Getting to Grow

Zoe Fox

Getting To Grow is a business, brand and growth podcast for founders, startups and FMCG brands, hosted by Zoe Fox. Each episode features founders, entrepreneurs, brand builders, sales leaders and industry experts from household-name brands and fast-growing challenger startups across consumer goods. Whether you’re a startup founder, entrepreneur, brand marketer, sales professional or operator in the FMCG and consumer brand space, Getting To Grow delivers practical insights, actionable lessons and real-world stories from people actively building some of today’s most exciting brands.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    How Louise Avery Built LA Brewery From Scratch || GTG S07 E03

    What does it really take to build a brewery from scratch when you have no industry experience, no roadmap, and no safety net?In this episode of Getting to Grow, Zoe Fox sits down with Louise Avery, founder of LA Brewery, to explore the deeply human story behind one of the UK’s most distinctive non-alcoholic drinks brands. From fermenting drinks at home and delivering bottles by bike to building a full-scale brewery and landing major retail partnerships, Louise shares what it truly means to follow intuition and build something before you feel ready.This conversation traces the journey from leaving a conventional career and returning to her roots, through years of experimentation, financial uncertainty, and self-doubt, to creating a brand grounded in craft, creativity, and purpose. It is an honest look at what happens when passion, persistence, and curiosity lead the way, even when the path is unclear.Louise opens up about:• Starting with no brewing experience and learning everything by doing• Building LA Brewery through experimentation, fermentation, and instinct• Delivering early products herself and growing without external validation• Overcoming impostor syndrome while pitching, scaling, and raising investment• Why naivety can be a hidden strength in the early stages of building a brand• Balancing creativity with commercial reality as the business grows• Staying true to values in an increasingly competitive and saturated market• Redefining success beyond speed, scale, and perfectionIf you are curious about how brands are really built behind the scenes, what resilience looks like when things are uncertain, or how trusting your instincts can shape a business with depth and integrity, this episode offers a powerful reminder that meaningful brands are rarely built by following a perfect plan, but by showing up, learning fast, and staying committed to the journey.Zoe Fox (Host):https://www.instagram.com/gettingtogrow/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-fox-377033b0/LA Brewery:https://www.instagram.com/labrewery/https://labrewery.co.uk/

    58 min
  2. 22 JAN

    How £100 Built Lumberjacks into a Cult Food Brand w/ Brendon Manders || GTG S07 E02

    What does it really take to build a brand from nothing — without shortcuts, safety nets or a perfect plan?In this episode of Getting to Grow, Zoe Fox sits down with Brendon Manders, co-founder of Lumberjaxe, to unpack the raw, unfiltered journey from mobile barber to Dragon’s Den — and how a £100 idea turned into a nationally stocked food brand powered by family, grit and obsession.From sleeping in vans and making products in his mum’s kitchen to pitching in front of the Dragons and securing investment, this conversation reveals what brand-building actually looks like when you don’t come from money, marketing or manufacturing — and why community, belief and relentless execution mattered more than polish.Brendon opens up about:→ Starting before feeling “ready” — and why imperfection beats waiting→ The hidden grind behind Lumberjaxe: vans, festivals, kitchens and family labour→ Building a loyal community before even having a website→ Why obsession and hands-on work can’t be outsourced→ Learning business, marketing and manufacturing by doing — not planning→ What really happened behind the scenes on Dragon’s Den→ Earning opportunity through consistency, not luck→ Balancing ambition, family life and five kids while building a brand→ Why long-term belief matters more than overnight successIf you’ve ever wondered how brands are built without a playbook, what resilience really looks like behind the highlight reels, or why the hardest route often builds the strongest foundations, this episode pulls back the curtain on the reality of entrepreneurship — and what it truly takes to build something meaningful from the ground up.Zoe Fox (Host):https://www.instagram.com/gettingtogrow/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-fox-377033b0/Brendon Manders (Guest):https://www.instagram.com/brendonmanders/Lumberjaxe:https://www.instagram.com/lumberjaxefood/

    1h 3m
  3. 8 JAN

    How Pimentae Built a Cult Brand Without Ads w/ Wynter Karo || GTG S07E01

    What does it take to build a cult brand in a world obsessed with ads, awareness and shortcuts?In this episode of *Getting to Grow*, Zoe Fox sits down with **Wynter Karo**, founder of **Pimentæ**, to unpack how one of the UK’s fastest-growing tequila cocktail brands scaled without relying on traditional advertising — and why experience, focus and conviction mattered more than media spend.From a corporate career at IBM and Sky to building a tequila-first brand in one of the most competitive categories in food and drink, this conversation reveals how Wynter set out to change how people think about tequila — and how brands are actually built.Wynter opens up about:→ Why Pimentæ rejected “marketing awareness” in favour of revenue-led experiences→ Building a cult-like community through festivals, events and moments people remember→ The operational challenges of scaling across multiple formats and retail channels→ Why being famous for *one thing* beats trying to be everything→ Growing without big ad budgets — and what really convinces retailers and investors→ Navigating fundraising as a female founder in a tough VC climate→ Leaving corporate comfort behind to build something purpose-led→ Why modern brands win by making people *feel* something, not just selling a productIf you’ve ever wondered how brands grow without paid ads, how experience can outperform exposure, or why focus and long-term thinking still matter in a shortcuts-first world, this episode pulls back the curtain on the mindset, discipline and belief behind Pimentæ — and what it really takes to build a cult brand from the ground up.Zoe Fox: https://www.instagram.com/gettingtogrow/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-fox-377033b0/Wynter Karo Co-founder: Pimentae-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pimentaedrinks/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pimentae/?originalSubdomain=ukWebsite: https://www.pimentaedrinks.com/

    54 min
  4. 17/12/2025

    From Poker Player to Pasta Founder || Emilias Pasta || GTG S06E06

    What does it take to reinvent a dish the world loves, but has completely misunderstood?In this episode of Getting to Grow, Zoe Fox sits down with Andrew McLeod, founder of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, to unpack the obsessive, values-driven journey behind one of the UK’s most respected fresh pasta brands.From a maths graduate and former poker player with no restaurant experience, to building a cult following around slow-made, honest pasta, this conversation reveals how Andrew set out to fix what most people don’t even realise is broken — how pasta is made, served, and understood.Andrew opens up about:→ Why pasta became labelled “unhealthy” — and how modern shortcuts stripped it of quality and nutrition→ The hidden differences between mass-produced pasta and slow-dried, freshly made pasta→ Opening a first restaurant in London with no industry background and just £150k→ Serving two customers a night… and what those early failures taught him about resilience→ Why Emilia’s makes everything fresh, on-site, every day — even when it’s harder and more expensive→ Building a brand by educating customers, not copying competitors→ Expanding carefully without compromising quality, culture or values→ Why pasta isn’t the problem — how it’s made isIf you’ve ever questioned why pasta doesn’t make you feel the way it should, wondered how truly great food brands are built, or believed that doing things the hard way can still win in a shortcuts-first world, this episode pulls back the curtain on the craft, conviction and long-term thinking behind Emilia’s — and why pasta is more misunderstood than we think.Zoe Fox: https://www.instagram.com/gettingtogrow/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-fox-377033b0/Emilias Pasta:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emiliaspasta/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-macleod-pasta/

    58 min
  5. 05/12/2025

    How Lucky Saint Became the #1 Alcohol-Free Beer in the UK w/Luke Boase || GTG S06E05

    What does it take to reinvent a category everyone had written off as boring, dusty and impossible to fix? In this episode of Getting to Grow, Zoe Fox sits down with Luke Boase, the founder of Lucky Saint, to uncover the relentless, curious and quietly radical journey behind the UK’s fastest-growing alcohol-free beer. From a single spark of frustration with non-alcoholic options to building a brand served in 10,000+ venues, stocked in major supermarkets, and crowned the UK’s #1 alcohol-free beer, this conversation reveals the true story of disrupting an industry built on habit, heritage and “that’s just how beer is.” Luke opens up about:→ How a moment of curiosity became a two-year mission across six breweries and three countries→ Why alcohol-free beer was a “great proposition on paper” but completely broken in reality→ The surprising naming story behind Lucky Saint — and what it means to feel “a little bit saintly”→ Breaking into pubs, restaurants and retail without a playbook→ How the pandemic nearly wiped out the business… until online sales exploded overnight→ Why mindful drinking is becoming a movement, not a trend→ What building a B-Corp beer brand taught him about culture, conviction and long-term vision If you’ve ever wondered how a founder can reshape drinking culture, challenge decades of industry norms, and build a modern beer brand with purpose at its core, this episode pulls back the curtain on the movement redefining what it means to drink — and not drink — today. Connect: Zoe Fox: https://www.instagram.com/zoefox96/ Getting To Grow: https://www.instagram.com/gettingtogrow/ Lucky Saint Website: https://luckysaint.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luckysaintbeer/

    1h 13m
  6. 20/11/2025

    Why Expensive Food Doesn't Taste Better || Olivia Abrahmsohn (Taste Expert) || S06E04

    What actually happens on your tongue when you take a bite? Why do some mangoes taste like flowers… and others taste like cheese? And how has truffle become the most overhyped, misunderstood flavour on every menu?In this episode of Getting to Grow, Zoe Fox sits down with Olivia Abramson who is a product developer, flavour specialist and the woman behind some of the UK’s most loved juices, smoothies and snacks, to decode the science, psychology and pure magic of taste.From growing up obsessed with flavours to leading global recipe development for brands like Joe & The Juice, Olivia has spent years shaping what millions of people eat and drink every day. This conversation pulls apart the hidden world behind the foods we think we know.Olivia opens up about:→ Why taste isn’t a talent, it’s a trainable skill anyone can learn→ How she chooses ingredients like tasting 8 mango purees back to back→ The truth about truffle and why most of it isn’t even real→ How umami quietly became the flavour everyone’s suddenly obsessed with→ What actually makes junk food addictive and why carrots just can’t compete→ Why smell is 50% of flavour and how COVID changed the taste world→ The tiny details that make or break a product on the shelf→ How mindful eating can literally switch your brain out of stress modeIf you’ve ever wondered why supermarket sandwiches feel flat, why certain dishes hit differently, or how to elevate your palate without being a wine snob, this episode takes you inside the sensory universe that decides our cravings, habits and food memories, one bite at a time.Connect:Zoe Fox: https://www.instagram.com/zoefox96/Getting To Grow: https://www.instagram.com/gettingtogrow/Olivia Abrahmsohn: https://www.instagram.com/tastebud.tickler/

    46 min

About

Getting To Grow is a business, brand and growth podcast for founders, startups and FMCG brands, hosted by Zoe Fox. Each episode features founders, entrepreneurs, brand builders, sales leaders and industry experts from household-name brands and fast-growing challenger startups across consumer goods. Whether you’re a startup founder, entrepreneur, brand marketer, sales professional or operator in the FMCG and consumer brand space, Getting To Grow delivers practical insights, actionable lessons and real-world stories from people actively building some of today’s most exciting brands.