Commercial growth for challenger brands and independent retailers.
A focused programme that brings strategy, retail connection, and peer learning together in one place. For founders building bold, independent brands in food, drink, health, wellness and lifestyle.
- Founders & MDs
- £1m–£20m businesses
- UK & remote
- 10+ years advising
"This is not for everyone. It's for those who are naturally bold enough to grow properly."
Four pillars. One outcome.
Strategic clarity, real retail connections, peer challenge, and hands-on guidance — built around the businesses that can actually use them.
Strategic Clarity
Focused priorities and commercial direction. The plan you can actually act on, written in language your team understands.
Retail Connectivity
Brand-to-store introductions through Dave's network across food, drink, health, wellness and lifestyle retail.
Peer Learning
Shared insight from founders running similar businesses. The conversations you can't have with your team or your investors.
Hands-on Guidance
Practical, experience-based support — not workbooks. Direct work with Dave, not outsourced to programme managers.
Where the work has roots.
Years inside FMCG, retail and brand development. The Collective lives where Dave's experience runs deepest.
- Food & drink
- Health & wellness
- Beauty & personal care
- Independent retail
- FMCG challenger brands
- Lifestyle & home
Curated by hand.
- Challenger brands ready to scale commercially
- Independent retailers growing with purpose
- Founders seeking strategic — not generic — support
- Businesses entering new channels (retail, wholesale, DTC)
- Teams needing commercial clarity and momentum
Saving you the application.
The Collective is small by design. If you're in any of these groups, the application isn't worth your time.
- Pre-revenue start-ups looking for ideas
- Founders looking for motivation, not work
- Anyone wanting a course they can complete in their own time
- Brands without commercial traction or a clear product
Bold enough to grow properly?
If this sounds like the room you've been looking for, apply below. Dave reads every application personally.