Brand Growth Heroes Brand is Everything: Founder Kate Prince on Building Ancient+Brave
Davina McCall is my daily running/dog-walking buddy (okay, okay... only in my earbuds), SO when I heard that she was promoting Ancient+Brave on her podcast, I just KNEW I had to see if I could get founder Kate Prince onto Brand Growth Heroes to find out just HOW she is scaling this incredible wellness business.
Because a brand that gets (and can afford) someone like Davina on their *team* has got to be doing something right, right?
Founder Kate began her career as a City lawyer, to discovering her creative side working as a lawyer at Endemol (right at the beginning of Big Brother...), through a first founding venture into Tea, to building one of the UK’s most exciting wellness brands.
In this honest conversation, Kate shares the harsh realities of scaling fast, why obsession with brand and storytelling matters, and how learning to let go as a leader can become a founder’s greatest strength.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why there’s no silver bullet in scaling AND how Kate got from £1m to £10m by stacking growth in layers.
- Why Kate believes brand is everything AND how design, packaging, and storytelling turned Ancient + Brave from products into a movement.
- The surprising choice to hire nutritionists early and why it paid off for credibility and product leadership.
- How Ancient+Brave raised money but kept it in the bank, a rare approach that gave them confidence and control.
- Why ritual and experience matter as much as product features, and how to make consumers feel something.
- The lessons Kate learned about team, culture, and leadership along the way.
I loved recording this conversation. I’ve already listened back three times, and I’m still learning from it. I know you will too. Enjoy.
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Useful links
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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm
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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 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.
If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com!
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A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review?
This small gesture from you means the world to us, and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often.
You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth.
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!
Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.