Episode Details

From City Marketer to Heirloom Seed Disruptor: Kate Cotterill on Building She Grows Veg in Midlife

Jo kicks off a new season by speaking with Kate Cotterill, CEO and co-founder of She Grows Veg, an heirloom seed company launched in November 2023 with Instagram grower Lucy Hutchings. Kate shares how a garden design course led to their partnership, how Lucy’s 120,000-strong following revealed pent-up UK demand for heirloom seeds, and how Kate left a 25-year marketing career to start the business at 46. They discuss what heirloom seeds are versus hybrids, She Grows Veg’s rapid growth from a £17,000 crowdfund to £1.4m turnover and a 30+ person team, two Chelsea Flower Show gold medals, and the challenges of funding, scaling operations, website crashes, and seed production lead times. Kate also describes their women-focused hiring model, AI-driven content and customer support, new veg-growing app, charity work, and advice to research then act.

00:00 Welcome and guest intro

01:55 Why seeds

04:58 Market shift to growing

07:51 Heirloom seeds explained

10:46 Funding and crowdfunding

13:22 Product build and packaging

15:49 Chelsea spotlight and website crash

19:07 Scaling team and operations

22:13 Energy routines and tech

24:59 Co-founder roles and balance

25:28 Finding Your Yin Yang

25:59 Seed Hunting Secret Sauce

26:26 Funding the Fast Growth

28:44 Angel Investing Explained

30:17 Scaling Teams and Roles

31:14 Production and Stock Fears

32:54 Customer Support with AI

34:00 Family Support and Midlife Drive

36:33 Pinch Me Chelsea Moments

37:45 Digital Marketing Disruption

39:39 Next Phase and Veg App

41:04 Joy of Growing and Reviews

42:41 Advice to Just Go

44:23 321s People AI Premises

47:22 Do Differently and Thank You

50:35 Final Wrap and Goodbye

Support the show

Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025.
Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX
For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk

Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change.

Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur

Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com
www.joglynnsmith.com

MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io
PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com