managed to sell his first harvest to Selfridges. He sold the business - Nudo Italia - and was inspired to create Bread and Jam, a festival for food and drink entrepreneurs.  Jason talks about his life in Hollywood, then encouraging his customers - including Barbra Streisand - to adopt olive trees, but most of all what he's learned from the many successful Founders he's worked with as part of Bread and Jam.  https://www.breadandjamfest.com/festival2021  +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com   

"We knew that Coca Cola and Pepsi wouldn't do it. And we could. This is what we stand for," says Orla Weir, Global Direct To Consumer and Brand Manager of Ugly Drinks on their unique brand. In this fascinating interview she explains  "We want to rebel against the fact that people are being given the sugary and sweetened products, but told they're all about something else… The ugly logo itself has this 'U' that’s kind of shaped like a tongue. And for us that was always a bit like sticking your tongue out at the big dogs."  Join us as Orla talks more about maintaining her brand's distinctiveness, launching in the US, the ups and downs of crowd-sourcing new flavours, and what she would love to do if she had the luxury of a big marketing budget."    +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com 

Gymbox broke the mould for fitness when they launched in 2003 from a converted car park in the centre of London. Since then they've gained a reputation as an experience brand that does cool and edgy ads that get noticed. In our first off-Zoom and recorded-out-in-the-real-world podcast, Wax/On's Mark Runacus meet's Gymbox's Brand and Marketing Director Rory McEntee to learn how they take creative risks ("ask for forgiveness not permission" Rory tells his team), how he keeps his experience brand fresh using a combination of in-house resources, freelancers, and agencies, and how he sees the fitness industry evolving post COVID.   +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com 

"We only had three weeks of cash. And then we came out victorious. And we were the second biggest selling lager on Amazon only behind a 24 pack of Fosters. We pivoted the business. We went hard into DTC, and a few months later, we were in 1500 grocery stores," explains Lucky Saint MD Emma Heal of the brand's hectic experience of Lockdown. Along with Founder Luke Boase, the duo talk about how they produce an authentic pilsner without alcohol; how COVID has driven an increase in the so-called moderation trend towards no and low alcohol brands; before surprising us with a £10 off code so all Wax Lyrical listeners can try the beer for themselves. Enjoy! 

Is crowdfunding right for your business? Find out by listening in to this episode as we're joined by Scott Simpkin from equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs. Scott explains that the Seedrs mission is to really democratise investment, with people literally buying into companies from as little as £10. He goes on to say that it's a great opportunity to both raise money and create a highly engaged community of investors, customers, and powerful advocates. We also talk about how COVID has led to a rise in entrepreneurism in the UK. Scott also explains how and when you should consider crowdfunding, great investments he missed out on, and new investments coming up next on Seedrs. +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE

FLOWERBX Co Founder and CEO Whitney Bromberg Hawkings discovered that 60% of flowers that go into a shop are wasted. That prompted her to create her negative working capital model - meaning flowers are specifically cut to order which she says has less environmental impact, and gives her customers better quality flowers for better value. Whitney tells Harry and Mark why she left "the best job in fashion" as Senior VP of Communications for Tom Ford, to set up her own business. She shares the challenges she faced and her successes, and teaches us all about beautiful flowers. +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE

Healthy dog snack brand Denzel’s is sold just like human snacks in convenience stores and petrol stations. Founders James Lacy and Nathan Perry explain it wasn’t easy persuading retail buyers to do that, but now they have, it outsells traditional channels for them. In our latest scale-up podcast James and Nathan explain how they gave up their comfortable jobs, moved into a garage, and decided to create a new category: healthy dog snacks. hear how they did it, how they secured their first major listing in Sainsbury's, and a significant investment from Virgin +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE 

In this episode we’re joined by Jeremy King, Founder and CEO of Attest, the consumer research tool and technology platform that helps brands and businesses grow without guesswork, to talk about one of the biggest shifts in business in the last few years, Direct to Consumer (or D2C for short). We discuss their latest report delving into the sector – the D2C Digest – and some of the key learnings that have come out of it, such as reasons to be optimistic about the D2C landscape, what has made D2C so successful and how in a post-pandemic world D2C businesses will continue to prosper. Plus, we learn all about Jeremy’s favourite “Big Ad”, inspired by Lord of the Rings and British Airways, telling the story of a pint of beer. +++++ Download the D2C Digest report here https://www.askattest.com/the-d2c-digest?utm_source=waxlyrical&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=waxlyricalq22021 +++++ VOTE for your favourite D2C brand https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-runacus-mbe-2249091_podcast-d2c-d2cbrands-activity-6795

Nick Telson, co-creator of the hugely successful night-out booking platform Design My Night and now Co Founder of investment fund and "start-up playground" Horseplay Ventures, joins us to talk about the nightlife sector's renaissance post-COVID and much more. He shares the highs and lows of his own start-up journey, including when and why to exit. Plus what happens if you get Seller's Remorse? Nick explains he's discovered that money doesn't drive him: he enjoys the hustle and bustle of business. He also tells us what he's doing to try and improve inclusion in the start-up community. And we learn that his favourite TV ad may have been inspired by a 19th century British pre-raphaelite painting. +++++ https://horseplay.ventures/ +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE 

Black Bee Honey's Chris Barnes and Paul Webb tell us that a honey bee can fly at 15 mph, that bees must gather nectar from 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey, and that it would only take one ounce of that honey to fuel a bee to fly right around the world. In this fascinating episode which provides an insight into the amazing world of bees, Chris and Paul share their founders stories and explain how they shifted from an urban hive rental company to a consumer brand which offers the best of UK-produced honey. +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE

In this special edition of the podcast we have tips for anyone entering this year's Marketing Society Awards. Society President and Chair of Judges Syl Saller CBE explains why her Diageo team enter the awards. And we chat to two of this year's judges, Camelot CMO Keith Moor and Octopus Energy CMO Rebecca Dibb-Simkin. They tell us what they're looking for in an award-winner, and share their tips on crafting a successful entry. +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE 

Brands With Values Managing Director and Marketing Society Fellow Adrian Walcott joins Wax/On's Mark Runacus and Paul Jacobs to explain ways we can improve inclusion in our workplaces. Adrian talks openly about his own struggles as a young black man to get a job in marketing, before securing senior roles at Barclays and Eurostar. He tells us how being your authentic self unlocks your superpowers, and how he wishes he'd turned to Karen Blackett OBE earlier in his career for mentoring. Plus of course his favourite TV ad, from 1986. +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE

Serial start-upper Fleur Emery joins Cairen and Mark to share her own experiences as a successful entrepreneur. She tells her stories of pitching for investment and pitching to retailers. She explains why we should stop calling it pitching, and how the best approach is to be your authentic self. Fleur talks about her latest venture - Real Work - https://www.doreal.work/ which she describes as an online co-working space for women. And reveals her most memorable, but not necessarily favourite, TV ads from the 1970s and 1980s. https://youtu.be/CVOMK6YD6fw +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE 

Wax/On's Mark Runacus and Paul Jacobs welcome vegan food brand Better Nature's co founder Elin Roberts to the first Wax Lyrical of 2021 to discuss the huge growth of Veganuary. They ask Elin how important the movement is for her brand, whether conventional meat production might disappear altogether in the future, and amidst massive growth in the plant-based foods category, how Better Nature can compete. Elin also provides her own tips on enjoying Veganuary, including her favourite quick and easy vegan recipe. Plus of course her own favourite TV ad, featuring some colourful clowns. +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE

Rory Sutherland is the special guest in the Christmas - and final - Wax Lyrical podcast of 2020. Ted Talker, Ogilvy Vice Chairman, author and creative director, Rory chooses his personal favourite 2020 Christmas ads, and in typically fascinating and funny style explains why doing things your finance director doesn't like could give you competitive advantage in marketing. He tells us that advertising planners have given up on trying to understand the consumer, and instead want to make all customers a bit like planners. In a wide-ranging conversation filled with behavioural economics nuggets, he also explains which favourite food he shares with David Ogilvy +++++ Talk to us podcast@wearewaxon.com +++++ Leave us your review on iTunes. And please subscribe. +++++ www.wearewaxon.com +++++ HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND HERE'S TO HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2021. KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE.