THE clarity of thought from the co-founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee is arguably as refreshing as one of his bottled drinks.

Sharing the love for iced coffee has been Jim Cregan’s mission for the past 11 years.

Along the way he has found plenty of creative ways to share that message from a rap music video and giant letters spelling out the Christchurch-based company motto to driving around in a branded 1970s pick-up truck.

During an interview for the Daily Echo’s podcast, The Echo Dispatch, Jim discussed what he was most proud of after more than a decade in business.

“Just building a company that is sensibly run by really, really cool people,” he said. “We have a community of people who work with us who really, really enjoy what they do and that for me is probably the biggest thing – we have actually successfully built a company and we have been going for 11 years.

“That for me is a huge tick in the box. Considering what I was doing before and what I thought I could do and what I was capable of, we have actually done an amazing job and when I say we, I really, really mean we because it was obviously just my idea from the start but from nano dot one my sister joined us and then also Steve who is our finance director he joined us.

"Without everyone we are essentially nothing and that is what I am most proud of – we are still here and we are still going.”

While the iced coffee dream was Jim’s inception, from the start of the business, he has worked in partnership with his sister Suzie Owen.

Asked about the experience of working so closely with his sibling, he said: “Working with Suze has been amazing. It has been nearly 11 years. Everything has its ups and downs as business does but we have always just stuck together for the common aim of making refreshing iced coffee – it has got to be available in great fridges across the UK and beyond is kind of our mission statement.

Bournemouth Echo: Suzie Owen and Jim Cregan at Jimmy's Iced Coffee HQSuzie Owen and Jim Cregan at Jimmy's Iced Coffee HQ

“At the very beginning we shared everything. Every single job role that you can imagine happens in this company now, we both did together at one stage in a much smaller capacity but we did everything.

“The trick is to try and work with people who are far better than you in that particular area and then you kind of let that bit go and then again and again and again and again until you have our team. Our team is now 25 strong and we just try to make sure everyone is having a good time whilst doing a great load of work.”

In 2013, Suzie told Daily Echo they knew they had a great idea but “we never thought we would grow this quickly because so many small start-ups fail now”.

Now available in around seven thousand stores across the UK, it would be easy to think it had been plain sailing, however, when asked if there had been doubts along the way, Jim said “you are living in fear 24 hours a day but you never think it is going to fail”.

He added: “They are very close together but you have to have this drive that it is going to work and from the beginning I don’t know whether it is madness, I don’t know what it is, but I knew that it was just going to work. It had to work – there was no other option for it to work.

“You just have to make it work and make it amazing but then fear keeps you going. Fear and worry keep you working, keep you striving, keep you on the ball really to get it to where it needs to go.”

And do not think for a second that Jim is settling for where the business is now.

He said: “It is nice to be in most places. We still have loads to go after, which is the exciting bit. Just plenty of opportunity with existing stuff, new stuff, new stores, more distribution points, more places in store. There is lots going on.”

To listen to the podcast, search The Echo Dispatch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or Google Podcasts.