The Founders

10 Episodes
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By: Campfire

Discover the start-up stories behind some of the most successful and innovative businesses and brands from the founders themselves. In this podcast series, fellow co-founders of Campfire, Alex Brown and Joe Gradwell speak to business owners about how they went from idea to launch, their strategy for growth and sustainability, but also their personal story which offers an insight into the entrepreneurial drive. Whether you’ve got the next great business idea or running your own start-up, this podcast shares invaluable knowledge that you won’t find anywhere else. Connect with Alex, Joe and Campfire here: https://linktr.ee/thefounderspodcast

Campfire: How our rivalry made us perfect business partners
05/10/2023

Joe Gradwell and Alex Brown founded social first marketing agency Campfire after meeting and fostering a healthy rivalry at Social Chain.

In the final episode of the podcast, Alex and Joe are now telling their founding story.

They explain what led them to starting their own competing agency; how they landed on their company values, which includes the ‘no d*ck head’ rule; how they romanticised their business and how that manifested into probation passing fireworks.

To keep up with Alex and Joe’s plans for the future, follow  the team behind The Founders.


Knoops: Jens Knoop on how to diversify your revenue stream
05/03/2023

Jens Knoop’s passion for hot chocolate led him to found Knoops in 2013 with only one store. Now, with more than 10 stores nationwide and an online range, you can now consider Jens Knoops, as the modern day Willy Wonka. 

Jens explains how while researching as part of his previous job, he stumbled across the ‘little luxuries’ market - which when paired with his nostalgic love of chocolate, led him to starting Knoops.

Knoops battled with the covid pandemic and so Jens shares exactly what he thinks startups should be focusing on in their early days to ensure...


Cano Water: Turning water into a £2.1 million business with Josh White
04/26/2023

What started out as a holiday became the foundation for a million pound business. Josh White was horrified by the number of plastic bottles covering beaches on a trip abroad and, with his co-founders, began the mission to reduce single use plastic with a fresh and forward-thinking approach. 

Josh describes how they convinced investors that canned water wasn’t too radical, and the turning point with a little help from Sir David Attenborough himself; he also shares the sad impact that founding a company had on his mental health and how it links to their slogan ‘Don’t Bottle...


Photobox: Graham Hobson's regrets of building a multi-million pound business
04/19/2023

Ever needed a service that didn’t exist?

Back in 2000, Graham Hobson had just bought a digital camera and was bored of trekking back and forth to Boots with the copious pictures he took of his children… so he founded Photobox: A photo printing service that was the first of its kind and became a category leader in the UK market. 

In this episode, Graham shares with Alex and Joe how he founded a multi-million pound company despite having zero aspirations to run his own business. He also divulges the low points of the first few years...


Trouva: Alex Loizou on finding your business’ identity
04/11/2023

When you’re starting a business, a question you might try and be answering for years is who you are as a business. So, how do you go about discovering the answer? 

In this episode, Alex and Joe are joined by Trouva’s co-founder and former CEO Alex Loizou. Alex explains how he went from coder to C-Suite; and how Trouva has come to solve a huge problem for small businesses and customers alike.

He also shares his biggest lessons to pass onto entrepreneurs and business owners; and he also shares how he forgets about work by “f...


Nubian Skin: How Ade Hassan almost missed Beyoncé’s email
04/04/2023

Ade Hassan had a lightbulb moment so good she couldn’t believe it hadn’t been done before: she had never been able to find a nude bra that matched her skin tone. So, she made it for herself and all the other women of colour who never had it before either. 

In this conversation, Ade tells Alex and Joe about her business idea that consumed her, the incredible yet terrifying moment when Nubian Skin went viral before they had a single product to sell, and how they almost missed an iconic opportunity with Beyoncé. 

Follow Ade, Nu...


mana: Michelin stars and why sacrifice doesn’t mean success
03/28/2023

Simon Martin, the founder and head chef of mana, Manchester's first michelin star restaurant in four decades, is disrupting the restaunter landscape and pioneering a new way of eating out. 

A man of great discipline, Simon discusses with Alex and Joe the stresses of setting up a restaurant with minimal business knowledge, the exclusive and mysterious process of receiving a Michelin star (and why no chef ever admits they want one), and an ultimatum from his long-term long-distance girlfriend which led him to creating his new legacy in Manchester.

Simon is dedicated to carving out a u...


Meatless Farm: The secret to securing investment for your business
03/22/2023

After a successful career in finance and fintech, in 2016 Morten Toft Bech decided to pursue new passions not for money, but for the millions of people to be born after him.

Alex and Joe explore the fascinating world of plant-based meat – including the decision Morten made behind which product to make first. He also delves into the challenges of keeping up with competition in a rapidly growing industry and discusses the negativity surrounding plant-based meat.

Morten also provides valuable insights into securing investment and offers practical advice for startups, drawing from his experience as both a fo...


Vivino: How Heini Zachariassen disrupted an entire industry
03/15/2023

Despite not knowing much about wine initially, Heini Zacharissen has created the world’s largest wine community with over 60 million users on the Vivino app. 

Alex and Joe ask Heini about how he built his enormous user base, how to sell yourself to investors without traditional expertise, and why creating FOMO can be your strongest tool. 

Heini also shares how disruptive Vivino was to the wine industry, plus valuable insights on the mistakes to avoid when creating an app and where to find reliable feedback.

Follow @heinizach, @Vivino and the team behind The Founders.
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The Pig Hotel: Robin Hutson on the reality of building a hotel empire
03/08/2023

Robin Hutson is one of the UK’s most successful and powerful hoteliers, but his story still comes with a lot of luck, sleepless nights and selling their own wine collections when they didn’t stock enough on opening night. 

Robin recounts the terrifying prospect of putting up his own house in order to secure a bank loan, why despite having over 1,000 employees they still work like a small business, and what made him return to hotels after selling his first chain for £66 million. 

Follow The Pig Hotels and the team behind The Founders.