Show notes
Can rebellion, enthusiasm and one strange idea change your entire life?Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL and the wider YO! brand, shares the extraordinary journey from boarding school, rebellion, prison, rock and roll stage design and TV rights to launching YO! Sushi at 45 and building one of Britain’s most recognisable modern brands. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficialWant more from Building The Brand - connect here:https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterGet Simon’s book YO! Man:https://yo.co.uk/yoman/▪️Why Simon believes enthusiasm is the trait behind his success▪️Why rebellion can become entrepreneurial fuel▪️Going to prison and how it changed Simon’s life▪️How Simon became a rock and roll stage designer▪️Working around Rod Stewart, Queen, ABBA, Jethro Tull and major live shows▪️Spotting the opportunity in music TV rights before the market existed▪️Why the best founders can be early to a market without being reckless▪️How a lunch meeting sparked the idea for YO! Sushi▪️Why conveyor belt sushi, robots and Japanese culture felt like the future▪️Launching YO! Sushi at 45 with his own money on the line▪️How word of mouth turned YO! Sushi into an iconic British brand▪️The story behind YOTEL and building a brand across multiple verticals▪️Why Simon still believes in YO! Home, YO! Airships and future YO! conceptsKEY MOMENTS:0:00 — The trait behind Simon’s success2:06 — Boarding school, authority and rebellion7:17 — Getting arrested and going to detention12:43 — Working on yourself as a founder16:31 — PAUSE POINT: Work on yourself23:31 — Intensity, enthusiasm and leadership28:32 — Becoming a rock and roll roadie32:06 — Band, brand and live spectacle38:00 — Spotting the music TV rights opportunity43:06 — Being early to new markets45:04 — PAUSE POINT: Early or mistaken?49:24 — The lunch that sparked YO! Sushi52:04 — Researching and believing in the idea55:13 — Gut instinct vs market research56:35 — YO! Home and future living1:02:09 — Opening YO! Sushi to an empty room1:02:50 — The queue that lasted five years1:05:24 — Growing YO! Sushi and YOTEL1:08:26 — PAUSE POINT: Unrelenting enthusiasm1:13:57 — Simon’s advice for entrepreneurs
