Episode #621: How EcoSIP Reinvented Wine Packaging and Built a Defensible ScaleUp - with Jamie Smith
Release Date: 06/24/2026
Episode #632: Using AI to Build a Happier, Smarter Business - with Julie Begbie
ScaleUp Radio
Can AI actually make your business happier? Many business owners hear about AI and immediately think about efficiency, automation or replacing people. Julie Begbie takes a very different view. Her philosophy is simple. AI should remove the work you don't enjoy so you can spend more time doing the work that gives you energy. That creates a happier founder, a better customer experience and ultimately a stronger business. In this episode Julie shares practical ways any SME owner can start using AI without becoming a technology expert, whilst also explaining how to build systems that genuinely...
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Episode #631: The Million-Dollar Donut: How Hidden Costs Are Holding Back Your Growth - with Ryan Olson
ScaleUp Radio
What happens when a successful corporate executive decides he wants more control over his future? After 22 years at Intel, Ryan Olson had built an impressive career leading business development teams, managing global partnerships and helping create a billion-dollar pipeline. But two rounds of corporate layoffs became the catalyst for a very different path. In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Ryan shares how he transitioned from corporate leadership into business ownership through the ERA Group franchise, helping mid-sized businesses uncover hidden costs, improve profitability and free up cash...
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Episode #630: ScaleUp Radio Shorts - Humaning, Tech, and True Focus: Lessons from Melissa Thornley and Vicki Ayton
ScaleUp Radio
In this edition of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt reflect on two fascinating conversations with leadership expert Melissa Thornley and social entrepreneur Vicki Ayton. Although their businesses couldn't be more different, both guests arrive at remarkably similar conclusions. Sustainable growth isn't driven by working harder or adopting the latest technology. It's built by developing better leaders, creating resilient teams, maintaining genuine human connection, and focusing attention on what matters most. From emotional intelligence and feedback cultures to AI, climate...
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Episode #629: Why Resilience is the Missing Link in Accountability - with Melissa Thornley
ScaleUp Radio
ScaleUp Radio Show Notes Melissa Thornley: Why Resilience is the Missing Link in Accountability What if the reason accountability isn't sticking in your business has nothing to do with performance management and everything to do with resilience? In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Melissa Thornley, leadership coach, consultant and founder of Melissa Thornley Consulting. Melissa works with leaders operating in high-stakes environments including emergency services, government agencies, manufacturing, construction and technology businesses. Her mission is simple but...
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Episode #628: Bridging Research, Digital Skills and Community Impact - with Vicki Ayton
ScaleUp Radio
What happens when academic research, climate resilience, digital inclusion and community development all collide? In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Vicki Ayton, Founder of BizEd, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that exists to bridge the gap between research and real-world community impact. What started as a response to a local library closure has evolved into a growing community hub delivering digital inclusion support, climate resilience education, research projects and policy work across Shropshire and beyond. Vicki shares the realities of building a sustainable...
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Episode #627: ScaleUp Radio Shorts - Burnout, Boundaries and Better Businesses
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt bring together three powerful conversations from recent ScaleUp Radio guests: Dan Glyde, Megan Robinson and Sam Eaton. Whilst their businesses are very different, they all arrived at remarkably similar conclusions about what it really takes to build a business that grows sustainably. From avoiding burnout to empowering your team and creating systems that scale, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can implement straight away. In this episode we discuss: Why founders should think of themselves as cognitive...
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Episode #626: Closing The Leadership Expectation Gap - with Megan Robinson
ScaleUp Radio
Why do so many talented managers struggle when they step into leadership roles? It's a challenge that affects businesses of every size. High performers are often promoted because they're brilliant at what they do, yet they're rarely given the skills, tools, or support needed to lead people effectively. In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent speaks with Megan Robinson, Founder of eLeader Experience, about what she calls the "Leadership Expectation Gap" and why it is costing organisations far more than they realise. Megan shares how businesses can move leaders from being stuck in the...
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Episode #625: Why Authentic Leadership Starts With Looking After Yourself - with Daniel Glyde
ScaleUp Radio
What happens when the very traits that helped you succeed become the ones that push you towards burnout? In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent sits down with Daniel Glyde, founder of Positive Masculinity, to explore how business owners and leaders can build sustainable success by developing a healthier relationship with themselves first. Daniel shares his personal journey from BBC producer to coach, following a severe burnout and panic attack in 2018. His experience led him to challenge the traditional expectations many men place on themselves and ultimately build a business focused on...
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Episode #624: ScaleUp Club - Why You Should Plan for Exit Long Before You Want to Sell - with Helen Bower
ScaleUp Radio
Why should founders start planning their exit years before they intend to leave? That was the theme of this month's ScaleUp Club, where members explored one of the most misunderstood areas of business growth: exit planning. Joining Kevin Brent was returning guest Helen Bower, former owner of Adder Bookkeeping, who successfully sold her business to Fresh Financials Group in 2025 after deliberately building it with a 10-year exit strategy in mind. Helen shared a refreshingly honest account of how she transformed a self-employed role into a scalable business, the systems she put in place, how the...
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Episode #623: Building a Business That Scales Without Losing Its Soul - with Sam Eaton
ScaleUp Radio
Many founders dream of building a business that gives them freedom, impact and financial success. The challenge is that what gets a business to £1m rarely gets it to £4m and beyond. In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Sam Eaton, founder of MindAbility, a business that helps HR and talent entrepreneurs build successful businesses on their own terms. Sam shares lessons from scaling her own HR business from £650k to £4.3m, the systems that made growth possible, and why founders need to rethink leadership, culture and accountability as their organisations grow. From...
info_outlineWhat happens when a pandemic destroys your original business model?
For Jamie Smith and his co-founder Alex, it became the catalyst for creating an entirely new category within the wine industry.
Starting as a wine retailer and tasting club, they quickly discovered that shipping glass bottles was expensive, inefficient and environmentally problematic. Rather than accept the challenge, they spent three years developing a proprietary wine pouch capable of preserving and ageing wine in a way that mimics a traditional glass bottle and cork.
Today, EcoSIP works with major brands including Naked Wines and The Wine Society, providing innovative sustainable packaging solutions that reduce cost, waste and environmental impact while maintaining wine quality.
In this episode, Jamie shares the journey from startup retailer to specialist co-packer, the realities of bootstrapping deep product innovation, and their ambitious plans to make sustainable wine packaging a global standard.
In this episode:
A pandemic pivot that changed everything
When lockdown disrupted their newly launched wine retail business, Jamie and Alex quickly shifted towards direct-to-consumer wine tasting experiences.
The challenge soon became obvious.
Shipping wine in glass bottles was expensive, heavy and fragile, often costing more than customers expected and creating significant environmental impact.
The solution started with a prototype made using hair straighteners and a cereal box.
That simple idea ultimately evolved into EcoSIP's proprietary wine pouch technology.
Solving a problem others couldn't
The team identified a major issue with existing alternatives.
Cans prevent oxygen transfer completely, affecting wine development.
Traditional bag-in-box solutions allow too much oxygen exposure, impacting quality.
EcoSIP set out to create packaging that behaves more like a glass bottle with a cork.
After three years of research and development, multiple material generations and constant reinvestment of profits, they developed a pouch capable of replicating the oxygen transfer characteristics needed for wine ageing.
Building a defensible business
One of the most fascinating aspects of the conversation is how Jamie and the team built genuine barriers to entry.
Their competitive advantage now includes:
• Proprietary pouch design
• Trademark protection
• Patent-pending processes
• Specialist filling and preservation methods
• Deep operational expertise developed through years of experimentation
The result is a packaging solution that many competitors would struggle to replicate.
Quality control at scale
Protecting wine quality remains central to EcoSIP's proposition.
Their process includes:
• HEPA-filtered clean room environments
• Individual bottle quality checks before decanting
• CO₂ blanketing to minimise oxidation
• Nitrogen purging to reduce oxygen levels before filling
• Carefully engineered packaging materials designed for long-term wine preservation
These systems allow clients to maintain product quality while benefiting from a more sustainable delivery model.
Growing through reputation
Unlike many startups, EcoSIP has achieved growth primarily through referrals and word of mouth.
Satisfied customers have become advocates, creating a strong pipeline without significant marketing investment.
This organic growth has helped the business scale while remaining fully self-funded.
Funding growth without losing focus
The company has been built using:
• Trading profits
• R&D tax credits
• A Bounce Back Loan
Every available resource has been reinvested into developing the technology and refining the process.
Now, with the product proven and commercial demand growing, the next step is investment in sales and marketing capability.
The global vision
Jamie's ambition extends far beyond UK wine packaging.
The long-term vision is to establish packaging hubs close to wine production regions around the world.
Instead of shipping heavy glass bottles internationally, wine could be packaged near source and distributed more sustainably.
Eventually, EcoSIP aims to transition from co-packing to licensing its technology directly to wineries globally.
The One Key Thing
Innovation becomes far more valuable when it solves a genuine customer problem.
EcoSIP's success didn't come from creating new technology for its own sake. It came from relentlessly solving the challenges of cost, sustainability and quality in wine distribution until they created something genuinely difficult to copy.
Standout Quote
"We spent three years reinvesting everything back into the product until we had a solution that genuinely worked."
About EcoSIP
EcoSIP provides innovative sustainable wine packaging solutions through its proprietary pouch technology, helping wine brands reduce costs, improve sustainability and deliver high-quality products to consumers in a more flexible format.
Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.
If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:
https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin
You can get in touch with Kevin here:
G90 Summit
Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter.
If that's you, the G90 Summit is worth a look.
A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, then commit to them and build the system to make sure they actually happen.
Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat.
Jamie can be found here:
https://onlinewinetasting.club/
Resources:
The Maker & The Merchant Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/51mYMnpuCR9UKxydI1OgXT?si=c75509dfa1f14124