In this episode of Abandoned Cart, Adam sits down with Joe Munns, an experienced FMCG leader, entrepreneur and brand builder, and the founder of home baking business, Baked In.

Joe shares the full story, from starting Baked In as a side hustle while working at IBM, to building an accredited food manufacturing operation and landing major retail listings. He opens up about the whirlwind pandemic boom that took the business from around £1m to nearly £5m in just nine months, and the lessons that followed as the business navigated funding pressure, operational complexity, and the realities of sustaining growth.

A standout section of this episode is Joe’s early adoption of TikTok Shop, including what it actually took to make live selling work, how they used community to build momentum, and why TikTok Shop quickly became Baked In’s biggest D2C channel during peak periods.

Expect a refreshingly honest conversation about:

The best advice Joe ever received, and why “don’t stretch yourself too far” became a defining lesson
Building Baked In from baking kits to a subscription vision, alongside retail and manufacturing
The hidden complexity of too many SKUs, too many channels, and not enough resource
What rapid pandemic growth really looked like behind the scenes
How Meta and Google supported subscription acquisition, and what changed post-pandemic
The power of community and how a Facebook group helped spark early momentum
TikTok Shop in its early days: going live to tiny audiences, pushing through the awkward start, and finding a repeatable rhythm
Why QVC-style demos worked so well for Baked In, and what most brands get wrong when they quit too early
How super fans became moderators, created social proof in the comments, and helped convert new viewers
Brand partnerships that improved margins (and the risks when values and perception clash)
The TV ad experiment: what it taught Joe about top of funnel marketing and measurement
Investors, debt funding, and the tougher reality of raising capital during a slowdown
The personal impact of running a high pressure business, and what Joe would do differently
What Joe is building now with Cutting Edge Golf, and his approach to sustainable growth this time

Connect with Joe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmunns/

Email: joe@cuttingedgegolf.com

Connect with &Allies:

To discuss how we can help your brand grow, visit www.andallies.co.uk