Carl Saxton-Pizzie: Building A £30m Sustainable Grocery Delivery Company, Mental Health, Sustainability

Ben Yeoh Chats

Carl Saxton-Pizzie trained as an actor and worked in tv before founding a sustainable grocery delivery company, Wholegood, in 2007 (with a van and £500). Wholegood is on track for £30m in revenue and employes 160 people. This is a small business success story, a start up in the “old economy” but very much touching “new economy” ideas such as sustainability and delivery services. You can find Wholegood products in most UK retailers, Ocado one of the largest examples.

We talk about Carl’s entrepreneur journey, what acting taught him and the importance of sustainability and purpose. I ask him what he wished he had known in 2007.

Carl thinks over some of his best ideas and worst ideas including why organic coconut water didn’t work out and how brilliant his non-plastic packaging is.

We discuss the importance of mental health, resilience and managing and why story telling is important.

What it might mean to have a great career, why trucking is under rated and who the fastest packer is.

We think on the plastic bag tax, minimum wages and being scared of failure.

We chat on how being an actor is a kind of “classlessness” but why qualifications can be over rated.

Carl ends with his career and life advice.

It's so easy to become blinkered with your single vision of what success or your current success looks like that you stop forgetting that there will be other successes. You can get up and you can carry on. You have to be brave and you have to be able to not get lost in the idea that you're currently in. Step back or step out and do something else.

Transcript and video is available here.