No Filter Needed: Building A Brand Through Authenticity with The Receipts Podcast

Building a personal brand or turning a passion project into a fully-fledged business is a dream for many, but the roadmap isn’t always clear. To celebrate International Women’s Day, Audrey Indome and Tolly T of the hit Acast UK podcast The Receipts Podcast sat down with Acast’s Lizzy Pollott to discuss their journey, their road to success, and what it really takes to scale an idea.

The "Accidental" Strategy

When starting out, many creators feel the pressure to have everything perfectly planned, when in fact, just focusing on what you do best - creating - is the way forward. For The Receipts, the early days were fuelled by passion rather than a strict business model. As Audrey recalled: "I had my nine-to-five, and I was happy, and this was a side hobby. I never anticipated that my hobby would become my main gig.”

Tolly added: “We were younger, and by default, I don't think we would have been smart enough to be like, 'Okay, this is a business.'” When asked what piece of advice they’d give to others in the same position she added: “We should have got business-savvy earlier... the most business-savvy thing we did was that we trademarked it."

The transition from a casual podcast to a media powerhouse was a steep learning curve. Opportunities began to present themselves, encouraging the team to adapt and make the right decisions for the right reasons.

On creating a Sunday Times bestselling book, Tolly shared: "The book opportunity came along and initially I was like, 'No.' ...I felt like a book was something that really smart people did! That's not something we did. But you have your agent, you speak to them, and you're like, 'Actually, no, this is bigger than what it is that we thought, and it's important that this happens.'"

Stepping Into Your Power and Scaling Up

As the podcast grew, so did the vision. When building something successful, there comes a point when you have to decide whether to stay comfortable or push the boundaries of what your brand can achieve.

Reflecting on the industry landscape, Tolly shared her ambition to grow beyond just being a creator and expanding the brand: "I think what I'm challenged with is: what next? And how can this become bigger than just me and Audrey? Because I think it is, and we just have to own it now."

The Power of Saying "No"

With growth comes opportunity, but not every opportunity is the right fit. One of the most powerful lessons the hosts shared was about boundary setting and protecting the integrity of their brand, even when big money is on the table. Tolly shared: "We've said no to many, many things - to my own surprise! Because there'll be a number there, and I'm like, 'Who do you think you are to say no to this amount of money?' But it just didn't feel right.”

Looking to the Future

The overarching sentiment of the discussion was one of deep optimism and excitement for the road ahead. Audrey shared: "I still feel excited about podcasting and its future and where it's going - and my position in it, our position in it. It's just really exciting to see what the future does hold for The Receipts, and for podcasting in general."

You don’t need a flawless master plan to start - just a foundation of an idea. As it grows, protect your brand, learn to say no, get business-savvy as soon as you can, and most importantly - don't be afraid to own your success and think bigger.

*The conversation has been lightly edited for editorial clarity