In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we sit down with Tariq Kazemi, co-founder and CEO of Bldbro, the game-changing skincare brand designed specifically for bald men. What started as an Instagram community aimed at shifting the stigma around hair loss has now evolved into an award-winning business that's turning heads in the grooming industry. Tariq shares the incredible journey of building Bldbro—from a soft launch that sold out in months to reaching £3 million in revenue in just 365 days, with over 3,000 active subscribers and ambitious international plans. With a strong focus on community, quality, and brand mission, Bldbro isn't just creating products—it's changing perceptions. This conversation is packed with insights and inspiration and is structured in three key parts: The Business & the Journey – Tariq discusses the origins of Bldbro, their unique hero product (Bldbro Daily, a matte moisturising gel with SPF), and how they've scaled so rapidly. Challenges of Scaling – We explore the tension between product development and customer feedback, the impact of fast growth, and lessons from their fundraising journey—including closing a £1 million seed round. Quickfire Round – A light-hearted look at Tariq's personal views on leadership, inspiration, and what's next. Key Highlights: Achieved 800% growth in 2023, and on track for 400% in 2024 Awarded the Men's Health Grooming Award, Telegraph Recommended, and West Midlands Startup of the Year Building a team culture rooted in healthy conflict, shared mission, and remote collaboration Marketing success driven by Instagram community, word-of-mouth, and bold campaigns across Meta ads, national radio, and more The one key thing Tariq shared that really resonated was this: "We're not just creating skincare—we're building confidence and community for bald men everywhere." Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts. For now, continue listening for the full story from Tariq. Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk grangerf@biz-smart.co.uk Kevin's Latest Book Is Available! Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up. More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/ Tariq can be found d here: https://www.instagram.com/bld.bro/ https://bldbro.com/ Resources: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/shantaram-now-a-major-apple-tv-series-starring-charlie-hunnam-gregory-david-roberts/d08a35c26ee7e86f?ean=9780349117546&next=t Excel - https://excel.cloud.microsoft/en-gb/ Notion - https://www.notion.com/ Conjura - https://www.conjura.com/ Shopify - https://www.shopify.com/
