The *this won't scale* attitude that scaled LUSH into a £1 billion brand

The writing-behind-the-brand

Happy Monday 👋,

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I’ve been up since 5 AM uncovering the writing behind LUSH. How did a tiny idea between two friends grow into a £74 million brand in 2023?

One thing’s for sure—it wasn’t by playing it safe or scaling the “usual” way.

Let’s go👇

When you create a company, you’re building an extension of yourself. The best brands start with something that frustrates you so much, you have to create the solution—or explode. (It’s why I write this newsletter.)

In 2025, brands are more creator-driven than ever. But people have always been behind brands—we just didn’t see their faces. Why do customers feel such an affinity with a brand with faces? Because a business is a relationship.

Every purchase is a confirmation of your identity. Let’s take an example. The book ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’, to date, has sold 20 million copies. Do you think 20 million people have actually read the book? I doubt it. Rather, more likely, 20 million people felt like they gave too much of a f*ck about what other people thought. And so bought the book, to signal to themselves, they were rebelling against that feeling.

Remember:

❌ Customer: I’m buying this thing because it solves a problem for me*

*Although it does have to do that