The Unemeployables Podcast

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Welcome to our pub, home to our Unemployables Podcast! Every week we shall be sitting down with founders to chat about the reality of owning a fast-growing business, and discovering just what makes these founders so 'unemployable'

  1. Sep 9

    The Incredible Story behind Vidrate | The Unemployables Ep37

    Nick Hird, co-founder of Vidrate, joins us to share how an idea that 30 manufacturers said was impossible became one of the UK's fastest-growing hydration brands.Vidrate started with a simple problem. Nick wanted to drink more water, but everything designed to make water more appealing was either packed with sugar, artificial ingredients or offered little functional benefit.So he set out to create something different: a low-calorie, zero-sugar hydration product made with natural ingredients, electrolytes and vitamins. Around 30 factories told him it couldn't be done. So Nick started experimenting with ingredients himself in his kitchen. And that was only the beginning.In the early years, Nick worked up to six jobs, built Vidrate for an hour each night and slept in his van before meetings because he couldn't afford hotels. When he first won Holland & Barrett, he paid £3 for a gym pass just so he could shower before the meeting.Today, Vidrate has grown from £1.8m to £5.7m revenue in a year, with Nick expecting the business to more than double again. The company has built its own fulfilment operation, remained heavily DTC-focused and expanded from its Yorkshire base into international markets.In this episode:◼️ Why 30 factories told Nick his product couldn't be made◼️ Creating the original Vidrate formula in his kitchen◼️ Working six jobs while building the business at night◼️ Sleeping in a van before winning major retail listings◼️ The personal tragedy that gave Nick the push to finally go all in◼️ Bootstrapping from Yorkshire and turning down VC investment◼️ Growing revenue from £1.8m to £5.7m in just one year◼️ Why every DTC order still receives a handwritten note◼️ Funding retail growth with £1.3m owed to the business at one point◼️ Building a team that treats the company's money like their own◼️ The guilt of building a fast-growth business whilst raising a family◼️ International expansion and where ViDrate goes next◼️ Why hiring great people and getting out of their way has changed the businessBehind all the growth is a founder still driving the same old van, obsessing over spreadsheets and struggling to celebrate the wins before chasing the next target.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite & Lovey!00:00 - Meet Vidrate & Britain's Most Unemployable Founder04:50 - Why Nick Created Vidrate10:15 - 30 Factories Said It Was Impossible

    The Incredible Story behind Vidrate | The Unemployables Ep37

  2. Sep 9

    Building Britain's Fastest Growing Paneer Brand | The Unemployables Ep36

    Riya Patel, co-founder of All The Aunties, joins us to share how an overlooked ingredient became one of the UK's fastest-growing challenger food brands.After growing up eating homemade paneer, Riya couldn't understand why such a versatile, high-protein ingredient was hidden away on supermarket shelves. Instead of accepting it... She decided to build the brand she wished already existed.In just a year, All The Aunties has gone from an idea to securing listings in some big places, while helping bring paneer into the mainstream.In this episode:◼️ Why paneer deserved a better brand◼️ Growing up in a British Indian family and finding inspiration close to home◼️ How LinkedIn helped secure supermarket listings before launch◼️ The story behind the name "All The Aunties"◼️ Building a founder-led brand around family and authenticity◼️ Scaling from hundreds to tens of thousands of units in just one year◼️ Why running a lean team has been a competitive advantage◼️ Working alongside her brother-in-law as co-founder◼️ What's next for All The Aunties as they expand into new categoriesToday, All The Aunties is doing far more than selling paneer.It's changing the way people think about Indian ingredients, celebrating family recipes, and proving that some of the biggest business opportunities come from products hiding in plain sight.If you're building a challenger brand, launching into retail, or trying to create a category of your own, this episode is packed with practical lessons and honest founder advice.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite and Lovey!Chapters00:00 - Building Britain's Fastest Growing Paneer Brand03:40 - The Lightbulb Moment Behind All The Aunties08:30 - Cambridge, Family & Becoming an Entrepreneur14:30 - The Story Behind the Name17:20 - How LinkedIn Landed Tesco Before Launch24:30 - Scaling From Hundreds to 40,000 Units29:30 - Working With Family as Co-Founders32:00 - Leaving the Civil Service Behind34:00 - What's Next for All The Aunties41:30 - Founder Lessons & Building a Category

    Building Britain's Fastest Growing Paneer Brand | The Unemployables Ep36

  3. Aug 17

    Pott'd: The ONE thing you need for a successful business is... | The Unemployables Ep35

    Frankie Thorogood, founder of Pott'd, joins us to share how a simple pottery kit created during lockdown became one of the UK's fastest-growing founder-led businesses. But this isn't really a conversation about pottery it's about building products people genuinely love.After successfully exiting his first business, Frankie started Pott'd. What began as a creative way to spend less time on screens quickly became a brand helping thousands of people reconnect through creativity.Along the way, he developed a refreshingly honest philosophy on entrepreneurship, one that challenges much of the advice you'll find online.In this episode:◼️ Why Pott'd was designed for adults, not children◼️ Building a fast-growth business after a successful exit◼️ The surprising reason second businesses are often easier than the first◼️ Why most founders focus on marketing before fixing their product◼️ The one simple secret to building a successful DTC brand◼️ Why Frankie believes LinkedIn is full of "wafflepreneurs"◼️ Learning to delegate after years of burnout◼️ Growing a business without raising investment◼️ Why creativity is becoming more valuable in a digital world◼️ What success really looks like after you've already made moneyFrom selling football snoods with just £100 to building multiple successful businesses, Frankie shares the lessons he's learned over more than a decade of entrepreneurship.If you're building a consumer brand, thinking about starting a business, or simply want a refreshing take on entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with practical advice, honest opinions and plenty of laughs.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite and Lovey!00:00 - Why Pott'd Was Built for Adults07:40 - Wanting to Be Rich Since Childhood13:00 - Why Frankie Never Wanted a Corporate Job18:00 - Wafflepreneurs, LinkedIn & Finding an Enemy22:00 - Selling His First Business & Starting Again31:00 - The One Secret to Building a Great DTC Brand34:30 - Delegating, Scaling & Growing Faster the Second Time39:00 - Why Frankie Never Raised Investment45:00 - Hiring Great People & Building the Right Team53:00 - Product, Branding & What Actually Matters56:00 - Coaster Questions01:00:00 - The Future of Pott'd

  4. Aug 17

    MEJI Foods: Building Britain's First Instant Jollof Rice Brand | The Unemployables Ep34

    Stephanie Olubajo, founder of Meji Foods, joins us to share how a side hustle built alongside a corporate career became one of the UK's most exciting challenger food brands. Growing up, Stephanie loved West African food but struggled to find convenient, authentic options on supermarket shelves.Instead of accepting it... She decided to create one herself.What followed was years of late-night research, product development, and countless setbacks, all while working full-time in management consulting.In this episode:◼️ Why the lack of West African food in supermarkets inspired Meji Foods◼️ Building a food business while working in management consulting◼️ Creating Britain's first instant Jollof Rice brand◼️ The relentless research that led to finding the right manufacturing partner◼️ How one LinkedIn message secured a meeting with Sainsbury's◼️ Getting made redundant just as the business started to take off◼️ Why going viral helped Meji Foods scale nationwide◼️ Building resilience through stock shortages, legal challenges and rapid growth◼️ The realities of launching a completely new food category◼️ Why representation matters in the UK's food industryToday, Meji Foods is stocked in Sainsbury's stores across the UK and is introducing thousands of people to authentic West African flavours in just 90 seconds.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite and Lovey!Chapters00:00 - Bringing West African Food to Supermarket Shelves04:30 - Growing Up Between Two Cultures10:30 - Climbing the Corporate Ladder18:30 - Realising She Was Unemployable20:00 - Creating Britain's First Instant Jollof Rice27:00 - Getting Made Redundant at the Perfect Time33:00 - The LinkedIn Message That Landed Sainsbury's39:00 - Scaling a Brand Through Retail46:00 - The Highs and Lows of Entrepreneurship52:15 - Coaster Questions

  5. Aug 17

    Lucky Egg: The UK's Fastest Growing Founder-Led Company | The Unemployables Ep33

    Luke and Marcus, the founders of Lucky Egg, join us after being named the UK's fastest growing founder-led company to share how they built one of Britain's biggest consumer product success stories.From greeting cards to party games, their journey spans 17 years of entrepreneurship, countless failures and an obsession with creating products people genuinely want to share. Their first ten games flopped.Today, Lucky Egg products are sold around the world, translated into more than 30 languages and viewed billions of times across social media.In this episode we cover:◼️ Becoming the UK's fastest growing founder-led company with over 500% CAGR◼️ Why their first 10 games completely failed before finding a winner◼️ Building three businesses over a 17-year entrepreneurial journey◼️ Growing without venture capital by backing themselves every step of the way◼️ Designing products specifically to go viral on social media◼️ The thinking behind generating over a billion social media views ◼️ How they build a team of entrepreneurial people who take ownership◼️ Why persistence beats chasing the perfect idea◼️ The mistakes that nearly ended their previous business◼️ Why creating happiness is the common thread behind every business they've builtLucky Egg isn't just selling board games.They're creating products that bring families and friends back together, while building a business designed for the modern social media era.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite and Lovey!Chapters00:00 - Becoming the UK's Fastest Growing Founder-Led Company05:30 - Three Businesses, One Entrepreneurial Journey08:00 - 10 Failed Games Before One Success13:30 - Designing Products to Go Viral20:00 - Building Without Investors25:00 - Scaling a High-Performance Team29:00 - The Mistakes That Nearly Ended Everything35:00 - Why Their Journey Was Never Conventional43:30 - Creating Products That Bring People Together55:30 - Last Orders

  6. Aug 17

    FreeSoul: The Mother & Son Behind a £50M Wellness Brand | The Unemployables Ep32

    Rohini and Arjun, the mother-and-son founders of Free Soul, join us to share how a simple kitchen table conversation became one of the UK's fastest-growing wellness brands.Free Soul didn't start with a business plan. It started with a problem.After struggling to find nutrition products that genuinely supported women's health through every stage of life, Rohini realised the market was built around what women should look like, rather than how they should feel. Together with her son Arjun, they set out to change that.In this episode we cover:◼️ Why Free Soul was built to solve a genuine gap in women's wellness◼️ Building a business as a mother and son◼️ Growing to a £50M+ run-rate with a team of over 50 people◼️ Funding the early days through a decorating business while building Free Soul at the same time◼️ Why they've chosen to stay independent instead of chasing venture capital◼️ Building one of the UK's biggest direct-to-consumer wellness brands◼️ Creating a community before creating products◼️ The importance of listening to customers every single day◼️ Growing through purpose rather than profit alone◼️ How they built a company culture centred around kindness, trust and shared valuesToday, Free Soul is stocked by retailers including Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Holland & Barrett, while serving a huge online community of women across the UK. But despite the growth, the mission hasn't changed. To build the one-stop shop for women's wellness.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite and Lovey!

  7. Aug 17

    Lapland: The Story Behind Britain’s Most Magical Christmas Experience | The Unemployables Ep31

    Alison and Mike Battle, founders of Lapland, join us to share the extraordinary story behind Britain’s most magical Christmas experience, and why they risked everything to reinvent Father Christmas for a new generation.It didn’t start as a business idea. It started as frustration.After years of taking their four sons to disappointing Christmas grottos and Father Christmas experiences, Alison, a primary school teacher, became convinced children deserve something better.Together with Mike, who left a successful career in the City, they set out to create an immersive world where every detail, every story and every interaction helped children truly believe.Twenty years later, Lapland welcomes hundreds of thousands of families, employs more than 4,000 people during the Christmas season, and has become one of the UK’s most celebrated live experiences.In this episode:◼️ Why a disappointing Father Christmas experience inspired an entirely new business◼️ Leaving careers in teaching and finance to build Lapland from scratch◼️ Creating a world where every detail exists to protect childhood belief◼️ Surviving administration, copycats and the 2008 financial crisis◼️ Why taking responsibility changed the future of the business◼️ Building one of the world’s largest immersive live experiences◼️ Creating books, podcasts and original characters beyond the live event◼️ Why they’ve never taken outside investment◼️ The importance of purpose over profit◼️ How Lapland is giving thousands of children another year of Christmas magic through the Lapland FoundationLapland isn’t simply about Christmas. It’s about protecting childhood. Creating lifelong family memories, and proving that when purpose comes first, extraordinary businesses can follow.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite and Lovey!00:00 – The Moment That Changed EverythingHow one disappointing Father Christmas experience sparked the idea for Lapland and why Alison asked, “Why doesn’t somebody do something about it?”06:30 – Leaving Everything BehindWalking away from teaching and finance to build a completely different kind of Christmas experience, despite everyone thinking they’d lost the plot.15:00 – Building a World Around BeliefWhy every detail matters, creating unforgettable childhood memories, and the philosophy behind the Lapland experience.24:30 – When It All Nearly Fell ApartThe early failures, administration, taking responsibility, and rebuilding the business stronger than ever.35:30 – Why They’ve Never Taken InvestmentStaying independent, protecting the vision, reinvesting everything, and why purpose always comes before profit.45:00 – More Than Just a BusinessThe Lapland Foundation, Superstar Days, supporting children with additional needs, and why childhood is at the heart of every decision.54:00 – Building Lapland as Husband & WifeHow Alison and Mike balance creativity and commercial decisions, and why their partnership has become the business’s greatest strength.01:01:00 – Creating the Lapland CultureHiring thousands of seasonal staff, maintaining the magic, and getting everyone to believe in the mission.01:07:00 – Making Memories That Last a LifetimeMike’s unforgettable induction speech, honouring childhood, and why every Christmas creates memories that last forever.01:10:00 – Final ReflectionsThe biggest lessons from two founders who built one of Britain’s most magical businesses.

    Lapland: The Story Behind Britain’s Most Magical Christmas Experience | The Unemployables Ep31

  8. Jul 31

    Pip&Nut: How We Built Britain’s #1 Nut Butter Brand | The Unemployables Ep30

    Pip Murray, founder of Pip & Nut, joins us to share how a simple idea inspired by marathon training became Britain’s number one nut butter brand. What began with a £5,000 loan from her parents and a blender in a North London kitchen has grown into a business generating more than £40 million in annual revenue, stocked by every major UK retailer. It’s a masterclass in building a brand, staying patient, making better products, and proving that execution will always beat ideas.In this episode:◼️ Starting Pip & Nut with a £5,000 family loan◼️ Building Britain’s number one nut butter brand◼️ Why execution matters more than having a great idea◼️ Growing to £40M+ revenue after raising only £4M◼️ Why founders shouldn’t obsess over investment headlines◼️ The biggest product mistake that nearly derailed the business◼️ How to protect your brand as your team grows◼️ Remaining CEO while scaling beyond £40 million◼️ Choosing investors who back your long-term vision◼️ Why purpose, culture and creativity drive sustainable growthFrom early failures and difficult fundraising rounds to becoming the market leader, Pip shares the lessons she’s learned over more than a decade of building one of Britain’s best-loved food brands.If you’re building a consumer brand, raising investment, or simply trying to create something people genuinely love, this episode is packed with practical advice and honest founder stories.Thanks to our epic partners ITV Ignite and Lovey!Chapters00:00 – From Marathon Runner to Pip & NutHow a love of running and food sparked the idea for Britain’s number one nut butter brand05:30 – Building a Brand From ScratchLaunching with a £5,000 family loan, creating the first recipes and why execution beats ideas 10:30 – Putting Your Name on the ProductThe story behind Pip & Nut, building trust with consumers and the power of founder-led brands14:20 – Becoming Britain’s Number One Nut Butter BrandCreating healthier products, challenging the category and staying hungry after reaching the top19:30 – Scaling Without Losing Your IdentityGrowing the team, protecting the brand, building culture and avoiding creative drift23:00 – Raising Just £4M to Build a £40M+ BusinessChoosing the right investors, staying in control and why growth matters more than fundraising headlines 27:45 – The Biggest Business MistakeThe failed product launch that cost hundreds of thousands and the importance of focusing on your core business32:20 – Learning to Lead as CEOOvercoming self-doubt, growing with the business and why Pip nearly hired someone to replace herself35:30 – Building a Brand People LoveCreating distinctive brands, obsessing over quality and why purpose drives long-term success40:50 – Last OrdersFundraising failures, biggest lessons, founder advice and the realities of entrepreneurship

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Welcome to our pub, home to our Unemployables Podcast! Every week we shall be sitting down with founders to chat about the reality of owning a fast-growing business, and discovering just what makes these founders so 'unemployable'

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