John Lashley: 'Main Dude' & co-founder of Brooklyn Brownie Co.

It’s not often you talk to someone who has worked on the CBeebies
show In The Night Garden, performed as Mr T on ITV’s Britain’s
Got Talent and created a business with his 12-year-old son. But
he is much more than this. In this episode of Business Leader
Conversations, brought to you by Knightstone Capital, we talk to
John Lashley; the ‘Main Dude’ and co-founder of the Brooklyn
Brownie Co.


It’s a big shift to go from a creative lead in production and
film, and becoming a Mr T lookalike, to creating a brownie
business, but it is just a snapshot of John Lashley’s journey.
John Lashley founded Brooklyn Brownie Co. in 2019 with his then
12-year-old son Leo. The start of Brooklyn Brownie Co. has extra
significance to the pair as Leo’s mother and NHS nurse took her
own life only days after it was set up.


This candid and inspirational interview gives you an insight into
the world of a father who isn’t growing his business for the love
of money, but out of love for his son. Follow Brooklyn Brownie
Co. on Instagram and check out their website to pick up some
tasty treats.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the
interview:
• Could you tell us about your experience growing up
and did you have any interest in business from an early age?
(1:23)
• You’ve mentioned before that your mother was a strong driving
force in your education and path. How important was that figure
in your life? (3:21)
• Could you tell us about your journey after you completed your
early education? (4:34)
• You worked at Ragdoll for a while, the production company
behind the CBeebies show In the Night Garden and then went on to
be a lead creative. Working in film production is often seen as a
very high-pressure job. How did you find the transition to
leadership in this field and are there any lessons in particular
that you learnt at that time? (8:20)
• Could you tell us a little about your rise to fame as the
world’s only Mr T look-alike? (10:57)
• You worked as a creative lead on a freelance basis for a while.
Did you feel like this gun-for-hire approach affected the way you
were seen by the team you were brought in to manage?
(14:54)
• Could you tell us a little about how you ended up launching
Brooklyn Brownie? (17:29)
• How has your business grown since its launch and has the
pandemic affected your business at all? (22:35)
• You had a creative past before starting Brooklyn Brownie Co.
How creative do you allow yourself to get when making your
product? (25:17)
• Do you want your son to stay in the business long term or do
you want him to make his own decision on it? (26:52)
• Where do you see the business in 10 years’ time? (29:18)
• BUSINESS LEADERS ANSWER THE INTERNET’S QUESTIONS – How
do you even start a business? (31:35)

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more interviews with some of the world’s leading business
figures.


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