Brendan McDowell is the founder of BPerfect Cosmetics and Voduz Hair. He’s built two amazing brands (from a background in sales) by investing in community and social media.

In this episode we discuss:

• Work life balance
• Building a community of fans
• Following social trends and social selling
• Dragons Den and Made Up In Belfast
• Opening on the High Street when everyone said “the High Street is dead”
• Staying close to the customer as your role evolves into CEO
• Launching in Superdrug
• Rethinking sales from a strategic perspective
• What comes next

Brendan McDowell

Founded in Belfast in 2012 by visionary entrepreneur Brendan McDowell, BPerfect Cosmetics set out to revolutionise the beauty industry with products that are easy to use, versatile, and transformative. Brendan’s game-changing approach caught the spotlight in 2017 on Ireland’s Dragons’ Den, where he wowed all five Dragons and secured offers from two, to which he later declined.

Since then, Brendan has been nominated for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and earned multiple awards for his bold entrepreneurial spirit. Today, BPerfect is a global beauty powerhouse, stocked in over 2,000 locations across Ireland, the UK, and internationally.

Known for its cult-favourite makeup, tanning essentials, and more recently, skincare, BPerfect has also partnered with top makeup artists and influencers to create standout collections like the Stacey Marie Carnival Collection, LMD Collection, and Annalivia Collection.

With record-breaking sales on TikTok and a spot among the top five beauty brands in the UK and Ireland, BPerfect is leading the way with exciting new revenue streams and unstoppable growth.

Find Brendan on TikTok and Instagram

Andi Jarvis

If you have any questions or want to talk about anything that was discussed in the show, the best place to get me is on LinkedIn or Instagram.

If you want the podcast emailed to you sign up for it onthe Eximo Marketing website.

Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast pushed to you and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.

Phillip Oakley is a brand strategist and marketing consultant with over 20 years of experience helping brands stand out and grow.

In this episode we discuss:

• The power of questions and curiosity
• Talking to your customers and the power of bringing the customer voice into the room
• Overcoming objections for talking to your customers
• What the movie Arthur Christmas can teach us about marketing
• Riches in Niches
• The power of visiting the store where your product is sold

Phillip Oakley

Phillip Oakley is a brand strategist and marketing consultant with over 20 years of experience helping brands grow and stand out across industries like technology, medtech, and consumer goods. In 2012, he founded Common Giant, a boutique consultancy that helps businesses leverage branding as a competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace.

Phillip has also served as VP of Brand Strategy, helping retail brands sell in, stand out, and sell through while consulting on marketing strategy and creative execution for various business models.

An energetic keynote speaker, Phillip shares insights on branding and creativity. He also lectures junior creatives and small businesses on effective marketing and is an eternal student of branding and marketing, having completed the Marketing Week Mini MBA and MAD//Masters.

Find Phillip on LinkedIn.

Recommendations

• Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Strategy Masterclass with Seth Godin

I’m doing a series of strategy masterclasses with Seth Godin in Ireland this spring. If you use code Eximo (capital E) then you’ll be able to grab a ticket for £225 instead of the full rate of £265.

You get to work with Seth, who will be joining remotely from his NYC studio, with me in the room and the team from Horrible Brands to help out with brand strategy. These events have been put together by the Event Queen Treena Clarke. Tickets available from here.

Strategy Sessions Host - Andi Jarvis

If you have any questions or want to talk about anything that was discussed in the show, the best place to get me is on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast directly or sign up for it here to have it emailed when it's released.

If you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

Transcript

A full transcript is available on the episode page here.

Paul has been deep in brand diagnosis, strategy and realisation for over 25 years. You need to hear how he thinks about brands.

In this episode we discuss:

• Listening as a superpower for strategists
• Why strategy isn’t predicting the future – with a hat tip to JP Castlin
• Mike Tyson on strategy
• Creators building brands
• Defining what a brand isn’t helps defines what a brand is
• The role of insight in strategy
• Staying customer focused in strategy
• Associated memorable moments
• Naming segments- and why we (sort of) disagree!

Paul Bailey

25+ years professional experience in brand diagnosis, strategy, realisation – improving experience, empowering culture, achieving business objectives.
A deep knowledge in brand, strategy, business leadership, marketing and communication. Working with global businesses to fast-scaling startups, across a myriad of industries, with diverse target audiences and business objectives.

Supported by academic expertise including MA Brand, Communication & Culture (Goldsmiths, London), Mini-MBA Marketing (Marketing Week), and extensive writing, speaking, and lecturing on brand, strategy & marketing.

Find Paul on LinkedIn

Recommendations

• The Power of Co-Creation by Ramaswamy and Gouillart
• Brands: Meaning and Value in Media Culture by Adam Arvidsson
• Beyond Culture by Edward T Hall
• How Not To Plan by Les Binet and Sarah Carter

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• Strategy Masterclass with Seth Godin

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  I’m doing a series of strategy masterclasses with Seth Godin in Ireland this spring. If you use code Eximo (capital E) then you’ll be able to grab a ticket for £225 instead of the full rate of £265.

  You get to work with Seth, who will be joining remotely from his NYC studio, with me in the room and the team from Horrible Brands to help out with brand strategy. These events have been put together by the Event Queen Treena Clarke. Tickets available from here.

  Strategy Sessions Host - Andi Jarvis

  If you have any questions or want to talk about anything that was discussed in the show, the best place to get me is on LinkedIn or Instagram.

  Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast directly or sign up for it here to have it emailed when it's released.

  If you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

  A full episode transcription is available from the show page.