The Friday Accelerator

Ros Heathcote founded Borough Broth in 2015 with no food industry background, no manufacturing experience and no contacts - just a gut health problem, a systems-thinking brain, and a butcher who was paying to throw his bones away. Within a year, she had a Selfridges listing. Today Borough Broth is stocked in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Abel & Cole and more, and has just completed a raise with Piper Private Equity. This is a candid conversation about what a decade of slow, deliberate building actually looks like, including the moment when it didn't go to plan and Ros felt like "jumping off a building". Listen to find out: Why Ros founded Borough Broth despite having no food industry experience, but with key skills and strengths. How her journey began as part of a personal health regimen and how it became a business. The transition and challenges of scaling from small, shared kitchen to a larger industrial environment. The importance of staying on top of financials and building investor relationships. How she runs Borough Broth, the transition to an SLT and the demands on a founder as the business grows up. Chapters: 01:34 — Origin story: gut health, a dismissive GP, and butcher's waste bins 05:12 — From IT consultant to food founder 06:44 — Early growth: organic beginnings, Selfridges in year one 09:15 — How the Ocado relationship started 12:20 — Raising with Piper Private Equity: how it actually happened 14:31 — Is broth a one-trick pony? The frozen cube launch 19:04 — From solo founder to SLTs, and how Ros structures her week 21:48 — Goal setting, board meetings and KPIs post-raise 23:20 — The EOS model: Visionary vs Integrator 30:22 — Burnout, Long Covid, and the retailer crisis that risked everything 33:10 — Asana, founder podcasts, and how LinkedIn misleads 35:46 — Quickfire questions   Links and Resources Connect with Ros on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosheathcote/ Find out more about Borough Broth, find stockists and buy online: https://boroughbroth.co.uk/ New Frozen Beef Bone Broth Cubes available on Ocado: https://www.ocado.com/products/borough-broth-organic-frozen-beef-bone-broth-cubes/683981011  Register for IFE, March 30-April 1, where Ros and Karen will be speaking: https://www.ife.co.uk/    -- Ever wondered why sometimes achieving goals is effortless and other times, it feels like pushing water uphill? Get your Friday Accelerator scorecard to find out why. Answer ten questions about your approach to work, goals and success, to access your personalised report and action list. Go to friday-accelerator.scoreapp.com now. If you want a regular dose of inspiration and impetus for growth, resilience and success, subscribe to The Friday Accelerator wherever you get your podcasts - and why not leave a review too.  If you want to accelerate your personal and business performance, you can book at discovery call at https://calendly.com/buyerology/friday-accelerator-1-1

Huib van Bockel spent eight years as head of marketing for Red Bull UK and Europe before leaving to launch Tenzing, a natural energy drink inspired by what Sherpas drink when climbing Everest. Now approaching its 10th anniversary, Tenzing is the fastest-growing energy drink in the UK, stocked in all major supermarkets, and recently received investment from Heineken. In this episode, Huib shares the origin story - including tracking down Sherpa Tenzing's family to get their blessing - and the product formulation and innovations that defied industry norms. He's disarmingly honest about the emotional reality of competing against giants: the constant underlying terror, periods of near-depression, and why founders have to project confidence while feeling anything but. Listen to the episode to discover: Why he left Red Bull and how long it really took him to make the leap The hidden rule that keeps every soft drink at exactly 11 grams of sugar - and how breaking it became Tenzing's biggest competitive advantage Why Huib was happier at Red Bull but more fulfilled running his own business The surfing lesson that became his philosophy for building the business The shark attack problem: what founders should really be worrying about Why Huib will be more worried than excited when the time comes to exit Chapters 00:01:13 - The Red Bull years: From bad energy to good energy 00:03:44 - Why Tenzing? 00:05:03 - Natural caffeine - spin or science? 00:09:52 - Biggest risk, biggest asset 00:10:27 - The retail journey and Heineken's investment 00:15:16 - What does success look like? 00:17:49 - A founder's Monday morning 00:21:59 - Surfing, skiing, and staying sane 00:24:33 - "That wave's not going to catch you" 00:27:43 - Your own worst critic 00:31:41 - Seven Summits 00:34:21 - Most Everest deaths happen on the way down Links and Resources Find out more and buy online at: https://tenzingnaturalenergy.com/ Find out where Tenzing is stocked: https://tenzingnaturalenergy.com/pages/stockists Connect with Huib on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huib-van-bockel-8454834/ -- Ever wondered why sometimes achieving goals is effortless and other times, it feels like pushing water uphill? Get your Friday Accelerator scorecard to find out why. Answer ten questions about your approach to work, goals and success, to access your personalised report and action list. Go to friday-accelerator.scoreapp.com now. If you want a regular dose of inspiration and impetus for growth, resilience and success, subscribe to The Friday Accelerator wherever you get your podcasts - and why not leave a review too.  If you want to accelerate your personal and business performance, you can book at discovery call at https://calendly.com/buyerology/friday-accelerator-1-1

Ella Rauen-Prestes, founder of FitBakes, shares her journey from corporate life to creating a thriving UK brand of low-carb, high-protein baked goods. She discusses the bold decision to pivot from cakes to bars and bread while prioritizing profitability over rapid growth. Ella reveals how she effectively markets on a budget and navigates challenges like outsourcing production and customer service. She also candidly shares her experiences with perimenopause as she balances business and personal life, offering a fresh perspective for entrepreneurs.

Milly Bagot, Co-founder of ByRuby, shares her journey from a side project at Finn's deli to creating premium frozen meals that rival homemade cooking. She discusses the rapid growth during lockdown and the strategic partnership with Charlie Bigham, focusing on quality and profitability. Milly reveals how branded freezers can boost sales by 5x and the challenges of integrating into a larger organization while maintaining ByRuby's essence. She also emphasizes the importance of creative thinking time and the balance between work and personal life.

In this engaging discussion, Kelly Dowson, Managing Director of FIS Group, reveals her journey from a front-room startup to leading a consultancy with a £7m turnover. She shares insights on the challenges of scaling a consultancy and the importance of hiring the right team. Kelly also discusses her innovative research on GLP-1, a potential game-changer in food and health. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of delegation, personal growth, and maintaining a work-life balance while navigating the fast-paced food industry.