72. How to build a successful brand in a competitive market | Steve Perez

How do you turn a single idea into a global brand and keep winning in an industry where most products fade away?

In this episode of all about business, James sits down with Steve Perez, founder of Global Brands, to unpack the reality behind building one of the UK’s most successful drinks businesses from scratch.

Steve shares how he identified a gap in the market early on, and backed his instincts to create products that would resonate with a new generation of consumers, most notably the breakout success of VK. But Steve’s story isn’t just about spotting an opportunity, it’s about the discipline required to execute, the risks that come with backing your own judgement, and the resilience needed to navigate inevitable setbacks along the way.

The conversation goes deeper into what actually drives success in a highly competitive, fast-moving industry. Steve explains why understanding your customer better than anyone else is a non-negotiable, how to stay relevant as trends shift, and how many businesses fail not because of bad ideas, but because of poor execution.

He also reflects on leadership as a business scale. From making tough commercial decisions under pressure, to building a team you can trust, and knowing when to adapt, versus when to stay the course.

This is a grounded, experience-led conversation about entrepreneurship without the fluff that covers risk, resilience, execution, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Timestamps

02:56 From pub manager to van hustle

08:43 Business bust and rock bottom

14:33 Inventing VK

25:16 Keep your equity keep control

38:27 Building a hotel empire

43:36 High Court tax challenge

57:34 Multi-generational mindset

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This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

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