Prism effect profile photo of Jamie Ewan Henderson standing with his hands on his head Prism effect profile photo of Jamie Ewan Henderson standing with his hands on his head

about

about Jamie Ewan Henderson

Before launching mash of brands®, I spent 25 years working as a marketer, publicist, and entrepreneur. While at university in Edinburgh, I launched my first successful business, supplying bands to venues*. After receiving a degree in marketing, I studied at Le Cordon Bleu. My first job upon leaving Cordon Bleu was as the personal chef to the Dutch Ambassador. Later, I became a publicist, working at the Brunswick Group in London and the Portsmouth Group in Dubai, before becoming Head of Media and Communications at an in-house role.

By my late-20s, I realised I didn't want to spend my life climbing the corporate ladder. One day I said fuck it, walked out of my safe job and began to pursue the dumb idea of importing the world's finest artisan teas.

Starting with a budget of £1,000, I bought 13kg of loose-leaf tea and launched my first tea brand on eBay. While critically well-received, sales were slow. With limited money coming in, I spent the next year bootstrapping strategies to validate new concept brands. When I brought my second brand to market, it was an "overnight success" and inspired a global category of products.

Within a few years, I grew a small business selling tea on eBay into multiple globally successful brands - which I would go on to sell to a private equity investor.

Having sold my companies, I took some time off. With the novelty of time on my hands, I began providing startup advice on Reddit. While doing so, I was reminded of the fun I had taking dumb ideas and turning them into successful startups; this became the start of a mash of brands®.

Jamie Ewan Henderson
Founder of mash of brands® | The Startup Studio For Dumb Ideas™

*Started with a mailbox and £50, this remains one of my best dumb ideas ever.