Building a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand offers an incredible opportunity to connect with customers and foster long-term brand loyalty. But while the rewards can be significant, so too are the challenges and barriers to entry. That’s why I wanted to speak with someone who has successfully navigated this journey for our season focus on sales.

From modest beginnings in a Shoreditch coffee shop in 2011, David Abrahamovitch has built Grind into one of the UK’s leading DTC coffee brands. Having built a hugely loyal customer base, it’s estimated a Grind coffee is enjoyed every 2.8 seconds in the UK. David’s business has also grown through partnerships with the likes of British Airways & Soho House.

Keep listening to hear David’s advice on how to build a DTC brand & how to leverage community-building to generate sales. 

PWC reports that over 80% of consumers are willing to pay higher prices for sustainably produced goods so environmental responsibility is clearly a lucrative business as well as being the right thing to do. 

Laura Harnett is the Founder of Seep, the only B Corp-certified, plastic-free cleaning tool brand in Europe. Having raised a £50,000 Dragons’ Den investment from Trinny Woodall & Deborah Meaden, Laura & her team are on a mission to stop 1 billion plastic cleaning tools from entering landfill by 2030.  

Keep listening to hear Laura’s advice on learning how to sell as a first-time founder & how to make your sales process as sustainable as possible.

How to scale your business to £30m+ of sales with Guy Blaskey, Founder of Pooch & Mutt

Starting a business is a huge effort, but scaling it to new heights takes a great deal of skill. So, I wanted to hear from a serial founder who has not only grown and scaled a multi-million-pound business, but also decided to start from scratch and do it again.

Guy Blaskey founded healthy pet food business Pooch & Mutt in 2007. Having scaled it to £30 million in sales, he sold the business in 2023 for £11.5 million. Since then, Guy has founded Detrash to upcycle waste products into high quality watches.  

Keep listening to hear Guy’s advice on what he learnt about a sales strategy, selling a business & why laying the operational foundations is one of the most important things you can do. 

How to bring a product to market with Kinga Wilewska, Founder of MUJO

When it comes to bringing a product to market, there are lots of aspects to consider before it reaches the shelves.

To learn more, I wanted to hear from someone who has successfully launched products to market. Kinga Wilewska is the Founder & CEO of MUJO, the adaptogenic coffee alternative packed with vital nutrients. Having watched her dad lose his fight against cancer, Kinga developed a keen interest in adaptogens & set out to bring truly transformational products to market.

How to find clients & generate loyalty with Lucy Goff, Founder of LYMA. As any founder needs to conquer their fear of sales I wanted to interview a founder who rapidly grew a new sector. After overcoming chronic illness, Founder of LYMA, Lucy Goff, set out to redefine the wellness landscape and share her learnings. Since launching in 2017, LYMA has been at the forefront of science-driven wellness & health optimisation securing listings with Harrods & Harvey Nichols with its truly transformational & effective supplements. Keep listening to hear Lucy’s advice on acquiring & retaining clients & what to consider when developing a loyalty programme.

How to generate sales overseas with Thea Green MBE, Founder of Nails.INC. With only 11.9% of UK SMEs exporting their goods & services internationally, more support is needed to help businesses scale overseas. So, I wanted to hear from a founder who has generated millions in international sales. Thea Green MBE founded Nails.INC in 1999 at the age of 23 & has since revolutionised the UK nail care industry with her polishes & treatments. In 2013, Nails.INC was awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise for international trade & today exports to over 20 countries. Keep listening to hear Thea’s advice on how to get started with sales and then how to conquer exporting.

Why you should do your own PR. Having started FF&M to empower founders to own their own PR & communications in-house, Juliet, our Founder, was thrilled to deliver a talk on ‘why you are your own best storyteller’ at the TEDx Wood Lane Women event recently. Juliet’s talk covered why PR is important, how to think about it as public relations, not just press relations, why you should do your own PR & how to become your own best storyteller. FF&M specialises in teaching you how to do your own PR in-house & building all the tools you need to pitch your business to press. This means you don’t need to spend budget on a retained PR agency ever again, plus you’ll build your own press & influencer contacts.

How to sell luxury goods with Molly Goddard & Joel Jeffery, Co-Founders of Desmond & Dempsey. Selling any product is a skill but selling a product with a luxury price tag is a nuanced skill. As this season is focused on sales I wanted to interview people with experience in differentiating their product in a crowded market & find out how they managed to sell it. Molly Goddard & Joel Jeffery co-founded the luxury pyjama brand Desmond & Dempsey in 2014. Over a decade the couple has redefined the concept of luxury sleepwear & secured listings in Harrods, Harvey Nichols & Selfridges very early on in their business. Keep listening to hear Molly & Joel’s advice on how they tackled sales.

5 ways to media train yourself before recording a podcast episode. Producing a podcast is a great way to build your own editorial platform, create engaging social media content & educate, inform & inspire your audience. However, recording a podcast episode can be daunting if you don’t have previous media experience. Thankfully, it’s possible to media train yourself to feel confident when presenting your podcast. Read on to discover our advice for media training yourself & developing your speaking confidence. 

How to improve productivity through fitness with George Veness, Founder & CEO of JAB Boxing Club. PureGym reports that 66% of Britons don’t believe they look after their health as much as they should. Since good health is key to being productive, I wanted to hear from an expert about how founders can use fitness to boost their productivity. Following his retirement as captain of the England boxing team, George Veness, Founder & CEO of JAB Boxing Club in London, launched his business to make elite performance accessible to anyone & inspire his members to take control of their health. Keep listening to hear George’s advice on how you can build fitness into your weekly routine as a founder & why exercise is so important for maintaining your productivity.

How do I invite guests onto my podcast? Inviting guests onto your podcast allows you to introduce different perspectives & insights into your episodes. Recording with guests also provides different points of interest for your listeners, who feel they are consuming new & engaging content. Not sure where & how you can find & invite relevant guests for your podcast?

FF&M’s 10 favourite lifestyle & culture podcasts. With more than 546 million podcast listeners worldwide, publishing a podcast is a great way to build a community & educate, inform & inspire your audience. As a team, we regularly listen to podcasts to spot new trends & maintain an awareness of industry developments. Read on to discover our favourite lifestyle & culture podcasts.

How to balance productive work & family time. We know it’s important to rest, relax & recharge to ensure we’re as productive as possible, but how many founders actually prioritise this & how do we really achieve this? Eva Alexandridis is a founder who has achieved that work / life balance. Having co-founded 111SKIN in 2012 with her husband Dr Yannis Alexandrides, Eva has not only built a globally recognised brand but has practised the brand values in ensuring she also looks after herself as well as her business. Keep listening to hear Eva’s advice on balancing work & family time plus how you can build a daily routine that works for you.

How to avoid digital overwhelm. Dr Kristy Goodwin is a neuro-performance scientist & Australia’s leading expert on peak performance in the digital age. Her book Dear Digital, We Need To Talk enables individuals & organisations to enhance their performance & productivity in the digitally-intense world we live in & conquer tech distractions. Keep listening to hear Dr Kristy’s advice on how to use digital tools to help us and not hinder, how to work in tandem with your neurobiology to achieve your goals & why rest really is a superpower.

How to stay focused at work. Phil Nayna is the Founder of Absolute Mind + Body: a coaching consultancy supporting businesses to build high-performing teams, resilient teams. Having trained in performance psychology, neuroscience, and a range of mindfulness techniques, Phil works with leaders & their teams to unlock untapped performance potential. Keep listening to hear Phil’s advice on how to build sustainable focus, make the transition from busy to effective, and what to do to manage your energy, so you can stay focused for longer.