Digital Clubhouse: From Chicken to Carbon Credits – The Raw Reality of Scaling Brands in 2025

What happens when a frozen food brand, a digital agency, a vegan Prosecco startup, and two fintech disruptors walk into a room? You get this month’s Digital Clubhouse; a candid, often hilarious, and deeply insightful look into what it really takes to build brands in today’s market.

From brutal setbacks and viral marketing stunts to sustainability in finance and influencer fraud, our four guests did not hold back. Here’s everything you missed, and everything you’ll want to take with you.

GSN: From Uni Side Hustle To Supermarket Powerhouse

Neal Rawlinson walked us through GSN’s 13-year journey from a gym-bro chicken breast brand to one of the UK’s most trusted healthy frozen food companies. From selling 2.5kg bags of steam-cooked chicken to now supplying Co-op, NHS trusts, and 5,000+ monthly e-commerce customers, GSN has remained proudly bootstrapped. No investors. No shortcuts.

“We launched with the best breasts… and thought: is this our career now?”

One of the biggest takeaways was GSN’s authenticity-first approach to influencer marketing. Their standout example? CrossFit athlete Harry Lightfoot, who ate the product before ever signing a deal. They followed him with a camera for a raw, six-part docuseries, which Neal says was a game-changer in building brand trust.

Neal Rawlinson, Chief Growth Officer, GSN

But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Neal candidly discussed failed product launches (including signature meals and overnight oats), a disastrous checkout update with PayPal that tanked conversions, and the ongoing challenge of managing people.

And their biggest flop? Black Friday. Turns out, giving discounts on frozen meals just leads to stocked-up freezers and a dead January!

Still, GSN’s growth mindset is strong. They’re now pushing beyond product-led comms into storytelling, unearthing founder Craig’s journey and giving the brand a more human face.

Growth by the “Pub Test”: How Connective3 Built a 140+ Specialist Agency

Next up was David White, who gave us a high-octane look into how Connective3 (C3) grew from a niche agency into a digital performance powerhouse.

Operating across SEO, CRO, paid media, and now creative production via their recent acquisition of Powerhouse, C3’s secret sauce is built around what David calls “the pub test.” If your idea can’t spark a conversation in the pub -or better yet, be shared after the pub – it’s probably not worth the ad spend.

“We don’t do beige. We create stories that pass the pub test, then performance follows.”

Even during COVID, C3 doubled down on marketing and talent, hiring smartly while many pulled back. That risk paid off. Today, C3 works across 40+ markets, with a growing presence in Europe driven by demand for British expertise in mature digital sectors.
The culture at C3 was another standout. David highlighted Lily Windle’s career path – from managing two people to leading a multi-million-pound team – as a proof point for their “performance + progression” mindset.

David White, CGO, Connective3

Looking ahead, C3 is experimenting more with creative formats, UGC, and strategic partnerships that blend performance with emotional storytelling; bridging the gap between data and daring.

Bubbles, Burnout, and £60K Lost: Building Think Wine from Scratch

Katherine Jones brought a radically honest energy to the stage as she unpacked the highs and lows of launching Think Wine Group – an organic, low-sugar, vegan Prosecco brand – after transitioning from the influencer world.

Katherine Jones, Director, Think Wine

Her early momentum was strong, but the road quickly got bumpy. Licensing complexities, sourcing certified ingredients, Brexit shipping nightmares, and one particularly brutal story: being defrauded by a wine agent for £60,000.

“There were moments I wanted to walk away. But if I can help other founders avoid those mistakes, it’s worth telling.”

Despite the losses, Katherine bounced back. She secured proper investment, took control of her supply chain, and began expanding internationally with a lean but savvy team. Her philosophy? Be relentlessly honest, especially when it comes to marketing in the wellness space.

“There’s so much fluff in influencer culture. We cut through that. If someone doesn’t drink our wine, they’re not the right fit.”

Katherine’s story resonated with founders in the room: gritty, grounded, and refreshingly unfiltered. She’s now looking to scale retail partnerships and deepen B2B distribution without losing sight of her mission to make real wine, for real people.

Fintech Meets Climate: Making Payments – and the Planet – Better

Closing the event was a two-hander from the fintech space, where Dylan Connor Fernandez from Ecommpay and Jamie Clarke from Ekko laid out the future of payments and sustainability.

Jamie, Ekko & Dylan, Ecommpay

Dylan explained how Ecommpay provides end-to-end payment solutions, including digital wallets, subscription orchestration, and localised checkout options across markets. Meanwhile, Jamie described how Ekko uses transaction data to support real-world climate projects; essentially embedding micro-donations and carbon offsets into the buying process.

“BNPL isn’t just a trend, it’s a behavior shift. And it comes with responsibility.”

The conversation turned toward the ethics of Buy Now, Pay Later and open banking. Both speakers stressed the need for greater transparency, better education, and a stronger human connection in how fintech brands serve users.

“AI is great, but it doesn’t replace relationships. Customers still want to talk to people.”

Their shared vision? A payments ecosystem that is smarter, fairer, and greener. One that rewards good behavior and drives measurable change.

This segment sparked real interest from the audience, especially among DTC founders grappling with payment stack complexity, sustainability messaging, and customer loyalty. Expect to see more collaboration between consumer brands and mission-driven fintech in the months ahead.

Tony’s Takeaways

1. Authenticity wins

Whether it’s influencer marketing or product design, every speaker emphasised the importance of staying grounded and real. GSN, Think Wine, and Ekko all built trust by showing the messy side of their journeys.

2. Creative still cuts through

C3’s “pub test” isn’t just a fun phrase, it’s a serious filter for whether your marketing will stick. Emotional relevance beats algorithm hacks every single time.

3. Failure fuels the future

From PayPal integration fails to frozen oats flopping, everyone on stage owned their missteps and turned them into insight. It’s a cliché, but you really do only learn from your mistakes.

4. Sustainability isn’t a trend, it’s infrastructure

Echo and Ecommpay reminded us that climate and payments are converging, and the brands who lead here will build long-term loyalty.

5. People are your biggest challenge, and your greatest asset

Whether it’s managing teams, hiring agencies, or aligning with partners, every founder spoke to the human challenge of growth. Relationships matter. People matter.