In this week's episode of Swim Against the Tide, we meet Alex Saint, co -founder of thriving travel brand Secret Escapes. He discusses his journey of building a successful luxury hotel booking platform, sharing insights into the unique business model that offers exclusive deals to its members, the challenges of navigating different European markets, and the importance of ensure your brand has an unfair competitive advantage in business.Alex then goes on to reflect the impact COVID -19 had on the travel industry and his fellow directors and the lessons they learned from this adversity. Focusing on the importance of always ensuring he had great partners around him to share the journey – both highs and lows.He also shares some great insights into how he has used external investment to help the business scale and move seamlessly into new markets, understanding it is a required necessity to scale properly in a diverse market.We finish by Alex reflecting on the future of Secret Escapes, emphasising the need for innovation and growth, while maintaining a focus on customer loyalty and satisfaction. He also hints at some exciting innovations that are on the horizon.Swim Against The Tide:The idea behind Swim Against The Tide podcast is to meet founders and leaders of businesses who have launched and operate in competitive markets, taking the bigger, more established players head on. It is about exploring what drove them, how their brand stood out, what they had to do to win and what lessons they have learned that they can share with the listeners to hopefully inspire them to take their own journey.The show is presented by Steve Henry, Co-Founder of the specialist marketing group Audience Collective. Steve has enjoyed a 30-year career in advertising helping 100s of brands win and grow. He is passionate about telling these stories and sharing their journeys, both good and bad, to help the next generation learn and encourage them to one day start their own challenger brand.If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected] and we will be in touch.We hope you enjoy this podcast, if you do, please leave a like and subscribe to our channel!The SATT Team :) #podcast #business #swimagainstthetide #growth #entrepreneurship Secret Escapes, luxury travel, business growth, market strategy, investment, European markets, COVID-19 recovery, entrepreneurship, unfair advantage, acquisitions

Graham Beales, CEO of Hip Pop, a range of kombucha and healthy soft drinks, discusses his journey and the brand's success in the market. The conversation covers topics such as personal growth, the importance of enjoying the drink whilst also reaping health benefits, the changing consumer demand for healthier options, and the challenges of distribution.The brand aims to provide refreshing, flavour-led drinks that appeal to a wide range of consumers, from younger generations to those seeking gut health benefits. The founders have transitioned to a supportive role, trusting Graham to take the brand to the next level. In this conversation, he discusses the potential for expanding the product range of Hip Pop drinks. He draws a parallel with the success of Red Bull, which started with a single flavour and gradually expanded its offerings. Graham also reflects on his time at Grenade and how he leveraged his experience in the protein world to drive the growth of Hip Pop. He emphasises the importance of gut instinct in decision-making and the value of having mentors and a strong support network. Graham describes his leadership style as laid-back, collaborative, and focused on empowering his team. He encourages experimentation and learning from failure. He advises focusing on what you can control and not wasting time on things you can't change. Finally, he emphasises the importance of physical fitness for mental health and longevity.Swim Against The Tide:The idea behind Swim Against The Tide podcast is to meet founders and leaders of businesses who have launched and operate in competitive markets, taking the bigger, more established players head on. It is about exploring what drove them, how their brand stood out, what they had to do to win and what lessons they have learned that they can share with the listeners to hopefully inspire them to take their own journey.The show is presented by Steve Henry, Co-Founder of the specialist marketing group Audience Collective. Steve has enjoyed a 30-year career in advertising helping 100s of brands win and grow. He is passionate about telling these stories and sharing their journeys, both good and bad, to help the next generation learn and encourage them to one day start their own challenger brand.If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected] and we will be in touch.We hope you enjoy this podcast, if you do, please leave a like and subscribe to our channel!The SATT Team :)#podcast #business #swimagainstthetide #growth