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Ben Branson is the founder of Seedlip - the world’s first non-alcoholic spirit. In this episode, Ben shares how he built a completely new drinks category from his kitchen and turned it into a global brand stocked in 40+ countries and acquired by Diageo.
We cover how Seedlip went from an idea in a small kitchen to a movement changing the drinks industry, the creative philosophy that drives Ben’s work, how he blends art and science in brand building, and what’s next for his ventures like Seasn and Sylva. If you’re a brand builder, founder, or creative entrepreneur, this is a masterclass in vision, purpose, and originality.
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Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction
1:34 – The origin story: how Seedlip began in a kitchen garden
6:12 – Turning a personal experiment into a global drinks brand
11:25 – Naming, storytelling, and the design philosophy behind Seedlip
17:18 – What it takes to pioneer a new category in the drinks world
23:05 – The moment a huge company came knocking
29:42 – Staying true to purpose after acquisition
35:26 – The power of restraint: branding lessons from simplicity
41:15 – Building brands with emotion and authenticity
48:10 – Launching the next generation of purpose-led products
55:42 – The tension between creativity and commercial success
1:03:38 – What Ben learned from failure and iteration
1:12:06 – Designing for meaning, not just marketing
1:20:14 – The impact of nature, art, and ritual on creative thinking
1:28:45 – What founders get wrong
1:36:22 – The future of non-alcoholic culture and conscious consumption
1:42:49 – Final lessons
