The Famous Business: Recent Episodes
Class:PR
Alistair Clay, from the #1 online PR training school Class:PR, goes long form with some of today’s most exciting entrepreneurs to find out how they made their businesses famous. From tech firms, healthcare businesses and wellbeing gurus to sports startups, food brands, charities and mumpreneurs, each week Alistair gets his guests to reveal the secrets of their PR strategies and tactics.Learn more at https://class-pr.com/category/podcast/
On today's show brand supremo Andy Snuggs from Future Kings explains why it is vital that you as a startup have a clear idea of your brand.
Your brand is so much more than a logo - it is a strategic tool for your business growth.
Andy explains how we as founders and startup owners can start to identify our 'Minimum Viable Brand' (MVB).
Knowing your MVB is the key to unlocking the growth potential in your business, attracting investment, winning an army of customers, attracting the right staff and ultimately being a success.
A brand is not simply stating the function of your product or service - it is articulating the impact you are having, the problem you are solving.
Identifying your brand will allow you to get your message across clearly, quickly and with passion and conviction.
In this interview, Andy helps us to understand why we need to take brand seriously and why if we do it will give us a massive competitive advantage.
And brand doesn't stop with our external audiences it also affects everything we do inside our businesses.
Marrying our internal brand with our external brand is when the magic happens.
You can no longer think of your brand as merely a visual element of your business, it touches everything, from how you behave, communicate to sell and hire.
Andy explains how the team at Future Kings work with startup and scale-up businesses to help them identify what it is that really makes them unique and how they are going to take that information and use it to engage their audiences.
This is strategic communications at the highest level and if you are serious about growing your business you really need to know this stuff.
So for this week take a step back from focusing on the media headlines and have a look at the bigger picture of your brand.
Taking the time to get this right will mean that when you're ready your PR efforts will be so much more effective.
Over to Andy, the King of Brand.
Josh Nielsen, founder of podcasting platform Zencastr, tells us why he thinks it’s going to become a necessity for businesses to get involved in podcasting and why a word of mouth PR strategy has worked for him.
Tech startup Zencastr is making it possible for anyone to host a high-quality podcast – but how does the man behind it put his business on the map? How does he get people to use his platform when there is an increasing number of competitors on the market?
By his own admission, Josh Nielsen knows the pains of trying to get a tech business off the ground. He’s ‘launched to crickets’ with previous ventures but with Zencastr it’s different - Josh is right at the centre of the explosion in podcasting and already has more than 15,000 clients!
Not bad for someone who claims to be a marketing novice. So how did he do it?
A word of mouth PR strategy In today’s episode, you’ll learn how a tech business has built a PR strategy centred on word of mouth, peer to peer referral and basically by being brilliant.
Zencastr has also had some great media coverage, including the obligatory article in TechCrunch, but for Josh the real success has come from this organic network of raving fans.
Want to learn how he built a word of mouth PR strategy so you can too? Hit play now.
Oh…and he also gives some awesome insight into why ALL businesses need to be podcasting right now, it’s a channel that you can’t afford to ignore if you want to succeed.
And if you'd like some additional reading on, amongst other things, a word of mouth PR strategy, check out Marketing for Developers. Josh is a big fan of these guys and we reckon they’re pretty neat too.
Find out more about Zencastr here and on Twitter and Facebook.
On today’s show, I take a look at why over-reliance on Facebook advertising could be a very risky strategy in 2018 and why PR is SEO.
So many of us small business owners have come to depend on Facebook as the number one way to get our messages in front of customers.
But a spate of recent reputational crises and the fact that Apple has announced it will soon block the Facebook tracking pixel mean that the good times could be coming to an end.
Perhaps not in the next six months but in today’s episode, I argue why now is the right time to diversify your online marketing efforts.
PR fuelled SEO is the only way to guarantee your reputation online and start to build the awareness levels and credibility that your business deserves.
Appearing high on Google rankings for search terms connected to your business is going to put you in the driving seat in 2018.
Of course, this is nothing new but the Google algorithms are now more than ever trying to measure the real-world relevance of your business and that means appearing in mainstream media and high profile blogs and podcasts – all with backlinks to your website.
Where traditional SEO folk can’t help you is understanding what makes your business truly newsworthy and capable of securing these major pieces of media coverage. PR is SEO in the digital world.
In today’s episode of The Famous Business, you’re going to learn why the time is right to unfriend your Facebook advertising campaign and how to start to get national media coverage that Google loves.
The first step is you need to know how to pitch to a journalist so check out TFB060 to learn more about that.
P.S
In this episode, I mention a couple of recent studies that conclude Generation Z is leaving Facebook at an alarming rate. You can see those here and here.
We got so much love for episode TFB 058 that I wanted to revisit one of the core issues that came up.
The fact that Guardian journalist Emma Sheppard (like most journalists) gets around 200 pitch emails a day!
This seemed to shock a few of you, and I got a few messages saying 'what's the point in even trying to get media coverage if the odds of getting my story printed are 200/1?!'
Don't despair - instead ask 'why is this journalist ignoring me?'
It's actually easier than you think to stand out in a crowded inbox if you know the rules of the game.
On today's show, I go through the 6 essential rules that you need to apply to every email pitch so that a journalist clicks on your message, opens it, reads it, loves your story and then runs it!
Knowing how each of these hurdles works is key to cracking the code and winning major media coverage.
Oh, and don't forget even the best pitches in the world sometimes miss their mark so don't worry if not every story you pitch about your business gets picked up - that's never going to happen.
Media coverage is so impactful because it's hard-won, not impossible, but hard-won.
In today's show, you're going to learn how to be one of the 20 emails that a journalist will read - not the 180 that they won't.
Subject line: listen to this podcast and get media coverage today!
Al
Entrepreneur Stephen Sacks has a plan to help you 'reboot your business'.
In his new book, of the same name, Stephen explains the need for us all to wake up to the rapid speed of change in today's workplace, why being small means you can be nimble to opportunities and how you can release cash from your business.
But this is The Famous Business Podcast where we talk about all things PR and comms so why the business advice?
Well firstly, you can't be a 'Famous Business' without being a brilliant business - the two are inextricably linked - and secondly, I wanted to ask Stephen what it was actually like to write this book and how it has helped him in his own marketing efforts.
What you're going to learn is that to have a brilliant business in 2018 you need to think about all elements of your sales funnel and how your communications build trust through all stages of that process.
Stephen shares how writing a book (from a rainy beach in the Maldives) has built so much more trust in him as a thought leader and has increased his own bottom line.
If you're considering opening up the laptop and writing about your own expertise then this is the episode for you.
Right, that's the introduction...now to Chapter 1...
On today's show, I have the brilliant journalist Emma Sheppard.
Emma has written for a wide range of media throughout her career and has spent the last few years covering the small business and startup world for The Guardian Business to Business section.
If anyone has the inside track on what it takes to get your business in the national media it's Emma!
From a company using tech to revolutionise funeral services to the home coworking movement, Emma has covered more startup stories than most.
Emma tells me why she loves businesses who do their own PR and why it is possible to get coverage without a PR agency.
There's her '3 email rule' for pitching - which you don't want to fall foul of - and her advice on how to stand out from the 200 emails she receives a day.
If you're a small business wondering how to write a press release that will get noticed by a journalist this is the show for you!
And her top tip?
Help her do her job by providing case studies that the media love.
If you follow Emma's advice your PR success is guaranteed!
Enjoy this chat with Emma.
Al.
Today's guest is a young woman on a mission.
Hannah Phillips knows more about UK healthcare than most - because as a child and a young adult she underwent major heart surgery.
During her years in and out of hospital, Hannah saw that more needed to be done to make appropriate information available for young people.
It was hard enough going through such serious procedures but being given information designed for aging adults made it even tougher.
As soon as Hannah was well enough she became a health campaigner and is determined to make things better for other young people who find themselves needing serious medical care.
On today's show, Hannah tells me how her new campaign, Wired Up, is educating young people about having pacemaker procedures.
She also explains how she is using PR to get her message to a nationwide audience and the success she's recently had landing major national TV coverage.
I first met Hannah two years ago when she did the Class:PR Famous course - and boy has she put those learnings into practice!
Over to Hannah, the queen of the PR pitch! ...
Doing PR for your own business is hard work.
There are a hundred knockbacks, journalists ignore your emails and calls, you feel overwhelmed by imposter syndrome and you're not even sure you have a story.
None of these are a reason to give up ... ever.
High impact media coverage is the fastest and most reliable way to bring massive awareness and credibility to your business, but like anything worth doing - it ain't easy.
In today's show, I look at the reasons why most small business owners and entrepreneurs give up on PR and why that's ALWAYS a mistake.
You need to understand the rules of the game you're playing, then your success is guaranteed. No more hoping and praying.
And if you like today's show have a listen to episode TFB 040 where you'll find some sure-fire strategies to get media coverage in 2018
Laters,
Al
On today's episode, I explain the crucial difference between a news story and a feature - and why it matters to your business.
Don't think that they are basically the same - they're not.
Once you understand the difference between these two pieces of editorial you'll be able to create PR campaigns that help journalists do their job and get the media coverage you are after for your business.
Don't stumble into the PR world uninformed - if you want to put your business on the map you must know the difference between these two.
In today's show, you're going to learn just that.
This is the news...or maybe it's a feature...
Al x
In this episode, you’ll learn how an online jewellery business mastered the art of PR winning major media coverage – and a starring role in hit US comedy show Parks and Recreation!
Tiny Hands make scented jewellery which is now popular all over the world. They’ve had heaps of media coverage from Buzz Feed and Fox News to CBS and Nickelodeon.
It’s fair to say that founder Mei has mastered the art of PR over the last 10 years and has some pretty tasty tips for you – so listen up guys because there’s a lot to learn from today’s show.
Find out more about Tiny Hands here or on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Do you know what you’re doing with your customer’s data? How you’re storing it? What permissions you have to use it?
It’s time you did.
The advent of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) means that all businesses, small and large, now need to have a handle on how they manage and use customer data.
But what the hell does this have to do with P.R (public relations)?
Well, quite a lot actually.
PR is all about building trust in your business – getting to grips with GDPR is VITAL for your reputation.
To help us all get our heads around this on today’s show I have the superb Jonathan Carter, from one of the world’ largest data companies Acxiom.
Jonathan explains to me why GDPR is such a big deal and how we can all get ready for its introduction next month (May 2018).
In this show you’re going to learn why GDPR is actually a massive opportunity for businesses to enhance their reputation – it doesn’t have to be a burden.
If you are ANY type of business you need to know this stuff so sit back and download this vital data.
Enjoy the show!
Al
In today’s show entrepreneur Sean Ramsden shares his story of how he built a global export business taking brand Britain around the world.
Ramsden International exports some of the UK’s most loved food and grocery brands to all four corners of the planet.
But Sean has only been able to do this by building a trusted reputation and always living by strong company values.
In this interview, Sean shares his tips on how to build a strong company culture, what Brexit will mean for export businesses such as his and why there is so much power in Brand Britain.
Enjoy today’s show!
Oliver Lowrie is one of London’s most exciting young architects and I’m thrilled to have him on the show today.
Oliver, and his firm, have a vision to create ‘remarkable places’ for their clients and they are pioneering the use of virtual reality in the design process.
On today’s show Oliver shares why they have gone down the VR route and how it has given them a competitive advantage.
He also describes how they have built a thought leadership strategy based on the creation of white papers and industry expertise.
Oliver knows that if he wants to get ahead and stay ahead, in the competitive world of architecture he needs to communicate in an innovative manner, day in day out.
Virtual reality and thought leadership are at the heart of that approach – oh and the odd party!
Enjoy this chat with Oliver, you’re going to learn a heap about designing and building your reputation.
Crack out the champagne and sausage rolls (or vegan equivalent) – it’s our 50th show!
And to mark this historic occasion I wanted to bring back one of our most popular guests – Andrew Watmuff, the boss of Watmuff & Beckett soups and risottos.
When I first spoke to Andrew a year ago he’d just been on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, had secured the investment and was on an all-time high.
I wanted to catch up with him to learn how he capitalised on that massive media opportunity and how the business has grown in that time.
On today’s show you’re going to learn how Andrew has continued to innovate and why you can never rest on your laurels – no matter how famous your brand may have become!
As ever, our exchange was soup-er (sorry, puns are just too tempting for this ex-tabloid hack).
Enjoy!
Each week I URGE you to download our StoryFinder template because I know it’s what you need to start getting great media coverage for your business.
So I figured this week it might be useful to tell you just exactly what that is!
Lots of you have been writing in to ask how you can actually use the template for your business.
Ask and you shall get!
Our awesome weekly guest has sat this episode out and instead, I share a recent webinar I held on StoryFinder to give you everything you need to know.
This is a 15 mins crash course in PR that will teach you the rules of the game. If you only ever listen to this you will 10x your chances of getting major national media coverage.
This one’s from me to you with love.
Now get finding those stories!
Al
How do you take a successful pop up food brand and transition to a bricks and mortar business?
On today’s show food entrepreneur Simon Bowden shares the story of how he got his first business, The Whole Cheese on national TV, became a ‘must book’ with some of the UK’s biggest festivals and then took the plunge into a full-time premises.
Simon’s first business was an instant hit with TV producers and UK audiences when he told the tale of how he transformed a horse box into a cheese truck.
And that success has continued with his craft beer and cheese store, Palmer Street Bottle in Frome, Somerset.
But building a brand in a small town is a totally different challenge to being the pop-up star at a party.
Simon tells us how he has done this, his greatest learnings and some of his most painful lessons.
What he has come to realise is that YOU as the owner are CRITICAL to the reputation of a bricks and mortar business – and the thrill of seeing the store succeed is worth all the hard work.
Enjoy this fab chat with Simon – cheers!
What can we all learn from the reputational crisis currently ripping through Oxfam and parts of the NGO sector?
On today’s show, I wanted to take a break from the normal guest format and put on my other hat, the hard one I wear when I’m advising clients on issues management.
Now on the surface, you may think there’s not much a small business can learn from what has happened to Oxfam, but you’d be wrong.
All of us face reputational threats on a daily basis – it might be a poor online review, a few nasty tweets, or yes in some cases national media exposure.
What all of these have in common is how you engage dictates whether or not you ride the storm and emerge stronger or sink like a stone.
A reputation that has taken years to build can be gone in just a few hours and on today’s show I give you my insights on what went wrong for Oxfam and how you can take these learnings to protect yourself in the future.
The key learning? Fear is your enemy in a crisis. Preparation, speed, consistency, and courage are your friends.
This is the anatomy of a crisis…and the prescription for the recovery.
With Vicki Montague, founder of The Free From Fairy.
Today's guest started as a blogger on a mission and is now one of the UK's leading voices in the gluten-free movement.
Vicki Montague, aka The Free From Fairy, talks about how her daughter's diagnosis of coeliac disease was the start of a journey to educate, advocate and entertain other people on the road to remove gluten from their diets so they can enjoy better health.
As Vicki's following grew from her friends and family to 1000s of people around the world she started to develop her brand and provide a much-loved flour blend - and very soon awesome online training.
Vicki talks about the challenge of staying true to one's values and avoiding the temptation to 'cash in' on your audience and endorse products that aren't true to your core mission.
As a scientist by training Vicki is incredibly honest about how she has had to 'learn' to be a great communicator - online and offline - it isn't something that came naturally to her.
This is a wonderfully honest and heartfelt interview. You're going to learn that you can build a huge audience without selling out to corporate interests or straying from your real purpose.
Vicki talks candidly about her daughter's plight and how the thought of other children suffering as she did was all the motivation she needed to dedicate her life to spreading the gospel of gluten-free.
The Free From Fairy has taken off - and she's not coming down anytime soon!
P.S to connect with Vicki go here and to find out more about Coeliac disease go here
With John Stapleton, co-founder of New Covent Garden Soup Company, Little Dish and serial entrepreneur.
It's not often we have someone on the show who has completely invented a new category of product - but John Stapleton was part of a duo that did just that.
John is one of the co-founder's of the New Covent Garden Soup Company, the guys who took soup out of the tin, made it fresh and put it in a carton.
In the late 1980s this was completely revolutionary and sparked a new way of manufacturing, selling and consuming soup. It's fair to say John is a true pioneer - he even had to build his own factory to get his soup on the shelves!
On today's show, John shares the story of his entrepreneurial journey from the early days of NCGS through to toddler food brand Little Dish and the work he does today mentoring young startups.
John has so much insight and wisdom to share and is a big proponent of moving beyond our fears to fulfill our business visions.
In this conversation you'll learn about the need to clearly define the audience for your product, build a brand that speaks entirely to that person and why it's better to start with a grassroots marketing strategy rather than trying to be 'the next big thing' overnight.
If you are a food startup, or in fact any kind of startup, you'll learn so much from this conversation - so sit back and lap up this soup-er advice!
With Matthew Griffin, founder of Combat Flip Flops
Today's guest has got quite a story to tell.
Matthew "Griff" Griffin is a former US soldier who went from the frontline of Iraq and Afghanistan to running Combat Flip Flops - a flip flop manufacturer with a mission.
After, in his own words, 'emptying his karma tank', Griff was seized by a vision to give back to the countries where he had been a soldier.
So one day while walking around Kabul he saw a boot factory that was about to be closed down meaning job losses for the locals.
Rather than shrugging his shoulders and walking away Griff had the idea of making flip flops to create local employment.
Fast forward a few years and Combat Flip Flops is now a global brand raising a huge amount of money to put young girls through education in the developing world.
Griff tells me how he built the business and how he told the story of a soldier on a mission - a soldier creating the 'Unarmed Forces'.
This is a powerful story of transformation, persistence and respect and one you can't miss.
If you're an ethical business, a social enterprise or frankly want to know how to make people CARE then Griff's story is for you.
For more info on Combat Flip Flops go here
Let's do this!
With Sherie Grillon, founder of Nola's Fresh Foods.
Today's guest is an expert in building a community of trust and LOVE around a food brand.
Sherie Grillon was determined that the salsas she made at Nola's Fresh Foods, over in the US, would not only be the best, but they would be the most loved!
In this episode, Sherie explains how she built this booming food business and kept it true to its roots - real food, prepared with passion and love.
When Nola's Fresh Foods first hit stores in North East America Sherie spent, and continues to spend, a great deal of time out there in stores, meeting customers and sharing her passion for salsa.
This hands-on tactic, along with some smart community partnerships, has built an incredibly strong reputation for the business and now they are on the verge of going to the next level of scale.
Sherie's recipe for food startup success? Consistency, having a thick skin and 'drop the ego'!
Today's episode is a real tasty treat. Grab yourself a bag of nachos, kick back and dip into this!
Al x
With Lauren Abda, founder of Branchfood
I'm delighted to welcome food startup supremo Lauren Abda to the show.
Lauren is the founder of US food network/workhub/incubator Branchfood.
Branchfood is on a mission to support the most exciting and disruptive food startups and businesses in the Boston area and Lauren is at the centre of it all.
On today’s pod Lauren tells us why and how she built this incredible network that now has more than 1,000 members.
From providing workspace to investor access and mentoring programmes, Branchfood does the lot.
Having seen so many food startups she shares with us her views on what makes a winning business, the ingredients that are needed to succeed in such a competitive sector.
You’re also going to learn how to embed communications at the heart of any professional network and why it is critical to be clear on your messaging and your positioning.
The global food industry is currently in a period of unprecedented change and transition and Lauren provides a unique perspective on how to stand out from the crowd in such a turbulent time.
I found this chat absolutely fascinating and I know you will too.
Please welcome Lauren to The Famous Business…
With Eric Bandholz, founder of Beardbrand
On today’s show we’ve got the awesome Eric Bandholz, founder and chief beardsman at Beardbrand.
Beardbrand has grown from a $30 startup to a seven-figure business selling beard oils, waxes and grooming products to men all over the world.
In today’s show Eric tells us how he built this incredible brand and became so much more than just an online seller of products.
At its heart Beardbrand is about self-improvement and growth (no pun intended).
What makes Eric’s journey so fascinating is he started out with a beard blog, building an online community of beardsmen and sharing awesome content, a good while before he ever thought about products.
Gathering this army of fans meant Eric became THE man to go to for beards and his ‘how to' videos built trust amongst this community.
This was just the start of what has become one of the world's leading beard grooming businesses.
Listen up and find out how Eric’s passion product become a hair-raising success story!
In the third of three special shows Alistair sits down with Class:PR co-founder Gemma Clay to unpack how you can win at PR in 2018.
This is the year you are going to take control of your PR and put your business on the map. Gemma asks Alistair for his top tips on how you can make that a reality!
Alistair explains; how to find your stories, how to create a strategic PR plan for 12 months ahead, how to understand the workings of the media, how to overcome imposter syndrome, why it’s important not to get discouraged if at first you don’t succeed and why momentum is everything!
In this special episode you will learn how to get your business in the mainstream media, on the most listened to podcasts and most read blogs. Remember YOU have great stories and YOU have the power to shape the reputation of your business.
Happy New Year to all our wonderful listeners – 2018 is the year you are going to set your PR on fire!
Let’s do this!
In today’s episode Class:PR founder Gemma Clay crashes the studio to give us her look back on 2017.
To mark the end of the first year of The Famous Business Podcast Gemma picks her favourite episodes and tells Alistair why these guys stood out for her.
From Mel Nicci of Baby2Body and Thomas Bertrand of Bento Box to Andy Allen from The Snaffling Pig Company and Freddie Blackett from Patch, we take a look back at the highlights of TFB 2017.
Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE all our guests, but these ones stood out as having truly awesome stories. There were so many insightful learnings in these episodes and we wanted to remind you guys of the highlights.
And a big thanks to everyone for supporting The Famous Business in 2017 – your love means everything to us. Keep on subscribing and sharing!
See you in 2018 for even more Famous Businesses…
Alistair and Gemma x
Welcome to the unofficial Queen's Speech from me, Alistair Clay at The Famous Business Podcast.
Just wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has been on the show this year and to you, the listeners - everyone who has supported us. Thanks for making the first year of The Famous Business so much fun!
As you know here on TFB we are all about sharing your stories, so listen up to my salutary story about attention to detail. Never let a typo make a turkey of you! Enjoy. And Happy Christmas!
On today's show, we have quite a treat in store for you.
Not our usual guest; an entrepreneur that we've bumped into from around the world. No, today we have Gemma Clay! Co-founder of Class:PR, my partner, wife and torturer...(I’m joking, honest!)
Gemma and I wanted to sit down and have a really in-depth conversation about building our digital business Class:PR - because we have learned so much!
We reckon we are pretty good at PR, we have been in that game for a LONG time. But building Class:PR was a new adventure for us, taking our skills and building an online business. It has been a very steep learning curve over the last 18 months and I’m sure that our experiences will be of use to you guys. How do you even launch a digital business?
I think you are going to enjoy this frank conversation because we honestly reveal what we've been through on our digital journey. How we have done it and the obstacles we've encountered and how we have overcome those challenges. And how we have had to PR ourselves - often the hardest thing to do!
So, sit back and enjoy this one as Gemma and I thrash it out, with a few laughs in there too - usually at my expense!
I give you Gemma Clay – the real brains behind Class:PR.
On today's show, I am with the fantastic Alanna Banks from Friday's Off - an online fabric and textiles store over in Canada that is having phenomenal success.
Alanna has a fascinating story. She used to work in PR but ten years ago she was in an agency and had got to the point where she wanted a fresh challenge. So, she left the PR world and set up her own online textiles business selling beautiful fabrics when no one else was really doing this.
Today’s show is fascinating, how does a PR professional transition into the world of e-commerce?
I think that Alanna's advantage is that she understands the power of story. That when you are building an online business it is based on you and your values and selling products that you are passionate about, in this instance textiles/fabrics.
Having a story is absolutely critical, so, in today's show you are going to learn how to find the stories that are there in your business, something we talk about a lot on this show. And how you really make them work for you so you can sell and succeed in your niche.
Coming from a PR background Alanna knows a lot of tricks, she has done a phenomenal job in building her brand around the use of story - and she even uses stories to fuel her Facebook advertising.
This really is a unique interview because the advice Alanna gives comes from one world and transitions into another.
I think you are going to get a lot out of today's show with Alanna Banks from Friday's Off!
I've got a great guest for you this week, I'm with Caroline Weaver from CW Pencils, a pencil shop based out in New York City. This is not just any ordinary pencil shop it is a stunning emporium of pencils - it looks like something Willy Wonka himself would be proud of, it is BEAUTIFUL.
Caroline is passionate about pencils and sources them from all over the world to stock her shop. She sells them online and through subscription packages, and is all about sharing her passion and the stories behind these rare and unusual pencils. Through doing this, she has built an incredible brand that has been noticed all around the world!
In today's show, you are going to learn about how one piece of PR at the beginning of your business can make a huge impact and Caroline is going to tell us about how the New York Times wrote about her and how it had a transformational impact on her business. But more than that, Caroline tells us all about how she understands the value of 'story'.
Yes, people are coming to her shop to buy pencils but they're also coming to buy the story of the family businesses that make these pencils, where the wood comes from, where the graphite comes from; Caroline brings these humble writing implements to life!
In the digital age where we are all on smartphones and using social media, this product is the most analogue communications tool - the simple pencil. Yet Caroline has made an incredible business out of it because she truly understands the power of a story to bring a product to life.
So, let's listen to Caroline, a New Yorker writing a new story about pencils.
On this week's show, we’ve got a fantastic conversation with Catherine Conway the founder of Unpackaged. Catherine launched Unpackaged over ten years ago and is a seasoned entrepreneur. Unpackaged is a business, a social enterprise, a campaign and a mission to remove unwanted and unnecessary packaging from our food.
She started off with a market stall, she then moved into a physical shop in London, then a shop with a restaurant on the side and now today, ten years later she's got a consultancy (@Unpackaged) - advising businesses all around the world about how they remove the completely unnecessary packaging from food products.
It really is an inspiring conversation because Catherine covers how to combine the commercial aspect of running a business with having a campaign and a mission to change people’s behaviours. And when it comes to communications there is no greater challenge than changing ingrained behaviours.
The behaviour change here is to buy foods which are not in unnecessary packaging. Why do we need to do that? We CAN change the way we behave! So, Catherine has been on a mission for the last ten years to do just that.
This is a truly inspiring conversation because Catherine brings to it a lot of humility, a lot of learnings and a lot of commercial nouse. It really is a rollercoaster of a journey - from starting with a great vision and idealism but also understanding the reality of building a brand.
Catherine goes into the detail of how to tell your story. How to shape the messaging which would persuade people to change their behaviours without lecturing or belittling them, which Catherine is absolutely not a fan of.
So, I think you are going to get a hell of a lot out of this podcast. If you are a social enterprise with a mission, this is the show for YOU!
Let’s listen to Catherine and unpackage her zero waste story...
This episode is packed full of great business advice from one of the world’s leading snowboarding training platforms – Snowboard Addiction. We’re joined by their founder Nev Lapwood and he shares with us his story of how a part-time job as a snowboard instructor has transitioned into a global business.
Nev was born in New Zealand and started snowboarding in '93 at the age of 10. After finishing high school, he moved to Whistler in Canada to ‘shred’, as all good snowboarders say, and he was hooked - he never really left. After becoming a coach Nev decided that he wanted to coach en masse, to thousands of people around the world online.
So he put a training course out there. He was having a punt, he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. And gain he certainly has! They started out putting video tutorials on YouTube, they were one of the first and built up a huge following. Nev talks to us about those early days and their huge initial success but also how they need to stay nimble in their PR and move as Nev says, ‘where the eyeballs are’. Those eyeballs are now on Facebook and that’s where Snowboard Addiction’s focus is, as well as mainstream media to really PR the business.
So what can you learn from today’s show? Nev shares with us the secrets of how he makes their digital content work. Why some social media platforms are better than others and how to transition across. How to produce the best and most impactful video content, amongst so many other great tips - including harnessing Facebook algorithms.
But what is at the heart of all this digital strategy? It’s an authentic story and a genuine approach. Nev and the whole Snowboard Addiction team are exactly as their name suggests.. they’re addicted to snowboarding and passionate about delivering the best snowboarding resource possible.
Our guest today is Thomas Bertrand the founder of Bento&Co – an online store specialising in bento boxes and accessories, based out of beautiful Kyoto, in Japan. His story is the stuff you always hear about with online businesses and bloggers but you rarely meet anyone that it has happened to. Thomas is from France but was living in Japan and in 2005 set up a blog, back when very few people were blogging, and certainly very few Frenchmen were blogging in Japan! He built a huge following and turned the blog into an awesome business.
Thomas’ story has a really organic and authentic feel to it – well it should, that’s exactly what it is. He built an audience first, with compelling content – a blog about the unusual, or inspiring things he encountered in Japan. He then started selling to that audience. Later he opened a shop so Bento&Co had a physical presence and then he started moving into wholesale and began opening up the international market to a whole range of Japanese products. It’s safe to say, he’s had phenomenal success.
Now timing is everything here, and Thomas was always ahead of the curve, he was textbook perfect in when he set the blog up and when he started using Shopify to sell to his email list, but what is really fascinating to see is how the different elements of his story lent themselves perfectly to social media, and then TV and mainstream media.
Let’s listen to Thomas Bertrand – from blog, to bento boxes, to a booming business.
On today’s show, we have heaps of brilliant business tips for you to ‘chew over’. We’re chatting with Peppersmith, a confectionary brand but with a difference - they make natural and healthy confectionery, mints and gum that are actually good for your teeth! Using the magic ingredient of Xylitol which remarkably cleans your teeth as you chew.
The multimillion-pound confectionary market is a tough nut to crack, it’s hard enough if you are just launching a conventional product. But what about if you are completely revolutionizing the market – how do you get consumers to change a lifetime view that sweets = sugar? I wanted to know the secret to Peppersmith’s success so I chatted with the founder, Mike Stevens, about all things disruption.
Listen up for some great advice on how to differentiate your brand in an established market and how to get a serious message across but still stay fun and live your values of an innovative startup. It’s all about education, taking your customer on a learning journey whilst keeping them engaged. It’s not easy, sharing knowledge and changing behaviour never is, but Mike shares some gems of wisdom from what he has learnt with Peppersmith.
One key point is that timing is critical to this brand’s success story, they had some unexpected PR wins, huge results in fact, but by their own admission they weren’t quite ready for it. So when is the best time to do PR, when do you want to be featured in the media?
Listen to this week’s episode to hear Mike’s take on how to capitalise on PR and use it to catapult your business forward.
Our guest today is Dr Wei-Shin Lai from Acoustic Sheep – the world's first headphones designed specifically to be worn when you sleep, cleverly known as sleep phones.
As a family doctor Wei-Shin would often receive phone calls from patients in the middle of the night and then struggle to get back to sleep. She tried listening to music but the headphones were so uncomfortable...she invented this ingenious pair that comfortably wrap-around your head and are perfect for sleeping. Brilliant idea!
Today we chat with Wei-Shin about how she secured huge PR success over the past 10 years and even though she has used PR agencies she’s a big advocate of doing it yourself, as a founder.
There are three words that you need to remember today – Why, How and What. In that order. And as Dr Wei-Shin Lai explains this is how you need to present your business or brand to get engagement. She talks about the ‘why’ being the soul of the brand. The story, the emotional connection and you always need to lead with that. And Dr Wei-Shin Lai has a great story.
Your story is your most powerful ally – and it should run through your website, packaging, all elements of your brand. The ‘how’ and the ‘what’ follow on from that...
Our guest today is Victoria Turner, also known as ‘Plum’ and she’s Head of Marketing and Comms at Oppo Ice Cream who make delicious but healthy ice cream, so you can indulge without having to count calories. And how do they do this? Through using ingredients which are good for you - meaning 60% less sugar and calories than regular ice cream!
Now Oppo has a great backstory. Brothers Charlie and Harry Thuillier ran out of food while kite-buggying in Brazil. Hungry and out in the wilderness they had to fend for themselves living off wild fruits.
Realising how delicious and healthy the fruit was they decided to use it to flavour ice cream and give people ‘permission to indulge’ - guilt-free consumption - eat as much as you like because it is healthy. And so Oppo was born. Plum joined them in the early days, the three of them sat around the kitchen table, as all great startups do, and although tasked with marketing she got stuck into all aspects of the growing the business.
It was great chatting with Plum and she shared some awesome advice that I know will be useful to you guys - like how to use PR to change people's perceptions, how to communicate two seemingly contradictive ideas - healthy and indulgent - and get them to sit right with people so they become converted to your product. Change mental associations and you can change behaviour – treats can be good for you.
Plum is big on customer engagement - responding to every message or tweet, and even getting out on the road to give people samples (or out on your bike in Plum’s case). She’s a firm believer that face to face interaction both with journalists and the customer is the best way to build brand loyalty.
Our guest today is Freddie Blackett, founder and CEO of Patch, who deliver urban gardens straight to your doorstep. But not just that, they help you transform your living space.
You’ve got a dimly lit living room, well they will tell you what plants will thrive in that type of light. You want a contemporary collection of plants on your balcony so you can sit there with your glass of wine and enjoy the evening with friends, they’ll help you do that – and here’s the best bit, you don’t need to know a single thing about gardening. They take care of it all!
Now get ready to listen carefully because this is a masterclass in understanding consumer behaviour and building an intuitive business around problem-solving. Freddie understood, right from early on, that the way to sell his product, which at its most basic is plants, was to solve the problems that his customers faced, addressing the frustrations that they felt with their apartments and helping transform them into amazing living spaces. So yes, they deliver plants - but actually what they are selling is an idea, the aspiration of living in a beautiful environment.
Freddie is from a branding and marketing background so you’re listening to a pro, get your pen and paper ready as this show is packed full of great advice!
Our guest today is James Munro Boon, founder of awesome social enterprise Elephant Branded, a business on a mission to make the world a better place. They sell bags and accessories made from recycled cement and rice sacks – each one sold in turn means Elephant Branded provides school kits or bags to children in areas of the world where these resources are scarce.
James’ life changed forever, when on a university project in his first year studying architecture, he helped to build a school in South Africa. When the school opened, he realised that filling schools with much-needed equipment would be a better use of his time and funds.
From this moment, James was set on a path to do good and inspire others. Through more of his travels, James encountered his now business partners in Cambodia. What started out as a sideline soon became a passion and a way of benefitting local communities and businesses through giving back. Their mission was spurred on when in 2012 Elephant Branded won ‘Google’s ‘Zeitgeist Young Minds’ competition and from there the business went to the next level with A-list names like Bill Clinton and Gwyneth Paltrow endorsing their products.
I’m really excited to welcome James to the show because not only does he have an inspiring story about how you can turn a mission to help others into a business, but also how you can build a rep-network through fans of your product to really sell the story of your brand and help the business grow through word of mouth. James shares some fantastic advice on how you must put yourself out there into the digital world to get noticed and network – to gain credibility and get the breaks you need to grow your business.
And what are James’ top tips? Having a simple story and putting trust in those who love your brand and want to share your ideals.
Our guest today is a phenomenal businesswoman, Mel Nicci, of Baby2Body, the app that helps new and expecting mothers live healthier and happier, with daily guidance on fitness, wellbeing, nutrition and beauty. Mel’s story is a fantastic example of turning a frustrating experience into a life-changing business opportunity – which can inspire us all.
Mel’s story? Well, Mel is a fitness fanatic and when she was pregnant her GP told her not to worry about her health and just sit on the sofa and eat biscuits!
So Mel turned that frustration into a rocketing lifestyle app that helps women navigate pregnancy and the world of being a new mum, giving them daily advice on how to manage the changes that the body goes through during pregnancy, how to optimise health and then how to cope with everything motherhood throws at you.
I’m really excited to welcome Mel to the show. Not only does she have a really impressive startup story of how to turn a blog into a business and how to monetise your content, but she shares some fantastic advice on how to develop a content strategy with a clear voice. She also tells us how to build credibility through sharing your own experiences – something that can be quite a challenge when you are starting out.
And what’s Mel’s top tip? Be consistent, be authentic and be an expert in what you have experienced, in your story, and then share that with your audience.
On today’s show, I’m with Oliver Bridge, the founder of Cornerstone - the online razor and shaving business.
Cornerstone has transformed the way hundreds of thousands of men start their day.
In today’s episode, you’re going to learn how Oliver has created a powerful brand that has persuaded so many people to ditch their traditional razors and opt for the online subscription model.
You’ll hear how to build trust in a fledgling brand and how to persuade your target consumer to change their behaviour - a behaviour that they may have had for decades.
The secret?
Outperforming your competitors on every level. From the quality of your product and your innovations to your customer care and your communications – anything you can do to show people there is a better way to shave, on so many levels.
Oliver shares the secrets that took him from kitchen table startup to a business with more than 130,000 customers.
Crucially he talks about the tactics that helped put his business on the map – the ‘small bets’ they placed at the beginning on numerous comms channels, and the ones that really paid off.
This is a must listen show if you want to crack the secret to online selling.
On today’s show, I’m with Aron Gelbard, the co-founder of Bloom & Wild – the online flat pack florists.
Founded in 2013 by Oxford graduate Aron and former hedge fund partner Ben Stanway, Bloom & Wild deliver tens of thousands of bouquets a month to the letterboxes of customers in the UK and Ireland.
On today’s show, Aron explains the tactics he used in the early days to get the business noticed and how a lucky encounter with a newspaper editor got them their first break in PR.
You’re also going to learn how to transform people’s perceptions with the right messages. How did they get customers to go for flowers in a box and not a bouquet?
It’s inspiring to hear how Bloom & Wild have brought such creativity to what must be one of the oldest gifts around.
And it’s fascinating to see that, as with more and more digital businesses, communications runs through everything – from the customer experience to the visual brand and the way the product itself is presented.
The lesson here is that if you want to succeed in the online delivery space you have to think from your customer’s perspective - how they would want to be communicated with.
Follow these guys and your business will bloom!
TFB 023: Summer Break
Summer is now here and Alistair is signing off for the season. The Famous Business Pod will be back in September with some more of today’s most exciting entrepreneurs and startups – check out this last pearl of PR wisdom before he heads off to the beach…Catch you soon!
On today’s show, I’m with Sara Trechman, the co-founder of Well & Truly, the healthy snacking brand.
These guys pretty much went from an idea to having a nationwide product in less than six months.
Their slick approach to creating a healthy eating brand, that resonates with people, is impressive and shows just what can be done with a recipe of ambition, passion and timing.
In today’s show, Sara explains how to stand out in the highly competitive food market and why your brand needs to be much more than just its products, if you want to really to succeed.
With these guys, it’s all about simplicity – simplicity of ingredients, messaging and campaigning.
They’re already in Tesco stores across the UK and this month they’ve launched their new convenience range to make it easier than ever to have a healthy snack on the go.
I wanted to find out how they got that healthier/snacking message across and how they put Well & Truly on the map without a marketing budget.
If you’re in the food business this show is essential listening.
On today’s show, I’m with Hayden Wood, the co-founder of Bulb, the affordable, renewable energy supplier.
These guys are transforming the way in which consumers can buy their energy, giving them an enjoyable customer experience and the opportunity to get their electricity and gas from renewable sources - 20% cheaper than their competitors.
How do they do this? A unique approach to employment, automation and frankly taking less for themselves.
In today’s episode, you’re going to learn how Hayden and his business partner Amit have built a company which puts communication at the heart of everything they do – from the way in which they engage with customers to how they empower their staff. The result? One of the fastest growing energy companies in the UK today.
The energy market is never far from the headlines, and usually for all the wrong reasons, overcharging, crap service and poor tariffs, so it was fascinating to catch up with Hayden to learn how Bulb are doing things differently and winning an army of fans.
In today’s show you’re going to learn; how to build a powerful employee brand, how to tell a story that differentiates you from huge market dominators and why word of mouth recommendations are still one of the most powerful forms of PR.
With Al Shariat, Founder of The Coconut Merchant.
On today’s show I’ve got a total nutter, well a coconutter to be precise. Al Shariat is the boss of the Coconut Merchant and these guys are the gurus of the mighty coconut.
If it’s made of coconut and you can eat it they are more than likely to sell it. From oils, milks and butters to jam, honey and flour – these guys are the kings of the coconut.
Before life as The Coconut Merchant Al was a lawyer and then worked for the UN helping people in the developing world to start their own business.
As you’ll hear in this interview Al has worked hard to define what sets his food business apart from his competitors – and believe it or not that’s not just because they are obsessed with coconuts – it’s all about the love.
Yep Al has identified that knowing ‘why’ he is doing what he is as important as what he is doing.
I had a lot of fun with this interview and you’re going to learn so much from Al about getting a food business off the ground and the critical importance of knowing your core values and how you weave those throughout your story.
Al’s particular challenge has been how to blend his message of quality with that of being an ethical business that treats the farmers it works with well.
But how do you get that fairness message across without sounding like charity? Al says it’s all about the LOVE!
With Melissa Rollins of Henty, Claire Carroll of the Frome Independent, Nick Farnsworth of Little Sport Star and Eleanor Bell
On today's show I’ve got something a bit different for you. Instead of our usual one guest – we have four! Now that’s value for money. I met these guys almost a year ago when they were part of the businesses we filmed in a week-long PR bootcamp to create an online training course.
Wait, this isn’t a plug for the FAMOUS course – these guys have genuinely fascinating stories about the impact having a much greater understanding of PR has had on their businesses in just 12 months. They all have a real story to tell and I thought it could be interesting to pull them together in one special show.
So coming up we have Melissa Rollins from Henty makers of the incredibly cool Henty bags. Claire Carroll from the Frome Independent Market; Nick Farnsworth, toy inventor and the man behind the Little Sport Star brand of sports-themed baby toys and Eleanor Bell, the lighting designer/electrician.
There really is something for everyone in today’s show no matter what your business is. Sit back and soak up the PR wisdom.
On today’s show I’m with Dermot Kelleher from motors.co.uk - one of the UK’s leading online car search platforms.
This is a bit of a special show for us because Motors is a mature online business and so the learnings Dermot shares in terms of building a digital brand are invaluable for businesses on this same journey, but perhaps at an earlier stage.
Crucially Dermot explains why big data informs all their communications decisions and helps them build customer-focused intuitive services.
For instance, if you’re buying a regular car do you really care what it’s 0-60 speed is? You’re probably much more interested in the colour and if you can get the kids in it.
I really wanted to get Dermot on the show because I know a lot of you guys will benefit from his perspective on the leadership team of a hugely successful digital business. You’re going to learn a lot and understand the systems and strategies you need to put in place now to have massive success online in the future.
In a nutshell today’s show is really about where the worlds of big data and communications intersect. Where PR perhaps becomes more of a science than an art form.
Here’s Dermot - the man from Motors whose comms strategy is driven by data.
Romi Savova, the founder of PensionBee, the service that combines all your old pensions into one new online plan, tells us how she is on a mission to make pensions cool.
Romi, formerly of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, is completely revolutionising how we interact with our pensions.
Many of us change jobs multiple times and with it our company pensions – and if you’re like me it’s easy to loose track of all these different funds.
PensionBee helps millennials, and the rest of us, take control of our pensions by bringing them all into one place online, and then investing that money with some of the world’s most trusted funds.
Romi tells me how they have gone about putting a fintech business on the map, building trust in a fledgling brand and why we all need to realise that pensions are COOL! With 22,000 customers and rising it sounds like many of us agree with Romi!
In today’s show you’re going to learn about how you can nurture and educate those early adopters in your brand, use PR tactics to build real authority in your startup as a thought leader on a mission to disrupt an industry and why today’s financial consumers are looking for so much more than just a dry transaction.
Travis Beck, co-founder of Paracable, makers of the most stylish iPhone cables on the planet, tells us how being featured on MacRumours changed his live forever.
Travis has a story about timing, the power of PR, a little luck and staying true to your brand values.
By his own admission a piece of very fortuitous online coverage lit the blue touch paper under this business. He says it was beginners luck, maybe so, but you’ve got to be in it to win it and when the influential MacRumours site wrote about his startup things went crazy immediately with 40,000 hits to their website.
This was the start of an incredible journey in which, Travis, a programmer by background had to get to grips with handling his own media work, figuring out how to get the maximum bang for his buck out of Google AdWords, Facebook advertising and latterly a PR agency. Yes, what started as a hobby is now a very real, full-time electronics business.
In this show you’re going to learn how to take advantage of an opportunity to dominate a new market when it comes along. How to make the right decisions in your comms that will mean you succeed in the long run - and that may mean being fearless at times, just as Travis was when he took his business offline for 18 months after Apple put a ban on non Apple cables.
It was the right thing to do and Paracable emerged with credibility and a strong brand. Would you have the guts to do that? Travis explains why you have to think strategically to survive and thrive.
Russell Saks, Founder of Campus Protein, tells us how living the lifestyle of his customers helped them conquer the campus supplement market.
Campus Protein are in the business of helping college students access high quality supplements, protein and stacks so they can tone up and get ripped – much like your podcast host (yeah right! – Ed)
Russell explains how he took a college business and turned it into a US-wide enterprise and the role PR played in helping his sporty followers trust a new brand muscling in on the healthcare sector where reliability is everything.
In this episode you’re going to learn how to build word of mouth loyalty in your brand and how you can use that to scale a business fast.
If you’re in the health and wellness sector then tune in because you’re going to get some great advice and strategies for making growth happen on your terms.
There’s not many of us who leave college with a winning business, but that’s exactly what Russell did. It must have been all that exercise!
Somnath Meher of Witworks, makers of the Blink watch, tells us how they are taking on Apple as the underdog with a story.
Witworks are based out in Bangalore, India and have just launched the Blink Smartwatch.
Somnath and his team are taking on the likes of Apple and Samsung in the field of wearable technology and know that their story is one of David Vs Goliath.
Bangalore is a hotbed of tech talent and Som gives us a brilliant insight into a how a challenger tech business can disrupt the big boys with a belly full of ambition and a fresh perspective.
In this episode you’re going to learn a huge amount about the need to nurture those early adopters of your product, how to communicate with them and why it is VITAL to listen to and engage your critics - in fact they are the key to your success!
If the time has come to launch your tech startup then listen up because Som is one smart tech entrepreneur.
Craig Elbert, one of the co-founders of care/of, a health and wellness business from New York, tells Alistair Clay about his journey to build trust with his customers.
care/of have taken the sale of health supplements and turned it into an art form with personalised daily vitamin packs delivered to your door.
Forget fumbling through the shelves of your local health food store for random pots of pills – this personalised service is a whole new world.
Care/of has already raised $3m in seed investment and is looking forward to a very healthy 2017.
When I caught up with Craig I was keen to learn how he went about building the reputation of the care/of brand.
After all, the health supplement market can be pretty contentious – how do you stand out as credible and trustworthy so you can succeed?
Craig gives some brilliant insight into how they have built that all important trust factor. Because let’s face it, without it who’s going to buy your products?
In this show you’ll learn how you can engineer trust into the DNA of your brand. A MUST listen.
Lukas Sanchez, from Mission Belt, tells us why winning Shark Tank was just the start of their story.
Mission Belt, based out of Utah, have a business with a real purpose. They make beautiful bespoke belts and give a chunk of their profits to support people living in some of the poorest parts of the world.
But this isn’t just a nice charity sideline for them, it is entirely why the business was created in the first place – with a mission to do good in the world.
But how do you position a business like that? Is it a fashion business first with a social conscience or is it a campaign to do good that just happens to sell belts – admittedly very cool belts that don’t even have holes (more on that later).
Social enterprises are becoming more and more popular so if you’ve got one of these businesses you’re going to learn a lot from Lukas about the importance of identifying your different audiences, your messages and how to create an overall brand story that is clear – not something that confuses people.
Oh and they also won big on Shark Tank – the US version of Dragons Den – so they’re not just some well-meaning dogooders, these guys are the real deal.
Buckle up and prepare to learn!
Dave Venn, the co-founder of fashion business Corala Cashmere, tells us how one piece of press coverage was so powerful his business sold out!
Corala Cashmere are a leading online store for high end cashmere fashion.
Based in Ottawa Dave and his wife Praj run the business together importing beautiful cashmere clothing from Nepal to sell online in Canada and America.
They’ve put PR front and centre of their business – in fact a single piece of news coverage meant that they completely sold out when they first launched four years ago.
They’re also a business with a social mission ensuring a slice of their profits goes back to the villages in Nepal where the cashmere comes from.
In today’s episode you’re going to learn how to create compelling stories about your brand, how to use your own personal human interest story to get journalists on side and how to grow from local to national press.
I caught up with Dave to understand how this husband and wife team tackle the fast moving world of fashion PR head on.
Andy Allen, co-founder of The Snaffling Pig Company, tells us how he made pork crackling sexy – without telling porkies.
The Snaffling Pig company have taken good old fashioned pork scratchings and made them cool - millennial cool.
Forget pop corn and crisps, crackling is where it’s at!
These guys hit the headlines last year after they secured a £70,000 investment on the BBC’s Dragons Den (that’s the UK version of shark tank for our US listeners).
They’re still only two years old but in that time Snaffling Pig has gone through an insane period of growth and they look set to have a massive 2017.
There’s a lot to learn from this interview because Andy, a marketing man by background, gives a huge amount of detail about the experience of being in the Den, shaping the story of their brand and how they’ve worked with the mainstream media. He also gives an invaluable insight into the sharp end of PR - when your brand comes under attack. Listen up folks, this is priceless and could avert a disaster for you.
If you’re running a food startup you’re going to learn a huge amount about the importance of creating a clear and compelling brand story and the need to embed it at EVERY level of the business, from packaging and website to liaising with journalists and direct communication with customers.
Josh Nielsen, founder of podcasting platform Zencastr, tells us why he thinks it’s going to become a necessity for businesses to get involved in podcasting.
Tech startup Zencastr is making it possible for anyone to host a high quality podcast – but how does the man behind it put his business on the map?
By his own admission Josh Nielsen knows the pains of trying to get a tech business off the ground. He’s ‘launched to crickets’ with previous ventures but with Zencastr it’s different - Josh is right at the centre of the explosion in podcasting and already has more than 15,000 clients!
In today’s episode you’ll learn how a tech business has built a PR strategy centred on word of mouth, peer to peer referral and basically by being brilliant.
Zencastr has also had some great media coverage, including the obligatory article in TechCrunch, but for Josh the real success has come from this organic network of raving fans.
Want to learn how he did it so you can too? Hit play now.
Oh…and he also gives some awesome insight into why ALL businesses need to be podcasting right now, it’s a channel that you can’t afford to ignore if you want to succeed.
Andrew Watmuff, co-founder of Watmuff & Beckett, tells us how he slayed the Dragons to win £75k investment.
Many startups and entrepreneurs dream of appearing on Dragons' Den - the UK Version of US TV show Shark Tank – but Andrew Watmuff actually did it, and won!
As the co-founder of Watmuff & Beckett, Andrew is on a mission to take UK farm produce and make delicious ready to eat soups and risottos.
His business partner Michael Beckett is a Michelin star trained chef so his recipes make for a tasty combination and they are already on sale in major UK supermarkets.
In this show we hear from Andrew about what it’s REALLY like in the Den, how much of a PR risk it was to do the show, how Andrew prepared with Class: PR’s FAMOUS course - and how winning the show led to 6,000 web hits a second!
Andrew’s story is a brilliant insight to a high wire, win all/lose all approach to PR. The key learning? Have a brilliant business and prepare until you drop!
Jodine Boothby, founder of Gummee, tells us how she overcame her fears to launch a booming baby business.
Gummee is a leading baby brand which started life with the Gummee Glove, the answer to teething tots everywhere.
Jodine came up with the idea for the teething glove after seeing her own son Jimmy gnawing on his hands. Fast forward five years and her invention is a hit with parents around the world.
Gummee has been a favourite of the press, starting with a pretty impressive piece in the Daily Mail and Jodine has ambitions to breakthrough into national TV in 2017
Jodine’s route to business and PR success was far from smooth and you’re going to be really inspired by her story on today’s show. Proof that if you have a great idea and stick with it you can really go places.
Ilana Taub, the co-founder of Snact, tells us how she used PR to 'Kickstart' their business.
Snact takes surplus fruit and turns it into healthy fruit jerky snacks available in shops across London, including the iconic Selfridges store and Planet Organic.
Ilana, a self proclaimed Snactivist, is on a mission to tackle the issue of food waste and make tasty snacks at the same time.
They’ve had a huge amount of PR, from the launch of their kickstarter campaign in the Daily Telegraph to a recent piece in the Guardian talking about their innovative compostable packaging. Eat the food and chuck the rest on the compost!
I caught up with Ilana to find out how she got journalists to feature her ground-breaking food business…. and to ask why she turned down Dragons Den.
Find out more about Snact on www.snact.co.uk on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Mike Ellicock, the CEO of National Numeracy, tells us how he keeps numbers in the news.
This week we’re with Mike Ellicock, the Chief Executive of National Numeracy.
National Numeracy is an independent UK charity and exists to make us ALL better at Maths. Mike argues that all of us would lead much more satisfying lives, in fact richer and healthier ones, if we could all learn to love maths a little bit more.
The charity is on a mission to win this argument with politicians, businesses, schools and individuals so getting their message across is an ongoing battle and PR is on the front line. Mike has recently appeared on the BBC Breakfast sofa, Radio 4’s Today Programme, The Daily Mirror and the Times Educational Supplement.
Former soldier Mike, and reigning world record marathon runner, is convinced maths is story that has to be told. I caught up with him to find out how he keeps numbers in the news.
Find out more about National Numeracy on nationalnumeracy.org.uk on Twitter and Facebook.
Brittany Haas founder of Happily Ever Borrowed tells us how she got the media to fall in love with an online wedding business.
Happily Ever Borrowed is a leading online wedding shop that rents designer bridal accessories worldwide. They help make that big day even bigger, but without breaking the bank.
Their innovative online rental model has already received a lot of media coverage, from the New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings and CBS to Style Me Pretty and the New York Post.
I caught up with Brittany to find out how she got journalists to fall in love with Happily Ever Borrowed.
Find out more about Happily Ever Borrowed on happilyeverborrowed.com on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram
Kenny Ewan, founder of WeFarm tells us how tech and PR help the world's poorest farmers.
WeFarm is a truly revolutionary business, putting information directly into the hands of some of the world’s most marginalised farmers across the developing world.
In today’s show Kenny Ewan talks about using the media to reach out to these farmers – and to attract investors.
Their peer to peer network enables farmers to share information with each other via text message in places where there is no internet. Messages about weather patterns, crop specialities, market prices, plant diseases and cures. Knowledge is power and the WeFarm network is transforming the lives of thousands of small scale farmers.
Their story has already caught the eye of Forbes Magazine, Mashable, the BBC, Wired Magazine and The Sunday Times. We caught up with Kenny to find out more about the role PR has played in the success of WeFarm and how he did it.
Find out more about WeFarm on wefarm.org and on Twitter and Facebook.
Cornelius O'shaughnessy, the co-founder of Bodimaya, tells us how he used PR to help win major VIP clients.
In this episode you’ll hear from one of the co-founders of leading wellbeing organisation Bodimaya.
Bodimaya helps people rediscover their health through science-based nutrition, genetic testing, yoga and meditation.
This business has had major success with PR and founder Cornelius credits it with building huge credibility in the brand.
You’ll learn how journalists like to receive stories, what is newsworthy and how to keep your brand in the news year after year.
Find out more about Bodimaya on bodhimaya.com on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Mei Pak, founder and CEO of Tiny Hands, tells us how she got global TV coverage with a waffle necklace.
In this episode you’ll learn how an online jewellery business mastered the art of PR winning major media coverage – and a starring roll in hit US comedy show Parks and Recreation!
Tiny Hands make scented jewellery which is now popular all over the world. They’ve had heaps of media coverage from Buzz Feed and Fox News to CBS and Nickelodeon.
It’s fair to say that founder Mei has mastered the art of PR over the last 10 years and has some pretty tasty tips for you - so listen up guys because there’s a lot to learn from today’s show.
Find out more about Tiny Hands on tinyhandsonline.com on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.