"If you have a great product, your business should succeed."We meet Edgar Thoemmes, co-founder of Virtually There and Canton Tea, about how two very different businesses steadily grew and found their audiences.Edgar describes the seismic impact of Covid (and how Virtually There anticipated the boom in flexible working), how taking the long term view can pay dividends, and being in a position to give something back to the founders of the future.Presented by Andrew Parsonage, with expert analysis from Ollie Collard and Samantha Miles sifting through the latest reaction from Founded & Grounded listeners. 

Founded & Grounded

Virtually There: How Good Things Come to Businesses That Wait

To kick off Series 3, we meet Banasa Williams - co-founder of Ksoni, who produce plastic-free bathroom wellness products such as shampoo and bodywash.With the global environment high on the agenda this autumn, Banasa talks about the "payoff" required for products and brands to truly call themselves sustainable. We also get to hear about the challenges of supply chain, how you can learn from others in completely different product sectors, and the importance of having a good team.Plus Samantha Miles will be reviewing responses to the listener question posed in our Series 3 preview show - namely, what inspiration did you get over the summer?Presented by Andrew Parsonage, Ollie Collard and Sam Miles.   

Ksoni: Hair Today, Here Tomorrow

In anticipation of Season 3 starting later this September, we welcome back listeners to the podcast which shares the stories and wisdom of early-stage entrepreneurs.There are more great guests on the horizon and new ways to get involved with the show - we&apos;re starting by asking for your summer break inspirations and big decisions -  plus we welcome a brand new member of the Founded & Grounded team.Presented by Andrew Parsonage and Ollie Collard.(10 minute listen)  

Founded & Grounded: Season 3 Preview Show

For our season 2 finale, we speak with Chris Goodfellow; CEO of content marketing agency, Inkwell.When he left an old employer, Chris did something unconventional - he bought one of their brands and rebooted it to become a successful annual challenge - The Pitch - helping startups raise millions of pounds.In conversation with Ollie, Chris talks throughout about the importance of founders putting themselves in the shoes of their audience, why a simple conversation with someone different each week can aid business growth, and how even introverts can become effective salespeople.The message is loud and clear... “Speak to as many customers as possible!"Presented by Ollie Collard and Andrew Parsonage.

Ask the Audience: How Inkwell see life from a customer's perspective

"Women can have children - and know there&apos;s a safe secure way of returning to work."Meet Jess: Mum and co-founder of That Works for Me.When a chance moment - and a gap in the freelance recruitment market - presented itself, Jess took the initiative to serve a large untapped (and talented) audience... that of Mums. 72% of professional women leave the workforce within 3 years of having children - a situation she&apos;s tackling head on with the platform that also supports small business and flexible working. In conversation with Ollie, Jess talks about building a social media audience before going to market, how Covid meant they ended up with a better platform, and the importance of knowing when to get outside help. Plus how That Works For Me is now being embraced by Dads... It&apos;s a tale for the ages, with great advice for other founders and inspiration for those who feel they have more to give than being just a parent. Presented by Ollie Collard and Andrew Parsonage.

Mum's the word - The startup balancing careers with parenthood

How to design a business that meets your expectations. Meet Mikey, Co founder of Cold Email, a SaaS start-up taking the hassle out of lead generation. Mikey&apos;s no stranger to the start-up scene,  having co-founded Escape the City. Mikey shares his tips on how to validate your business idea, how to find a mentor and the challenges of running a business with 3 young children. An episode not to be missed. 

Cold Email - How to warm up your prospects

Meet Thomas, co-founder of Aisle 3,  who shares his insights into how his start-up propelled itself into the 1% of start-ups that raises funding. We discuss the world of price comparison, how Aisle 3 are a  &apos;shopper obsessed&apos; business, the trials and tribulations of fundraising two rounds of investment and the future of e-commerce. Aisle 3 aims to give shoppers the complete view of all of their buying options on a single screen so that they can make purchase decisions based on their personal values such as price, delivery, locality, sustainability or brand loyalty.

Aisle 3 - The start-up that compares well

"You don&apos;t need anyone else to believe in you... other than you." This episode&apos;s guest entrepreneur is Suz: Mum, former accountant, bodybuilder - and founder of The Proper Oats Company.  Suz shares her experience of starting a business amid a global pandemic, in her words "launching an on-the go product when the world wasn&apos;t going anywhere!" There&apos;s the importance of finance, networking and social media - even having an exit strategy despite being a young business. But it&apos;s as much about personal conviction, and what Suz does to maintain self belief whilst following the lonely path of a sole founder.It&apos;s a very real-world tale that sums up the ethos of Founded & Grounded, with great advice for others in the early stages of their business journey. Presented by Ollie Collard and Andrew Parsonage.

Proper Oats: Taking Cereal Seriously

The sisters on a mission to change the beauty industry. April and Nikki share their story of why they started Handsome, the app for beauty professionals. We discuss their challenges, what it&apos;s like being sisters in business and what the future holds for the beauty industry and Handsome. 

Handsome - Sister Act: The siblings making business beautiful

Want to turn your passion into a business? Want to know how to you figure out who your target audience is? In Episode 11, hear from Mark, who shares his insights and speaks openly about the challenges he faces a sole entrepreneur. Mark Makin is the founder of Spontza, a marketplace that connects Businesses & Brands directly with Sports Clubs, Athletes, Fan Channels and Events.Check out Spontza below: https://www.spontza.com/

Spontza - Where business meets the beautiful game

Episode 10 we catch up with Maud, co-founder of Adapt, a study planner app for students. Adapt was built using Google’s Design Sprint process. After intense testing and quick growth they knew that Adapt had a market however Covid-19 threw a spanner in the works for Maud and her co-founders. This episode covers being an accidental entrepreneur, testing your idea, adapting your business model and setting your goals. https://getadapt.co.uk/

Adapt - The start-up that went back to school

Season 2 episode 9 we chat with Helena co-founder of TrueStart Coffee, the feel good coffee company. TrueStart has a strong ethical and sustainable ethos, and the coffee exists to make you feel great!Helena discusses the importance of a positive mindset as a driving force for a successful business, and being brave when repositioning your brand to appeal to a broader audience. Episode 9 also covers topics including trusting your gut instinct and using your unique personality as a strength. As always, listen for great start-up advice and a podcast exclusive offer https://www.truestartcoffee.com/. 

TrueStart Coffee - The power of positive drinking

Episode 8, we catch up with Liam JE Gerada co-founder of Krepling, a centralised commerce platform for entrepreneurs, business owners, and enterprises.Born in South Africa and having moved to Malta, Liam is 21 and running his second successful business. Episode 8 discusses the advantages and challenges that come with being a young entrepreneur. Episode 8 covers topics including working with family, managing growth and testing and validating your business idea.As always, listen for great start-up advice and a podcast exclusive offer https://www.krepling.com/about-us/. 

Krepling - Making e-commerce e-asy

Episode 7 is back in the USA with Paul Yacoubian, founder of copy.ai, “an AI powered assistant for writing and brainstorming marketing copy”. Paul gives us a great insight into AI, founders launching in public, benefits of gaining early adopters and his 7 key lessons for someone looking to start-up a business. These include:Don&apos;t focus on optimisingPixel perfect is a waste of timeUser experience is everything Build for launch speed Launch as fast as possibleFind distribution leverage pointsBuild, launch and get feedback in 7 daysAs always, give episode 7 a listen for great advice and a lifetime offer for https://www.copy.ai/!

Copy.ai - Building your start-up in public

Episode 6, we chat with Daniel Snow, co-founder (alongside his brother Jonathan Snow) of The Snow Agency, “a performance-based, digital marketing agency that specialises in scaling e-commerce brands”. Our second US founder on the podcast, provides great advice for e-commerce and discusses the ups and downs that comes with working with family. Other topics include scaling challenges, finding what makes your company different, and working with a support network. https://thesnowagency.com/

The Snow Agency - Starting a family business

A podcast by Ollie Collard (enterpriseorchard.co.uk) & Andrew Parsonage (extraudionary.co.uk) curated for the start-up community - or anyone with ambitions to be their own boss - 'Founded and Grounded' offers advice, information and inspiration through the stories of those who have started their own business. We focus on the reality of being an entrepreneur through their experiences - good and bad - offering a reminder to listeners that they're not alone in riding this emotional rollercoaster. Get your inspirational kicks and an injection of reality fortnightly on a Tuesday. Find out more at https://www.enterpriseorchard.co.uk/podcast. Follow us @FoundedGrounded on Twitter and @FoundedandGrounded on Facebook.

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Founded & Grounded

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