Sooper Books: The £5 Dragons’ Den Deal that made history

Founded & Grounded

Meet the power couple who quit their jobs and made Dragons' Den history, by giving away 5% of their business for £5.
Introducing Charlene Mitchell-Hood and Simon Hood, the founders of Sooper Books. Hear their incredible journey, which started as a simple idea to aid their daughter’s bedtime routine, which quickly turned into the world's number one bedtime story streaming service and saw all five Dragons invest.
Their journey will inspire you and arm you with valuable insights for your own startup. Don't miss this masterclass on how you can turn your passion into a category-defining leader.
Sooper Books is a storybook streaming service offering hundreds of world-class stories and audiobooks to millions of families around the world, completely free of charge.
Key Takeaways
- Value of relationships over money. Learn why and how they prioritised connections over cash, which has opened doors and fostered significant growth for Sooper Books. This illustrates that sometimes, who you know is as important as what you know.
- Authenticity in pitching and brand building. Learn how their genuine approach in the Dragon's Den and beyond has not only differentiated them from competitors but also helped build a brand that's beloved by families worldwide.
- Balancing business and personal life. Discover the delicate art of managing a business with your spouse, the importance of delegation, having clear boundaries in place and the pivotal role of learning from failures to ensure both business and personal growth.
Have questions about this episode? Ask our hosts, chat now via our website

Text us your feedback and feature on the show

Support the Show.

Proudly sponsored by our wonderful partners:
National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:
NPSA.gov.uk/innovation
Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:
hexafinance.co.uk/contact
Have questions about our podcast or an episode? Ask our hosts, chat now

Bölümler

1. Introduction to the show (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Sooper Books and its founders, Charlene and Simon (00:02:01)

3. Journey of quitting jobs and starting Sooper Books (00:10:08)

4. Strategy for achieving over 1,000,000 monthly users and Dragon's Den experience (00:18:54)

5. Sponsor: National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) - Secure Innovation (00:42:14)

6. Sponsor: Hexa Finance - Making finance more accessible (00:43:14)

7. Importance of authenticity in pitching and building the brand (00:44:35)

8. Balancing co-founder and spousal roles (01:00:21)

9. Learning from failures and the importance of delegation (01:08:33)

10. Business pivots, constant learning, and transitioning of their business model (01:21:26)

11. Where to learn more about Sooper Books, its vision, and founders' advice (01:33:41)

12. Discussion about Simon, Charlene, and Sooper Books and introduction to the next guest (01:47:29)