83. Are you selling too early? The succession model most founders have never heard of | Victoria Stapleton
6/15/202658 min
Thirty years of building a business without a board, without investors, and without ever wanting to sell, and it just keeps growing, there’s something to learn from that.
In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Victoria Stapleton, founder of Brora, the British luxury cashmere and clothing brand. Victoria has built Brora over 30 years from a single supplier and a home phone number into a business with shops across the UK, a store on Madison Avenue, and a fiercely loyal customer base.
Victoria shares what she learned from building slowly and deliberately, and why organic growth gave her control, quality, and a life outside work. She also gives insight about why every founder considering outside investment should think carefully about what they are actually giving if they take it.
Together they explore what it really takes to run a product business built on craft and quality: how to manage suppliers, why the shop experience matters more than ever, and what you actually learn about your business by walking the warehouse floor every morning.
Victoria's tells is about who she transitioned Brora into an Employee Ownership Trust, one of the most underused business succession models in the UK, and how it works.
Timestamps
11:25 First Shop and Doing It All
18:49 Hiring and Building a Loyal Team
20:52 Organic Growth and Staying Independent
30:21 In Store Styling Magic
38:21 Bonuses Profit And Legacy
47:05 Store Locations And New York
54:19 Glasgow Store Failure Lessons
56:14 Final Questions And Farewell
Links
Find out more Brora and their products here
Submit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HERE
All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE
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
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJames Reed· Host0:00
Welcome to All About Business with me, James Reid, the podcast that covers everything about business, management, and leadership. Every episode, I sit down with different guests that bootstrap companies, masterminded investment models, or built a business empire. They're leaders in their field, and they're here to give you top insights and actionable advice so that you can apply their ideas to your own career or business venture. [upbeat music] What does it mean to build a business you don't want to sell? And how do you grow while staying true to your values? Today on All About Business, I'm joined by Victoria Stapleton, founder of Brora, a British fashion and lifestyle brand that has grown from Scottish cashmere into a multi-category business rooted in craftsmanship and long-term thinking. In this episode, we discuss how retail has changed, why slower growth can be a strength, and what happens when you choose legacy over exit. Well, today on All About Business, I'm really delighted to welcome Victoria Stapleton to the studio. Um, Victoria is the creative director and founder of Brora, which is a wonderful British fashion brand specializing in luxury cashmere and beautiful clothing. Um, Brora is known for combining traditional British craftsmanship with bold colors, patterns, and contemporary designs,