Before launching mash of brands®, I spent twenty five years as a marketer, publicist, and entrepreneur. As a student in Edinburgh, I launched my first business - The Dilate Music Group - a highly profitable live music agency.*

After graduating with a degree in marketing, I began studying at Le Cordon Bleu before becoming the personal chef to the Dutch Ambassador.

Later, I worked in strategic communications at the Brunswick Group in London and the Portsmouth Group in Dubai, before taking an in-house role as Head of Media and Communications for a global architectural firm.

Despite early success, by my late 20s, I felt lost and lacking purpose. What I did know was that I no longer wanted to sell out or dedicate my life to climbing the corporate ladder. One day, I said ‘fuck it,’ walked out of my safe job, and began pursuing the dumb idea of importing the world’s finest teas.

After sourcing thirteen loose-leaf teas from small farms in China and Taiwan, I launched my first brand. While critically acclaimed, sales were slow. Limited funds pushed me to rapidly test and validate new concepts. When I brought my second to market, it was an ‘overnight success,’ inspiring a global product category and hundreds of copycat brands.

Within a few years, I had grown a small tea business on eBay into multiple globally successful brands, which I later sold to a private equity firm.

After selling my company, I took some time off. Bored and once again lacking purpose, I returned to what I knew best: launching dumb ideas, including a gin brand, an online skate shop, and a Dragon-backed supplements company.

These days, it’s mainly my kids who still think I’m dumb.

Jamie Ewan Henderson
Founder of mash of brands® | Purposefully Dumb Ideas™

*Run from a £20 a month mailbox, this remains one of my best dumb ideas ever.