Starting Again: Lessons from a Serial Founder

A complimentary intimate dinner for up to 10 founders, CEOs and operators of product brands.

Trading is hard for product brands right now. Costs are up, customers are more selective, and most of us are working out what to change while still running the business. No one has all the answers, and no business can afford to test every approach alone.

Adam Black grew up in his family's supply business, where by 30 he was running a £60m to £70m footwear and accessories division selling to one of the UK's biggest high street retailers. He was there when the company went private in a £223m management buyout, one of the largest public-to-private deals of its time.

He is deeply knowledgeable about sourcing and production. He then co-founded Feather & Black and grew it to 36 stores, and later co-founded Button & Sprung. He also helped launch a certified B Corp bed linen business, now at around £10m turnover. Join him for a small dinner to hear that experience first-hand and explore what he approached differently when building again.

With Button & Sprung, Adam returned to an industry he knew, combining online shopping with showrooms and choosing consistent pricing over promotional sales. We'll look at how his earlier experience shaped those choices, what he reconsidered and what he learned from taking a different approach.

How did building Feather & Black shape his approach second time round, and which assumptions did he question? How do you decide where to invest for growth and when to strengthen what you already have? What role should online and physical retail play as a brand expands? When trading gets difficult, how do you work out what to change and what to stay committed to?

Around the table are founders and operators facing the same questions. You can ask about the detail behind Adam's decisions, share what's happening in your own business and compare notes with people who understand it. Whether you're growing, changing direction or in a difficult period, the value is hearing how another founder thought it through. No pitch decks or presentations.

Hosted by Johan Quintus: "I've spent 17 years in product brands: M.i.h. Jeans, which sold wholesale into top doors from Japan to Italy, the USA and the Middle East as well as online, and UNTUCKit, where I led the international arm of a 95+ store business. I know how this market feels, and that's why Third Wave exists: to put people facing the same challenges in one room."

Join Adam at the table for an honest conversation about starting again, and leave with perspective you can use the next day. The dinner is complimentary, and places are strictly limited to founders and operators of product brands.