Building Little Moons: From 80% Ready to a Multi-Million Pound Empire

From a viral TikTok moment to one of the UK's most beloved supermarket staples, this week on Ladies Who Launch, Rochelle sits down with Vivien Wong, co-founder of Little Moons, to unpack the real story behind building an iconic brand from the ground up. Vivien gets refreshingly honest about starting before you're ready (the 80% rule), protecting product quality under explosive demand, and navigating the noise to find the advice that actually moves the needle.Together, we dig into the sibling dynamic that powers the business, the nostalgia-first brand identity that made mochi ice cream a cultural moment, and what it really looks like to bring in investment and external leadership without losing what made you special in the first place. This one is equal parts strategy and soul and a masterclass in building a brand people genuinely love.In this episode, we cover:Building a career and brand foundation from scratchKnowing which advice to take and which to ignoreCreating the Little Moons brand identityManaging explosive growth with effect Bringing in investment without losing the soul of your brandIf you're a founder who's overwhelmed by the pressures of starting, this episode is designed to inspire you to start before you’re ready.We Are Ladies Who Launch! CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction and Little Moons as a Family Favorite 00:03:08 The Inspiration Behind Starting Little Moons 00:07:06 The Challenges of Creating Mochi: Craftsmanship and Manufacturing 00:12:33 How Vivien's Finance Career Helped Launch the Business 00:14:40 Launching Little Moons00:16:07 Building the Brand; From White Label to Little Moons 00:19:31 Founding the Business as Siblings00:23:02 Breaking Into First Major Retail Partnerships 00:28:38 The Viral TikTok Moment and Managing Sudden Demand 00:34:13 Amplifying Virality and Managing Retail Logistics 00:37:07 Business Scaling Challenges00:41:07 Bringing in Private Equity and a New CEO after 12 Years 00:44:29 The Myth of Overnight Success vs. A Slow and Steady Journey 00:47:27 The Complexities of International Expansion to 38 Countries 00:52:56 Rocket Round: Non-Negotiables, Launch Moments, Daily Habits 00:58:37 Advice for New Founders01:07:38 Celebrating Success and Vivien's Gratitude🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.#LadiesWhoLaunch #NeverFullyDressed #FashionFounder #BuildingABrand #CultBrand #FemaleFounder #BusinessPodcast #BrandBuilding #SlowGrowth #StartupStoryFOLLOW VIVIEN & LITTLE MOONSVivien’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevivienwong/Little Moons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlemoonsmochi/Little Moons TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlemoonsmochiFOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/weareladieswholaunch/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@weareladieswholaunchYouTube: www.youtube.com/@Weareladieswholaunch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.