Seedlip founder Ben Branson on overcoming adversity, innovation and neurodivergence
The Marketing Week PodcastShow Notes
What drives founders forward? For Ben Branson, who launched Seedlip in 2015, it is twofold: a “fear of failure” and “being dissatisfied about something" and wanting to change it.
In this episode of The Marketing Week Podcast, Branson, who sold Seedlip to Diageo in 2019 before launching Pollen Projects - a venture studio dedicated to building non-alcoholic spirit brands - is joined by host editor-in-chief Russell Parsons to lift the lid on what motivates him when it comes to building brands.
Branson details how his early struggles with mental health, addiction and anxiety propelled him to “solve problems” and “make things better”. Ultimately, he explains, he doesn’t “want to let good ideas down”.
He also shares his journey of an adult diagnosis of ADHD and autism, and how this led him to found The Hidden 20%, a charity, podcast and movement campaigning for neurodiversity.
“We need a society that can include all minds now more than ever. We need the creativity, the skills, the innovation, the pattern spotting, all of the great things that can come from working with different brains.”
Branson will be speaking at Marketing Week's Festival of Marketing 2026, taking place on 14 October. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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