The Psychology of Corporate Gifting: How Louise Doyle Scaled Needi to a Multi-Million Pound Platform
Trading UpShow Notes
Description: In this episode of the Trading Up podcast, host Jim Fitzpatrick sits down with Louise Doyle, co-founder of Needi, a corporate gifting concierge platform that went from a standing start to turning over millions. Discover the deep psychology behind why we give gifts and how Needi is disrupting the generic corporate merchandise market with hyper-personalised experiences that support local businesses.
Louise shares her incredibly inspiring personal journey—from overcoming childhood tragedy and bootstrapping her startup, to securing £2.4 million in VC funding as a first-time female founder. Learn how leading brands like DPD use bespoke gifting to boost employee retention, how AI can scale human connection rather than replace it, and the reality of navigating the "seesaw" of a demanding CEO role alongside motherhood.
Whether you are an entrepreneur seeking investment tips or a business leader wanting to maximize your team's motivation, this episode delivers invaluable insights.
Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.
Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society. QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe. QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Trading Up
In this episode of Trading Up Unpacked, host Jim Fitzpatrick and Professor Richard Ramsey analsye how economic realities are overriding culture wars to reshape global political agendas.
In this episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick sits down with tech entrepreneur Alastair Cameron to explore the raw realities of founder resilience, personal crisis, and starting over.
In this episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick and economist Professor Richard Ramsey unpack Northern Ireland's dramatic economic split.
Every successful economy is built on the foundations of a good education system. So what happens when education standards begin to fall and what can Northern Ireland learn from what works elsewhere?
In this latest episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick explores why traditional top-down central control holds scaling businesses back. Featuring business leaders across tech, retail, and travel, the episode reveals how delegating real authority to local teams drives performance and innovation.