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Brand Growth Heroes

Brand Growth Heroes

By: Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA |
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About this listen

 Brand Growth Heroes ranks in the top 1.5% of ALL podcasts globally. With +25 years' experience working for brand giants and as coach to over 400 challenger brand founders, Fiona Fitz asks the questions you need the answers to from the founders of wildly successful consumer goods brands driving transformational growth.Copyright Fiona Fitz Consulting Ltd. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • The Perfect Ted People Strategy: Building the Rocket Ship While It’s Flying

    The Perfect Ted People Strategy: Building the Rocket Ship While It’s Flying
    Jun 25 2025

    In just 5 mins, get your dose of insight and inspiration from Perfect Ted's co-founder Marisa Poster, and their brilliant Head of Sales, Shani Higgs!

    From the early grind of cold emails and constant rejection through post-Dragons’ Den momentum to scaling a £ 30M+ brand with just a 30-strong team, Marisa and Shani open up about how they’re building a really special team culture, as well as the global 'Matcha Movement'.

    Hear how Perfect Ted has become a magnet for kind, passionate, hardworking people:

    • Why hiring for both skills and values matters now more than ever
    • The power of team culture and shared belief in scaling fast
    • Why is it the easiest sales job you’ll ever have at Perfect Ted?
    • How networking and saying yes can change everything
    • Why does working with people you genuinely like make all the difference?


    Hand-picked by the brilliant team at MKJ Ignite

    – the FMCG recruitment experts helping challenger brands grow with the right people in the right roles – this short is full of practical people insights. Billy, Paul, and Immy have combed through the Brand Growth Heroes archives to bring you the most valuable founder wisdom on hiring and scaling teams that thrive.


    A new 5-minute episode drops every two weeks — so make sure to HIT FOLLOW and don’t miss the next one.


    If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team - here!


    Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn


    Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn


    Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

    Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

    Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn
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    10 mins
  • Smol but mighty: The CGO & CMO Fueling this £44M Disruptor in Homecare

    Smol but mighty: The CGO & CMO Fueling this £44M Disruptor in Homecare
    Jun 18 2025
    What’s the ACTUAL difference between a Chief Growth Officer and a Chief Marketing Officer,what do they do and why might a high-growth brand need both?BGH host Fiona Fitz has been in the industry for 25+ years, and believe it or not, these roles are relatively new, borrowed from the worlds of tech and e-commerce, pure plays. So we decided it was high time to investigate what exactly a chief growth officer does and how they work alongside a chief marketing officer.In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona digs into that exact question with two of the most strategic minds behind one of the UK’s most successful DTC brands, smol. Neil Campbell is Chief Growth Officer, and Hilary Strong is Smol’s Chief Marketing Officer. Together, they break down how they work in tandem to scale a brand that’s grown to £44M in sales, without relying on traditional advertising or a big retail presence.Neil and Hilary explore how customer lifetime value, subscription retention, and channel strategy combine to build a high-repeat-rate, mission-led brand. They also discuss how Smol segments its audience, turns data into action, and balances performance marketing with long-term brand building.If you’ve ever wondered how to move from organic to scalable growth—or whether it’s time to bring in more senior commercial firepower to your team, this conversation will give you both the strategic context and the practical next steps. You’ll hear how Smol has built a brand so loved that customers travel across the country just to meet the team in person and why they’re still holding off on going big in retail despite the temptation.This episode is packed with real-world insight, actionable strategy, and a glimpse into what modern DTC growth leadership really looks like. Enjoy!Useful Links:smol websiteConnect with Neil CampbellConnect with Hilary StrongFollow smol on Instagram & FacebookA small favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please hit FOLLOW and even leave a review! This tiny gesture means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often. We see every new follower and read every review, so thank you in advance!=============================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm=============================================================If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.And that starts with the right legal partner.So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!==============================================A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.
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    53 mins
  • How People & Team Drive Tony Chocolonely's UK Growth

    How People & Team Drive Tony Chocolonely's UK Growth
    Jun 11 2025

    In this bite-sized Brand Growth Heroes SHORT episode, Ben Greensmith, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland of Tony’s Chocolonely, reveals:

    • Why out-of-home is Tony’s secret weapon
    • How their sales team of 30+ is structured to drive growth
    • A surprising revenue stream that’s doubling year on year

    If you want to gobble up even more insights, don’t forget to like, follow, or subscribe Brand Growth Heroes podcast — and if you're keen for full conversation between Fiona and Ben, you can find it in our catalogue (December 2024.

    #BrandGrowthHeroes #TonysChocolonely #FMCG #ChallengerBrand #MKJIgnite #Recruitment #HR #GoldenNuggets

    This BGH SHORT is hand-picked by FMCG recruitment pros MKJ Ignite.


    Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at just how HARD it is for founders to find the right people for their business.

    • There are fewer applicants than there used to be for roles in sales and marketing in CPG businesses
    • It's even tougher to find that magic mix of mindset, experience and soft skills— as well as someone who genuinely fits your culture and values.
    • And the process? It's a lot: search, connect, schedule, first interviews, follow-ups, feedback loops — all while juggling a scaling business — and you STILL might not end up with the right person.

    It struck me that so many of the incredible guests on Brand Growth Heroes have shared absolute gold when it comes to building teams — how they hire, how they lead, and what they’ve learned when it all goes wrong.

    So the brilliant crew at MKJ Ignite - Billy, Paul and Immy, have gone through the Brand Growth Heroes archives and handpicked some snippets from the founders of your favourite challenger brands (think Olipop, Freja Bone Broth, Child's Farm, Perfect Ted and Tony's Chocolonely), pulling out the best people insights.

    And as a result....BGH SHORTS: The People Series was born!

    • Short 5 min episodes.
    • Golden nuggets.
    • Actionable insights

    Every 2 weeks, we’ll drop a new 5-minute clip - so don't forget to HIT FOLLOW!

    Because your business is only as strong as your team.

    It really shouldn’t be this hard — but it is.

    So let’s make it a little easier! If you're wondering whether or not you need help with your recruitment, or would like to ask for some advice, you can book a no-obligation call with Billy - or anyone on the team -

    here!

    Connect with Billy Maddock on LinkedIn

    Connect with Immy Southwell on LinkedIn

    Connect with Paul Jones on LinkedIn

    Follow MKJ Ignite on Instagram

    Connect with MKJ Ignite on LinkedIn
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    7 mins
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