#146 - Will McDowell on Losing Weight, Changing Paths And Founding Tastily

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Will McDowell is the founder & CEO at Tastily, an UK-based meal service that allows food lovers to have fresh and balanced food in their fridge. Tastily is lovingly made by chefs the day before, with high nutritional standards to ensure that every dish is nutritionally balanced. Will himself lost 30 kg of weight using a meal subscription service, and that was an important learning that cultivated the beginning of Tastily. Tastily was a fast launching brand, hitting 1M ARR in its first year of trading. It also has some important charity components, as well as being sustainable and carbon neutral.

Bullet points

(00:42) Intro

(03:00) The start as an entrepreneur

(04:42) Having a door opener for door-to-door sales

(05:52) Going back to the UK and becoming a recruiter

(06:56) Moving to New York and changing paths

(07:47) Putting on weight and discovering a pre-made meal delivery service

(09:21) Quitting and going to New Zealand

(11:12) The pandemic, going back to the UK and founding Tastily

(13:42) The early stages of getting everything set up

(17:21) Some advice on recruiting

(25:33) Promoting sustainability as a company

(29:06) Animal welfare

(29:45) The charitable component: Chefs in Schools

(33:37) Where to find out more and how to invest in Tastily

(35:04) Rapid fire question round

(35:33) If you ever had to start again, how would you make your money?

(36:10) What is the most common or biggest mistake that leaders make?

(36:24) How do you hire top talent?

(37:14) Recruiting on LinkedIn

(38:24) How do you identify a good business partner?

(38:48) What is one of your proudest moments?

(39:02) Connecting with Chefs in Schools

(40:12) What is one interesting fact about you that not many people would know?

(40:47) What daily routines do you have (morning or evening) that have helped make you successful?

(41:33) What book (or books) changed your mindset or life?

(44:46) What advice would you give your younger self?

(45:28) What is the most exciting question you spend your time thinking about?

(45:52) What unusual or underrated food or drink should more people try out?

(46:52) What makes you happiest?

(47:43) Any asks or requests for the audience?