From corporate events to premium ice cream – Dirk Mischendahl, Northern Bloc
From nightclubs to huge corporate events and how a 1970s ice-cream van led to the launch of a premium ice cream brand.
Meet today’s guest, Dirk Mischendahl, MD of Northern Bloc. As well as the devastation that Covid caused on the business, there’s also loads more fascinating tales, and learnings.
If you’re looking for a business and entrepreneurship podcast that will inspire, motivate and educate you, through the personal business journeys and entrepreneurial lessons learnt of Leeds business owners then this is the podcast for you.
INTRODUCING DIRK MISCHENDAHL
Dirk Mischendahl sold his Leeds events and communications agency, Logistik in 2014.
He then started Northern Bloc Ice Cream; a disruptor brand which is now sold nationally and internationally, pioneering the vegan ice cream market a product which is now universally seen as the benchmark of what great ice cream looks like.
With his wife, Pippa Hale, Dirk established the Northern Art Prize in 2006 to promote artistic talent within Yorkshire and taking this further in 2013 they both established The Tetley Art Gallery and is currently involved in Left Bank, a creative community based venue among various other roles.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:00:00] From University to business owner
[00:07:00] Lessons learnt from the first business
[00:13:00] The decision to exit and the start of Northern Bloc
[00:22:00] From a Lifestyle brand to taking on Ben & Jerrys
[00:25:30] Moving from retail to B2B via wholesale
[00:30:30] External investment, Covid and a change in ownership
[00:40:00] How to fail quickly
3 KEY TAKEAWAYS & BUSINESS LEARNINGS
• Your team can make a thousand mistakes a day, as long as it’s not the same one
• Be careful who your shareholders are
• The one thing that you can’t recreate is time. Don’t waste it on failing businesses
3 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR
“I bought a little 1971 ice cream van from a lady in Keighley called Sunshine Scoops”
“Give us a flavour as to the size of the business”
“Chocolate has gone up from £3.60 a kilo to £9.16 a kilo”
VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOU
Website: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/
Work with Phil – www.philfraser.co.uk
Website: https://www.northern-bloc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkmischendahl/
Shout out: https://www.jim-fox.com/
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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/entrepreneur-within/ (as mentioned)
https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/business-problems-solved/
https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/phil-fraser/
ABOUT YOUR HOST
Phil Fraser went from an accidental kitchen table start up, with no investment, all the way to multi-million pound sale to a PLC 18 years later. He’s travelled the full SME business journey of launch, growth, scale and exit.
As well as hosting the Leeds Business Podcast, Phil now works with ambitious SME-owners as a Business Sounding Board (think somewhere between Business Coach and Business Mentor). In simple terms, he’s ‘a pair of ears and an extra pair eyes’ for SME Owners helping them to be better at what they do. Phil’s mantra is It doesn’t need to be ‘lonely at the top’. He helps Business Owners to be better business owners, by helping with their clarity and focus.
As a Business Sounding Board, he gives SME Owners the time & space to regularly discuss their challenges and opportunities, with no sense of judgement or bias, and in complete confidence. This allows them to explore their options in full, culminating with a list of issues to address/clarify, a clear target in mind, a roadmap to success, and a renewed enthusiasm and confidence for the challenges ahead.
Want to work with Phil to help you? See www.philfraser.co.uk.
This podcast is hosted by Captivate. Get your 30 day free trial at https://bit.ly/Captivate-Offer.
LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST
Waitrose, Adsa, Bidfood, ben & Jerrys, Hagen Daz, Leeds, Business in Leeds, Leeds Business, Business in Leeds, Nous of Fraser, Business Sounding Board, Business Coach, Business Mentor,
Email: phil@leedsbusinesspodcast.com
