Building The Brand with James Burtt

How She Spotted Grenade, BrewDog and Tangle Teezer Before They Were Household Brands! Great British Entrepreneur Awards Founder Frankie James On The State Of Business In The UK Right Now!

43 min · 20. maj 2026
episode How She Spotted Grenade, BrewDog and Tangle Teezer Before They Were Household Brands! Great British Entrepreneur Awards Founder Frankie James On The State Of Business In The UK Right Now! cover

Description

Frankie James is the founder behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Ideas Fest and one of the UK’s most influential entrepreneur communities. In this episode of Building The Brand, Frankie shares how she built a platform that celebrates and connects British founders, startup leaders, scale-up businesses and some of the UK’s most exciting future household-name brands. The Great British Entrepreneur Awards have helped spotlight entrepreneurs and brands including Grenade, BrewDog, Tangle Teezer, Dr.PAWPAW, Zilch, Cera Care and Simmer Eats. But this conversation is not just about business awards, black tie events or winning trophies. It is about the real power of UK entrepreneurship, founder community, business networking, face-to-face events, visibility, resilience and human connection. Frankie explains why entrepreneurial spirit in Britain is still alive and well, why the government needs to listen to founders across every region and industry, how GBEA became more than an awards programme, and why Ideas Fest has become known as the Glastonbury of business. She also opens up about intuition, ADHD, working with her partner Dylan, using AI in business communities, and why the best entrepreneurs are often not the ones with the perfect business model — but the ones hungry enough to keep figuring it out. Watch more episodes and connect here: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial [https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial] https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter [https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter] ▪️ Why UK entrepreneurship is still alive and well ▪️ How Frankie James built the Great British Entrepreneur Awards ▪️ Why Ideas Fest became known as the Glastonbury of business ▪️ Why business awards can help founders build visibility and credibility ▪️ How founder communities help entrepreneurs through difficult times ▪️ Why entrepreneurship is not just tech companies in London ▪️ What Frankie looks for in future household-name founders ▪️ Why face-to-face events still matter in an AI-driven world ▪️ How AI can help connect founders, investors, partners and business support ▪️ Why the best entrepreneurs are hungry, resilient and willing to pivot ▪️ How Grenade, Simm Eats and other UK brands came through the GBEA ecosystem ▪️ Why there is nothing wrong with building a great business you enjoy running Key Moments: 0:00 — Frankie James and the UK entrepreneurship scene 0:30 — Is British entrepreneurship still alive and well? 1:52 — Why entrepreneurship is not just tech companies in London 3:57 — Frankie’s journey into business and entrepreneurship 7:03 — How the Great British Entrepreneur Awards started 8:38 — Building GBEA with data, insight and founder stories 10:03 — Spotting future household-name entrepreneurs 11:12 — Why business awards matter for founders 13:31 — Building community beyond trophies and events 15:21 — Ideas Fest: the Glastonbury of business 17:31 — Founder intuition, ADHD and big business decisions 19:13 — Scaling Ideas Fest from 1,200 to 6,000 people 22:12 — Why founder community matters during difficult times 24:47 — The hidden fear behind successful entrepreneurs 25:32 — Grenade, GBEA alumni and British business success stories 27:48 — The future of Ideas Fest and entrepreneur networking 31:11 — How AI could make business communities more human 35:16 — Creating meaningful connections at large-scale events 37:32 — Building a business you actually enjoy running 39:16 — Why Simmer Eats is a UK founder story to watch Reach out to Frankie ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/frangbea/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/frangbea/] Find out more about the Ideas Fest ⁠https://ideasfest.uk/⁠ [https://ideasfest.uk/] Enter this year's ⁠Great British Entrepreneur Awards ⁠ [https://greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com/]

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episode YO! Sushi Founder Simon Woodroffe: Prison, Rock ’N’ Roll, Starting At 45 & Building One Of Britain’s Most Iconic Brands artwork

YO! Sushi Founder Simon Woodroffe: Prison, Rock ’N’ Roll, Starting At 45 & Building One Of Britain’s Most Iconic Brands

Can rebellion, enthusiasm and one strange idea change your entire life? Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL and the wider YO! brand, shares the extraordinary journey from boarding school, rebellion, prison, rock and roll stage design and TV rights to launching YO! Sushi at 45 and building one of Britain’s most recognisable modern brands.  Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial [https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial] Want more from Building The Brand - connect here:https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter [https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter] Get Simon’s book YO! Man:https://yo.co.uk/yoman/ [https://yo.co.uk/yoman/] ▪️Why Simon believes enthusiasm is the trait behind his success ▪️Why rebellion can become entrepreneurial fuel ▪️Going to prison and how it changed Simon’s life ▪️How Simon became a rock and roll stage designer ▪️Working around Rod Stewart, Queen, ABBA, Jethro Tull and major live shows ▪️Spotting the opportunity in music TV rights before the market existed ▪️Why the best founders can be early to a market without being reckless ▪️How a lunch meeting sparked the idea for YO! Sushi ▪️Why conveyor belt sushi, robots and Japanese culture felt like the future ▪️Launching YO! Sushi at 45 with his own money on the line ▪️How word of mouth turned YO! Sushi into an iconic British brand ▪️The story behind YOTEL and building a brand across multiple verticals ▪️Why Simon still believes in YO! Home, YO! Airships and future YO! concepts KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — The trait behind Simon’s success 2:06 — Boarding school, authority and rebellion 7:17 — Getting arrested and going to detention 12:43 — Working on yourself as a founder 16:31 — PAUSE POINT: Work on yourself 23:31 — Intensity, enthusiasm and leadership 28:32 — Becoming a rock and roll roadie 32:06 — Band, brand and live spectacle 38:00 — Spotting the music TV rights opportunity 43:06 — Being early to new markets 45:04 — PAUSE POINT: Early or mistaken? 49:24 — The lunch that sparked YO! Sushi 52:04 — Researching and believing in the idea 55:13 — Gut instinct vs market research 56:35 — YO! Home and future living 1:02:09 — Opening YO! Sushi to an empty room 1:02:50 — The queue that lasted five years 1:05:24 — Growing YO! Sushi and YOTEL 1:08:26 — PAUSE POINT: Unrelenting enthusiasm 1:13:57 — Simon’s advice for entrepreneurs

1. juli 20261 h 21 min
episode He Lost His Fashion Empire… Then Raised £4M To Build A Brazilian Beer Brand Taking On The Drinks Industry Giants artwork

He Lost His Fashion Empire… Then Raised £4M To Build A Brazilian Beer Brand Taking On The Drinks Industry Giants

Can you lose a multi-million-pound fashion business almost overnight… and still come back to build a brand in a completely different industry? Charles Gay is the founder of Favela, the Brazilian-inspired beer brand [https://www.favelacerveja.com/]bringing sunshine, culture, gluten-free lager, hospitality partnerships and premium party energy into the UK and European drinks market. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial [https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial] Want more from Building The Brand - connect here:https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter [https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter] In this episode of Building The Brand, Charles shares the incredible story of going from fashion entrepreneur and brand creator to launching Favela Cerveja, a Brazilian beer brand built around culture, community, purpose and one very clear gap in the market. But this conversation is not just about beer, hospitality or building an alcohol brand. It is about losing everything, having to shut down a successful fashion business almost overnight, dealing with the pressure of staff, suppliers and cancelled orders, rebuilding from scratch, raising investment, learning a new industry, cold-calling bars, driving beer across Europe himself, and proving that brand-building principles can transfer across completely different markets. He also breaks down the realities of the drinks industry, from brewery partnerships, wholesalers, distributors and hospitality groups through to premium venues, football sponsorship, Ibiza activations, Amazonico, Dubai, Marbella, O Beach Ibiza and the strategic move into aluminium bottles. Connect with Favela:https://www.favelacerveja.com/ [https://www.favelacerveja.com/] IN THIS EPISODE: ▪️How Charles Gay went from fashion entrepreneur to beer brand founder ▪️Why Brazil inspired the creation of Favela Cerveja ▪️Spotting the gap for a Brazilian beer brand in the UK drinks market ▪️Creating a gluten-free, vegan and purpose-led beer brand ▪️The role of brand design, packaging, IP and trademarks ▪️How Charles raised his first £1M to launch Favela ▪️Why investors backed the founder, the story and the purpose ▪️How to build a drinks brand through bars, restaurants and wholesalers ▪️Why cold-calling and hand-delivering product still matters ▪️How Favela partnered with O Beach Ibiza and Amazonico ▪️The strategic importance of aluminium bottles in beer ▪️The difference between on-trade, off-trade and supermarket distribution ▪️Why the right venue partnerships matter more than being everywhere KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Charles Gay on raising £1M, Ibiza and building Favela 1:05 — From fashion entrepreneur to Brazilian beer brand founder 3:15 — Creating a gluten-free, organic, vegan beer concept 5:22 — Spotting the gluten-free trend before the market caught up 9:25 — PAUSE POINT: Market gaps are easier to see from outside the industry 11:37 — Losing the fashion business and saving Favela 19:18 — Relaunching Favela and raising the first £1M 22:06 — The Favela Foundation and building a purpose-led beer brand 23:45 — PAUSE POINT: What survives when a business collapses? 26:37 — Rebuilding the brewery, team, marketing and distribution 30:05 — Cold-calling bars and hand-delivering beer in Glasgow 33:33 — Starting again, swallowing your ego and leaving fashion behind 39:15 — Why aluminium bottles are a major opportunity for Favela 42:15 — Getting Favela into O Beach Ibiza 47:01 — Driving beer through Europe to Ibiza with his dad 48:44 — PAUSE POINT: Founder mode means doing whatever it takes 52:25 — Amazonico, Dubai, Monaco, Miami and premium global venues 56:29 — Why on-trade comes before supermarket retail distribution 1:00:15 — The biggest lessons from losing a multi-million-pound business 1:03:40 — World Cup activations, Dubai, Spain and Favela’s next stage

24. juni 20261 h 6 min
episode He Got Ripped Off For Millions But Still Built a £50M+ Property & Business Empire - James Martin On Dyslexia, Shame and Making A Fortune artwork

He Got Ripped Off For Millions But Still Built a £50M+ Property & Business Empire - James Martin On Dyslexia, Shame and Making A Fortune

Can you build serious wealth without academic success, qualifications or even being able to properly read a contract? James Martin who is an entrepreneur, investor, mentor and commercial landlord who has amassed a huge net worth through business and property certainly thinks so!  Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial [https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial] Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter [https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter] In this episode of Building The Brand, James shares the brutally honest story of growing up with severe dyslexia, leaving school at 14 with no qualifications, turning rejection into opportunity, building his first business before the age of 18, selling and buying back that company, moving into land, planning and commercial property, and eventually building a multi-million-pound property portfolio. James explains how dyslexia shaped the way he thinks, why he built teams around him from a young age, how a trusted business partner ripped him off for millions, what that taught him about contracts, partnerships and control, and why founders need to understand the rooms they are operating in before the stakes get too high. He also shares how he built Ruskins from cutting grass and hanging baskets into a serious commercial business, how he sold it, bought it back for a fraction of the price, then sold it again, before moving into planning, land acquisition, wedding venues, commercial estates, container storage and business mentoring. Connect with the brilliant James Martin on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jamesmartinentrepreneur/ [https://www.instagram.com/jamesmartinentrepreneur/] IN THIS EPISODE: ▪️Growing up with severe dyslexia and the shame of not being able to read properly ▪️Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications ▪️Why James hired a PA at 18 and built his business around his weaknesses ▪️Turning rejection from drama school into his first real client ▪️Building a landscaping and tree surgery company before the age of 20 ▪️Winning pub, brewery, council, MOD and commercial contracts ▪️Selling Ruskins, buying it back, then selling it again ▪️Why being good at a business does not mean you should stay in it ▪️How James moved from trading businesses into land, planning and property ▪️Getting ripped off for millions by a trusted partner ▪️The importance of shareholder agreements, contracts and exit clauses ▪️Why commercial property became James’s favourite business model ▪️How he uses delegation, management and expert operators across multiple businesses ▪️The mindset shift required to go from £2M turnover to the next level KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — James on shame, scars, trust and being ripped off for millions 1:00 — Why the positive should be primary 2:14 — Growing up severely dyslexic 3:34 — School, shame and becoming the “cheeky chappie” 8:38 — Trusting solicitors, PAs and people around him 9:30 — PAUSE POINT: Build around your weaknesses 12:41 — The business partner who ripped him off for millions 15:10 — Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications 18:32 — How drama school became his first client 20:01 — PAUSE POINT: Rejection can become market research 21:36 — Winning 35 pubs before the age of 18 23:20 — Building Ruskins and growing into tree surgery 31:07 — Breaking into council and commercial contracts 34:39 — Brokering international rights and licensing deals 36:39 — Selling Ruskins for the first time 42:00 — Buying the business back from receivers 46:39 — PAUSE POINT: Does the business still fit the life you want? 49:39 — Moving into land, planning and development 51:39 — Why contracts and partnership agreements matters when millions are involved 59:28 — Why James loves commercial property 1:01:00 — Delegation, management and expert operators 1:04:54 — Baby steps, risk and learning before diving in 1:08:02 — Why James created the Baddow Park Mastermind 1:10:34 — Helping entrepreneurs think bigger 1:11:57 — James’s ambition: buying property until the day he dies

17. juni 20261 h 15 min