Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions

Simon Greenwood-Haigh
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 Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions explores what it really takes to build and scale challenger food and drink brands. Join Simon Greenwood-Haigh and occasional co-host, Scott, as they speaks to founders, buyers, operators and brand builders about the honest reality of FMCG; no fluff, no jargon, just practical lessons. 

  1. AI for Sales Teams Without Sounding Like a Bot | Craig (ex-Cheesies)

    2D AGO

    AI for Sales Teams Without Sounding Like a Bot | Craig (ex-Cheesies)

    Send us Fan Mail AI is everywhere in sales right now — and most of what people are doing either turns into spam, or it’s so complicated nobody uses it. In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh speaks with Craig — founder of Cheesies and a commercial operator/consultant turned AI practitioner — about how challenger brands can use AI to sell more without losing their human edge. We cover:  why sales is one of the safer career paths in an AI world (and what will actually change)  the biggest misuse Craig sees: generic inputs leading to generic output  a practical “start here” setup (Claude Pro, global instructions, connectors, and better prompting)  how to keep AI outreach human, on-brand, and believable  what Craig learned building Cheesies: focus on a single audience and spot early traction signals  what he’d do differently if starting a brand today with AI agents from day one  Craig’s new venture, The Expedition, helping FMCG leaders integrate AI properly Link:  www.makinmighty.com If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    33 min
  2. How Superfoodio Drive Rate of Sale Once They’re Listed [NIRALI & JAG - SUPERFOODIO]

    MAR 24

    How Superfoodio Drive Rate of Sale Once They’re Listed [NIRALI & JAG - SUPERFOODIO]

    Send us Fan Mail Getting listed is exciting. Staying listed is the hard bit. In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh speaks with Ja and Jag, founders of Superfoodio, about what really drives rate of sale once you’re on shelf. They share practical, founder-level tactics on: why availability is the first battle (and how brands get caught out)early retail mistakes you only learn the hard way (including a barcode issue that nearly got them pulled)what they do first in a new retailer to drive volumeactivations that actually shift units (not just look good online)building store colleagues into brand champions when you can’t be everywherehow packaging becomes your salesperson when you’re not in storewhy improving 1% at a time through data and feedback loops keeps momentum goingIf you’re a challenger brand trying to win once you’re in retail, this is gold. Link:  www.makinmighty.com If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    29 min
  3. How to Turn a 200-Year-Old Brand into a Challenger | Josh Daly (Grey Poupon)

    MAR 17

    How to Turn a 200-Year-Old Brand into a Challenger | Josh Daly (Grey Poupon)

    Send us Fan Mail How do you make a 200-year-old heritage brand behave like a modern challenger — without losing what made it famous? In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh speaks with Josh Daly, who helped take Grey Poupon from being “in the wilderness” to behaving like a brand with a clear point of view. We get into: why Grey Poupon got delisted (and why that was actually useful context)how to spot duplication and pull away from the incumbentwhat was sacred (product quality, the jar) vs what had to change (tone, audience, comms)fast, scrappy insight gathering (farmers’ markets, real conversations)the tactics that moved the needle: a challenger campaign, relevant creators, merch, and smart use of datawhat Josh would do more of, less of, and avoid completelyIf you’re trying to modernise a legacy brand or sharpen differentiation in a crowded category, this one will land. Link:  www.makinmighty.com If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    26 min

  4. MAR 10

    What “Good Enough” Actually Means for Early Brands | Simon & Scott

    Send us Fan Mail Early-stage founders often try to rush to “perfect” — perfect branding, perfect plans, perfect decks — before they’ve sold a single unit. In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner unpack what “good enough” really means for challenger brands, and why perfection is often just procrastination dressed up as strategy. We cover: why selling early beats endless planningwhere you can compromise (and where you absolutely can’t)why big brands still launch products that flop, even after loads of testingthe difference between being “rough and ready” vs being carelessa useful mental model: “precisely wrong vs roughly right”If you’re building a challenger brand and feeling pressure to look bigger than you are, this episode is a reset. Link:  www.makinmighty.com  If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    24 min
  5. Looking Premium vs Being Premium | Simon & Scott

    MAR 3

    Looking Premium vs Being Premium | Simon & Scott

    Send us Fan Mail Loads of challenger brands describe themselves as “premium”. But premium isn’t a word you write in a strategy doc — it’s something you deliver, end to end. In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner break down the difference between looking premium and being premium — and why getting this wrong is one of the fastest ways to lose trust (and repeat purchase). We cover: why premium needs to show up in the whole customer journey, not just the packaginghow small details (emails, delivery, unboxing, service) create the premium feelingthe Zappos story: customer service as the real differentiatorhow premium pricing without premium value (or margin) falls apart quicklywhy over-engineering can be as bad as under-deliveringLink:  www.makinmighty.com If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    14 min
  6. Why Buyers Don't Buy The Story You're Telling | Simon & Scott

    FEB 24

    Why Buyers Don't Buy The Story You're Telling | Simon & Scott

    Send us Fan Mail Founders love their origin story. Buyers don’t buy it. In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner unpack why brand storytelling so often falls flat in retail and commercial conversations. We talk about: why relevance beats romance when you’re trying to sellwhy your brand is the sidekick, not the herowhen storytelling does work (and what it needs to do)examples where story builds credibility and trust (and where it’s just noise)If you’re building a challenger brand and leading with your founder story, this is a useful reset. Link:  www.makinmighty.com If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    14 min
  7. Why Your Content Isn’t Working (It’s Not the Algorithm) | Simon & Scott

    FEB 17

    Why Your Content Isn’t Working (It’s Not the Algorithm) | Simon & Scott

    Send us Fan Mail A lot of founders blame the algorithm when their content doesn’t land. It’s a convenient scapegoat. In this co-hosted episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh and Scott Cramner unpack what’s really going on: most challenger brands don’t have an algorithm problem — they’ve got a messaging problem. We get into: why “going viral” is not a strategyhow consistency beats random spikeswhy knowing exactly who you’re talking to changes everythingwhat great brands do differently (Surreal, Red Bull, and a couple of weird ones you’ll want to look up)If you’re building a challenger brand and posting loads without seeing results, this episode will help you tighten the message and make content easier to create. Links:  Makin Mighty: www.makinmighty.com If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    22 min
  8. The Retail Reality: Getting Listed and Staying Listed | Jasmine Wheelhouse (Taking the Pea)

    FEB 10

    The Retail Reality: Getting Listed and Staying Listed | Jasmine Wheelhouse (Taking the Pea)

    Send us Fan Mail Getting listed is not the win...it’s permission to start proving yourself. In this episode of Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions, Simon Greenwood-Haigh is joined by Jasmine Wheelhouse (CEO/“Pea-EO” of Taking the Pea) to talk honestly about the retail reality for challenger brands: getting a buyer’s attention, winning the pitch, and what it takes to stay listed once you’re on shelf. We cover: what “retail ready” really looks like in practicebuyer ghosting and the resilience required to keep pushingwhat buyers are actually listening forthe “first big retailer” catch-22the money trap founders fall into when they’re desperate for tractionLinks:  Taking the Pea: www.takingthepea.com Makin Mighty: www.makinmighty.com If you found this useful, please share it with someone building a food or drink brand who’d get value from it. You can follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram for clips and extra insights: just search for @MakinMighty And if you’ve got a question you’re wrestling with right now (brand, growth, retail, positioning) email it in. We’re collecting real questions from founders and we’ll use those to shape future episodes. Thanks for listening. See you next time makinmighty@gmail.com

    24 min
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About

 Makin Mighty: The Challenger Sessions explores what it really takes to build and scale challenger food and drink brands. Join Simon Greenwood-Haigh and occasional co-host, Scott, as they speaks to founders, buyers, operators and brand builders about the honest reality of FMCG; no fluff, no jargon, just practical lessons. 

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