Paid Forward

Paid Forward is a channel about Paid Media, business life, and everything in between. Each episode features guests who share the lessons they’ve learnt (and the ones they’re still figuring out) — from ad strategies that actually work, to stories of rapidly scaling consumer brands, to the real challenges of building and running a business. Along the way, I’ll bring my own perspective from 15 years in paid media and 7 years of running an agency. The aim is simple: to pay it forward with honest conversations that help marketers and founders cut through the noise and get smarter, faster.

Paid Forward is a business podcast hosted by Raman Verma, with 10 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Raman Verma hosts Paid Forward, a business show with 10 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #11

  From A Garage to £30M | How Absolute Collagen Built a Subscription DTC Brand | Darcy Laceby

  May 27, 202651 minS0

  <p>Most ecommerce brands don’t fail because of the product. They fail because they can’t build trust, retention, and community at scale.</p><p>In this episode of Paid Forward, Raman Verma sits down with Darcy Laceby, co-founder of Absolute Collagen, to break down how she scaled a garage startup into a £30M collagen brand and one of the UK’s leading DTC success stories.</p><p>Darcy shares the realities of building a high-growth ecommerce business without external funding, how community-led growth became Absolute Collagen’s competitive advantage, and why retention matters more than ever in modern ecommerce...

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  Episode #10

  The Digital Transformation Playbook For Enterprise Brands

  May 12, 202644 minS0

  <p>For ecommerce and legacy businesses struggling to scale digitally, improving customer experience and operational thinking is often more important than simply driving more traffic or launching new technology.</p><p>In this episode of Paid Forward, Raman Verma speaks with Hemant, a digital transformation leader with experience spanning ecommerce, travel, retail, and international expansion. From helping grow EasyJet’s ancillary revenue from $50M to $100M+ to leading ecommerce initiatives across Europe, Hemant shares practical lessons on customer journey optimisation, experimentation, digital KPIs, and scaling online businesses sustainably.</p><p>Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, Hemant explains why ma...

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  Episode #9

  Why Your Conversion Rate is Lying to You | CRO Strategies for Ecommerce Brands

  Apr 7, 202641 minS0

  <p>For ecommerce brands struggling to improve performance, understanding what truly drives conversions is just as important as driving more traffic.</p><p>In this episode of Paid Forward, Raman Verma speaks with Adam Pearce, Shopify CRO expert and Co-Founder of Blend Commerce, a specialist agency helping high-growth brands improve revenue through data-driven Conversion Rate Optimisation. Adam shares how CRO has evolved from design-led experimentation into a structured discipline focused on improving user journeys, increasing average order value, and driving repeat purchases.</p><p>Drawing on years of CRO testing experience, Adam explains why many brands misunderstand optimisation, why conversion...

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  Episode #8

  How to Scale & Sell Your Consumer Brand | From £5M to Exit

  Mar 31, 202651 minS0

  <p>For founders struggling to stand out in crowded markets, understanding what makes a brand truly investable is just as important as understanding what makes it attractive to customers.</p><p>In this episode of Paid Forward, Raman Verma speaks with Leon Hughes, Partner at Piper, a private equity firm with a 40-year track record of backing high-growth consumer brands. Leon shares how Piper evaluates opportunities, what separates strong brands from the rest, and why purpose-led positioning, strong fundamentals, and founder mindset play a critical role in attracting investment.</p><p>Drawing on his experience as both a founder and...

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  Episode #7

  Value Proposition Strategy in 2026: How Ecommerce Brands Win Customers

  Mar 24, 202642 minS0

  <p>Most ecommerce brands struggle to clearly communicate why customers should choose them. When messaging sounds generic, brands compete on price, conversion rates suffer, and long term growth becomes difficult.</p><p>In this episode of Paid Forward, Raman Verma speaks with Steve Willicott about how strong value propositions help brands stand out, connect with customers, and build sustainable competitive advantage.</p><p>Steve shares practical frameworks and real world examples that explain how successful brands define what makes them truly different. Using case studies including Patagonia, YETI, and Uncle Matt's Hats, this conversation explores how storytelling, brand personality, and...

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