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20VC: The Scaling Story of Soho House: Overcoming Dyslexia, Building a Global Brand, Scaling into The US, Retaining Exclusivity with Scale and The Journey to Going Public with Nick Jones, Founder & CEO @ Soho House

Jun 17, 2022

Nick Jones, founder and CEO of Soho House, dives into his journey from a small members’ club above a café in 1995 to a global brand with 33 locations. He discusses overcoming dyslexia and the lessons learned from past failures, emphasizing resilience as key for entrepreneurs. The conversation highlights the evolution of consumer expectations in hospitality driven by social media. Nick also shares insights on effective storytelling and the delicate balance between exclusivity and expanding a brand, alongside his vision for a community-centric future.

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ANECDOTE

Early Career Challenges

Nick Jones's dyslexia limited his career options, leading him into catering.
Early restaurant failures taught him valuable lessons about resilience and motivating teams during tough times.

INSIGHT

Learning from Failure

Nick Jones learned valuable lessons from his failing restaurants before Soho House.
These failures taught him about team motivation, managing finances, and understanding customer needs.

ANECDOTE

Café Boheme's Adaptability

Café Boheme, opened in 1992, offered flexible dining options from 8 am to 3 am.
It adapted to customer preferences, allowing them to enjoy coffee, drinks, jazz, or meals at any time.

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Nick Jones is the Founder & CEO @ Soho House, it all started in 1995 when Nick opened the first location above his restaurant, Cafe Boheme, a members’ club for the local artists and actors of London. Today, Soho House is a global brand, a private members club that includes 33 Houses in 14 countries, with more openings in Europe, Asia, and North America on the horizon. In 2021, Nick took Soho House public on the NASDAQ, 25 years since opening the first location. If that was not enough, Nick is also the owner of Babbington House and Cecconi's, one of my favorite restaurants in London.

In Today's Episode with Nick Jones You Will Learn:

1.) The Start of Soho House:

What was the founding moment for Nick with Soho House?
What were the biggest lessons from his 3 prior restaurants not working? How did that experience change his approach to Soho House?
Why does Nick believe resilience is the most important skill of any entrepreneur? When something is not working? What does Nick tell himself?
With the rise of Instagram, how have the demands of the consumer changed over time in terms of what they expect from hospitality?

2.) The Art of Storytelling:

What does Nick believe is the essence of truly great storytelling?
What do all great stories contain? How do the best storytellers tell those stories?
Where does Nick believe many founders make mistakes when it comes to storytelling today?

3.) The Art of Leadership:

How does Nick define his style of leadership today? How has it changed over time?
What does high performance mean to Nick?
How does Nick think through retaining high performance while also having a family?
How does Nick approach hiring? Why does Nick find interviewing so tough?
How does Nick think through when to hire someone external vs promote internal talent?

4.) The Scale of Soho House:

What was the single most challenging time in the scaling journey of Soho House?
What changes when you go public? What are the good? What are the bad?
What does Nick know now that he wishes he had known in the beginning?