Branded by Amelia Sordell

This week I am joined by Matt Ford - the co-founder and CEO of CoLab X - who thrive on creating meaningful partnerships between brands and creators.

In this episode, Matt shared how he started his career at 35 years old, playing a crucial role in the monumental growth of UNILAD, revolutionising the TV industry with Channel 4 and the BBC, and what the future holds for branded content and influencer collaborations.

I loved being able to finally sit down with Matt and hear more about the amazing lessons he's learned from his incredible career, and beginning his journey as an entrepreneur.

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful and subscribe over on YouTubewhere you can watch full video versions of the podcast and check out more of my content.

Timestamps

(00:00) - Who is Matt?
(04:50) - How B2C businesses started using consumer research to target customers.
(13:02) - The growth of UNILAD.
(31:35) - Stop chasing pay rises and start stacking your skills.
(39:52) - How Matt revolutionised the TV industry.
(46:50) - How I knew I wanted to set up my own business. 
(58:13) - Why everything will eventually work out.
(1:09:08) - The power of showing gratitude.
(1:14:21) - The easiest way to find a work-life balance. 
(1:33:15) - The future of branded content and influencer collaborations.
(1:43:30) - Just F*cking Post It!

In this episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with Daniel Murray - Founder of The Marketing Millenials, a community with over a million followers and 100,000+ newsletter subscribers. 

Daniel shares his thoughts on cancel culture on social media and how he deals with negative comments under his posts online, which have received millions of views across multiple platforms. 

If you want to watch my full episode with Daniel, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

This week I am joined by Kathryn E. Strachan - the Founder and CEO of Copy House, a global, award-winning content marketing agency for fast-growing tech brands.

In this episode, Kathryn discussed her unorthodox journey into marketing from a degree in English Literature to working with some of the biggest tech companies in the world. She shares her reasoning for running an entirely remote organisation, how to hire the right people, the reality of being a solo founder, and so much more!

I loved being able to sit down with Kathryn to hear her story and I hope you find it as insightful as I did.

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful and subscribe over on YouTubewhere you can watch full video versions of the podcast and check out more of my content.

Timestamps

(00:00) - Who is Kathryn?
(04:48) - How do you hire effectively?
(23:05) - The benefits of a hybrid working model.
(26:05) - Managing culture in a remote agency.
(35:07) - Life of a solo founder.
(44:56) - Pressure and balancing motherhood.
(48:23) - How did you become a storyteller?
(52:15) - The best way a brand can deliver its message?
(1:02:07) - How personal should you be with your personal brand?
(1:06:55) - How Kathryn’s personal brand has grown her business.
(1:09:15) - The power of networking.
(1:21:45) - Kathryn’s journey of writing her book.
(1:25:20) - Just F*cking Post It!

In this episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with Sophie Miller - the Director of Pretty Little Marketer, a community of over 300,000 marketers from across the world.

Sophie and I discuss the double standards that women face in the workplace and on social media, along with how the growth of platforms looking to support women entering male-dominated spaces, is already having a significant impact in helping these women succeed and inspires others to do the same.

If you want to watch my full episode with Sophie, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

This week I am joined by Rachael Higgins - the Founder of Because Of Marketing, a marketing media brand focused on informing and inspiring individuals with the latest marketing campaigns worldwide. 

In this episode, Rachael shares why she started Because Of Marketing in 2020, how she's managed to grow a community of over 250,000 people across social media, what the future of marketing looks like in 2024, the sudden rise of in-person brand activations, and so much more!

I've followed Rachael's amazing journey with Because Of Marketing for as long as I can remember and it was great to finally sit down with her and discover the story behind her business.

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful and subscribe over on YouTubewhere you can watch full video versions of the podcast and check out more of my content.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Where did Because Of Marketing come from?
(06:05) - Why did Rachael start building her personal brand?
(14:05) - Rachael’s childhood.
(19:30) - How do you recover from trauma?
(26:10) - Self-doubt and lacking confidence.
(31:46) - Where did the interest in brand marketing come from?
(37:28) - The rise of in-person brand activations.
(45:25) - Life as a sole-founder.
(51:35) - The number 1 thing that makes the biggest difference.
(58:35) - Completing 75 Hard.
(01:03:55) - Next steps for Because Of Marketing.
(01:04:38) - Just F*cking Post It!

In this episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with Dominic McGregor - co-founder of Social Chain and former business partner to Steven Bartlett.

Dom shares the importance of looking after your own and your team's mental wellbeing and what he did to ensure that his team always felt that they could come to him for support, to help them perform their best.

If you want to check out my full episode with Dom, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

This week I am joined by...no one! I've been asked a few times to record another solo podcast episode and this one is all about confidence.

In this episode, I discuss my journey into becoming more confident, practical tips on how to increase your confidence, the power of manifestation, and more!

At the end of the episode my Producer, Ollie, even throws in a curve ball and asks me the question I always ask my guests - if I could post anything without getting any backlash, what would I post?...

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful and subscribe over on YouTubewhere you can watch full video versions of the podcast and check out more of my content.

This is the link to the book I recommended in this episode, Atomic Habits by James Clear - I highly recommend reading it if you haven't already!

In this episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with Marc Diaper - the PT-turned-CEO of London's best gym, Gymbox!

Marc discusses how he analyses his team to constantly maintain high performance and why you should be okay with letting employees go. He also shares how he was headhunted from his own business to join Gymbox and "stumbling" into the role of Chief Executive Officer.

If you want to watch my full episode with Marc, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

This week I am joined by Katie Street - the Founder of Street Agency, who are on a mission to revolutionise B2B marketing. 

In this episode, we discuss the importance of therapy and the impacts of childhood trauma, the power of manifestation in business, how we can tackle sexism in the workplace, and how Katie turned her life around when she lost everything in a single moment.

Katie is someone I find so inspiring and so I knew she would be the perfect guest for Branded!

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful. 

In this episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with Henry Milroy - the Founder of Pan-n-Ice, one of the UK's fastest-growing start-ups!

Henry shares how a journey to Thailand, during his second year of university, changed his entire life and led to him dropping out and going all-in on his rolled ice cream brand.

If you want to watch my full episode with Henry, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

This week I am joined by my good friend Jordan Barry-Bayliss - an internationally renowned HR and Culture Guru and founder of The Human Revolution.

In this episode, we discuss why humans stay in sh*t relationships, how to define who you are what you want out of life, the pressure of maintaining success, and Jordan's mission to make the world of work better for everyone. 

My conversations with Jordan before the podcast were always amazing and hilarious so I knew it would be worth sitting down with him and recording an episode. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful. 

In this episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with Harry Hugo - the Co-Founder of Goat Agency, a global, award-winning social media and influencer marketing agency.

Harry shares why he and his co-founders decided to start filming their employees every week, the importance of trusting your team and giving editorial freedom to the video editors, and the benefits that have come with creating a weekly vlog which now has over 400 episodes!

If you want to watch my full episode with Harry, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

In this episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with the Founder of Dreamweaver Group - a luxury creative marketing firm, specifically for high-end brands and individuals.

Zac shares how being real and authentic helped him land Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa player and England international) as a client, along with what it's like working with celebrities like Tinie Tempah, Ainsley Harriott, and more!

Zac and I also discuss our "light-bulb moments" and how they completely changed our lives as entrepreneurs.   

If you want to watch my full episode with Zac, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

In the first episode of Branded Moments, I look back at my conversation with the Founder of HLD - a London-based entertainment agency representing diverse leaders in digital, broadcast and podcast talent.

Hannah shares her experiences as a young female Founder in a male-dominated space, responding to people copying her business ideas, and how dropping out of university ended up being one of the best decisions she has ever made.

Hannah and I also talk about the demonisation of "hustle culture" and how people have forgotten the value of hard work, especially when trying to grow a successful business.

If you want to watch my full episode with Hannah, you can listen to it on all podcast platforms or watch the entire video on YouTube.

This week I am joined by Jaz Rabadia MBE - the Global Head of Responsible Business & Sustainability at JustEat, and NED at 4imprint, a FTSE 250 listed company.

In this episode, we discuss the struggles that young people face at work, the easiest way we can all look after the planet, how motherhood has helped Jaz in her career, and so much more.

I loved being able to finally sit down with Jaz and discuss an array of topics!

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful. 

This week I am joined by Sarah Ashcroft - the Founder of multi-million pound clothing brand, SLA The Label.

In this episode, Sarah shares how she was one of the earliest influencers, growing SLA into one of the biggest clothing brands in the world, how social media has glamourised entrepreneurship, and so much more.

I loved sitting down with Sarah and related to so much of what she was saying and her journey with her personal brand.

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful. 

This week I am joined by Oana Leonte - the Marketing Director at PUMA and host of The Unmtchd podcast.

In this episode, we discuss the outdated school system, the importance of authentic networking, what brands get wrong with their marketing, and so much more.

I have been wanting to speak to Oana for the longest time and could not wait for her to come down to our office in London!

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful. 

This week I am joined by Jordan Schwarzenberger - the Co-Founder of Arcade Media and manager of the Sidemen.

In this episode, we discuss why Jordan dropped out of university, how he was earning a 6-figure salary at 20 years old, hiring the right people, the stratospheric rise of the Sidemen, and so much more.

I have been following Jordan for the longest time and it was definitely worth the wait to finally meet him!

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful. 

After over a year since my last solo podcast episode, I finally had the chance to sit down and share what has changed over the last 12 months, and specifically how 2023 has been the hardest year of my life. 

This episode sort of felt like a therapy session, I delved deep into my personal struggles with growing the business along with sharing how I overcame these struggles, experiences with anxiety, work-life balance, and why I decided to rebrand both myself and my business, Klowt.

I really enjoyed being able to talk to you and I hope you found this episode useful, regardless of whether you're an entrepreneur growing a business, or someone who's just struggling at the moment.

Make sure you give us a follow and share the episode with someone who might also find it useful, don't forget to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, and I'll see you next week on Branded by Amelia Sordell. 

This week I am joined by Gaby Mendes - the Founder of Talk Twenties, a platform that helps 20-something year olds and graduates figure out adult life. 

In this episode, we discuss our different experiences in growing a business during COVID, the need for an overhaul of the education system and why Gaby chose to create a platform for 20-something year olds.

I really enjoyed being able to finally chat with Gaby, especially about the launch of TwentiesFest!

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might also find it useful. 

My guest this week is Dan Thompson - the Managing Director of Sovereign Wealth Midlands, which works in private client and corporate wealth management for clients internationally.

In this episode, Dan shares how he went to Nottingham University to play football but left with a Masters in Business, the importance of taking responsibility in a "toxic" workplace, focussing on providing a truly bespoke and personalised Wealth Management service, and more!

Sitting down with Dan and hearing about his thoughts on leadership and scaling a business was amazing.

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and share it with someone who might find it useful.

Norway native Erik Bertrand Larssen is an author, coach, entrepreneur and former paratrooper who served in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Afghanistan.

As a critically acclaimed performance consultant, he has helped catapult the success of countless high-achievers, including Microsoft, Boston Consulting Group, and Statoil ASA executives, along with Olympic medallist Martin Johnsrud Sundby and ex-professional golfer Suzann Pettersen. 

In 2016, he used his military experiences as inspiration for his book 'Hell Week', an accessible guide to making the critical changes necessary for long-term professional and personal success and overall lifestyle improvements.

I had the best time going out to Norway to film this with Erik and I hope you enjoy hearing about the amazing life he has lived. 

Ash Dykes was a normal bloke working in a very normal town in Wales. That was until he turned 23 years old and decided to walk across Mongolia, solo and unsupported. For many, this would have been their greatest achievement. But for Ash, he sought after bigger feats and deeper challenges. 

Since Mongolia, he became the first to trek across Madagascar, contracting the deadliest strain of malaria and became the first to walk the 4,000 mile course of the Yangtze river - gaining celebrity status in China following its completion.

Ash has appeared on podcasts such as the Joe Rogan Experience and The High Performance Podcast, so it was a privilege to finally sit down with him and hear more of his incredible stories and how a boy from Oly Colwyn went on a life of adventure that few could dream of.

Kevin Gaskell became Porsche GB's youngest managing director at 33.

He then led BMW and Lamborghini to record growth. 

Renowned as 'the man who fixes companies', his leadership qualities extend to his adventurous pursuits too, including challenging expeditions to both Poles, scaling numerous high peaks and taking an inexperienced crew to row across the Atlantic Ocean, going on to beat Olympic level competition.

In this episode, Kevin shares his insights on creating a culture of innovation and resilience within teams and how ordinary people can go on to achieve extraordinary results. 

As someone who loves cars, business and adventure - it was amazing to finally have the chance to speak to Kevin and I hope you find this episode as informative and inspiring as I did. 

Born in Wales, Ayesha Perry-Iqbal grew up dreaming of being in the spotlight. But after being told that she didn't "fit in" by the Head of a Musical Theatre department, she took her chances over in the United States. 

Despite the hardships that Ayesha faced as a 21 year old immigrant in the US, she is now a successful presenter and model, focussing on topics such as body positivity. 

In this episode, Ayesha reveals her struggle with weight and body image from a young age, her experiences in an abusive relationship, becoming a successful entrepreneur and more. 

I loved sitting down with Ayesha and so I hope you love listening to it too.

As Head of Social Media at Gymshark, Elfried Samba revolutionised the brand's online presence, playing a pivotal role in growing its fitness community to 20 million within seven years. 

Now the Co-Founder and CEO of Butterfly 3ffect and Chief Community Officer at Ioconic, Elfried shares his thoughts on university, moving away from his work with Gymshark, building a legacy, the importance of personal branding, and more.  

This episode has been a YEAR in the making so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Matt Jones had a tough start in life and like so many kids before him turned to booze, drugs and trouble to escape it. After a successful stint in the Army, Matt was discharged when his demons caught up with him once more. 

Now a successful businessman, Dragon's Den alumni and Great British Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, Matt sat down to speak to me about having nothing and earning success - to going back to 0 and starting again. Matt is an incredibly inspiring yet humble guy - and the brainchild behind not 1 but 2 successful advertising agencies. And whilst I'd love to have spent hours talking to him about campaigns, the real soul of this conversation was in Matt's personal story. 

Born in Israel, Tova was married and an employment lawyer until she made the decision to choose herself - quit her job and her marriage and the move to UK. 

Now, with a following of 1.5 million on Instagram and 8.1 million likes on TikTok - Tova's authentic, cutting, and hilariously accurate videos have built her an entirely new career as a comedian, author and activist. She has changed her life purely off the back of her personal brand. 

In this conversation, we talk through Tova's pivot from law to comedy, how she builds her communities online, sex, marriage, divorce and monogamy. I hope you find listening to this podcast just as insightful as I found having it. 

When Vicky Banham first joined TikTok (Then called Musical.ly), she had no idea what to expect. A makeup artist, it was just a way for her to get her work out to people that might like it. Fast forward 18 months, and Vicky had 1.2 million followers, 7.3 million views and a loyal community of people who were bought into everything she did. 

She now does the same thing for other brands. Working with the likes of Harvey Nichols, Sides, Honest Burger - Vicky's TikTok Agency, Antler is growing some of the most exciting - and viral channels on the platform. Vicky is likeable, funny, honest and vulnerable. She speaks about the dark side of social. Trolls. Loneliness as a creator and what it takes to build 1 million followers. 

TikTok isn't just for dancing teenagers; it's for brands who want to cut through the noise and be different. And if you want to know how to do that, listen to this episode and you might just learn how.

When I asked Ben what he did, he said, "buy and sell women's luxury clothes and accessories," but he is so much more than that. He's the 22-year-old founder of Luxe Collective - the viral TikTok re-sale business. Ben is completely self-taught; he's grown the business - and the community around it entirely through doing. Entirely through practice. Learning. Experimenting. And now, Luxe Collective is one of the most well-known reseller businesses in the UK. 

I learned a lot from Ben. You can learn a lot from Ben. Not just from his incredible ability to make the simplest of ideas go viral, but his outlook on life. His infectious positivity and above all his appetite for learning. Luxe Collective is Ben's first business, and I'm saying it now so I can come back to this podcast and say I told you so - it won't be his last.  

When Drock DM’d Gary Vee in 2014 about making a video for him for free, no one could have imagined what happened next. 8 years on and a community of nearly 50 million people later, Drock has become synonymous with building Gary Vee’s brand. Through the ideation of the iconic “Ask Gary Vee” show to the daily vlogs that anyone building their personal brand will have seen on YouTube, Drock was the guy behind the camera - and the creativity. 

In this epsiode I asked Drock about how he manages to create so much content, what building the biggest personal brand on the internet takes and the importance of authenticity.

I have wanted to interview Drock for some time, and he did not disappoint. Humble, real and inspiring - I know you’ll get as much value from listening to him talk about his journey as I did asking him about it. 

If you’ve seen an episode of Love Island you’ll probably know who my next guest is. 

Sharon Gaffka was on season 7 of the cult reality TV show where people go into a Villa to try and find love - and win money. 

But that is not what I wanted to speak to Sharon. Since leaving the Villa, Sharon has completely rebranded herself from an “ex-love islander” to lobbying the government. Becoming a spokesperson on issues such as Spiking, Women’s Rights and Online Safety for young people on social media.

Sharon is just 26 and already she’s helping bring these things to the PM’s table… and bringing her 350,000 followers along with her. 

Sharon impressed me. I know she’s going to impress you too.

The Marketing Millennials is one of the most downloaded marketing podcasts on the internet. It's also one of the most followed marketing pages online... and it only started 18 months ago.  Since then, the man behind the brand - Daniel Murray has grown his audience from 0 - over 250k, organically. 

And that's just on the brand account. 

Every post Daniel posts goes viral. And that is why I wanted to sit down with him. To understand how he grew so fast, to learn the tactics he's used to grow his company brand and personal brand and understand how to leverage both to create opportunities. If you've ever wondered how creators got so big online, this podcast will give you all the answers.  

Today's not the usual Branded by Amelia Sordell podcast - because today I did my first ever solo pod. I won't lie, it was a little unusual and a bit disarming sitting on my kitchen table recording today's conversation... with myself. But I felt like I owed it to you. I owed you some answers to all the incredible DM's and emails you've sent me about how I built my personal brand and what my journey has looked like. 

So no, today's isn't the usual podcast, but I hope it's just as valuable. 

You will have heard of Steven Bartlett. Come across his Instagram posts. His thought-provoking tweets. His globally-acclaimed podcast and now seat in the Dragon's Den. But you might not of heard of Ash Jones - Founder of Great Influencer... and the man behind Steven Bartlett's personal brand. 

When Ash joined Steven and Social Chain, he was cleaning gym floors. Now he runs a personal branding agency, Great Influence and manages people like Umar Kamani (PrettyLittleThing), Dom Mcgregor (Co-Founder, Social Chain) and Julian Hearn (Huel). 

And as a competitor to my business, you might be surprised to hear him appear on my podcast. But Ash is a huge inspiration to me - not just as an entrepreneur but as a person. 

And I know you'll be just as inspired by him too. 

If I told you the name of today's podcast guest, you might be forgiven for drawing a blank. But the chances are, if you're in marketing or have aspirations of getting into marketing, you know who this person is. 

Sophie Miller set up Pretty Little Marketer in the 1st UK lockdown of 2020 and since then has grown the brand to a combined 140k followers and launched a social media business off the back of it. 

In this podcast, Sophie talks about her struggles being a young woman in marketing, being told she wasn't good enough by her teachers at school - and growing her business from one inbound DM to working with the UK's biggest brands. 

Sophie is one of the nicest, most open people I have met so far on this podcast. And I know you'll agree after listening to this episode; she's equally as inspiring. 

If you haven't heard of Dominic McGregor, you will most definitely have heard of his business and his business partner. Dom co-founded £500 million Social Media Agency Social Chain with Steven Bartlett at just 21 years old.

But everyone knows Social Chain. Everyone knows Steven Bartlett. But very few people know the real Dom - and that is what today's podcast is all about - getting to know Dom. The COO of Social chain. Getting to know his journey, his struggles - all about his sobriety and why personal branding was so pivotal not just to Social Chain's success but to his and Steven Barlett's too.

With over 20 years of experience in the Fitness industry - Marc Diaper’s career has been linear, but there is nothing about him that is ordinary. 

I was lucky enough to stumble across Marc on a clubhouse stage in UK Lockdown 1 at the start of the pandemic in 2020… Since then, I have been following Marc’s journey, learning from his leadership and his attitude towards branding and marketing himself - and London’s most recognisable gym brand, Gymbox. 

This conversation is a little different from the ones we’ve had on Branded by Amelia Sordell. And that’s why it’s so fascinating. 

If you don’t know Henry Milroy, chances are you know his business. Henry founded the viral ice cream sensation, Pan-n-Ice at just 19 years old. 

Since then he’s grown the business from his kitchen table having kiosks around the country, catering some of the most iconic events, 7.8 million views on TikTok, quarter-million followers on social.

But Henry’s journey hasn’t been a challenge less one. He’s lost co-founders, team members and at one point during the pandemic, his revenue was reduced to £0. Here is Henry Milroy, the man behind the brand. 

People think they know Zac Des. He’s amassed over 30,000 followers on social media and over 1 million downloads on his podcast Would You Like A Podcast?… but you will have never met this Zac before. 

This Zac is different - less confident than his usual self. Vulnerable. Open. We talk about being the only black kid at his school, about the chip he has on his shoulder. Business building and exiting - his mental health and struggles with addiction.  

This is Zac Des, but not like you’ve met him before. 

The Goat Agency is the 4th fastest growing agency globally, and arguably the biggest influencer marketing agency in the UK. 

And a big part of the agencies success has been down to the way they market themselves. 

In 2017, Harry Hugo, Aaron Shepherd and Nick Cook decided the best way to market their agency was too great influencers within it… Cue the world’s longest-running agency vlog, The Daily Goat. This is how I met Harry - how some of you listening might already know him. But there is so much more to Harry Hugo than just the Daily Goat - and The Goat Agency. 

This guy is 27 years old and has the mind and business acumen of someone double that age with multi exits under his belt. I’m lucky enough to call Harry a friend, and I’m not sure he knows this also a mentor. This conversation lifts the lid on what it takes to build a billion-dollar agency. I know you’ll be glued from start to finish. 

Hannah Holland started HLD Group at just 24 years old. A university dropout, Hannah has scaled her female talent management agency from representing Love Island and Influencer superstars Harley Brash and Demi Rose to 25 full-time clients.

But Hannah is so much more than a talent manager - she strategically builds personal brands for reality stars, DJs, Instagram influencers and TikTokers that last well beyond 1 viral post or ITV appearance. What Hannah does is incredible - she's found a way to create longevity for people in an industry where almost no one ‘makes it' long term. 

Hannah is just 27 years old and I know you’ll be just as impressed and inspired listening to this conversation as I was having it.