This week’s hot take: Wild didn’t just get lucky.

Their £230M exit to Unilever was the result of laser-focused strategic thinking from day one.

In this episode, James and I unpack what made Wild stand out - from choosing the right high-margin category, to treating influencer marketing like a performance channel, and blending creativity with ruthless commercialism.

We explore the intentionality behind every decision, the smart playbook of building for an exit, and why performance and creativity aren’t opposites - they’re partners. Whether you're building a challenger brand or looking to level up your strategy, this one’s packed with takeaways.

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Lottie Unwin founded Up World, Brand Hackers, and Up Talent with a simple goal: helping startups grow. She's learned a thing or two about building brands that people genuinely care about, and now she puts that knowledge to work supporting ambitious startups who want to make their mark. She loves nothing more than seeing brands find their confidence and voice - and she's not afraid to share the real ups and downs of her own journey along the way.

James Hickson heads up Brand Hackers, where he helps make ambitious brands famous. After working with the likes of Innocent Drinks and BrewDog, he fell in love with the world of FMCG startups and never looked back. James is passionate about working with founders who want to shake things up and build brands people can't stop talking about.

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