JLA had the pleasure of hosting entrepreneur and media personality Jamie Laing onstage for the second session of the Festival of Speech.
Best known as the co-founder of confectionery brand Candy Kittens, and a familiar face on TV from his appearance on Made in Chelsea, Jamie brought his characteristic mix of humour, openness and honesty to the stage – discussing everything from the early days of reality TV, to launching a business, to running ultra-marathons for charity.
Underlining the conversation was Jamie’s story of risk and resilience – the ways in which he has repeatedly stepped into the unknown, whether in entertainment, entrepreneurship, or personal endeavours, and adapted with new modes of resilience at each turn.
Read on to discover three key themes that stood out from the session.
The Power of Naivety
Looking back on the launch of Candy Kittens, Jamie shared and reflected on an unexpected strength of his, as someone just starting out as a business owner: simply not knowing how things “should” be done.
Without industry experience to hem him in, he and his team had less trouble doing things differently, creating vegan recipes when few others were doing so and designing sleek packaging aimed at adults, ultimately succeeding in manufacturing sweets for a whole new audience.
For Jamie, this approach was driven not by logic, but by instinct and imagination. He describes naivety as his “biggest weapon” – without the weight of established rules comes the freedom to innovate.
The lesson for entrepreneurs and business leaders? Sometimes the best results come not from following the well-trodden path, but from being bold enough to ignore it.
Resilience in Business and Beyond
Jamie went on to speak openly about the realities of building a brand from scratch. Despite common perceptions and misconceptions about his background, he explained that Candy Kittens started out with limited resources, and has relied on determination and hard work to reach where it is today.
Running a business, he noted, is “relentless the whole time” – a test of patience, resilience and commitment. Drawing on his experience, he argued that it often takes a decade or more before a brand truly comes into itself.
Jamie’s resilience has been tested not only in business, but also in sport – most notably when he completed five marathons in five days to raise money for mental health charities. Just as with building a brand, the challenge demanded endurance, patience and purpose. In both arenas, he demonstrated how resilience is rarely about pushing forward for ourselves alone, but about drawing strength from the communities and causes that earn our efforts significance.
The Importance of Authenticity
For Jamie, being authentic isn’t just the cherry on the cake of a successful business – it’s the only way forward.
Whether sharing the real-life ups-and-downs of his relationship with his wife Sophie on their joint podcast NearlyParents, or writing openly about mental health in his book I Can Explain, Jamie has chosen to prioritise honesty over perfection.
In his experience, centring vulnerability proved the real key to unlocking strong, lasting connections, especially in a culture where filtering and tweaking how we present ourselves is the norm. In this way, authenticity can be viewed as a long-term strategy: the leaders and brands that last are those that are unafraid to show their real selves.
Lessons Beyond Entrepreneurship
Jamie’s conversation at JLA’s first Festival of Speech was an important one. Beyond a sugar-coated story of sweets, stamina and success, he provided a deeper reflection on what it means to both build something meaningful and keep that meaning alive.
Don’t be afraid to approach problems with fresh eyes, accept that the road will be long and tough, and above all, have the courage to stay true to yourself.
If you missed the event, you can watch additional highlights on our dedicated Festival of Speech page or read the write-up of the session with James Cleverly and Nicola Sturgeon. To enquire about booking Jamie to speak at your own event, please contact us today.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be delving deeper into the other two sessions from the evening and bringing you key takeaways from each speaker.