Niall Cleaver

Documenting the journey of crafting a timeless coffee cup brand | CEO & Founder of Cupsly

My story isn’t about a polished entrepreneur. My journey hasn’t been traditional. I left school without an English qualification, uncertain of what the future held. 

That failure shaped me, it forced me to think differently, fall into business, and ultimately embrace creativity, resilience, and the belief that change is possible, even when doubted. Fast forward to today, I’m growing and scaling businesses while sharing the real lessons that come from it.

Founder

Are you struggling to grow an engaging community for your business or personal brand.

Stop right there, I think I have you covered ⬇️

This is me (Niall), I'm a 22-year-old who is fascinated by growing communities in the online space. Actual communities that have meaning and purpose. 

The services we provide at Social Library 

➡️ Personal Branding (LinkedIn)

➡️ Guidance & support consulting


Drop me a message to discuss your social media strategy, review how well your current socials/posts are doing, and research how we can build your community and gain you more followers and leads.

or you can email us @

hello@sociallibrary.co.uk

Execution will humble you in more ways than advice ever could.

And this, by far, has been my best realisation.

It's actually scary how much advice is in the world we live in. And normally, it's not the correct advice. The truth is, advice that will improve your business is hard to come by because everyone is sharing an opinion online.  

But there's one thing that beats any advice:

Saying you'll do something and actually doing it.

In my teens, I told myseIf was going to go all in on business, and that meant learning many things I once never knew. How? Real experience.

Less talking, more doing.

I didn't have a background in marketing, I learned.
I didn't have a background in brand, I learned.
I didn't have a background in R&D, I learned.

And here's what I found out...

When you start facing real situations, real problems, and real outcomes, you quickly see who’s telling the truth and who isn’t.

You learn who to trust.

Advice has its place. But execution is what changes things.

Growing @thistlescientific and sharing the lessons while I do

I’ve just landed back from a week in the mountains.

And it reminded me how easy it is to forget what really matters.

I know I talk a lot about business because it's something I'm passionate about, but let's be real, it will never be as important as family. 

Scaling a business takes a lot out of you, early mornings, late nights, and missing certain celebrations. It's honestly brutal sometimes. 

Because it never stops!!!

You always have something that needs implementing, changing or improving, but what I've realised is that time away with your family allows you the space to think, enjoy and realign. Never take this for granted.

Honestly, had the best couple of days... now super exctied to get back and execute on the plan we've set out over the past couple of months.

We did it!!! Thistle is rebrand ready...

Over the past few months, we've completed a full rebrand at Thistle Scientific, one that has pushed, tested, and shaped the new direction we're heading in. These will be the months I'll remember forever, but...

I want to talk about what goes into a rebrand:

The late nights thinking decisions through.
The transition phase throughout the organisation.
The alignment through the internal team and external partners.

They all hit you! But in a good way.

Because eventually, you see all the pieces of the puzzle coming together, and you appreciate all the details and hard work that went into every part of it.

But this whole process got me thinking about one thing, "change", and how so many of us are nervous about it. This is a good feeling to have. 

It means you're pushing yourself.

Take it all in!!!

The most important skill of an entrepreneur is to do the basics first.

I used to fight this idea because it sounded too simple.

Sticking to a routine 
Doing the things you promised.
Being open-minded to the problems. 
Interacting directly with your customers.
Executing the plan you set out with your team.

It really is simple!!! 

At the start of this year, I told some of my closest friends what I was going to do. Less talking and more just focusing on what creates the moment. 

And I can already feel it. It hasn’t been anything out of this world, it's just been staying focused on what matters most in the buisness. And normally, these are the tasks you repeat.

You've got to understand that most people will dislike doing the basics over and over again, becasue it can become boring and not fun. But these are the tasks that create the difference that changes your life and business. 

It may be boring, but it works.

3 years ago, navigating a merger, improving systems, and building a stronger foundation.

Since then, Thistle Scientific has grown year on year, hired across multiple countries, and deliberately focused on scale. Why?

Equipping scientists around the world requires collaboration, obsession, and teamwork. It’s understanding what will help each researcher improve the work they’re doing.

But there’s an even bigger reason…

Scaling allows us to support even more researchers, and the better support they get, the more impact their work can have on the rest of the population.

Any researchers here... would love to chat with you.

One of the best decisions I've made as a 25-year-old growing a biotech business was to... spend time with people who have already done it.

Not people who're trying to sell you something.
Not people who shut down your ideas every five minutes.

But the people who have lived and breathed the problems you are facing.

The real operators. And what I've noticed is that they don't try to sell you online they are heavily focused on real outcomes. They have this credibility where they've been there and done it. You can just feel it!!!

So, if you're going to surround yourself with successful people:

Do your due diligence
Ask the important questions
Don't waste your time and especially theirs.

That's where real change is created.

Evean, now I've got so much to learn and it's so important to remember that the moment you think you've understood it all will be the moment you stop making progress.

We had a chance to showcase our new design in Thailand.

I pulled it... You only get one first impression.

We had an opportunity to move fast on some new design work. It would've lined up perfectly for our ASIA distributor meeting in Thailand next month, so I pushed for it. 

I thought it would be:

Great to share the new innovation.
Great to share the new Thistle identity.
Great to share our new direction with them.

But I was chasing speed over execution.

The lesson wasn't "slow down". I still believe in moving fast.
The lesson was "speed" without clarity is just expensive.

Coming straight out of a rebrand, it’s easy to chase momentum. But when you do that, you can lose the bigger picture and that costs you.

Growth never happens when you move without clarity. You only get one chance at a first impression, so we are making sure ours is worth it.

"TEST THE LIMIT"  that's what our rebrand was built on.

When we started to plan our rebrand, we didn't view ourselves as successful. We saw ourselves as a challenger brand. A brand that wanted to do things differently from others in our industry.

This was our starting point.

From the first conversations I had with our team, they were all open-minded to it and wanted to be aligned on the bigger picture, but there was something I noticed more special. 

They all wanted to be a part of it.  Contributing, debating, and just being fully curious. Through my years of learning business, I've noticed that one of the best traits in any business is the team being curious. They like to get stuck in. And here's what I've seen:

They adapt quickly to problems and solutions.
They build better products and services.
They spot opportunities others ignore.
They make better decisions.

Being curious is lethal (in a good way)

There's something special about being around an open-minded team. A team that wants to play an even bigger part in this journey. It's pretty cool.

Very proud to announce the next chapter of Thistle Scientific.

Thistle has expanded a lot over the years as a team, company and scientific partner.

Today, we’re updating our entire visual system to convey a clearer, bolder expression of who we are and the purpose we stand behind. Now the time feels right to step into our next chapter and announce the rebrand of Thistle Scientific.

One that will demonstrate the connection and deeper understanding we have for researchers and global organisations who are changing the world for good.  

Just like research, brands must evolve too. We must listen, adapt and strengthen. That's what we're here to do. Committed to the direction we're heading, and that's to equip scientists to be relentless in changing the world for good. 

One hypothesis at a time. 

Welcome to Thistle 2.0

Because science is never done. So, neither are we.

Elise P A Jackson

Co-Founder @ This is Unicorn, an Amazon Consultancy for Brands | Amazon PPC & DSP | Amazon SEO | Amazon Listing Management | Amazon Operations

With over 10 years of experience crafting Amazon and eCommerce strategies, I empower brands to succeed and grow on Amazon.

As founder of This is Unicorn, a full-service Amazon Agency, I lead Amazon strategies on behalf of our clients. Unicorn’s approach combines data-driven, custom strategies, purpose-built technology, and exceptional customer service, all tailored to help brands achieve their unique goals. Whether you’re a global household name or an emerging challenger brand, Unicorn knows how to make Amazon work for you.

I’m also the co-founder of fern, an innovative workflow and automation solution for Amazon brands and agencies. Fern connects all available Amazon data sources into a flexible automation builder, enabling businesses to automate up to 90% of repetitive tasks. By leveraging AI, fern helps put Amazon on autopilot, saving time, improving performance, and driving innovation.

Let's chat! Book a call with me to explore how our Unicorn or fern can help your brand grow on Amazon.

Co-Founder / CEO

Stand out from the crowd. Allow your brand to shine with seamless Amazon experiences.

Our in-house technology brings you the best Amazon experience, whilst our expertise, innovation and experimentation mindset brings your brand the results.

We work with brands across both Vendor Central, Seller Central, & hybrid models. Send me a message to find out how we can help your brand grow on Amazon.

"Before working with This is Unicorn the Amazon platform was a bit of a mystery to us!  We were nowhere close to achieving our full selling potential on Vendor Central and our brand was represented in the most basic way.

Unicorn have helped us optimise our brand content, achieve a significant increase in sales, and consistently deliver effective advertising campaigns.

The team are a pleasure to work with; responsive, helpful and always keen to see how their work can align with our brand and company goals."

🚨 Heads up if you're selling across European Amazon stores from the UK 🚨

From March 20th, Amazon is updating how the digital services fee is applied to cross-border sales in France, Italy, and Spain.

The short version? If you're a UK-based seller, a 3% digital services fee will now apply on both your Selling on Amazon fees and FBA fees for sales in those three stores.

It's not a new fee - it accounts for government digital services taxes - but the way it's calculated is changing to align with the DST rate in each country of sale.

What this means in practice:
✨ Your European margins just got a little tighter 
✨ If France, Italy, or Spain are significant revenue drivers, it's worth modelling the impact now 
✨ From March 20th, you'll be able to see the fee broken out in the Revenue Calculator

It's not a dramatic shift, but for brands doing serious volume across EU marketplaces, 3% adds up fast. Worth factoring into your Q2 planning.

Full details in Seller Central under 2026 digital services fee changes.

#Amazon #eCommerce #EuropeanMarketplace #AmazonSellers #FBA

Amazon Strategist | Co-Founder, This is Unicorn: an Amazon Consultancy for Brands | Co-founder, fern: Clever Workflow Automation for Amazon

It's one of my favourite moments for the brands we work with: when an Amazon account starts to really take off and the momentum builds 🚀.

BUT that success usually brings a new puzzle to solve - resellers appearing on your listings... 

They tend to arrive in one of two ways:
1️⃣ Either you're a B2B brand moving onto Amazon and finding your existing partners are already there
2️⃣ OR your brand has grown so popular that independent resellers are sourcing stock elsewhere and selling it on the platform

Both are actually signs that your brand is in high demand - which is a great problem to have 💪.

The key is moving from a reactive mindset to a proactive growth strategy. Instead of letting this become a point of friction, you can turn your distribution into a competitive advantage.

When you get this right, you aren't just 'fixing a nuisance' - you're protecting your brand's premium feel, ensuring your ad spend works harder for you, and keeping those valuable partner relationships healthy and happy.

There are some really positive moves brands can make here. We've dug into this more in this week's article - how to navigate the reseller issue and keep your Amazon growth on track. If you're scaling right now (or planning to), this is for you. Take a read - would love to know your thoughts. 

https://lnkd.in/etbycNK5

#AmazonSeller #AmazonVendor #Resellers #AmazonStrategy

⚖️ Could the Buy Box be changing forever? ⚖️

Last week Germany's competition authority issued a significant ruling against Amazon.

Amazon was fined €59m and ordered to stop using 'price caps' to control seller visibility.

Essentially, regulators are saying Amazon can't use its algorithm to penalise sellers for their pricing...especially since Amazon is often their direct competitor.

Why this matters:
1. 'Black Box' Pricing: For years, sellers have lost the Buy Box for unclear pricing reasons. That era of opaque control is under fire.
2. A Growing Trend: This isn't just a German issue. Between the UK's CMA and the EU's Digital Markets Act, regulators are digging into the Buy Box logic to ensure fairness.
3. The Legal Battle: It's highly likely Amazon will appeal this ruling - arguing that it forces them to promote uncompetitive pricing. This sets up a tug-of-war between platform efficiency and antitrust law.

So now what?
If Amazon loses its ability to use price as a primary visibility lever, what happens next? Will delivery speed, seller health scores, or brand authority become the new 'gold standard' for ranking?

This feels like a turning point where the platform's role could shift from 'referee-player' to a more neutral marketplace.

What do you think?

#Ecommerce #Amazon #Strategy #BusinessNews #TechRegulation #Antitrust

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Niall Cleaver

Elise P A Jackson

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The Battle

Niall Cleaver

Elise P A Jackson

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Niall Cleaver's LinkedIn Performance

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