JKR

Phil Lynas

Have fun, make money

Platform met again on Tuesday. It’s the monthly event where a group of us get together to hear first-hand from some of the business world’s leading innovators. This week’s speaker was Phil Lynas, Founder & Managing Director of All About Food.

Phil is a great entrepreneur who attributes his success to the inspirational people he's met along the way. From his Dad teaching him the philosophy of "why not?", to a great teacher who provided him with the confidence and encouragement to complete his exams, it's clear how these influences play out in Phil's working life.

His first role as a Brand Manager for Fosters, Carlsberg and Kaliber gained him not only experience of working with a great Marketing Director but also opened his eyes to the world of licensing – a move that would later become pivotal in the creation of his own business.

The next move was to Medomsley Road, Consett, with Phileas Fogg. Here under the guidance of Ray McGee, a man who spoke his mind, and Roger McKechnie, a man who never compromised on distinctiveness, they turned Phileas into one of the most iconic brands of the 80s and 90s. Phil's job was to look after the design and packaging and as Ray always said…

“This is the bit of the brand you see first. If you have £10,000, you spend it on your packaging. If you have £30,000, you spend it on your packaging. Only once your packaging is right do you set out to make great ads.”

Phil later met Robbie Enthoven of Nandos. In their first meeting, Phil drew a diagram of sunny vs grey days in the UK to explain why BBQ sauces and marinades would never work in this country. Two years later he ate his words and set up the business that is now All About Food, bringing brands such as Nandos, Wagamamas and Pizza Express into the supermarkets. With an office of 13 people turning over £15m, Phil has created a fantastic business model which he describes as a "virtual company" as they don't produce anything themselves – they have the more challenging role of representing other people's brands.

Phil has created a success by working by four pillars: Pride (in everything they do), Passion (for food and for work), Integrity (treating  other businesses how they'd like to be treated themselves) and Family (without their support you've got no chance of success). Here are a few of the other rules he also lives by:

1. Let other people have a voice

2. It's about the job, not about the hours

3. Never compromise on distinctiveness – it'll just make you mainstream

4. Trust your instincts – if it looks like sh*t and smells like sh*t, it probably is

5. Have fun, make money!

The next Platform is on 21st June when our speaker is Fraser Doherty, Founder & CEO of SuperJam. Places are in high demand but if you’d like to come along e-mail Amy at amymaw@jkr.co.uk and she’ll do her damndest to get you onto the list.