#46 - Shane Stewart - XOXO Soda [Brand Director]

Today's guest is the brilliant Shane Stewart - Brand Director at XOXO Soda.

XOXO are a stunning prebiotic soda brand taking over Europe and The UK - and Shane is taking the helm leading all things brand.

I loved digging into his background and past journey, working at brands like Northern Bloc ice cream and Moju.

Shane also shares the work he's doing to remove stigma around grief, with his inclusive running club Step by Steppers that he created after sadly losing his father.

Shane is an absolute legend, and I really hope you enjoy this episode!

As always thanks to our fantastic sponsor ⁠Mission Kitchen!⁠

If you're a chef, baker of food brand looking to grow, then head on over to book a tour at their site in Nine Elms, London today.

Also if you want to build a brand consumers love, you NEED to speak with my incredible new sponsor ⁠Against Ordinary⁠ - the masterminds behind my gorgeous new rebrand.

They also have a 5-Minute Brand Test to help you uncover what’s working, what’s holding you back, and where your untapped potential lies. Give the ⁠Brand Scorecard⁠ a go today!

Check out the ever growing ⁠⁠Unfounders Song Selection ⁠⁠playlist on Spotify.... it's WILD.

Ps - Have you got a guest you'd love to hear from? Submit a guest request form on our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Intro by Free Flowin' from ⁠⁠⁠Uppbeat⁠⁠

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/nod-your-head

License code: QWUZIDMAML7QE7ZI

Chapters

00:00: Introduction to XOXO Soda and Shane's Role

06:49: Consumer Trends and the Rise of Functional Beverages

11:38: Creating Moments of Joy with XOXO Soda

18:30: Balancing Work and Personal Life

25:15: Shane's Career Journey and Lessons Learned

30:31: Learning from Experience and Consumer Engagement

37:28: Overcoming Obstacles in Events and Operations

48:06: Turning Personal Loss into Positive Action

Closing the door on my startup opened the door to more opportunities than I could have imagined. I’m proud to be an Unfounder, helping startups grow from day one. I’ve been both founder and Unfounder and now I want to share the stories no one hears; applauding the day one drivers behind brands.

You don’t have to start the brand to be the reason it made it. Forget founder fairy tales. We’re here for the Unfounders. Real talk from the people who took the leap (and what they ’d tell you before you do).

• No. of episodes: 56
• Latest episode: 2025-09-07
• Business Careers Entrepreneurship

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