Podcast
Tash Insights
Hosted by Tash Courtenay-Smith · EN
Tash Insights brings you inside the minds of female brand founders and the leaders of the UK’s fastest-growing e-commerce tech companies.
Hosted by Tash Courtenay-Smith – serial entrepreneur, investor, NED and fractional Head of Growth – each episode dives into the strategies, challenges, and breakthroughs that have shaped the futures of some of the UK's leading founders.
Whether you’re a founder, investor, tech lover or you just love hearing the growth stories behind top brands, this is the podcast for you.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The 24/7 content machine
Feb 2400:02:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Tash explores a radical 18-month experiment in "testing in public" using AI digital twins and avatars to solve the production crisis.For many creators and business leaders, the pressure to be "camera-ready" is a constant drain on resources. From waiting for the right "mood" to managing the logistics of filming, the human element is often the only thing standing in the way of consistent output. By deploying half a dozen digital versions of themselves, Tash has effectively automated her personal brand, allowing her team to bypass the "founder bottleneck" entirely.
Transcribe →EmpowHER: Tash on the most common mistake she sees in fast-growing brands
Feb 2300:07:16Tap to summarizeAt the EmpowerHER event hosted by Nicole Harvey, Tash shared one of the most common mistakes she sees across growing brands: building marketing around an imaginary ideal customer.In reality, successful businesses reach millions by appealing to a much broader audience than founders expect. The brands that grow fastest adapt, embrace change in AI and marketing systems, and focus on trust, personality, and consistent visibility.
Transcribe →EmpowHER: How real CPG brands are built, broken and rebuilt
Feb 1200:20:11Tap to summarizeThis panel was recorded live at EmpowHER.Hosted by Nicole Harvey, this candid, story-driven conversation brings together female founders and senior operators from across beauty, wellness, supplements and e-commerce, including Tash.The panel walks through the real moments behind well-known products, early assumptions that proved wrong, product and brand decisions that didn’t land, and the rebuilds that ultimately unlocked scale.Through a guided Build → Break → Rebuild discussion, the panel covers:Core beliefs founders held early on that later turned out to be wrongHow customer behaviour forced product, brand or positioning changesThe operational realities of scaling CPG brandsWhere AI and automation genuinely help, and where human judgement still mattersWhy trust, credibility and figurehead-led brands remain powerful growth leversPanelists Anna Persaud, CEO of This Works, Julietta Contoguris of Heights, Tash, and Natasha Whiting of Dozzz Sleep and Kollo Health share unfiltered insights.If you’re building, operating, or investing in consumer brands, this session offers an honest look at what growth really looks like behind the scenes, and why most successful brands aren’t built in a straight line.
Transcribe →Why AI Twins Are Changing Creator Marketing Forever, with James Rowdy of TwinTone
Jan 2300:43:51Tap to summarizeJames Rowdy, founder of TwinTone, sits down with Tash to discuss how AI twins are reshaping creator marketing — not by replacing creators, but by turning personal brands into licensable IP.From scaling content without burnout to why creators are earning more (not less), this clip breaks down: • Why UGC never truly scaled • How AI twins unlock content volume at speed • What the “lazy creator era” really means • Why IP is becoming the most valuable asset in marketing🎧 Stream now or watch the full conversation on YouTube @tash_courtenay.
Transcribe →Building a performance business powered by transactions, data and outcomes with Transact Media Group
Jan 1500:19:30Tap to summarizeTash Insights continues with a powerful conversation with Joel Williams and Adam Wilmshurst, founders of Transact Media Group.Joel and Adam reflect on the last 12 months of rapid growth, from early client wins to building a global, outcomes-driven media business operating across more than 30 territories. They unpack how transactional data, performance accountability, and entrepreneurial culture have shaped a model that challenges traditional advertising norms.Now, Transact Media Group is redefining how brands think about performance marketing, using real purchase data, guaranteed CPA models, and a growing ecosystem of commerce and media products to drive measurable business outcomes.This is an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about building fast, staying nimble, and creating a defensible business in a complex advertising landscape.You’ll hear:How outcomes-based marketing changed the way brands buy mediaWhy transactional data became the core competitive advantageWhat it really took to scale a business globally in under a yearHow empowering young talent unlocked rapid product innovationWhy the future of advertising sits at the intersection of media, commerce and financeIt’s sharp, insightful, and essential listening for founders, marketers, and anyone building in performance-led growth.
Transcribe →Building two cult beauty brands: Meagan Pate on Straand, Three Warriors & the power of category creation
Nov 1900:29:18Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Triffin's Founder Stories, Tash sits down with Meagan Pate, co-founder of Straand and co-owner of Three Warriors, to explore how she helped create not just one but two cult beauty brands.Meagan shares how her background in glossy magazines shaped her understanding of brand storytelling, what it takes to create a new category in beauty, and the lessons she’s learned building both a VC-backed and a self-funded business.Expect insights on:How Straand turned “scalp shame” into a beauty movementThe creative strategy behind Three Warriors’ “daily radiance” successFunding models that actually work for different types of brands How Meagan uses AI to save time and scale smarterA must-listen for founders and beauty brand builders ready to rethink what’s possible.
Transcribe →The Ultimate DTC Success Story: Maxine Laceby & Absolute Collagen
Oct 2100:27:26Tap to summarizeIn this special episode, Tash catches up with Absolute Collagen founder Maxine Laceby at the recent Charge X event in London, hosted by Recharge. Maxine is one of the UK’s best-known DTC success stories.Her journey from kitchen experiments to a multi-million-pound brand offers a masterclass in how to build and scale a business that customers genuinely love.
Transcribe →AI, Avatars & The Future of Beauty — CEW Webinar with Tash
Sep 2400:49:49Tap to summarizeIn this special CEW webinar, Tash explores how AI, avatars, and digital twins are transforming the beauty, personal care, and wellness industries.From the rise of digital twins and UGC avatars to the risks, opportunities, and creative possibilities, Tash shares her first-hand experience testing this technology across brands, retail, and content creation.You’ll learn:Beginner use cases for brands and personal brandsPublic perceptions and the risks to considerHow avatars can scale content output without replacing human creativityWhat’s coming next in this fast-moving space📌 Hosted in partnership with CEW, this webinar is a must-listen for anyone in beauty and wellness curious about where AI is headed.🎧 Search Tash Talks on Spotify & YouTube
Transcribe →Funding your brand: Debt vs Equity with Piper’s Lizzie Lord & Triffin’s Franklyn Martin
Sep 100:24:57Tap to summarizeIn this special episode of Triffin Live, Tash is joined by Lizzie Lord of Piper and Franklyn Martin of Triffin to unpack one of the biggest decisions every founder faces: funding.From private equity to bootstrapping, and from good debt vs bad debt, they explore how consumer brands can make smarter choices about capital—without losing control along the way.Expect practical insights on:When debt can accelerate growth (and when it can be dangerous)How equity investors like Piper assess brandsThe psychology of control when taking on fundingWhy building long-term investor relationships matters🎥 Search Tash Talks on YouTube to watch the full conversation.
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