Founder interview: Wiggly Wigglers - Garden Supplies Company • UK | Harnessing difference | Heather Gorringe

Wiggly Wigglers Episode Overview: In this episode, we profile Wiggly Wigglers, a UK-based company specialising in bird food, natural gardening supplies, and composting products. Founded by Heather Gorringe in the 1990s, the company has grown through a combination of passion, persistence, and smart marketing. Heather shares the story of building her business, offering practical insights and engaging anecdotes along the way. She discusses how to access specialised expertise without the burden of extensive people management, leverage Google Ads effectively, secure valuable free publicity through media relations, and build authentic customer connections on social media. Heather distils her successful business approach into three 'essential elements': 1) Care about what you're selling 2) Persevere and be resilient 3) Adopt new technologies Key Topics Covered 0:00 - Introduction Heather introduces herself and her businesses: Wiggly Wigglers (composting and bird food), the family farm's regenerative agriculture mission, and her son's UK Mini Trucks business 1:19 - Early Business Beginnings Heather talks about where her wish to start her own business came from and about her early entrepreneurial endeavours, including printing t-shirts, before she had the idea that stuck. 2:55 - Starting Wiggly Wigglers Discovering worms as the fastest natural composters for sheep manure, researching composting kitchen waste, and adapting ideas from the USA 4:54 - Naming the Business & Early Funding The trademark story behind "Wiggly Wigglers" and how she financed the company's launch 7:55 - Building Awareness Through PR How press coverage became crucial for reaching the right customers and the importance of having a message that aligns with your values 8:24 - Turning a crisis into an opportunity How a complaint from Trading Standards ended up providing the company with positive nationwide news coverage 11:29 - Manufacturing & Staffing Challenges Adapting existing products, making what they could on the farm, and honest reflections on management struggles and staff turnover 12:59 - Finding the Right Team Model Moving to a small, self-employed team structure with some long-term members 15:52 - Running Multiple Businesses The synergies between Wiggly Wigglers, the farm, and supporting her son's lorry business; embracing variety over focus 17:57 - The Regenerative Agriculture Turning Point How reading "Dirt to Soil" by Gabe Brown in 2020 transformed the farm's direction towards cover crops, no-till, and closing loops 19:56 - Social Media & Marketing Strategy Nuffield scholarship in 2007, attending early podcasting conferences, the power of Google AdWords, and having fun with content creation 23:57 - Duchy of Cornwall Focus Farm Programme Visits from Prince (now King) Charles and Prince William, the focus farm initiative, and being selected for the Royal Countryside Fund Project 2026 26:22 - Regenerative Farming Results Measuring success: 67 different species counts, increasing carbon levels, and the commitment to becoming "soil farmers" 28:39 - Keys to Business Success Perseverance, resilience, adoption of technology (including AI), and the privilege of running your own business on your own terms 30:11 - Future Plans New biology lab project with fungi and bacteria experts, soil testing services for gardeners, and empowering the 10% of Britain that is gardens Books and videos mentioned by the founder: Book | Dirt to Soil (2018) by Gabe Brown Video | The Duchy of Cornwall's 'Seven Seeds' (2025) A film following the Duchy of Cornwall's seven 'focus farms' as they transition to more regenerative farming methods. Quotes from Heather Gorringe: "It's fine to be different because that difference can be a driver for your business." " You can have a great life with your own business because it enables you to do exactly what you want to do." Company links Wiggly Wigglers UK Mini Trucks Show support: Ease of Mind Productions – making audiobook recording easy (easeofmind.co) Connect with Us: Website: businessinnovators.global Email: [email protected] Feedback and suggestions are welcome! Please rate, subscribe, and share.