Kenneth Ekow didn’t grow up planning to become a founder, but looking back, the signs were always there.
As a middle child in a Ghanaian household navigating two cultures, he was the one asking questions, connecting dots and telling stories that no one else had thought to tell. `
Today, he’s the founder of Scale Story, a creative strategy studio that helps early-stage founders build personal brands that drive connection, credibility and capital.
Kenneth’s journey spans global content campaigns, viral startup launches, and £10M+ raised for brands he has helped shape. But behind the milestones is a deeper philosophy: the most effective founders don’t just build products; they lead with story. And in a world of noise, the story that stands out is the one told with clarity, consistency and care.
A must-read if you’re a founder figuring out how to show up without selling out and want to turn your journey into a growth engine.
What was it like for you growing up, and how did your relationship with storytelling first take shape?
This question is interesting for me because I haven’t really thought about it for many years. Thinking about my childhood, I’m one of three. I’m in the middle, so I’m a typical middle child, high energy, doesn’t stop talking, which helps with storytelling. I’d always have these amazing stories to tell that were only amazing to me. Everyone’s like “Oh, he’s just talking again”.
What’s interesting is that my parents are both Ghanaian. They moved over when they were about 30, had us and navigated the UK. Growing up, I was in a household trying to understand the culture from back home, the culture that’s lived here and I’ve always been interested in people’s stories and understanding why things were different.
They were literally two different worlds. From a young age, I didn’t realise that storytelling was a big thing for me. It was just something that I enjoyed.
Fast forward to today, I have loads of different roles that skirted around the idea of storytelling. Landing on storytelling itself was very much a thing that feels right and comfortable, as opposed to this is the job I’m going to do. I had no idea this job existed 20 years ago, so it’s all a bit strange.
When working with Sam Jones at the time, what were the key lessons that helped you incorporate what you do today?
Sam Jones is an actual mastermind, and I don’t say this lightly. He understands the game of business and the game of getting the best out of people. They are two separate worlds. One is about earning money, and the other is about nurturing another human being.
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel pretty much all over the world with Sam, capturing content, building up stories and figuring out next steps for the business.
There have been tons of lessons, but the biggest one is if we go back to the point of getting the best out of people.
My job, be it behind the camera, speaking to a client, or in a coaching session, is to ask: what is your big goal and how fast can we get you there without stepping on any landmines?
Working with Sam taught me that you can apply that to everything. You walk into a space, networking, for example, everyone has something they want to gain. If you make it less about yourself and more about them, it’s a much easier, frictionless ride.
In the business world, if we look at what somebody else wants and see how we can fit into their lives, it’s a nicer and more exciting journey. And conversely, if you’re raising funds or in B2B, it’s about inviting the person onto your journey and saying, Hey, this is where we’re going, and we’d love for you to be part of it because of what you bring.
“My job, be it behind the camera, speaking to a client, or in a coaching session, is to ask: what is your big goal and how fast can we get you there without stepping on any landmines?”
At the time you were working with Sam, what was your own personal big goal, especially when doing more video content?
There are two versions of this story.
The light version is about trying to navigate the business and figure out how we could leverage the buzz from Dragons’ Den. The pitch had gone viral; there were all these eyes on us, but nothing to direct them toward.
The real story is that I was frustrated. I knew incredible stories were happening within the company. Sam would share them with me. Stories about the places he’d been, the people he’d met, the work the company was doing and then I’d go on social media and see birthday posts or announcements about getting extra points. None of that reflected the excitement I was hearing directly. It needed to be out there in some meaningful way.
I wasn’t pitching services. I genuinely believed there was a huge opportunity. I told him, “You should be sharing your story!”
At the time, I was living in Spain. I’d come back for a week or so, and we’d cross paths. Every time, I’d think, it’s been four or five months and I’m still seeing birthday cakes online. Meanwhile, you’ve got all these incredible stories. It’s not that you don’t have content; you just need to find the right way to package it.
That’s how we started working together, and before I knew it, I formalised the whole thing. I’ve now been with him and the team for 4 years.
“It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about committing to what you set out to do.”
When you reflect on your accolades and milestones like raising over £10 million and leading video content, what makes your approach stand out compared to other agencies?
I always say those are vanity metrics, the “look at what we’ve done, we’re credible” metrics. The number itself is actually outdated; it’s more now. But I don’t mind that. The important question is: why are we different from any other agency?
Honestly, I don’t think we are fundamentally different from every other agency doing personal branding and many are doing a fantastic job. Our differentiation isn’t about having the best cameras or the strongest team. It comes from our deep care and understanding of a specific stage of startup growth.
We work particularly with startups transitioning from seed to Series A. They’re growing rapidly, maybe going from a team of five to 15 overnight and they’ve received a big injection of capital. Now, they need to mobilise quickly and strategically, with little room for error. That’s a tough space to be in without guidance.
Where we’re unique is in how deeply we understand that space because we’ve lived it. We work closely with the founders we support. We’re not just showing up to film on a Tuesday. We understand that they have ambitious goals, and those require real push and real commitment.
Our role is to create content that anchors them. First, it helps make their message more inbound. Second, it gives others a clearer view of their journey. When people connect with your vision, they’ll stay with you, whether you complete your mission or not. It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about committing to what you set out to do.
No one cares about just the beginning or end of a film. People care about how you got there. That’s the part most don’t document, and that’s what makes what we do unique. We capture the “how.” That ties into identifying the big goal and figuring out the process to reach it.
What were the pivotal moments that shaped how you work now, especially coming from a background in filmmaking and content producing?
The most pivotal part of this journey has been the mistakes, and I’m proud to own them. When I first started out in videography, about 10 or 11 years ago, I couldn’t actually shoot video. I didn’t know how it worked. I had a second-hand camera I bought for maybe £300 or £400.
My friend CJ said, “You’ve got a camera, I’ve got a camera. I already know photography. If you learn video, we can go into businesses and make money.” So, I dove into YouTube tutorials, made terrible videos, and worked with loads of different businesses.
During this process, I realised filming products was kind of boring. It was the same thing. Film headphones on a stand, spin it, add some coloured backdrops and maybe come back in a month if they have new stock. It became monotonous.
Out of boredom, we started asking questions like, “Why did you start this business?” People would share these incredible stories about their great-grandfather doing something, which led their father to do something else, and now here they were. We’d hear these amazing narratives and think this should be part of the video.
Over time, the content shifted. It went from product-first to founder-led. Eventually, we flipped it completely. You need to know who created the thing before you see what the thing is. The founder content got bigger, and the product content got smaller, to the point where we didn’t even need the product anymore. It became more about the journey and the vision.
The agency came about by mistake. It wasn’t the plan. 10 years ago, I just wanted to make some money from the video. But now, it’s about creating content that genuinely helps people move forward.
What I’ve come to love, and it ties back to what you said about mistakes, is just picking something up and doing it. That’s the core of everything. Do the thing, learn in the process, and through that, you’ll naturally narrow your position and find your place.
“Every founder can find something they’re able to do for 52 weeks.”
Can you elaborate more on your philosophy of helping founders show up everywhere without going anywhere, and how it has evolved?
A big misconception about personal branding is that it’s the same as being an influencer, someone who shows up online, posts content, and sells something. That model exists, but personal branding is different.
It’s built on three core elements that need to be in place before anyone will buy from you: being known, being liked, and being trusted. And you can’t build that without giving people a way to meet you.
There’s Daniel Priestly’s 7-11-4 theory: people need to see you in multiple places, multiple times, before they trust you. To be liked, they need to see your personality and you can’t show that through text or static images alone. You have to show up.
To be trusted, it’s about honesty and transparency in what you say. That’s what makes you relatable.
“Being everywhere without going anywhere” means recording your message and putting it out there. Whether you work with us or not, someone can come across your video and say, “I like what this person stands for.” And you haven’t even left your house.
Founders spend a lot of time networking, going to events, or flying out to meet investors. That takes energy and a lot of convincing. Now imagine walking into a room where no one is supposed to know you, and someone says, “I saw your video,” or “I’ve been following you for years.” That’s the power of personal branding.
It’s purposeful. It’s a strategic choice to say, “This is who I am. This is what I’m trying to do. If it resonates with you, I’ll be talking about it consistently.” That’s what this kind of content is for—it bookmarks your place in the digital world.
What mindset shift would you advise early-stage founders struggling to find their voice online?
Mindset is probably the most important part of entrepreneurship. It doesn’t matter what you’re building. If your mentality is off, the business will fail. That applies to public speaking, sharing your story online, and building your personal brand.
The biggest shift we see in founders isn’t whether they can speak online, but why they don’t want to. Everyone has some level of hesitation. Whether they’re resistant or just uncertain, something inside tells them that sharing their story is a bad idea. Maybe they’ve tried and it didn’t work.
The mindset shift we focus on is built around the number 52. During onboarding, we ask founders to commit to doing one thing every week for 52 weeks. Whether that’s posting an image, writing a blog, or something else consistent, the challenge is: can you do it every week, no matter what?
That includes Easter, Christmas, and even when you’re on a beach sipping margaritas. This challenge reveals two key things. First, it shows your level of ambition, what you believe is possible within your full schedule. Second, it shows what you can do without help.
Every founder can find something they’re able to do for 52 weeks. The platform doesn’t matter, there’s always something.
The biggest shift is creating small wins and sticking to them. That builds the discipline behind your personal brand. It’s not about going viral. It’s about compound interest. After a year of consistent effort, you’ll likely have grown your following, secured partnerships, maybe even an investment or a stronger team. The key is knowing it builds over time.
“Discipline and listening. Those are the two most important things I’ve carried with me. Two ears, one mouth. Use them in that ratio.”
What’s the difference between content that converts into opportunities versus content that just gains likes?
On LinkedIn, the phrase “thought leadership” gets thrown around a lot. I’m not a huge fan of it, but it does help explain the difference between impactful content and generic posts, so we’ll use it here.
Take Instagram. You scroll for hours and see everything from people falling into gutters to beach dancing and food videos. It’s random, chaotic entertainment. LinkedIn is the opposite. Everyone presents their best, most polished self, as if they’ve never had a bad day. Two extremes, but they share the same problem: lots of content, little direction.
Thought leadership is what separates the noise. It starts with someone sitting down with a clear intent to educate their audience, often their clients, at scale.
For example, take someone like Sam, who runs a startup focused on data privacy. He could post about anything, but instead, he aligns his content with his mission: helping people take control of their data. If there’s a breach at Meta or a policy change on TikTok, he comments on it, explaining what it means, what the risks are, and why people should care.
That kind of consistency and clarity builds credibility. In Sam’s case, it even led to invitations to Downing Street and the Smart Data Council. He was recognised as someone with well-researched ideas in a space that needed leadership.
That’s the power of thought leadership. It creates trust, impact, and opportunities. Generic content might entertain, but it doesn’t convert. And while entertainment has its place, the most powerful content sits in that middle space: edutainment.
What advice would you give to CEOs who feel LinkedIn is too performative?
The first point is to acknowledge the truth: LinkedIn is performative. All social media platforms are performative because who wakes up in the morning thinking, “Everyone should know what’s in my head today”? It’s a strange behaviour when you think about it.
But the opposite is also true. The way we consume knowledge and digest information has changed over the years. Social media has become one of the biggest sources. It used to be newspapers, then TV. Now, YouTube has overtaken TV for people under the age of 14. That shift is significant.
So, yes, it’s performative, but so is getting to work on a bad day, having a coffee, and pushing through. You’re already performing offline; this just takes it online. The reason for doing that is what really matters. You have a goal that’s bigger than you, and you can’t achieve it without people, investors, clients and partners who don’t even know you exist yet.
If you spend the next five or ten years building something but never tell anyone, what changes? If you’re happy with that, great. But if you want a catalyst to attract the right people instead of chasing them, a personal brand becomes a tool for unexpected opportunities.
That’s why I advocate for starting a personal brand. But I’ll also tell people not to do it if they don’t have a bigger goal. Otherwise, it’s just a vanity show: “Look at me, I’ve done cool things.” It should be, “Look at me, I want us to do cool things together, and I need help to do that.” That help looks different for every founder.
“The biggest shift is creating small wins and sticking to them. That builds the discipline behind your personal brand.”
How should founders approach platforms like TikTok, especially when building a brand in a reserved culture like the UK?
TikTok is one of the most unfiltered platforms out there, with huge results that people don’t talk about. Take Ama Amo-Agyei from Plantmade. She’s an incredible storyteller and a fantastic businesswoman.
More importantly, she leverages the platform in a way that makes sense for her audience. She shares her journey—the ups, the downs—sometimes her personal life. It’s a choice, not a requirement.
But it brings awareness to her business in a space many avoid because they assume TikTok is just for dancing kids. If it resonates with your audience, the platform doesn’t matter. Don’t be afraid to start. Don’t be afraid to share your story.
Here in the UK, we’re naturally more reserved. But look at the world. Go to West Africa, talk to a Ghanaian or a Nigerian, tell them they can’t do something, and they’ll laugh and say, “Of course I can.” The mindset is totally different.
That mindset matters in branding. In the UK, we often think, “I don’t want to be too loud,” or “I just want to do the work quietly.” But in a noisy world, you have to think about how you become the signal? How do you become the one people look to?
How do you see the role of AI evolving within entrepreneurship, and what’s your take on how it’s currently being used?
In entrepreneurship, everything is about leverage. Instead of debating whether AI is the future of business, we should ask: “If AI can save me four hours a day, is that worth it?” Framing it that way helps you see the practical benefits.
Right now, a lot of people misuse AI. They copy prompts from someone else, paste them into a tool, and then copy the result somewhere else. That’s ineffective. You wouldn’t treat any other tool like that. Think of a calculator, you still need to understand the numbers and the context. You do the thinking, and the tool helps with the output. AI should be approached the same way.
We need to move the conversation away from “Is AI good or bad?” to “How can we use it in a meaningful way?”
A recent example is Will Smith’s world tour promo. It included AI-generated visuals unannounced and people noticed. There were distorted signs, odd visuals, and weird hands. The internet reacted negatively, not just because of the quality, but because AI was used to supplement what might’ve been missing in the real footage.
If he had only used AI for audio transitions or visual effects, people might not have even noticed. That shows how important it is to find a middle ground—human + AI, not AI alone. It’s like when the internet was invented. We didn’t debate if it would take our jobs, we saw it as a way to move faster and connect better. AI deserves that same approach.
“Founders spend a lot of time networking, going to events, or flying out to meet investors. That takes energy and a lot of convincing. Now imagine walking into a room where no one is supposed to know you, and someone says, ‘I saw your video.’”
What does the intersection of AI and personal branding look like to you, and how might it shape the future of storytelling?
The intersection of AI and personal branding is really interesting. Personal branding is deeply personal, and people often hesitate because they’re not sure how much AI should “know” them. But if you treat it as a tool, then it’s about learning to articulate what you want and guiding AI to help you do that.
We’re already seeing tools like chatbots, voice assistants, forms, and scorecards. In the near future, we’ll likely have live feedback loops. Imagine recording a selfie video about your brand and getting feedback like a producer would: “That was a strong take, try adding this.” It’s like having a coach on demand.
Ethically, it’s a nuanced conversation, but the potential is huge. It means more people can confidently share their stories because they have some structure and support. I only have so many hours in a day. But if AI can help someone get prepared before they work with me, that’s a win. It means we can go deeper, faster.
AI can lay the groundwork. Once that foundation is set, we get to focus on strategy, storytelling, and growth. That’s where the real value comes in.
Reflecting on your journey, what’s one decision you made early on that still shapes your approach today?
The easiest answer is discipline. It might sound like a cliché because everyone says it, but it’s true. Nothing happens until you do the work. The “52 weeks” principle I mentioned earlier is a form of self-commitment. You speak it, then act on it. That consistency compounds over time.
But there’s another element just as important: more listening, less talking. In today’s conversation, I’m doing a terrible job of that, but generally, I try to listen more than I speak. It helps me understand what’s working and what isn’t.
For example, if I’m on coaching calls and three out of five clients bring up the same concern, I know I’ve missed something. That signals a gap we need to address. I learned this years ago, though I didn’t apply it right away. It came from a job I had as a telemarketer. Probably the worst job I’ve had in terms of the work itself, but one of the most valuable for what it taught me.
I was cold-calling companies to talk about a service they’d never heard of. Naturally, people were confused or annoyed, but what I learned was to listen and figure out what they needed. Making the conversation about them rather than about me had a lasting impact, even if they didn’t become clients.
When people feel understood, they’re more open. It shows you’re a strategic partner, not just someone trying to take their money. So yes, discipline and listening. Those are the two most important things I’ve carried with me. Two ears, one mouth. Use them in that ratio.
“AI can lay the groundwork. Once that foundation is set, we get to focus on strategy, storytelling, and growth. That’s where the real value comes in.”
Leadership can be a lonely path, especially in creative industries. What keeps you grounded, curious, and creatively energised?
There’s a lot to unpack because leadership, entrepreneurship, and founder life are incredibly lonely spaces. And not enough people talk about that. There’s often stigma or shame attached, but it’s the reality.
It’s the only job where you’re up at 2 a.m. thinking of ideas, only to wake up at 6 a.m. to work on those same ideas. That space in between, when you’re meant to be resting, your mind is still racing. It’s exhausting, especially if you don’t expect it or don’t know how to manage it.
What’s helped me over the years is having a strong support system. I have a great group of friends. I disappear off the map often during busy periods, something I’m not proud of, but when I come back, they’re always there, ready to pick things up as usual. That’s invaluable.
The second, and arguably first, is family. They’ve always been a huge part of my journey. I see my friends as family and my family as friends; it all blends together. And I try to stay honest with myself about where I’m at.
Outside of that, being around other founders has been essential. They get it. You can speak in shorthand because they know what you’re experiencing. Whether it’s events, brunches, meetups, or even something casual like playing paddle or football, find your corner and your community.
To stay energised and grounded, I go on walks, get some time in the gym (which I need to do more of), and give myself space on the bad days. And there are bad days. Days when you wake up and wonder, “Why am I doing this?”
Those are the days that require a bit more from you. But usually, the next day, you realise it wasn’t that deep. You’ve just had a string of long nights and early mornings, and it’s caught up with you. Returning to the core belief behind why you built the business and what you’re trying to change in the world, that’s what pulls you through.
“If you spend the next five or ten years building something but never tell anyone, what changes?”
What’s next for you and is there anything coming up you’d like to plug or share?
We’re launching an exclusive community for founders. The goals are to:
- To combat the loneliness that often comes with building something on your own.
- To connect founders with others creating incredible things in their space.
- To help people become better storytellers through peer learning, resources, blueprints, and the practical tools needed to confidently say, “This is what I’m building, and here’s how you can be part of it.”
Beyond that, we’re hosting masterclasses on Founder-Led storytelling every other month, which will dive deep into frameworks and real-life case studies of personal branding. Showing how to cut through the noise with tangible outcomes.
For anyone interested, feel free to sign up here
We’ll definitely keep you in the loop and would love to have you there!
