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Brand Growth Heroes

Brand Growth Heroes

By: Fiona Fitz | Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA |
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 Brand Growth Heroes ranks in the top 1.5% of ALL podcasts globally. With +25 years' experience working for brand giants and as coach to over 400 challenger brand founders, Fiona Fitz asks the questions you need the answers to from the founders of wildly successful consumer goods brands driving transformational growth.Copyright Fiona Fitz Consulting Ltd. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Why AI Will Be Bigger Than the Internet With 'Silicon Valley's Most Wanted' Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer Fin.ai

    Why AI Will Be Bigger Than the Internet With 'Silicon Valley's Most Wanted' Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer Fin.ai
    Feb 3 2026
    Yep - we are at the start of a new world - a world where AI is going to be 'even bigger than the internet'. And as the leaders of challenger brands in CPG, we've gotta lean in. In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I’m joined by one of my oldest and best friends, Paul Adams, CPO & Marketing at a multi-billion dollar company, Intercom AND he is building Fin.ai. If you're not in 'Tech' you may not have heard of him, but Paul Adams is one of the world's most prominent tech product designers, researchers, and authors - recognised as one of the world's leading thinkers on the the intersection between humans and technology... and now between humans, commercialisation and AI.... amongst many other aspects of tech that most of us are not even privy to! Described as "one of Silicon Valley's most wanted", he's also one of my closest friends, and I can't tell you how proud we are of the young man who rocked up to live with us in Balham in 2002 to work at Dyson, his very first job. After only a few years he was poached by Facebook, where he made the platform 'mobile' and then Google, where he worked on making Gmail, Google and YouTube mobile too. It was while working for these behemoths that he moved to San Francisco with his wife Jennifer, who's one of my three besties (Love you, Jen), and became globally renowned on the Tech speaker scene. In this episode, Paul argues that AI isn’t just another new channel or tool. It’s a platform shift on the scale of the internet and potentially bigger. We talk about why the moment we’re in feels eerily similar to 1999, why marketing is getting less effective across the board, and why the brands that win next will look very different to the ones that won the last cycle.A bit more background on Paul:"Most Wanted" Status (2011): Paul Adams was highlighted by Fortune as a highly sought-after talent in Silicon Valley following his significant contributions to major tech firms.Google (Social Research): At Google, he led the social research team, and his work directly influenced the creation of "Circles," which became the foundational feature of Google+. He also worked on Gmail, YouTube, and mobile products.Facebook (Brand Experience): He later joined Facebook as the Global Brand Experience Manager, where he focused on research, design, and product strategy, working with marketers and advertising agencies.Intercom (Product Strategy): He joined Intercom as VP of Product in 2014, later becoming the Chief Product Officer.Thought Leadership: Adams is the author of Grouped: How Small Groups of Friends are the Key to Influence on the Social Web. His work on "The Real Life Social Network" is widely recognized as one of the most viewed presentations on the evolution of social networks.Background: Before his time in tech, he worked as a product designer at Dyson, where he designed electronic appliances. Current Status: As of September 2023, he was working as the Chief Product Officer at Intercom, focusing on product strategy in the age of AI.This isn’t a tactical 'AI' for the sake of AI episode. It’s a big-picture conversation about what’s actually changing, what’s already changed, and what brand builders need to understand to stay relevant over the next decade. it was this conversation that made me set up a buzzing new community called NextGen CPG - a community for AI-native founders. Take a look and see if you're eligible to join us hereUseful linksConnect with Paul Adams on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/Connect with Intercom The #1 AI Agent https://www.linkedin.com/company/intercom/Join the NextGen CPG WhatsApp community and LinkedIn page ============================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm=============================================================If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.And that starts with the right legal partner.So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the ...
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Why Marketing Doesn’t Matter Until You’re $100M+ SALES - David Lester, Co-Founder of OLIPOP

    Why Marketing Doesn’t Matter Until You’re $100M+ SALES - David Lester, Co-Founder of OLIPOP
    Jan 21 2026
    David Lester is the co-founder of OLIPOP, one of the MOST FAMOUS challenger brands in the United States. After our first interview IN PERSON at Bread & Jam Fest, London, David returns to us at Brand Growth Heroes to delve deeper into what it truly takes to scale a challenger brand at speed in the US. (cont'd below)============================================================The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 is back!Built for founders, marketers and brand leaders who want to grow brands the right way — with practical frameworks, real case studies and honest insight.Applications open: Monday 5th January 2026Applications close SOON: Midnight Sunday, 25th January 2026Limited places availableAll info & how to apply visit: https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026============================================================(Cont'd) In this episode, David and I explore how businesses fundamentally change as they grow from a small founding team to an organisation of 250+ people. David shares why founders must constantly reassess their role as the company scales, how to think about hiring ahead of growth, and why senior hires should create an immediate sense of relief rather than uncertainty.The conversation also dives into fundraising across different stages of growth, with David unpacking what investors really care about at seed, Series A, B and C, why growth becomes the defining metric once revenue appears, and why raising more capital than you think you need can be a smart strategic move.Finally, David shares his perspective on expanding into the US, explaining why the scale, complexity and cost of the market are so often underestimated and why each state effectively operates like its own country.This episode is packed with practical insight for founders building teams, raising capital and navigating rapid growth especially those with ambitions to scale in the US.Useful linksConnect with David Lester on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lester-4b71b512/Connect with OLIPOP on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/olipop-pbc/OLIPOP WEBSITE https://drinkolipop.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooJ-CAEJQJEk4PaYpk7F5mOj0_nDbLy5H5PWaqed1idZWDd50NWFollow OLIPOP on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drinkolipop/Follow OLIPOP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drinkolipop========================================================Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm=============================================================If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.And that starts with the right legal partner.So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board for the second year running.If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com==============================================.Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.
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    33 mins
  • Founders: Would You Build An Ikea House Without Instructions?

    Founders: Would You Build An Ikea House Without Instructions?
    Jan 12 2026

    Why do so many of us founders try to do the equivalent of building a flatpack house without the instructions? And then beat ourselves up internally when it turns out to be harder than expected? Or when you make mistakes that anyone would in the same situation? Would you spend years trying to make it work with no instructions — just half-torn pages you’ve collected along the way, doing your best to stitch them together?

    Not just the furniture mind you - The foundations. The skeleton. The plumbing. The electrics. The legal and safety stuff too....

    ... and while you're trying to build it, you're also trying to market it, sell AirB&B rooms and put the entire place up for sale?

    Would you spend 50-500k of your own money doing this, not to mention your unpaid time?

    That’s effectively what we do as consumer packaged goods founders.

    After a tough few years, after countless marathons, we often end up with good products, and a brand we feel passionate about.

    Perhaps we get some early D2C wins, and some early retailer traction too.

    But then the stakes get higher.

    We need to making pricing, channel, hiring and funding decisions without ever being able to see how the whole system fits together.

    So decisions get made in isolation - without us realising they are joined up. (think pricing decisions and customer or channel read-across - and if you don't know what that means, ask below and I will tell you from my own experience, mistakes and learnings!)

    Problems get fixed as they appear.
    But the cost shows up later - in margin, stress, or decisions that need undoing.

    This is happening to thousands of us, everyday.
    How ridiculous is that?
    We're all making the same mistakes, incurring the same costs, getting more and more stressed - without ever asking:

    Why am I not looking for a set of instructions for this?

    Why am I beating myself up for not getting it right without them?

    After 25+ years working inside and alongside consumer brands - from global blue-chip FMCG to fast-scaling challengers, I kept seeing this pattern repeat.

    So I built the decision-making framework I needed and I wrapped it up inside the BGH Mini MBA.

    With a peer and expert network, so you don’t have to carry this level of complexity on their own.

    Stop thinking you *should* be able to do this on your own.

    Fi Fitz ⚡ 💛


    Applications for the Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA 2026 cohort are now open.
    https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026
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    1 min
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