Building The Brand with James Burtt

Former Diary of a CEO Head of Trailers Ant Smith - one of the first 10 key hires who helped build the world's fastest growing podcast - reveals his short form content strategy for YouTube Shorts, TikTok and podcast trailers. Ant goes full tactical on how to go viral short form. Ant made 450+ trailers for Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, turning 90-second podcast trailer cuts into miniature movies. In this episode of Building The Brand with James Burtt, he breaks down exactly how to grow a podcast with short-form: why disconnection kills retention, how to sell the guest in 10 seconds, the psychological effect behind cliff-hangers, eye-lines for retention, perfect imperfection cuts, and his ai video editing workflow that turned 4 hours into 20 minutes. If you want podcast growth , a proven youtube shorts strategy and real storytelling psychology from inside DOAC, this is the playbook. This is Ant Smith x Building The Brand Part 2 - more stories, all tactics. Perfect for podcasters, video editors, and founders using short-form to grow.👇 CHAPTERS - Diary of a CEO Short-Form Tactics: 0:00 — Hook: Why 90 seconds decides if they watch 2 hours 02:50 — Who is Ant Smith? Early DOAC hire to Head of Trailers 11:20 — He'd never heard of Steven Bartlett: joining Diary of a CEO 13:00 — Not a podcast, a show: the trailer philosophy that changed podcasting 29:40 — How Ant used AI in DOAC trailers (guest intros in 20 mins) 32:30 — Disconnection kills retention: the #1 retention rule 34:00 — Perfect imperfection: the authenticity cut that builds trust 38:00 — Quantity vs quality: AI for marketing teams 41:00 — Best AI tools for video creators (Artlist, Envato) 44:00 — Human-led ideas, AI for brutal feedback (Claude workflow) 46:00 — Psychology of cliff-hangers & the Zeigarnik effect 50:00 — Eye-lines for retention in YouTube Shorts 53:40 — Why story is king for brands and creator Connect with Ant via https://www.linkedin.com/in/antedits/ Building The Brand hosted by James Burtt - new episodes weekly on business, podcasting & brand building. Subscribe for tactical breakdowns.

How do you help build one of the UK’s best-known challenger beer brands, walk away from the business you helped create and then start all over again in a completely different industry? Hannah Williams helped build Tiny Rebel from a home-brewing experiment into a major independent brewery employing around 120 people, while acting as CFO and helping scale the company through rapid growth. Today, she is CEO of the Alacrity Foundation, working with technology startups and entrepreneurs, while simultaneously building Lucky No.7 Coffee alongside her husband Mo. And she’s doing it with many of the same principles that helped Tiny Rebel grow: move quickly, test the market, build a distinctive brand, surround yourself with great people and learn as you go. In this live episode of Building The Brand from Ideas Fest, Hannah shares the entrepreneurial lessons behind building Tiny Rebel, launching a coffee brand, scaling a startup, building a team and creating a brand people actually remember. Want more from Building The Brand?Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this episode, Hannah reveals: How Tiny Rebel went from home brewing to employing around 120 people Why they ignored advice that the business needed a traditional marketing budget and backed social media marketing instead How Tiny Rebel hit its original three-year forecast within just nine months Why Hannah believes naivety can sometimes be more powerful than confidence when starting a business Why knowing when you are no longer adding value can be critical as a founder or senior leader How simply asking successful entrepreneurs for help led to mentorship and advice from people behind businesses including Gymshark and Grenade Why she hires for “will over skill” and believes attitude can be more valuable than experience Why great businesses require partnerships, co-founders and complementary skill sets How Hannah and Mo created the Lucky No.7 Coffee brand around their blended family of seven Why Lucky No.7 used events to test its branding, products and customer response before expanding Why moving into physical retail earlier than planned can sometimes create unexpected growth opportunities How Hannah combines startup thinking, technology and ecommerce with a traditional physical product business Hannah also explains the personal side of entrepreneurship: leaving Tiny Rebel after more than a decade, growing up around entrepreneurial parents, raising children around business and why financial success means less to her than creating experiences and making a difference to other people. Lucky No.7 Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.no7coffee/ Alacrity Foundation: https://alacrityfoundation.co.uk/ Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/ Under The Canvas: https://underthecanvas.co.uk/ 0:00 — From Tiny Rebel to Building Lucky No.7 Coffee 03:35 — How Tiny Rebel Started With Beer Brewed at Home 04:45 — Ignoring Traditional Marketing Advice & Betting on Social Media 05:25 — Hitting a Three-Year Business Forecast in Nine Months 06:30 — Why Naivety Can Be an Entrepreneurial Advantage 08:00 — Why Hannah Walked Away From Tiny Rebel 09:25 — How to Get Successful Entrepreneurs to Mentor You 11:00 — Knowing When You’re No Longer Adding Value to a Business 15:55 — “Will Over Skill”: Hannah’s Approach to Hiring Great People 22:00 — Why Entrepreneurs Need the Right Partner Around Them 26:45 — Building the Lucky No.7 Coffee Brand From Scratch 30:30 — Launching Into Retail Without a Traditional Business Plan 32:00 — Testing Your Brand Before Trying to Scale It 35:00 — Why Moving Too Early Can Sometimes Create Your Biggest Opportunity 36:25 — “Slow Down to Speed Up”: Balancing Momentum With Strategy 40:45 — Building a UK Coffee Brand Beyond Physical Stores 41:30 — AI Search, GEO & the Future of Ecommerce Discovery 43:25 — Why Hannah Never Feels Like She Has Done Enough

How do you build a £50 million business empire, operate more than 30 companies, employ 3,000 people and keep acquiring businesses without giving away equity to investors? James 'Jimbo' Sinclair has spent his career buying businesses, building management teams, acquiring commercial property and turning struggling or overlooked companies into valuable assets. Starting out as a teenage children’s entertainer and magician, James has built a portfolio spanning leisure attractions, childcare, food service, hospitality, commercial property and self-storage. In this live episode of Building The Brand from Ideas Fest, James breaks down the business acquisition strategy, management systems and entrepreneurial mindset behind his £50m group. Want more from Building The Brand?Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Big thanks to our much-loved partners for this pod - go show them some love: Ideas Fest https://ideasfest.uk/ Lucky No.7 Coffee https://luckyno7coffee.co.uk/ Under The Canvas https://underthecanvas.co.uk/ In this tactical breakdown, James reveals: Why entrepreneurs should build a business to sell even if they never intend to sell it His Entrepreneurship + Management = Success framework for scaling beyond the founder The acquisition strategy he uses to understand a company before he even completes the purchase Why he refuses to give away equity to investors but is comfortable using bank debt to grow How content marketing has helped him recruit employees and find business acquisition opportunities Why James believes a newsletter can generate more business value than a podcast or YouTube channel How to identify businesses with protected leverage, strong margins and lower labour requirements Why self-storage and commercial property have become increasingly attractive parts of his portfolio Why grit can be more important than talent when building a successful business The reality of cash-flow problems, losing millions and carrying responsibility for thousands of employees James also opens up about the darker side of entrepreneurship: why success can become increasingly lonely, why his brain never switches off and why entrepreneurs often create new problems the moment everything starts going well. This is a masterclass in how to buy a business, business acquisitions, scaling a company, entrepreneurship, business management, business growth strategy, content marketing and building wealth through business ownership. James Sinclair: https://www.youtube.com/@jamessinclairspodcast Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/ Lucky No.7 Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.no7coffee/ Under The Canvas: https://underthecanvas.co.uk/ Questions answered in this episode: How does James Sinclair buy and grow businesses? How do you scale a business without giving away equity? Why should you build a business as if you are going to sell it? How do entrepreneurs transition from operating a business to leading one? KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Inside James Sinclair’s £50M Business Empire 03:40 — The Reality of Running a Business in the UK in 2026 06:00 — How James Chooses Businesses to Buy 08:25 — Why Your Business Needs Growth to Keep Great People 09:32 — Entrepreneurship + Management = Business Success 12:48 — The Businesses James Sinclair Has Bought This Year 13:12 — Build Your Business to Sell — Even If You Never Sell 17:03 — Why Entrepreneurship Gets Lonelier as You Scale 18:38 — Grit vs Talent: What Actually Creates Successful Entrepreneurs? 27:31 — James Sinclair’s Business Acquisition Hack Before Buying 29:08 — How Content Marketing Generates Deals and Recruitment 30:00 — Why James Refuses Investors but Uses Bank Debt 33:46 — Why Newsletters Can Beat Podcasts and YouTube for Business 38:47 — Why James Sinclair Is Investing in Self-Storage 43:56 — The Entrepreneur’s Curse: Why Happiness Can Feel Boring 45:55 — Losing Millions, Cash-Flow Problems and Building Resilience 47:16 — Does Building a £50M Business Actually Make You Happy?

How do you build a multi-million pound ecommerce brand without white-labelling, without forcing subscriptions, and without a big ad budget? Tariq Kazemi, co-founder of BLD BRO, did it by building a community before he had a product. What started as an Instagram page to change the narrative around hair loss has become a 7-figure skincare brand for bald men, stocked in their own warehouse, funded by the community that asked for it. Check our BLD BRO via https://bldbro.com/ This episode of Building The Brand goes beyond inspiration to break down how success is actually built. Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this tactical breakdown, Tariq reveals: How to build a brand community that validates your product before you manufacture (the 90% matte vs shiny test) Why BLD BRO refused to white-label and built a bespoke formula from scratch How to launch a DTC brand building strategy on a 1,000-unit self-funded first order The retention playbook: Why 50% repeat customers beats forced subscriptions How a £1K budget Christmas ad ended up being a high-performing TV campaign that drove direct attribution This is a masterclass in brand building strategy, how to build a community around an underserved niche, how to start a business uk the community-led way and business growth strategy for a physical product brand. Questions answered in this episode: How did Bald Bros build a community-led skincare brand? How a to validate a product idea with your audience before launching? How to build an ecommerce brand without paid advertising? What is a community to commerce strategy for DTC brands? Key Moments: 0:00 - Why This Bald Skincare Brand Became a 7-Figure Community 00:18 - How to Build a Brand From Community: The Bald Bros Origin Story 02:22 - From Hair Loss Anxiety to Brand Purpose: Tariq's 10-Year Journey 07:40 - Shaving His Head: The Moment That Built Bald Confidence 12:48 - The £8 Billion Hair Loss Industry Lie Every Founder Should Know 14:36 - Finding a Market Gap: Why No Skincare Existed for Bald Men 18:55 - App vs Physical Product: How to Choose Your First Business Idea 20:22 - How to Validate Your Product Idea With Your Community (The 90% Matte Test) 23:29 - Why We Didn't White Label: Building a Bespoke DTC Product 34:06 - Launch Day to Sold Out: How to Launch an Ecommerce Brand on 1,000 Units 47:31 - The Content Hire That Scaled Us: Hiring Jake Massey (Ex-LADbible) 53:01 - Bald Fest: How Community Events Build Brand Better Than Ads 57:36 - The £1K TV Advert That Drove Real Brand Awareness

How do you start an influencer marketing agency at 17 whilst battling stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma, scale it to 7-figures and sell it for millions by 24? Suhit Amin did exactly that. WATCH THE FULL PODCAST NOW ON YOUTUBE In this episode, host James Burtt sits down with Suhit Amin, founder of Saulderson Media, to deconstruct the tactical playbook behind building an influencer marketing agency from scratch, winning clients with cold outreach on LinkedIn, doubling revenue with the right advisor, and navigating the full M&A process to a multi-million pound exit to Journey Further. If you want to understand how to build an agency from scratch, how to sell your business in the UK, or how to turn cold outreach strategy into compounding revenue - this is your blueprint. In This Episode You'll Learn: How Suhit turned an MCN sub-network into a talent management business making £100k in 6 months at 16 The cold LinkedIn DM system he used when LinkedIn was quiet - and why manual reps beat automation early Why talent management evolves into an influencer marketing agency for higher margins and scale The exact M&A process: from teaser and information memorandum to 5 offers, due diligence, and the 24-hour wait for money to land Why he chose a lower multiple from Journey Further over a higher US offer and what founders get wrong about business brokers and valuation Connect with Suhit Aminhttps://www.suhitamin.com/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here:https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Key Moments: 0:00 - Introduction: How a 17-Year-Old Built a 7-Figure Influencer Marketing Agency 02:31 - Why Starting a Business Young Was Suhit Amin's Unfair Advantage 04:11 - From Gaming Videos to 37K Subscribers: Learning YouTube MCNs and Sub-Networks 07:04 - Why Talent Management Beat Being a Creator: Spotting the MCN Decline 09:40 - How to Start an Influencer Marketing Agency From Scratch With 5 Clients 15:35 - Cold Outreach Strategy That Worked: Turning LinkedIn DMs Into Revenue 19:25 - Consistency & Manual Reps: Why Volume Beats Automation When Starting Out 31:47 - Thinking Like a Founder: Why He Always Planned to Sell His First Business 37:18 - Doubling Revenue in 12 Months: How Advisor Simon Penson Restructured the Agency for Sale 44:15 - How to Sell Your Business: The Full M&A Process, Due Diligence & Keeping It Secret 53:54 - Choosing the Right Buyer: Why He Took a Lower Offer From Journey Further 01:04:03 - What Happens When the Money Lands: Telling the Team and Calling His Parents 01:26:14 - Battling Stage Three Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 16 While Starting a Business 01:36:26 - How Cancer Changed His View on Business, Risk and Resilience In this show we answer: What is this episode about? This episode of Building The Brand features Suhit Amin explaining how he built and sold a 7-figure influencer marketing agency (Saulderson Media) before age 25, detailing his cold outreach on LinkedIn, transition from talent management to influencer marketing, and the step-by-step process to sell a business including valuation, buyer outreach, and due diligence. Who is Suhit Amin? Suhit Amin is a UK entrepreneur who founded influencer marketing agency Saulderson Media at 17, scaled it to over £100k revenue in six months, doubled revenue with consultancy Scaled, and achieved a multi-million pound exit to Journey Further - all after undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 16. How did Suhit Amin get clients for his influencer marketing agency? He used cold outreach on LinkedIn, identifying brands working with similar creators, connecting with marketing managers, and moving conversations from DMs to calls. He posted daily when LinkedIn was unsaturated and treated outreach like volume-based reps to learn what messaging converts.