The Muddy Wellies Story
Most companies think branding means logos, websites, and marketing campaigns. For Vicki and Lee, founders of the brand engagement agency Muddy Wellies, the real power of a brand lives in something deeper: its people.
They joined Marc on the podcast to explain how they built their agency, why their opposite personalities are their strength, and what actually happens when a business calls them and says, “We need help with culture.”
What a Brand Engagement Agency Actually Does
“Brand engagement is about connecting your people with your business.”
Muddy Wellies begins internally. They believe the brand you show customers will never be stronger than what your own people believe in. Their work is about uncovering the “why” that makes someone proud of their workplace, excited to contribute, and willing to advocate for the company.
If your employees complain about work at the pub, no amount of advertising can fix that.
It is rarely the C suite that reaches out to them. The initial signals usually come from employees. They know what is working, what is broken, and what would make their experience better.
Two Skillsets and a Leap of Faith
Lee grew up in the agency world. Vicki worked in-house. They crossed paths during brand projects where the outside identity looked polished, but the inside culture was disconnected.
They became addicted to the moment when employees move from passive staff to true ambassadors. The space between branding and culture was a gap no one else was filling.
Then lockdown arrived. They both felt the urge to start something of their own. So they resigned.
Their partners thought they were mad, but the idea was not a gamble. Their skillsets were complementary. Together they could solve a problem most businesses did not even know they had.
Why “Muddy Wellies”
Wellies are never worn alone. One without the other is useless. They are tied to real stories: festivals, rainy football touchlines, muddy family walks.
Brand and people, function and fun, two halves of one whole. The name captured everything they wanted their company to represent.
You would never run comfortably wearing a single welly. Their partnership works for the same reason.
Lee is grounded, methodical, and finance minded.
Vicki is momentum, creativity, and spark.
One watches the bank account.
The other gets excited by big ideas.
They trust each other, know their strengths, and hire people who match the gaps. Holly began as a freelancer and became their voice and tone specialist, a new “wellie” in the team.
Their working style is built on radical honesty. If someone is anxious, they say it. If someone is having a bad day, they say it. If something needs correcting, they call it out in a WhatsApp chat that only the two of them share.
Head of People Is Not Head of HR
Vicki and Lee are clear that HR and People are separate roles.
HR manages policy, compliance, and risk.
Head of People manages culture, development, empowerment, and connection.
Businesses often look strong on the outside. Sleek marketing, good product, good website. But inside, no identity, no employee voice, no emotional heartbeat. The culture is present but unspoken.
Muddy Wellies helps uncover that authenticity and turn it into something the world can feel. The result is stronger hiring, better retention, and meaningful growth.
What It Feels Like to Work With Them
The process begins with leadership, but it does not stay there. Senior teams always arrive with assumptions: what is broken, what employees want, what needs fixing. When Vicki and Lee sit with staff across every level, they often hear things leadership has never heard.
Many problems are simple. They have just never been discussed openly.
Some sessions feel like counselling because honesty reveals where communication thrives or where it collapses. It shows what motivates people to show up each day and what quietly erodes trust.
Muddy Wellies Today
They are not a remote, quiet, laptop company. Their studio is their engine. They need movement, conversation, brainstorming, coffee runs, late night scribbles, shower thoughts, and messy creativity.
They do not simply talk about culture. They live it. TikTok might not be ready for them yet, but they know they belong there eventually because more businesses are waking up to a simple truth.
Your biggest brand ambassadors are not influencers or advertising platforms. They are your employees. When you treat them like the heart of the business, everything else begins to fall into place.
🎧 Want to hear the full conversation? Listen on Spotify.