In this episode of Abandoned Cart, Adam sits down with Aithne Synnot, founder of Empreva Lingerie and Head of E-commerce at Josh Wood Colour, to explore the realities of building a brand from scratch versus scaling an established one.

Aithne shares the deeply personal story behind Empreva Lingerie - created to empower women after breast reconstruction and how that mission shaped everything from product design to marketing. Alongside this, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at scaling a global beauty brand, revealing what actually works (and what doesn’t) in today’s e-commerce landscape.

From founder-led content and scrappy social strategies to the truth about paid ads and product launches, this episode is packed with honest, practical insights for anyone building or growing a brand.

If you’re navigating the early stages of a startup or trying to scale with intention, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth, community, and showing up.

• The story behind Empreva Lingerie and building a brand rooted in personal purpose
• Why “embarrassment is the cost of success” and how it unlocks growth
• The difference between starting a brand vs. scaling an established one
• How to approach social media when you have zero brand equity
• Founder-led content and why it consistently outperforms
• Organic vs. paid ads and when not to spend money
• The right way to launch a product (and why most brands get it wrong)
• Using community feedback to shape brand identity and product development
• The power of UGC and why you shouldn’t overpay for content
• Lessons from scaling Josh Wood Colour and selling out product launches

Connect with Aithne Synnot

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aithne-synnott-41a9a637/

Connect with &Allies

To discuss how we can help your brand grow, visit:

https://www.andallies.co.uk