In this episode of Abandoned Cart, Adam sits down with Neil Sumner, retail consultant and founder of Sumner For Hire, to explore why content is still king and why many brands are getting it wrong.

With a career spanning publishing, luxury media, global retail, and high-growth brands like BrewDog, Neil shares powerful lessons on storytelling, humility, and the importance of theater in commerce. From driving 10x DTC growth during lockdown to challenging the “sea of sameness” in modern e-commerce, this conversation dives deep into what it really takes to build connection, loyalty, and differentiation in today’s crowded market.

If you’re a founder, marketer, or e-commerce leader tired of playing it safe, this one’s for you.

Key Topics Covered

1. Neil’s professional journey and the brands that shaped it, including BrewDog and Hunter & Gather.
2. The BrewDog story - how bold thinking fueled growth and loyal communities.
3. Why storytelling sits at the heart of customer connection in retail.
4. The real challenges of digital transformation and lessons from projects that didn’t go to plan.

Connect with Neil Sumner:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilsumner/

Website: neil@sumnerforhire.com.

Connect with &Allies:

To discuss how we can help your brand grow, visit www.andallies.co.uk

In this episode of Abandoned Cart, Laura sits down with Jago, co-founder of Angry Pablo, the sustainable cycling and running apparel brand challenging how performance sports look, feel, and sound.

Jago shares how Angry Pablo was born not from a market gap analysis but from lived experience as athletes who felt modern performance culture had become intimidating and joyless. Together, they unpack how brand, honesty, and creativity can cut through even the most crowded categories.

This episode is a must-listen for founders building brands in “samey” spaces and anyone curious about how community, tone, and restraint can outperform hype.

Key Topics Covered

1. Why less money can actually drive better decisions
2. Building a brand without formal brand guidelines (yet staying consistent)
3. Standing out in a crowded performance apparel market
4. Why humour and humanity don’t dilute performance, they strengthen it
5. The importance of organic growth before paid acquisition
6. Creating emotional connection beyond transactional sales
7. Balancing friendship and business as co-founders
8. The challenges of funding a product-led brand
9. Transitioning from limited drops to a core, year-round collection

Connect with Jago Leckie:

Angry Pablo

Website: https://angrypablo.cc

Instagram / TikTok: @angrypablo

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Connect with &Allies:

To discuss how we can help your brand grow, visit www.andallies.co.uk

In this episode of Abandoned Cart, Adam sits down with Joe Munns, an experienced FMCG leader, entrepreneur and brand builder, and the founder of home baking business, Baked In.

Joe shares the full story, from starting Baked In as a side hustle while working at IBM, to building an accredited food manufacturing operation and landing major retail listings. He opens up about the whirlwind pandemic boom that took the business from around £1m to nearly £5m in just nine months, and the lessons that followed as the business navigated funding pressure, operational complexity, and the realities of sustaining growth.

A standout section of this episode is Joe’s early adoption of TikTok Shop, including what it actually took to make live selling work, how they used community to build momentum, and why TikTok Shop quickly became Baked In’s biggest D2C channel during peak periods.

Expect a refreshingly honest conversation about:

• The best advice Joe ever received, and why “don’t stretch yourself too far” became a defining lesson
• Building Baked In from baking kits to a subscription vision, alongside retail and manufacturing
• The hidden complexity of too many SKUs, too many channels, and not enough resource
• What rapid pandemic growth really looked like behind the scenes
• How Meta and Google supported subscription acquisition, and what changed post-pandemic
• The power of community and how a Facebook group helped spark early momentum
• TikTok Shop in its early days: going live to tiny audiences, pushing through the awkward start, and finding a repeatable rhythm
• Why QVC-style demos worked so well for Baked In, and what most brands get wrong when they quit too early
• How super fans became moderators, created social proof in the comments, and helped convert new viewers
• Brand partnerships that improved margins (and the risks when values and perception clash)
• The TV ad experiment: what it taught Joe about top of funnel marketing and measurement
• Investors, debt funding, and the tougher reality of raising capital during a slowdown
• The personal impact of running a high pressure business, and what Joe would do differently
• What Joe is building now with Cutting Edge Golf, and his approach to sustainable growth this time

Connect with Joe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmunns/

Email: joe@cuttingedgegolf.com

Connect with &Allies:

To discuss how we can help your brand grow, visit www.andallies.co.uk