Show Notes
Josh White is the co-founder and CEO of Cano Water, the UK drinks brand that helped pioneer canned water as an alternative to single-use plastic bottles. The idea was born after a trip to Thailand with friends, where he witnessed the scale of plastic pollution firsthand — a moment that turned into a mission and, eventually, a business. Before water, Josh ran an events company bringing together some of the biggest names in grime and electronic music across the UK.
In this episode, Josh joins Jack and Zac for a candid conversation about building Cano Water from an idea people initially dismissed into one of the UK’s fastest-growing drinks brands, the reality of bootstrapping a physical product business, and how his own personal struggles growing up shaped the way he leads and builds today.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Chapters
00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Josh White, Founder of Cano Water 00:01:39 The Troubled Kid: ADHD, Addiction, and Rehab at 15 00:12:15 Finding Purpose Through Music: The Events Company Journey 00:17:40 Rock Bottom to Reborn: The Turning Point at 21 00:19:43 The Thailand Trip: How Cano Water Was Born 00:37:48 The ADHD Superpower: From Problem to Solution in Seconds 00:33:49 Wrapping Cans in Mum's Kitchen: The Scrappy Early Days 00:35:36 The Selfridges Miracle: Perfect Timing and Saying Yes with Nothing 00:48:12 Taking On Liquid Death: How Cano Survived the American Giant 00:57:37 The Future of Cano: Staying True to the Mission
#Entrepreneurship #BrandBuilding #FounderStory #CanoWater #SustainableBusiness #ProductInnovation #Marketing #Bootstrapping #WeHaveAMeeting
Connect with Josh:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joshwhite2201
🔗 Cano Water: https://canowater.com
Hear more from the Hosts:
🔗 Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b
🔗 Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b
Brought to you by Nooks: The AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting
Subscribe to We Have a Meeting: New episodes every week with founders, sales leaders, and entrepreneurs who’ve built it from the ground up.
More from We Have A Meeting
James Smith knows a lot of people think he’s a prick. He’s fine with that.
Spencer Matthews has run 30 marathons in 30 days in the desert. He’s done an Ironman on every continent in 21 days, Antarctica included.
How do you win new clients when every competitor is shouting the same thing? Three founders who have built businesses from nothing give you their best sales and marketing advice in one room. No theory. Just what actually brings in new business.
Madonna changed the lights, the seating and her outfit before the cameras rolled. Ben Shephard won her over with one question. That’s the skill behind 26 years in broadcasting. He’s presented This Morning and Tipping Point and done film junkets where he had four minutes to get a Hollywood star to open up. He calls himself a frustrated professional sportsman who never made the Ryder Cup, so he became a communicator instead. Now, at 51, he’s a founder. He co-founded For Skin, a men’s skincare brand, with Joel Dommett. He also helped set up Sweetspot, a venture studio that builds businesses celebrities actually own. Ben joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest. They talk about purpose, gratitude and why being interested beats being interesting every time. He explains why a quiz show still matters, and why he gets his dad to text him every night with three things he’s looking forward to tomorrow. He also explains why 80% of men’s skincare is bought by women. He breaks down how Sweetspot works. Every celebrity goes through a questionnaire on their motivations and passions, and the audience helps build the product. For Skin’s community picked the name, the price point and the packaging. He also explains why he will always ask the stupid question in a meeting about burn rates. And why a skincare brand needs a name people argue about, but products good enough to outlive the famous faces behind it. Then comes the masterclass in connection: the Simon Cowell name trick he recommends to everyone, and why he forgets most of the pitches he hears unless someone finds a way to connect with him personally. Along the way you’ll hear about Zac talking to his moisturiser, a 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder with his two sons, a six-year-old called Greg who taught him a lesson in manners, why golf teaches you that the next shot matters most, and the best advice Tim Campbell ever gave him: if it ain’t broke, break it. Chapters
Your sales team has more AI tools and more data than ever. So why are they doing less with it? And what should you never, ever let an AI agent do for you? Mel Smith has a one-question test for that, and most teams fail it. She also has a rule for her SDRs: book a meeting on a cold call in under five minutes and you'll be getting a message from her.