Bulletproof Entrepreneur - S02E08 James Watt - Co-Founder and CEO of BrewDog: Resilience and Vision - The incredible stories behind a billion dollar business.

S02E08 James Watt - Co-Founder and CEO of BrewDog: Resilience and Vision - The incredible stories behind a billion dollar business.

04/06/23 • 55 min

To celebrate the landmark 25th episode of the podcast, I was delighted to be able to speak with the Co-Founder and CEO of BrewDog, James Watt.
BrewDog is valued at over $1,500,000,000 and is one of the UK’s leading Unicorn companies... However, it’s been far from a smooth ride.
Having decided that a career as a lawyer ‘in a cheap suit doing glorified admin’ wasn't for him, he spent several years working on a North Atlantic fishing boat and that’s where a lot of his business resilience came from.
We discussed many areas of business but these stood out:

Marketing; He shares some incredible stories about the crazy stunts that BrewDog created to gain publicity. Some were wildly successful and some less so - but they all got tons of attention for the brand.
The value of constraints: He tells the story of their pitch to the TV show Dragon’s Den and what happened next. It’s a masterclass in creativity and how to use constraints to your advantage.
A powerful vision: James is crystal clear about his values and that of the company, the team and the community that they’ve created. And he doesn't hold back on defining the vision - total world domination!

James is a world-class storyteller, a rebel, a leader and undoubtedly a Bulletproof Entrepreneur.
You are going to love this conversation- ladies and gentlemen I give you Mr. James Watt.
Links:

https://www.brewdog.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-watt-21a5a912b/?originalSubdomain=uk

James Watt - BrewDog CEO - YouTube

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text

Marketing; He shares some incredible stories about the crazy stunts that BrewDog created to gain publicity. Some were wildly successful and some less so - but they all got tons of attention for the brand.
The value of constraints: He tells the story of their pitch to the TV show Dragon’s Den and what happened next. It’s a masterclass in creativity and how to use constraints to your advantage.
A powerful vision: James is crystal clear about his values and that of the company, the team and the community that they’ve created. And he doesn't hold back on defining the vision - total world domination!

James is a world-class storyteller, a rebel, a leader and undoubtedly a Bulletproof Entrepreneur.
You are going to love this conversation- ladies and gentlemen I give you Mr. James Watt.
Links:

https://www.brewdog.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-watt-21a5a912b/?originalSubdomain=uk

James Watt - BrewDog CEO - YouTube

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Previous Episode

S02E07 Henry Dimbleby MBE - The fast food entrepreneur who sold Leon for £100m

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Henry is the co-founder of the fast-food restaurant chain Leon with the unforgettable strapline ‘If God did fast food..’
From humble beginnings, with one small shop in Carnaby Street in London to a national and international brand which eventually sold for a reported £100 million Henry is undoubtedly a bulletproof entrepreneur.
During our conversation, he explained:

How they came up with the memorable name Leon and the vital importance of getting your business name right from the outset.
What he believes to be the two most important attributes that any entrepreneur must have to succeed .
The value of narrative and storytelling to help grow your media presence and generate new customers.

And as we were wrapping up the conversation, Henry provided us with one of the best definitions I've ever heard of what True Wealth really is.
His new book, "Ravenous," has just been published and is a seriously good read if you're interested in learning about our food system and how to optimise for maximum energy - something that every entrepreneur needs to do.Links

Henry Dimbleby

LEON

Ravenous: How to get ourselves and our planet into shape

Billionaire Issa brothers buy Leon for £100m | Evening Standard

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Next Episode

S02E09 - Jodie Williams and Jenny Hughes of The Marketing Pod. The secret ingredients to building a world-class business.

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Jodie and Jenny are cofounders of a hugely successful agency called The Marketing Pod, and 11 years ago they decided to tread that well-known entrepreneurial path, took a big risk and walked away from a comfortable corporate life to start their business.
Why? Because, as is often the case, they were frustrated that what they were looking for didn't exist, and they knew there was a demand.
They also wanted to create something that was more in line with their own lifestyles and that reflected their personal values and culture.
So many lessons and words of wisdom in our conversation, and plenty of encouragement to take the entrepreneurial leap and follow your passion. As they say ‘Life’s too short not to give it a go.’

We discussed the importance of finding great mentors and advisers - and why getting on a business accelerator or growth programme was such an important part of their success.
They explained why niching down and becoming known as the ‘go-to experts’ for a specific sector is essential and why most entrepreneurs struggle with that as they see shiny new opportunities everywhere that they have to say ‘no’ to - trust me I can relate to that one!
And the underlying secret of their success, which is all about the people and the culture in their business - easy to say, hard to do— which is why their advice is so helpful if you're building your own business.

You are going to get so much out of this conversation. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the energy, positivity, and wise words of Jodie Williams and Jenny Hughes.Links

The Marketing Pod

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-williams-themarketingpod/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-hughes/

The Entrepreneurship Centre - Cambridge Judge Business School

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business Paperback – Illustrated, 19 April 2012

Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life) Hardcover

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management