Rob Fletcher – Wild Business Growth Podcast #126: Dr. Trouble, Africa’s Finest Chilli Sauce

Imagine you found a secret family recipe from the 1890s. Would you keep it to yourself, or turn it into something you can share with the world? This week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Rob Fletcher, is doing the latter. Rob is the Founder of Dr. Trouble, Africa’s Finest Chilli Sauce. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

Episode 126: Rob Fletcher – Dr. Trouble, Africa’s Finest Chilli Sauce

Rob Fletcher, the Founder of Dr. Trouble Sauce, joins the show to share his journey discovering his great-grandfather’s chilli sauce recipe from the 1890s and turning it into a global brand. Hear how to develop a product, perfect your recipe, expand your business into different countries, how Dr. Trouble Sauce gets made, and the spiciest prank you’ll hear about. This episode covers everything from the history of Zimbabwe to the Carolina Reaper. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• The story of Rob’s mapmaking great-grandfather
• How do you turn a family recipe into an actual product
• How do you refine your offering
• How do you take your brand international
• Where did the name Dr. Trouble come from
• What are the flavors of Dr. Trouble Sauce
• What does Nando’s do from an advertising standpoint
• What is Rob’s favorite food to eat Dr. Trouble with

Try Dr. Trouble at DrTrouble.com, DrTroubleSauce.co.uk, and on Amazon.

Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro
  • [0:28] Email me at for help using your podcast as a business-building tool
  • [0:42] Shoutout “1, 2 Step” by Ciara ft. Missy Elliot
  • [0:47] Try Dr. Trouble at DrTrouble.com, DrTroubleSauce.co.uk, and on Amazon
  • [1:26] Fletch
  • [1:38] Dr. Trouble
  • [1:45] Zimbabwe
  • [1:55] Wild Business Growth Podcast Guests
  • [2:39] How did Rob’s great-grandfather come up with the original recipe
  • [2:55] R.A. Fletcher, Cartographer
  • [3:08] Cecil John Rhodes
  • [3:21] African Bushveld
  • [3:37] King Lobengula, Zulu, Shaka Zulu
  • [4:23] Bird’s Eye Chillies
  • [4:27] Crawl = Village
  • [5:40] Land Reform Program, Robert Mugabe
  • [6:50] Harare, Zimbabwe
  • [7:14] UCLA Anderson School of Management
  • [7:33] Couldn’t resist
  • [7:45] Professors
  • [7:58] Business Plan
  • [8:02] Zambezi Valley
  • [8:22] Pressure Test, Shelf Life Test, Taste Testing
  • [8:42] Demographics
  • [9:58] When did Rob know he could turn this recipe into a business
  • [10:22] Zimbabwe Hyperinflation
  • [10:52] 1 kg = 2.2 lbs
• The Dr. Trouble Sauce Story
  • [11:19] How did Rob turn the recipe into an actual product
  • [11:39] Dr. Trouble Label
  • [12:02] Family Crest
  • [12:21] Signet Ring
  • [13:12] Where did the name Dr. Trouble come from
  • [13:50] House DJ
  • [14:30] What tweaks did Rob make to the original recipe
  • [15:01] Double Oak Smoked Chilli, Lemon Chilli
  • [15:31] Masala
  • [16:02] Chicken Tikka Masala, Instant Pot
  • [16:28] What made it clear Dr. Trouble could grow across the globe
  • [16:48] Mass Production
  • [17:00] Niche
  • [19:35] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity
  • [20:03] How does Rob make Dr. Trouble Sauce
  • [20:38] Dr. Trouble Lemons
  • [21:12] Rough Lemon, Eureka Lemon
  • [21:38] Dr. Trouble Fermentation Process
  • [23:00] Flagons
  • [23:27] Carolina Reaper, Habanero
  • [24:45] Sommelier
  • [25:12] How do you launch your product into different countries
  • [26:01] Dr. Trouble Sauce on Amazon UK
• Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • [27:03] Creative Marketing
  • [27:11] Nando’s
  • [27:14] I’ve never mentioned this to anyone ever but yes I studied abroad in London
  • [28:25] Nando’s Advertising, Billboard
  • [28:57] Nando’s Gym Billboard
  • [29:05] Nando’s vs. KFC
  • [29:21] Nando’s Zimbabwe
  • [30:01] Fast Food
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [30:34] What is the hottest pepper Rob has ever eaten
  • [31:22] That’s hot
  • [32:58] Shoutout Lucy!
  • [33:21] What is Rob’s favorite food to eat Dr. Trouble with
  • [33:51] Peri-Peri Chicken
  • [35:28] Little Peppers Project
  • [35:35] IAPF (International Anti-Poaching Foundation)
  • [35:48] Damien Mander
  • [36:17] Akashinga: The Brave Ones
  • [36:49] James Cameron
  • [38:36] Limited Edition Packages
  • [39:08] Try Dr. Trouble at DrTrouble.com, DrTroubleSauce.co.uk, and on Amazon
  • [39:38] What are Rob’s final thoughts
  • [40:05] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
  • [40:15] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [40:17] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [40:19] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but dreading the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Rob Fletcher on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!