Building The Brand with James Burtt

How to sell your business for £50M? Howard Kosky built his specialist PR agencies over 32 years then sold it for £50M - and says leaving felt like grief.So, what is a business exit strategy really? Howard who is considered to be a broadcast PR pioneer sits down with James Burtt on Building The Brand to break down selling a business in the UK, how to value a business beyond EBITDA, and how private equity really buys companies.How much is my business worth? Howard's answer: Your value is not your profitability. Buyers pay for future-proofing, niche dominance, and runway. In this episode he reveals his first IPO windfall at 28, engineering a management buyout in 2001, buying Cue Sheet magazine to own the market, building 5 interconnected companies, and why he chose PE investment for his final exit. He also breaks down due diligence survival, vendor due diligence, why buyers chip price, and the emotional support gap no advisor warns you about.If you want a UK founder playbook for business valuation, exit planning, and life after selling a business — this is it.🎙️ Guest: Howard Kosky — Founder, Markettiers4DC🎙️ Host: James Burtt — Building The Brand👇 KEY MOMENTS: Selling a Business & £50M Exit Strategy:0:00 — How to sell your business for £50M? The day after the deal0:54 — Why does selling a business feel like grief?2:13 — Radiators vs drains: What founders get wrong after exit8:02 — What is life after selling your company really like?13:13 — Business exit strategy: What is your right to win?15:50 — How did Marketeers for DC start in broadcast PR?20:29 — What happens in your first IPO at 28?24:46 — How does a management buyout from a PLC work30:39 — How to spot digital opportunity early in business?42:39 — Should you buy a competitor to own your niche?54:34 — Where do you really make your fortune? Fame vs fortune57:11 — When is the right time to sell your business to private equity?01:04:50 — How do buyers value a business? Future-proofing vs profit01:10:21 — How to survive due diligence when selling a business?01:24:49 — Why is there no emotional support when you sell your company?ABOUT BUILDING THE BRAND:Building The Brand is the business podcast for people who don't just want inspiration - they want to understand how success is actually built. Hosted by James Burtt, each episode goes beyond the headline with in-depth conversations and signature pause moments that tactically break down strategy.FOLLOW for weekly interviews with UK founders on selling a business, scaling, and brand building.

Guy Phoenix builds £25M super homes for billionaires complete with shark tanks and helipads! The Channel 4 star reveals how he went from terraced houses to Monaco mansions.How do you go from building standard terraced houses to building some of the most extravagant luxury homes in the world for billionaires? Guy Phoenix - luxury home builder, star of Building Britain's Superhomes on Channel 4, and founder of Guy Phoenix Luxury Developments - sits down with James Burtt for an unfiltered conversation on Building The Brand.Guy doesn't call himself a builder. He calls himself an artist. In this episode he breaks down how the Guy Phoenix name became synonymous with luxury and extravagance over 20+ years, why he once built ONE super home on a plot where he could have built six houses, why a client paid him £50,000 just for a conversation, and why his future billionaire project will cost hundreds of millions.You'll hear how his son Jack took the brand to another level with YouTube and TV in the last 3 years (90% of growth), his on-site design process with spray paint and string, 585 lighting circuits vs 23 in a normal house, six-figures-a-month interest bills, £300k planning fees, Monaco, Miami, Beverly Hills expansion, and his take on the UK property market, wealth exodus and tax.If you want to understand luxury property development in the UK, how to build a personal brand in construction, and the mindset of the ultra-wealthy who buy Guy Phoenix homes - this is it.KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 - How Guy Phoenix Accidentally Built a Luxury Brand 01:54 - I Am Not a Builder. I Am an Artist. 04:01 - Shark Tanks, Lagoons, Helipads & Football Pitches: Client Wish Lists 06:06 - How His Son Jack 10X'd The Business With YouTube & TV 0:40 - The Hundreds-Of-Millions Billionaire Super Home 12:23 - From Terraced Houses To £25M Mansions: The Stepping Stones 13:41 - Designing With Spray Paint & String: Guy's Process 27:02 - UK Wealth Exodus, Tax & Stamp Duty Truth 29:14 - Moving to Monaco: Why He's Relocating 30:50 - The £50,000 Chat & Hugh Grant Story: Fame & Clients 32:59 - Impenetrable Homes: Security For Billionaires 50:00 - 585 Lighting Circuits: His Lighting Superpower 51:00 - Hard Work, Resilience & Short Temper: Work Ethic 52:35 - Legacy: Homes That Live On After He's Gone 53:12 - Strip Billionaires Naked & They'd Get Rich Again: Wealth MindsetWant more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter

How do you help build one of the UK’s best-known challenger beer brands, walk away from the business you helped create and then start all over again in a completely different industry?Hannah Williams helped build Tiny Rebel from a home-brewing experiment into a major independent brewery employing around 120 people, while acting as CFO and helping scale the company through rapid growth.Today, she is CEO of the Alacrity Foundation, working with technology startups and entrepreneurs, while simultaneously building Lucky No.7 Coffee alongside her husband Mo.And she’s doing it with many of the same principles that helped Tiny Rebel grow: move quickly, test the market, build a distinctive brand, surround yourself with great people and learn as you go.In this live episode of Building The Brand from Ideas Fest, Hannah shares the entrepreneurial lessons behind building Tiny Rebel, launching a coffee brand, scaling a startup, building a team and creating a brand people actually remember.Want more from Building The Brand?Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterIn this episode, Hannah reveals:How Tiny Rebel went from home brewing to employing around 120 peopleWhy they ignored advice that the business needed a traditional marketing budget and backed social media marketing insteadHow Tiny Rebel hit its original three-year forecast within just nine monthsWhy Hannah believes naivety can sometimes be more powerful than confidence when starting a businessWhy knowing when you are no longer adding value can be critical as a founder or senior leaderHow simply asking successful entrepreneurs for help led to mentorship and advice from people behind businesses including Gymshark and GrenadeWhy she hires for “will over skill” and believes attitude can be more valuable than experienceWhy great businesses require partnerships, co-founders and complementary skill setsHow Hannah and Mo created the Lucky No.7 Coffee brand around their blended family of sevenWhy Lucky No.7 used events to test its branding, products and customer response before expandingWhy moving into physical retail earlier than planned can sometimes create unexpected growth opportunitiesHow Hannah combines startup thinking, technology and ecommerce with a traditional physical product businessHannah also explains the personal side of entrepreneurship: leaving Tiny Rebel after more than a decade, growing up around entrepreneurial parents, raising children around business and why financial success means less to her than creating experiences and making a difference to other people.Lucky No.7 Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.no7coffee/Alacrity Foundation: https://alacrityfoundation.co.uk/Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/Under The Canvas: https://underthecanvas.co.uk/0:00 — From Tiny Rebel to Building Lucky No.7 Coffee03:35 — How Tiny Rebel Started With Beer Brewed at Home04:45 — Ignoring Traditional Marketing Advice & Betting on Social Media05:25 — Hitting a Three-Year Business Forecast in Nine Months06:30 — Why Naivety Can Be an Entrepreneurial Advantage08:00 — Why Hannah Walked Away From Tiny Rebel09:25 — How to Get Successful Entrepreneurs to Mentor You11:00 — Knowing When You’re No Longer Adding Value to a Business15:55 — “Will Over Skill”: Hannah’s Approach to Hiring Great People22:00 — Why Entrepreneurs Need the Right Partner Around Them26:45 — Building the Lucky No.7 Coffee Brand From Scratch30:30 — Launching Into Retail Without a Traditional Business Plan32:00 — Testing Your Brand Before Trying to Scale It35:00 — Why Moving Too Early Can Sometimes Create Your Biggest Opportunity36:25 — “Slow Down to Speed Up”: Balancing Momentum With Strategy40:45 — Building a UK Coffee Brand Beyond Physical Stores41:30 — AI Search, GEO & the Future of Ecommerce Discovery43:25 — Why Hannah Never Feels Like She Has Done Enough

How do you build a multi-million pound ecommerce brand without white-labelling, without forcing subscriptions, and without a big ad budget?Tariq Kazemi, co-founder of BLD BRO, did it by building a community before he had a product. What started as an Instagram page to change the narrative around hair loss has become a 7-figure skincare brand for bald men, stocked in their own warehouse, funded by the community that asked for it.Check our BLD BRO via https://bldbro.com/This episode of Building The Brand goes beyond inspiration to break down how success is actually built.Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterIn this tactical breakdown, Tariq reveals:How to build a brand community that validates your product before you manufacture (the 90% matte vs shiny test)Why BLD BRO refused to white-label and built a bespoke formula from scratchHow to launch a DTC brand building strategy on a 1,000-unit self-funded first orderThe retention playbook: Why 50% repeat customers beats forced subscriptionsHow a £1K budget Christmas ad ended up being a high-performing TV campaign that drove direct attribution This is a masterclass in brand building strategy, how to build a community around an underserved niche, how to start a business uk the community-led way and business growth strategy for a physical product brand.Questions answered in this episode: How did Bald Bros build a community-led skincare brand?How a to validate a product idea with your audience before launching?How to build an ecommerce brand without paid advertising?What is a community to commerce strategy for DTC brands?Key Moments: 0:00 - Why This Bald Skincare Brand Became a 7-Figure Community00:18 - How to Build a Brand From Community: The Bald Bros Origin Story 02:22 - From Hair Loss Anxiety to Brand Purpose: Tariq's 10-Year Journey07:40 - Shaving His Head: The Moment That Built Bald Confidence12:48 - The £8 Billion Hair Loss Industry Lie Every Founder Should Know 14:36 - Finding a Market Gap: Why No Skincare Existed for Bald Men18:55 - App vs Physical Product: How to Choose Your First Business Idea20:22 - How to Validate Your Product Idea With Your Community (The 90% Matte Test) 23:29 - Why We Didn't White Label: Building a Bespoke DTC Product34:06 - Launch Day to Sold Out: How to Launch an Ecommerce Brand on 1,000 Units 47:31 - The Content Hire That Scaled Us: Hiring Jake Massey (Ex-LADbible) 53:01 - Bald Fest: How Community Events Build Brand Better Than Ads57:36 - The £1K TV Advert That Drove Real Brand Awareness

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 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/@buildingthebrandofficialWant more from Building The Brand - connect here:https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterIn 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/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 everywhereKEY MOMENTS:0:00 — Charles Gay on raising £1M, Ibiza and building Favela1:05 — From fashion entrepreneur to Brazilian beer brand founder3:15 — Creating a gluten-free, organic, vegan beer concept5:22 — Spotting the gluten-free trend before the market caught up9:25 — PAUSE POINT: Market gaps are easier to see from outside the industry11:37 — Losing the fashion business and saving Favela19:18 — Relaunching Favela and raising the first £1M22:06 — The Favela Foundation and building a purpose-led beer brand23:45 — PAUSE POINT: What survives when a business collapses?26:37 — Rebuilding the brewery, team, marketing and distribution30:05 — Cold-calling bars and hand-delivering beer in Glasgow33:33 — Starting again, swallowing your ego and leaving fashion behind39:15 — Why aluminium bottles are a major opportunity for Favela42:15 — Getting Favela into O Beach Ibiza47:01 — Driving beer through Europe to Ibiza with his dad48:44 — PAUSE POINT: Founder mode means doing whatever it takes52:25 — Amazonico, Dubai, Monaco, Miami and premium global venues56:29 — Why on-trade comes before supermarket retail distribution1:00:15 — The biggest lessons from losing a multi-million-pound business1:03:40 — World Cup activations, Dubai, Spain and Favela’s next stage

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/@buildingthebrandofficialWant more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterIn 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/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 levelKEY MOMENTS:0:00 — James on shame, scars, trust and being ripped off for millions1:00 — Why the positive should be primary2:14 — Growing up severely dyslexic3:34 — School, shame and becoming the “cheeky chappie”8:38 — Trusting solicitors, PAs and people around him9:30 — PAUSE POINT: Build around your weaknesses12:41 — The business partner who ripped him off for millions15:10 — Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications18:32 — How drama school became his first client20:01 — PAUSE POINT: Rejection can become market research21:36 — Winning 35 pubs before the age of 1823:20 — Building Ruskins and growing into tree surgery31:07 — Breaking into council and commercial contracts34:39 — Brokering international rights and licensing deals36:39 — Selling Ruskins for the first time42:00 — Buying the business back from receivers46:39 — PAUSE POINT: Does the business still fit the life you want?49:39 — Moving into land, planning and development51:39 — Why contracts and partnership agreements matters when millions are involved59:28 — Why James loves commercial property1:01:00 — Delegation, management and expert operators1:04:54 — Baby steps, risk and learning before diving in1:08:02 — Why James created the Baddow Park Mastermind1:10:34 — Helping entrepreneurs think bigger1:11:57 — James’s ambition: buying property until the day he dies

Can you start at the bottom of an industry, back yourself before anyone else does, raise millions, build a fast-growth startup and sell it within three years?FOR THE FULL STORY GET KAROLINA’S NO.1 BEST SELLING BOOK ‘HER PLAY’ Karolina Pelc is an entrepreneur, investor, advisor, author and the founder of BeyondPlay, the iGaming startup she launched in 2021, raised £6.1 million for, and sold to FanDuel within just three years.Want more BTB goodness!? Connect Here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterKarolina’s journey started far from the world of startup exits, venture capital and acquisition deals. At 19, she trained as a casino dealer in Poland, worked in tough casino environments, moved to London, lived in difficult conditions, worked on cruise ships, and eventually fought her way into the online gaming industry from the very bottom of the career ladder.In this episode of Building The Brand, Karolina breaks down how she turned lived experience in real-world casinos into a powerful insight about the future of online gaming. She explains how she raised £1.2 million from a pitch deck, built BeyondPlay through the pandemic, scaled the team to 50 people, navigated product pivots, licensing complexity, investor pressure, founder burnout and eventually sold the company to FanDuel.She also shares why she does not believe in luck, why starting again can be a strategic move, why founders cannot make everyone like them, and why hustle only works when it is intentional.Karolina shares:▪️ Why she does not believe luck created her success▪️ Why she was willing to start again in a junior role▪️ How real-world casino experience shaped the idea for BeyondPlay▪️ Raising £1.2 million from a deck during the pandemic▪️ Why approval cannot be the operating system for founders▪️ Selling BeyondPlay to FanDuel within three years▪️ What really happens during a fast acquisition processFind out more about Karolina Pelc here:https://karolinapelc.com/Key Moments:0:00 — Karolina Pelc on quitting, growth, pressure and selling BeyondPlay1:07 — Why Karolina does not believe in luck3:16 — Starting, funding and selling BeyondPlay within three years6:57 — The brutal training process to become a dealer8:00 — Her first major casino customer and early resilience12:19 — Arriving in London and the reality of starting again17:35 — Homelessness and learning the hard way21:20 — Reality distortion filter, belief and ambitious goals24:05 — Understanding the different levels of the casino world30:47 — Moving from casinos and cruise ships into online gaming34:35 — The idea that eventually became BeyondPlay37:21 — Raising £1.2 million during the pandemic44:18 — What BeyondPlay actually built50:33 — Regulation, licensing and startup complexity52:21 — The risky second product that changed the company57:00 — Founder mode and transparent leadership59:00 — Why CEOs cannot have everyone agree with them1:00:12 — Work-life balance, values and startup reality1:06:40 — People pleasing, burnout and founder pressure1:09:30 — Building BeyondPlay with an exit in mind1:11:13 — Selling the company in two months1:14:54 — What the day of signing the deal actually felt like1:17:13 — Leaving the company after acquisition1:19:49 — Achievement addiction, writing the book and what comes next1:24:14 — Who Karolina wrote the book for

Phil Graham is an entrepreneur, business strategist, investor, mentor and founder of the multi-million pound brands Fitness Entrepreneur and Expansion Partners.After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, Phil refused to accept the limitations placed on his life. He rebuilt his health through bodybuilding, nutrition, training and self-education, before turning that knowledge into one of the most successful fitness business coaching companies in the UK.Connect Here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterHe breaks down why most entrepreneurs are not really chasing revenue - they are chasing freedom, peace, control and options. He also explains why many founders build businesses from fear, scarcity and external validation, then wonder why success still feels unfulfilling.Phil shares: ▪️ How he became one of the UK’s leading fitness business coaches▪️ Why skills come before cash when building a profitable business▪️ Why most founders are really chasing freedom, peace and control▪️ How to build a business around your life, not a life around your business▪️ How emotional mastery affects business growth, leadership and decision-making▪️ Why customer success, retention and repeat revenue create real wealth▪️ How to scale a business with a lean, high-performance teamFind out if Phil’s Expansion Partners is right for your business https://phil-graham.com/expansion-partners/Key Moments: 0:00 — Phil Graham on defiance, freedom and success6:00 — Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 1610:23 — Bodybuilding, nutrition and self-mastery13:27 — Getting his first client and discovering business15:18 — Moving from personal training into business coaching17:23 — Scaling from one-to-one to one-to-many18:37 — Building Fitness Entrepreneur20:06 — Why clarity comes from action21:12 — Business as personal development25:05 — Emotions as a tool for growth34:31 — Phil’s near-death experience39:24 — Building from scarcity versus abundance42:24 — Building a business around the life you want45:49 — Why founders want freedom more than revenue46:42 — The founder operating system50:27 — Why skills lead to cash54:19 — The Founder’s North Star58:26 — The five growth drivers1:00:24 — Why retention creates real wealth1:02:46 — Leaving the laptop at home1:05:28 — The lean team behind a profitable business1:08:40 — Why big teams can create bloat1:13:45 — Scaling without creating a monster1:18:22 — Authority, profit and freedom1:19:39 — The 90-day execution model1:22:39 — Boutique versus mass-market growth1:26:06 — Why profit matters more than turnover1:27:20 — Business as the key to freedom