Huib van Bockel spent eight years as head of marketing for Red Bull UK and Europe before leaving to launch Tenzing, a natural energy drink inspired by what Sherpas drink when climbing Everest. Now approaching its 10th anniversary, Tenzing is the fastest-growing energy drink in the UK, stocked in all major supermarkets, and recently received investment from Heineken.

In this episode, Huib shares the origin story - including tracking down Sherpa Tenzing's family to get their blessing - and the product formulation and innovations that defied industry norms. He's disarmingly honest about the emotional reality of competing against giants: the constant underlying terror, periods of near-depression, and why founders have to project confidence while feeling anything but.

Listen to the episode to discover:

• Why he left Red Bull and how long it really took him to make the leap
• The hidden rule that keeps every soft drink at exactly 11 grams of sugar - and how breaking it became Tenzing's biggest competitive advantage
• Why Huib was happier at Red Bull but more fulfilled running his own business
• The surfing lesson that became his philosophy for building the business
• The shark attack problem: what founders should really be worrying about
• Why Huib will be more worried than excited when the time comes to exit

Chapters

00:01:13 - The Red Bull years: From bad energy to good energy

00:03:44 - Why Tenzing?

00:05:03 - Natural caffeine - spin or science?

00:09:52 - Biggest risk, biggest asset

00:10:27 - The retail journey and Heineken's investment

00:15:16 - What does success look like?

00:17:49 - A founder's Monday morning

00:21:59 - Surfing, skiing, and staying sane

00:24:33 - "That wave's not going to catch you"

00:27:43 - Your own worst critic

00:31:41 - Seven Summits

00:34:21 - Most Everest deaths happen on the way down

Links and Resources

• Find out more and buy online at: https://tenzingnaturalenergy.com/
• Find out where Tenzing is stocked: https://tenzingnaturalenergy.com/pages/stockists
• Connect with Huib on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huib-van-bockel-8454834/

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If you want to accelerate your personal and business performance, you can book at discovery call at https://calendly.com/buyerology/friday-accelerator-1-1

• The exact revenue milestones that marked the business’s real progress
• How Ella and her husband Lucien divide responsibilities to run a business together without destroying their marriage
• The secret customer service weapon that turns furious customers into loyal advocates
• What Ozempic and Mounjaro mean for the future of food brands like Fitbakes
• The specific turnover targets she's working toward for an exit
• Her honest take on navigating perimenopause while starting and running a business

• Buy online at fitbakes.co.uk
• Also stocked at Amazon, Ocado, Holland & Barrett, and a range of independent stores

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Ever wondered why sometimes achieving goals is effortless and other times, it feels like pushing water uphill? Get your Friday Accelerator scorecard to find out why. Answer ten questions about your approach to work, goals and success, to access your personalised report and action list. Go to friday-accelerator.scoreapp.com now.

If you want a regular dose of inspiration and impetus for growth, resilience and success, subscribe to The Friday Accelerator wherever you get your podcasts - and why not leave a review too.

If you want to accelerate your personal and business performance, you can book at discovery call at https://calendly.com/buyerology/friday-accelerator-1-1

Milly Bagot co-founded ByRuby with a mission to create premium frozen meals that taste like "one of your really good friends - who happens to be a great cook - has filled your freezer for you." What started as a side project at Finn's deli in Chelsea transformed into a standalone business that grew fast and caught the attention of Charlie Bigham.

In this conversation, Milly shares the story of that accelerated their growth, the challenges of balancing profitability and growth, what it's like being part of a much larger organisation now and how By Ruby has helped change the perception of frozen food. She's refreshingly honest about the challenges in retail, the drivers of that early growth, and why she refuses to compromise on quality even when costs are rising.

Listen to discover:

• The journey that took Ruby from Finn's deli to the Charlie Bigham family
• All about the ideas and experiences that sparked the ByRuby concept
• How to 5x your rate of sale in the supermarket
• What her non-negotiables are even in a challenging market
• How she runs her week and plans for success while 'staying sane'
• Where she has her best ideas and makes time for growth

Where to Find ByRuby:

• Buy online at https://byruby.co.uk/
• Also available on Ocado and in independent shops across the UK
• Follow on Instagram for freezer hacks and foodie inspiration at https://www.instagram.com/byrubyfoods/

Connect with Milly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milly-bagot-83a22517a/

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Ever wondered why sometimes achieving goals is effortless and other times, it feels like pushing water uphill? Get your Friday Accelerator scorecard to find out why. Answer ten questions about your approach to work, goals and success, to access your personalised report and action list. Go to friday-accelerator.scoreapp.com now.

If you want a regular dose of inspiration and impetus for growth, resilience and success, subscribe to The Friday Accelerator wherever you get your podcasts - and why not leave a review too.

If you want to accelerate your personal and business performance, you can book at discovery call at https://calendly.com/buyerology/friday-accelerator-1-1

Kelly Dowson is the managing director of FIS Group, the innovation and research business on a mission to help reimagine the future of food and drink. Listen to this episode of The Friday Accelerator to hear how this consultancy business went from front room to 40 people inside 15 years.

Kelly shares her experiences, learnings and approaches to the personal and business aspects of that success. Listen to this episode to discover:

• How she went from ‘brutal’ sales role to startup to 40 people and £7m turnover
• The challenges of running and scaling a consultancy-led business
• Kelly’s personality type, setting goals for herself and her teams, and how she stays on target
• FIS Group’s approach to risk-taking and the times they’ve got it wrong
• Some surprising findings from early studies of the impact of GLP-1

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-dowson-7159b53/

Find out more about FIS Group: https://www.fis-group.co.uk/

Further Reading:

Why Should Anyone Be Led By You, Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones

The Art of Spending Money, Morgan Housel

Buyerology, Karen Green

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Ever wondered why sometimes achieving goals is effortless and other times, it feels like pushing water uphill? Get your Friday Accelerator scorecard to find out why. Answer ten questions about your approach to work, goals and success, to access your personalised report and action list. Go to friday-accelerator.scoreapp.com now.

If you want a regular dose of inspiration and impetus for growth, resilience and success, subscribe to The Friday Accelerator wherever you get your podcasts - and why not leave a review too.

If you want to accelerate your personal and business performance, you can book at discovery call at https://calendly.com/buyerology/friday-accelerator-1-1