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Beyond the Brand

Beyond the Brand

Written by: Cara Bendon
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Beyond the Brand is the go-to podcast for ambitious founders who want to build well-loved and known consumer brands that stand out. Hosted by branding expert Cara Bendon, with 17 years’ experience, this podcast blends insightful solo episodes on brand strategy with inspiring interviews from successful entrepreneurs, revealing the role branding played in their success.Cara Bendon Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Season 1 Best Bits Wrap Up
    Mar 26 2026

    It's a wrap on Series One!

    In this finale, Cara revisits the most memorable moments from every guest - the setbacks, breakthroughs, and hard-won wisdom that defined this series. Nine founders, nine completelydifferent businesses, and yet the same threads keep appearing: do the internal work first, build something authentically yours, and know that the moments that change everything are rarely the ones you planned for.

    Series Two is coming soon - subscribe so you don't miss it!


    Links & summary

    • Toks — Luxuryhomeware & furniture founder stocked in Harrods. On turning a supplier crisis into her biggest opportunity, and why internal brand work attracts the right doors.

    • Abbie — Artist & print designer who turned a lockdown hobby into a full-time business. The most-listened-to episode of the series - essential listening if you're thinkingabout wholesale or trade shows.

    • Finn — Co-founder of The Positive Planner. Why wholesale should be in your revenue mix from day one, and the bravery it takes to back your own instincts.

    • Dr. Sophie Carr — Mathematician using maths and technology to predict crowd behaviour and potentially save lives. Grew from solo founder to a team of 15 with UK government clients.

    • Natalie — Founder of Glisten Cosmetics, a seven-figure brand with fans including Doja Cat and Chappell Roan. On patience, brand-building, and values that go beyondmarketing.

    • Georgia Larson — Founder of sustainable lingerie brand Dora Larson. Her brand DNA hasn't changed since her 2016 launch - a powerful listen for anyone wanting to build a brand in a competitive industry,

    • Martina — Founder of The Dental Architect. Brand building is ongoing - it's a living commitment to telling your story.

    • Adam — Startup founder and former Amazon AI lead. On how working on their business' branding helped them understand and commit to their vision more clearly as a team.

    • Ruby Raut — Founder of Wuka, the UK's first reusable period underwear brand, with over one million customers. Ruby isn't just building a brand - she's building a movement.

    Tabara N'Diaye, founder of La Basketry, was due to featurethis series — read her full interview on Cara's blog: Purpose,PR and Publishing Deals — A Conversation with Tabara N'Diaye.

    Episodes FeaturedAlso Mentioned

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    21 mins
  • Period Power: Ruby Raut on WUKA, VAT Wins & Breaking Taboos
    Mar 10 2026

    Ft. Ruby Raut, Founder of WUKA

    What does it take to turn personal shame into a global movement? In this episode, I sit down with Ruby Raut - Nepali-born environmental scientist, award-winning entrepreneur, and founder of WUKA (Wake Up, Kick Ass), the UK's first reusable period underwear brand - for an honest, inspiring, and boundary-breaking conversation about periods, purpose, and building a business that changes lives.

    Growing up in Nepal, Ruby experienced first-hand the harmful menstrual taboos that affect millions of women and girls worldwide. That lived experience became the foundation for everything she would go on to build - a brand, a campaign, and a movement.

    In this episode we cover:

    • How Ruby's upbringing in Nepal shaped her mission for menstrual equity
    • The founding story of WUKA and scaling to over one million customers worldwide
    • Breaking period stigma and rewriting the cultural narrative around menstruation
    • The groundbreaking Axe the Period Tax campaign and how Ruby helped make period underwear VAT-free in the UK from 2024
    • WUKA's Tackle Anything campaign and why representation in sport matters for menstrual health
    • Sustainable, eco-friendly period care and why reusable period underwear is a game-changer for people and the planet
    • What it really takes to build a purpose-led brand as a female founder

    If you're a female entrepreneur, women's health advocate, or sustainability champion - this episode is for you.

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    46 mins
  • In Full Support: Georgia Larsen on Staying True to Her Vision
    Feb 16 2026

    From spotting a gap on the shop floor to building one of the most recognisable colourful lingerie brands in the market, this episode charts the bold rise of Dora Larsen.

    Today’s guest, Georgia Larsen, is redefining what everyday underwear looks and feels like - designed from a proudly female perspective and powered by a fearless use of colour. After starting her career as a buyer at Topshop, Georgia launched Dora Larsen in 2016 to challenge the sea of beige basics and black lacey numbers with pieces that are joyful, flattering and thoughtfully made.

    Since then, the brand has earned features in Vogue, Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, NYLON and i-D, and secured retail partnerships with industry heavyweights including Net-A-Porter, Selfridges, Fenwick, Harrods and Anthropologie. With expansions into sleepwear and swimwear, and more than £47,000 donated to environmental charities, sustainability remains central to its growth.

    We talk about the realities behind building a cult brand: the early wins, the operational pressures, partnering with her husband in business, and the discipline required to stay clearly positioned in a crowded market. Georgia also shares how colour became her strategic signature, and why authenticity has been her strongest commercial advantage.

    With fans including Jemima Kirke, Michaela Coel, Alexa Chung, Laura Jackson and even Madonna, Dora Larsen has evolved from an industry insight into a globally recognised label.

    If you’re interested in brand-building, creative differentiation, sustainability in practice, or what it really takes to turn a sharp market observation into a scalable business - this conversation delivers!

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    47 mins
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