What It Takes with Olly Fawcett

Olly Fawcett

What does it take to build something? What does building something take from you? In this podcast, we speak with the founders and owners of some of the most incredible brands and businesses to find out the truth about what it takes to build a brand from the ground up, and as founders what going through that process teaches you. Olly Fawcett is the founder of 303, a creative performance marketing agency working with premium brands. Over the last 10 years, he has spent time inside some amazing brands as they have grown and now is sharing those insights through What It Takes.

  1. 4d ago

    CLIP: Want to go viral? Hundreds of artists are now copying his idea... | Billy Lockett

    Two major record deals, and Billy Lockett walked away from both with nothing to show for it. Then his own manager told him an idea was career suicide, he did it anyway, and it changed everything! Billy Lockett is a self-taught singer-songwriter and pianist from Northampton who has spent over a decade in the music industry, including two major label deals (Warner, and a Virgin-affiliated US label) that both collapsed without ever recouping. After going fully independent, Billy (working alongside his mum) started posting real, unedited concert ticket sales numbers on TikTok and Instagram. One video hit 5-6 million views, hundreds of other artists have since copied the format, his monthly Spotify listeners have grown by 200,000-300,000, and his latest self-produced album hit No.1 in the UK indie charts. Follow Billy: https://www.instagram.com/billylockett/?hl=en Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/ Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35

  2. 4d ago

    From prison to Dragon's Den: the man who built Yo Sushi | Simon Woodroffe

    Nobody walked into Simon Woodroffe's restaurant on opening night. Two weeks later there was a queue down the block that lasted five years and it started with an idea nobody in Britain had ever heard of. Simon Woodroffe OBE is the founder of Yo Sushi and Yotel, and one of the original Dragons on Dragon's Den. Before any of that, he lit Rod Stewart's stage show, worked in the rock-and-roll production world alongside acts like Ozzy Osbourne, sold television rights for Live Aid-era concert broadcasts, and spent time in prison in his late teens for dealing drugs. At 45, with half a million pounds and a government-backed bank loan, he built Yo Sushi, Britain's first conveyor belt sushi restaurant, and turned it into a business with over 100 restaurants and a presence in 600 supermarkets worldwide. He later sold his majority stake to Primary Capital, but says he made more money from a single royalty clause than from either exit. Chapters 00:00 "I Got Lost" Three Times in His Life
 01:51 He Wrote the Book Only When He Felt Like It
 05:31 The Dad Who Taught Him to Be a Showoff
 08:32 Confessions of a Lost Boy
 10:50 Busted for Dealing Drugs With Two Kids and Some Surfboards
 12:05 Why Prison Stopped Him Breaking the Law Forever
 15:07 A Newspaper Ad Got Him Into Rock and Roll
 16:36 Designing Rod Stewart's Stage With No Experience
 20:45 "I Had to Get Out Before I Got Found Out"
 24:45 Divorced, Broke and Starting Over in Chamonix
 25:33 The Idea That Changed Everything: Sushi on a Conveyor Belt
 26:25 His 100-Day Rule for Testing Any Idea
 32:50 The Envelope That Arrived From Japan
 37:43 The Queue That Lasted Five Years
 46:07 How He Built a Million Pound Restaurant on Half the Money
 50:39 The Contract Clause That Made Him Richer Than Selling the Company
 53:03 The ATM Screen He Couldn't Stop Staring At
 1:11:24 His Answer to "What Does It Take?" Buy Simon’s book Yo! Man here: https://yo.co.uk/yo-man/ Follow Simon: https://www.instagram.com/yosimonwoodroffe/?hl=en Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/ Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35

  3. Jul 13

    His manager called it career suicide, it got 6 million views | Billy Lockett

    Two major record deals, and Billy Lockett walked away from both with nothing to show for it. Then his own manager told him an idea was career suicide, he did it anyway, and it changed everything!Billy Lockett is a self-taught singer-songwriter and pianist from Northampton who has spent over a decade in the music industry, including two major label deals (Warner, and a Virgin-affiliated US label) that both collapsed without ever recouping. After going fully independent, Billy (working alongside his mum) started posting real, unedited concert ticket sales numbers on TikTok and Instagram. One video hit 5-6 million views, hundreds of other artists have since copied the format, his monthly Spotify listeners have grown by 200,000-300,000, and his latest self-produced album hit No.1 in the UK indie charts.Chapters0:00 Welcome, Billy1:34 He Could Play Piano Before Anyone Taught Him3:03 The Loner Who Couldn't Fit In Anywhere8:09 The Talent Show That Changed Everything10:12 A Standing Ovation and a Drug Addict's High14:14 The Cost of Being "The Brand"17:18 Burning CDs and Selling to His Mates25:57 A Backstage Rider Full of Blank CDs and Cash28:15 Bin Bags Full of Money in a Fiat33:03 The Cancer Treatment His Dad Refused38:00 The Handshake Before His Dad Died41:37 A Year of Cocaine and Alcohol49:00 Warner Walks Into His Gig Unannounced52:03 "They Own You": Life Inside a Major Label55:47 Walking Away From Warner56:29 The Song That Reached James Corden1:01:03 Paying a Rapper a Fortune for Nothing1:04:07 The Idea His Manager Called Career Suicide1:14:14 The Video That Hit Six Million Views1:22:54 What Success Actually Looks Like NowSubscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and high performers.Follow Billy:https://www.instagram.com/billylockett/?hl=enFollow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35

  4. Jul 8

    CLIP: An ex-investor reveals why your cold DMs get ignored | Elevate, £1m Smoothie Firm

    Watch full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtU5289Jn1sJulia Baldet left a successful career in investment banking and private equity after years of relentless pressure, burnout and serious health issues.In this episode of What It Takes, Julia shares the complete story behind building Elevate Smoothie Bar, one of London's fastest-growing wellness brands.This is an honest conversation about risk, discipline, resilience and what it actually takes to build a business from scratch.Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and high performers.Follow Julia:https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliabaldet/https://elevatewellness.uk/Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35

  5. Jun 30

    From Burnout to Building Elevate | Julia Baldet's Founder Story

    Julia Baldet left a successful career in investment banking and private equity after years of relentless pressure, burnout and serious health issues. In this episode of What It Takes, Julia shares the complete story behind building Elevate Smoothie Bar, one of London's fastest-growing wellness brands. We discuss: • Why she walked away from finance • The burnout that changed her life • Becoming a barista before opening her own business • Raising investment from over 350 cold outreach messages• Building a profitable retail business from day one • The importance of brand, product and customer experience• Why entrepreneurship isn't for everyone This is an honest conversation about risk, discipline, resilience and what it actually takes to build a business from scratch. Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and high performers.

  6. Jun 24

    CLIP: The Toxic Culture of Kitchen Nightmares

    Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwbREb-yihwKirk Haworth has been through every challenge the hospitality industry can throw at someone.From training in some of the world’s best kitchens, to having his career completely stopped by chronic illness, to rebuilding everything from the ground up.We go into the realities of kitchen culture, the physical toll of the industry, and the moments that force you to rethink everything. You'll learn about standards, pressure, and what it really means to start again when you’ve already put years into something.Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35Follow Kirk:https://www.instagram.com/kirk_haworth/

  7. Jun 22

    CLIP: Live music isn't dead, the talent is | Molto Music Group

    Watch full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpfEW1uBYh4 Rosie Skus3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACul1k0Bsjk-QJlAwwFbCgAhd7DZInTUE4gnt agency, two weeks before Covid shut down the entire hospitality and music industry. Today, Molto provides the entertainment for some of the most prestigious venues in the world: The Dorchester, The Savoy, Hermès, Google, and the 50 Best Hotels. In this conversation, Rosie's tell us about: — Why starting with nothing is actually an advantage — The moment she made up the numbers in her first ever pitch and won — What she looks for in musicians that has nothing to do with talent — The real state of luxury hospitality right now — Why "if you're a diva, I don't want to work with you" Follow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/ Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35 Follow Rosie: linkedin.com/in/rosie-skuse-1512aa185/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACul1k0Bsjk-QJlAwwFbCgAhd7DZInTUE4g

  8. Jun 17

    What Nobody Tells You About Building a Business in Entertainment | Rosie Skuse

    Rosie Skuse launched Molto Music Group, a live music and entertainment agency, two weeks before Covid shut down the entire hospitality and music industry. Today, Molto provides the entertainment for some of the most prestigious venues in the world: The Dorchester, The Savoy, Hermès, Google, and the 50 Best Hotels. In this conversation, Rosie's tell us about:— Why starting with nothing is actually an advantage— The moment she made up the numbers in her first ever pitch and won— What she looks for in musicians that has nothing to do with talent— The real state of luxury hospitality right now— Why "if you're a diva, I don't want to work with you"Chapters:0:00 Introducing Rosie1:42 Why acting led to a business4:02 Moving to London at 18 with nothing5:08 What theatre school taught her about discipline10:08 How she handles rejection13:33 The art of giving creative feedback19:01 Spotting the gap in hotel music23:07 Launching Molto two weeks before lockdown26:27 The Dorchester rooftop 31:02 Why naivety is your superpower at the start34:25 Building a team with no HR experience43:49 Talent isn't everything 52:43 What venues are looking for in musicians56:58 The state of luxury hospitality right now1:03:42 The Pokémon Christmas party story1:05:44 What's next for live musicFollow Olly: https://www.instagram.com/olly.303/https://www.tiktok.com/@ollyfawcett303?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-fawcett-668566177/Get frequent behind the scenes updates from Olly: https://whatittakes.kit.com/51cd36dc35Follow Rosie:linkedin.com/in/rosie-skuse-1512aa185/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACul1k0Bsjk-QJlAwwFbCgAhd7DZInTUE4g

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About

What does it take to build something? What does building something take from you? In this podcast, we speak with the founders and owners of some of the most incredible brands and businesses to find out the truth about what it takes to build a brand from the ground up, and as founders what going through that process teaches you. Olly Fawcett is the founder of 303, a creative performance marketing agency working with premium brands. Over the last 10 years, he has spent time inside some amazing brands as they have grown and now is sharing those insights through What It Takes.

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