Startup Secrets Podcast | Business | Entrepreneur | Interviews

In this episode we had the amazing opportunity to speak with Rory Sutherland: Vice Chairman, Ogilvy Group, Author of "The Wiki Man" & “Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense", writer of The Spectator's Wiki Man column and public speaker. We had great fun speaking and learning from Rory about all things ideas, decision making, entrepreneurialism, culture and much more.  We're sure our viewers and listeners will learn a lot from the exciting and fast paced Ad man and he gives us insight into many different concepts, stories and how businesses and entrepreneurs can look at the world differently and how to think outside the box. As he says "Ask yourself, what isn't this data telling us. What the data leaves out, may be more important that what it leaves in." Enjoy the episode and it was a great pleasure speaking with Rory and we know you will all enjoy it.  We talk about: 0.20 - Intro 0.35  Zoom 02.05 - Tech hardware  03.29 - Perceptions / substitutions  07.10 - Selling via zoom 08.36 - Open world with zoom - recruitment  09.40 - Commute vs working  10.40  - Tradeoffs / Retirement 12.35 - Values - free where and free when and free who  17.47 - Decision Making 18.40 - Data 19. 45 - Entrepreneurial thinking 21.01 - Counter intuitive ideas 25.14 - Drayton bird direct marketing  28.15 - Experimentation 29.00 - Products  31.00 - Numerical Information and pitfalls 36.00 - Numbers reduce risk taking  37.00 - Individually rationality and collective stupidity  45.00 - Intentions & Reasoning 49.51 - Opposite of good ideas can be another good idea 54.10 - Ogilvy - The Pipe 55.30 - Viewpoints & Diversity  58.30 - Tacit Knowledge 59.59 - Closing remarks    A big huge you again to Rory for coming on the show and we hoped you all enjoyed the episode.  Keep up to date with Rory Sutherland on the handles and links below.  https://twitter.com/rorysutherland https://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/rory-sutherland We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.  — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this exciting episode, we head to Krush Brands HQ and sat in their podcast studio to chat with the Founder and CEO: Ian Ohan. Ian is a powerhouse when it comes to running and operating several successful food & beverage brands and has a varied portfolio of brands across the UAE. KRUSH Brands own and operate several well-known food delivery names such as Freedom Pizza, Salad Jar, Coco Yogo, Wildflower Hapi and also own the tech behind the platforms to make sure they always give their customers the best user experience.    Ian Ohan talks about his journey into entrepreneurship, his values, and his beliefs on what makes a good business and how to treat your customers right. He talks about opening up the best Pizza Takeaway business in Dubai: Freedom Pizza, and shares his thoughts on workplace culture, challenges, health trends and mindsets.    We really enjoyed recording this episode and we hope that you all can learn a thing or two from Ian. Thanks again to Ian for coming on, and we hope you enjoy this latest 3.5X episode.    You're 3.5X times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.    0.01 - Intro    1.27 - Journey into Entrepreneurship     3.24 - Healthy pizza inspiration & Social Mission   4.54 - Pursuing the vision   09.30 - Values and relationships    11.50 - Entering the market in Dubai (fast food business & delivery)    12.50 - Tech and customers   13.16 Setting up tech company for online ordering payments   14.41 - Platform and how it integrates into operation   15.51 - Other brands with platform    16.53 - Third party delivery businesses   18.40 - Challenges / Failures as learnings   20.04 - Investment partners    22.05 - Culture   23.50 - Working styles & people    25.30 - Structure - managing time and communication    27.40 - Exiting    29.10 - mindsets   Keep up to date with KRUSH Brands and their brands at the following websites:   https://www.krushbrands.com/ https://www.freedompizza.ae/ https://www.wildflowerpoke.com/ https://www.cocoyogo.com/ https://vikingbageri.com/ https://www.jetlagged-chef.com/ https://www.saladjar.com/   We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.    — — — —   Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

We’re back with another exciting episode featuring 2 entrepreneurs who started The Middle East's Leading International Fitness & Bodybuilding Exhibition. While in Dubai, Nick & Craig started The Dubai Muscle Show. This sell out event has been running from 2016, and has gone onto win awards, grow in capacity, and inspire the big health & fitness and bodybuilding community within Dubai and beyond.  Seb met them in Dubai and now we find out about their journey on the 3.5X Podcast. From start, to growth to selling, this is a great story of entrepreneurship between 2 friends and an exciting journey. Listen to the business success, challenges and everything in between.  Find out more at their website: https://www.dubaimuscleshow.com/ https://dubaimuscleclassic.com/ Thanks again to Nick and Craig for coming on, and we hope you enjoy this latest 3.5X episode.  You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.  Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro  2.:01 - The event  3:20 - Idea generation  5:52 - Idea validation & research 8:27 - Growth  10:50 - Business in the UAE 13:29 - Culture  19:55 - Brand trust & Credibility  25:05 - Influencers 29:15 - Challenges  32:20 - Investors & Exit strategy   35:01 - Future plans & Covid 38:01 - Final words Keep up to date with Dubai Muscle Show at the following handles: https://www.instagram.com/dubaimuscleshow/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT_Lh74Snz7QMu1kK7_ubA https://www.facebook.com/dubaimuscleshow/ We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.  — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

We’re back with another exciting episode featuring 3 entrepreneurs who managed to build the biggest and best gym in the United Arab Emirates in under 3 years! GymNation founders Loren Holland, Frank Afeaki and Ant Martland have disrupted the health and fitness industry in the UAE with affordable, high quality, 24/7 facilities across the country. Many multinational franchise chains have been overcharging UAE consumers for the last decade and GymNation spotted the gap in the market and have now changed the game in their favour by offering a great product at a great price.  We were lucky enough to sit down with the three owners to discuss how they got here, what’s worked and what’s in store for the future. With over 1 million members passing through their doors they are proving this is just what the UAE consumer wanted. Starting off with 1 gym in Dubai, they have now built GymNation up to 8 locations across the UAE, across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Raz Al Kaimah. They have been voted the best gym in the UAE by Virgin Radio’s host Kris Fade. Loren, Frank and Ant have an extensive background within the health and fitness space and these entrepreneurs share with you their story and hope to inspire you.  Find out more at their website: https://gymnation.com Thanks again to Loren, Frank and Ant for coming on and we hope you enjoy this latest 3.5X episode.  You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.  Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Promo  1:18 - GymNation Intro 8.29 - Team dynamics & roles 12.25 - Vision, validation & raising investment  14.00 - Targeting investors 16.15 - Pre sales & marketing 18.44 - Brand building 20.50 - Payment models 24.13 - Customer retention  28.00 - Covid 32.04 - Emerging markets 32.27 - Number 1 Gym in UAE in under 3 years 33.00 - Disrupting the market & positioning  33.36 - Social Media, Marketing, PR & Brand Building 36.37 - Proudest moments  Keep up to date with GymNation at the following handles: https://www.instagram.com/gymnation_uae/ https://www.facebook.com/gymnationuae/ https://twitter.com/gymnation_uae https://www.linkedin.com/company/gymnation-uae/about/ We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.  — — — —   Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

We're back! In this exciting new episode we talk to Reece Land. He is a successful entrepreneur/football agent based in the North of the UK and is the Founder and Managing Director of Next Gen Sport Solutions. Having represented over 100 athletes and being a former professional footballer himself, Reece shares his story on how he got started and what sparked him to start the business.  Next Gen are one of the leading sports management companies in Europe and are one of the only management companies, Worldwide, that specialise in women's football. Although known predominantly for elite professional women footballers, Next Gen also represent a number of athletes across multiple disciplines and sports such as Rugby, and Boxing.  "We pride ourselves on the trusting and holistic environment that we have created at Next Gen Sport Solutions. We have made sure that our infrastructure is at the highest possible standard for our clients. We truly believe that our infrastructure sees us as the industry leader within our sector. The sports industry can be an extremely lonely & ruthless environment at times so our aim is to ensure that we have everything in-house that our clients need. Our backroom team are at the highest possible level right from our Management Team to our internal Media Department." Find out more at their website: https://nextgensport.co.uk Thanks again to Reece for coming on and we hope you enjoy this latest 3.5X episode.  You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.  Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:10 - What is a football agent? 3:12 - The idea for women's football 4:10 - Business plan and focus  5:56 - Idea validation 7:10 - 22 year old managing director / football agent  9:24  - Brand relationships  10:20  - Business model and journey  16:08  - Women's sport & equality  22:20  - Sport and Business similarities and competitiveness  23:50 - Future plans Keep up to date with Reece and his company at the following handles: https://www.instagram.com/_reeceland https://twitter.com/ReeceLand https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-land https://www.instagram.com/nxtgen_sport/   We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.  — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this episode of the podcast we look back at some of the new guest's that we've had on the show and play some of the highlights. This will be out last podcast before the Christmas break, so please enjoy and get ready for 2021 with a huge lineup of amazing entrepreneurs and brands from across the globe.   It's been a really interesting year with lots of change. All episodes are now in video and we'll be stepping it up in 2021 with great guests, different types of interviews and resources to help you on your journey of entrepreneurship.    You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.    Thanks again and we hope you enjoy.    Timestamps:   0:00 - Intro   2:33 - #064 Alan & Juliet Barratt: CEO & Founders of Grenade®: https://youtu.be/55FIrY11ZKc   7:19 #065 Piers Linney - Dragons Den: https://youtu.be/XfFlrr7PfjU   9:45 #068 Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones THE BLACK FARMER: https://youtu.be/eunhx69Awqw   15:40 #070 Sam Dey: https://youtu.be/lqoCBhsjU7Y   24:14  #067Jared Brown, Co Founder - Sipsmith London Gin: https://youtu.be/k4GLIpVZL_M   27:03 #069 Matthew Benjamin & Seb Francis: Kapes CEO & Co-Founders: https://youtu.be/SfCS2NNZTfQ   We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.    — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this interesting episode we speak to a key figure within the UK Automotive Industry, Chris Hakwen. This Auto Industry leader has managed to turn Skoda from ridicule to cool within the UK market through bold advertising and creative. Chris has held senior positions in a wide array of international automotive Brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Subaru, Isuzu, Vauxhall, Hyundai and now consults on various projects consisting of electric, autonomous vehicles amongst others. Seb talks with this "intrepreneur" all about marketing, the fundamentals, the frustrations and his story throughout business. It gives us a behind-the-scenes view of the Automotive marketing industry in the UK & Europe. This episode also covers the current pandemic business climate and thoughts for the future of the industry and the economy. Chris also shares tips, tricks and advice for any budding marketers. Reach out to Chris via his LinkedIn Page if you enjoyed the episode. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hawken-1508011/ In this episode we cover: Chris's journey in Automotive Brand Marketing Product Marketing The 4 P's Creative Media Buying Agency & In-house Trends Future economy Brand and much more   We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this episode we are changing things up a little and answering your questions. Seb breaks down his journey and shares some tips and tricks to get yourself started in business. The 10 questions from the audience focussed on Seb starting his edTech business; Titus Learning. Seb as always gives an honest account of what he's experienced in the hopes that you can all learn and take inspiration from it. We'll be releasing more content like this as well as our usual interview podcasts. Questions asked by the audience: 1. How did you come up with the idea for your business? 2. How long have you and your business partner worked together? 3. Did you need lots of money to start the business? 4. Did you write a business plan and do your market research. 5. What is the best way to do a business plan? 6. How do Virgin Startup loans work? 7. What did you spend your startup capital on and how long was it before your team grew? 8. Did you start the business without an office? 9. Do you hire Freelancers in your business? 10. Has your growth been steady? . Titus website: https://www.tituslearning.com In this episode we cover: Idea generation Business loans Business plans and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.   — — — —   Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this episode we are joined by a fellow Yorkshire Man; Harjit Moore. Harjit is the CEO & Founder of Freeze Debt which is an app that aims to take people in the UK out of debt. He knows that many people at the moment are struggling with debt and going through a tough time and he's created the app to help people get out of bad situations and regain some control over their lives. Harjit is super straight talking and super frank, so luckily for us we get an unfiltered view of his entrepreneurial life and story. It was hard to fit it all in this episode so we'll be sure to do another episode with Harjit and find out more about his as an individual with his interesting past. This episode covers a topic that people often shy away from talking about and this app seems to be trying to break the stigma and norms surrounding debt. We hope you enjoy the episode and be sure to let us know in the comments what you thought about the episode. Taken from the Freeze Debt website: Freeze Debt: The FREE Debt Advice & Solution App Find a solution to any debt problem, from the ease of your own mobile phone Chat through the in-app messaging or WhatsApp No embarrassing phone calls No awkward face to face meetings Just quick and easy service at your fingertips! We know that talking about your debt problems to strangers is not the nicest thing to do. This can lead to unwanted embarrassment, stress and anxiety and ultimately put people off wanting to find what they can do to solve their issues. An app gives you privacy and makes it easier - you can go through the process in your own time. Freeze Debt website: https://www.freezedebt.co.uk/ In this episode we cover: The need for the app The debt problem in the UK and worldwide The concept and history of the company Harjits previous business ventures COVID debt Recruitment Teams User acquisition strategy for app and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

#71 "In business, you've got to catch the energy!"Diana Geldenhuys -CEO gulfHR & OPS  In this weeks amazing episode, we do another in-person recording with Dubai-based HR & Payroll entrepreneur; Diana Geldenhuys: The CEO & Founder of OPS (Outsourced Payroll Solutions) & gulfHR.ae Diana is from South Africa originally and came to the UAE in 1998. Since then, she has been the Emirates Women Winner 2016 in overall business category & a successful leader who owns and manages two companies: OPS and gulfHR. This episode covers Diana's journey of entrepreneurship and the various business adventures she has been on. They talk about the various stages of risk taking in business and also the importance of building relationships around you to help yourself. Diana talks about her new eco-tourism business: Lands Edge and her and Seb discuss commercial enterprises and social enterprises and how they are not mutually exclusive. I'm sure everyone will learn something from the podcast and inspired to just get started! Diana has been so generous in offering one of our listeners some of her time to discuss an early business venture idea. Follow our social channels to have a chance of winning this. OPS is the payroll specialist in The Middle East Regions. They understand all the complexities within the regions and cover: Ethnically and culturally diverse business environments, compensation and benefits management for both expatriates and nationals, statutory compliance regulations and the increasing complexities of bank regulations in an emerging market. To name just a few. Visit the website here: https://ops.ae/ gulfHR is a powerful and robust HRMS (Human Resource Management System) built exclusively for The Middle East. At its core, gulfHR is a powerful and intuitive cloud-based HR platform that can be used across mobile or web interfaces. With an intuitive on-the-go functionality for employees, it supports flexible and customizable paths to suit your organization's structure no matter how complex. Visit the website here: https://gulfhr.ae/ This episode covers: Moving to UAE HR Professionals HR Mentorship Gaps In HR Tech Business Relationships Brand Cultures Software Building Legacy Eco Tourism Commercial & Social Enterprises and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.   — — — —   Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this week's amazing episode we speak with Sam Dey from deytips.com. Sam is a London based Marketing Consultant, Content Creator and is the Founder of deytips.com. Sam has a very successful YouTube channel that guides people through marketing, website development and is also part of the YouTube community. He is also an Author and Instructor for LinkedIn Education and he talks about the story of how he got there in this episode. Seb and Sam go through his journey of entrepreneurship, talking about his early days and how he first entered the world of Marketing, eCommerce, and content creation. Sam works with the likes of small businesses as well as global brands such as Wix and Hostinger and also has a range of courses available on sites such as Udemy.  His website is: https://www.deytips.com/ and his His YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/c/SamDeyTips/featured DeyTips was founded by Sam Dey. An online marketing consultant, YouTuber, LinkedIn Learning Author and best selling online course creator on Udemy. DeyTips is an educational resources website for entrepreneurs and business owners who aspire to develop online marketing strategies to improve traffic, leads and sales to their business. This episode covers: Sam's first step into entrepreneurship Creating Content  Building award winning udemy courses Getting Scouted by LinkedIn and Wix Self Employment eCommerce Marketing and Personal Brand Social Media Growth Success and Personal Growth Impact Customers Problem Solving Dropshipping Time Management and Organisation and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this special episode we talk to CEO & Founder of Kapes: Matthew Benjamin alongside our very own Seb Francis who is also a Co Founder of Kapes. See the Episode on youtube here: https://youtu.be/SfCS2NNZTfQ "If you want a business that's going to be thriving in 20 ,30, 40, 50 years from now, then you got too, from a logical point of view, get sustainability in there from the start"! As you can see this episode is slightly different for two reasons. One, it's our first face to face interview as both founders are now based in Dubai. Two, Seb has invested in this company and is also the Co Founder working alongside the other Co Founders Matthew Benjamin and Michael Bennett. We learn in this episode all about Kapes and it's CEO Matthew and we see why Seb was attracted to the investment opportunity. Kapes is the world's most sustainable school uniform company. This is their WHY: "Kapes was born from wanting to find a way to fight the climate crisis and revolutionise the school uniform market at the same time. We place sustainability at the heart of everything we do, to help give a brighter future to as many children as possible. That’s also why for every uniform sold, we give a free one to a child in need. This helps children stay in school, giving them a better chance to rise out of poverty. And by teaching Kapes kids about how their clothes are made and how the people who make them are treated, we hope to influence a new generation of conscious consumers. But perhaps best of all, they can see how the simple act of wearing their Kapes uniform is already helping the planet and other kids all around the world." Matt is the CEO and founder of Kapes. He has been working in the clothing and textiles industry since 2010, starting out with Tom James (the world's largest custom clothing company) before launching sustainable menswear tailor Benjamin Siggers in 2017. In founding Kapes, Matt has combined his expertise for finding sustainable textile solutions with his natural passion for helping the next generation. He strongly believes in educating children to be more connected to the clothes they wear, the people who make them and the places they are made. Originally from London, he has resided in the UAE since 2012. Matt is an avid sports lover and a big fan of the West Indies cricket team. Kapes also gives back! They are passionate about helping all children fulfil their potential, so they can grow up to become the future change makers the world really needs. That's why Kapes gives away a free school uniform for every one they sell. See the website here: https://kapes.co/ In this episode we cover: Sustainability Business Growth Entrepreneurship Matt's journey Internationalisation Exporting Black Lives Matter Black History Month And much more... We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

New podcast episode: 3.5X Podcast#068“This is the moment to start a business!"Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones aka THE BLACK FARMER Please view here: https://youtu.be/eunhx69Awqw This week we chat to Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE aka THE BLACK FARMER! We were really excited to speak to this passionate and lively entrepreneur. Wilfred is such an interesting character with bags of life experience, stories and a diverse pathway into his current business venture: The Black Farmer brand which makes premium farm food and drinks. "The key thing in achieving anything you want in life is, first of all, having the audacity to dream it!" His entrepreneurial and life journey has seen him born in Jamaica, grow up in Birmingham, get kicked out the British Army, start a food & drink marketing agency, work in the Television Industry, Owning his own piece of countryside and farm in Devon on the South Coast of England, battling with health issues, starting the Black Farmer Brand and much more! "I always embraced being an outsider"! Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones was born in Jamaica and his family came to the UK in the Windrush years in the 1950s. Brought up in inner-city Birmingham, he fulfilled his childhood dream to own a small piece of the British countryside, and when he turned 40 he bought his farm in Devon. Inspired by this and his love and support of British farming, he launched The Black Farmer brand. But he didn’t stop there. He wanted to be sure that The Black Farmer brand not only celebrates British farming by using only British meat; but also supports the increasingly large community of people who have Coeliac disease, or a wheat and gluten intolerance. See the business here: https://theblackfarmer.com/ Dream early! because it takes a long time to achieve your dreams! In this episode we cover: Covid19 & the opportunity to do things differently His battle with Leukemia & stem cell transplant Entrepreneurial spirit Having a dream and focus Culture Product development and idea generation Brand name Guardian Angels The British Army The BBC Uncertainty Failure as a positive Taking risks Research, data and having vision His book: Jeopardy - The danger of playing it safe! Eccentricity and the status quo Forward momentum and not the past Self belief and Freedom Black History Month Giving back to inner city communities by showing them countryside life through schemes. Diversity Wilfred has been ever so kind and given us a signed copy of his book to give to one of our listeners. Get to our social channels to learn more. We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/  

New Podcast episode - Please view here: 3.5X Podcast#067“Nothing can not be overcome” Jared Brown, Sipsmith London Co Founder. https://youtu.be/k4GLIpVZL_M In this weeks podcast, Seb catches up with the very lively and the Gin mastermind himself; Jared Brown of Sipsmith London. The company has seen rapid growth over the last few years, with no signs of slowing down. You can really see the passion, knowledge and flair that Jared oozes in all things Gin related. As well as an entrepreneur, he is also known as a: Drinks historian, Underwear model, Book publisher, Bon Viveur, Cotswold gardener, Gin lover, Creative genius, Master Distiller. Sipsmith Gin is made in London’s first copper distillery in 200 years. The brand is all about Old School Gin Crafting and using traditional methods. As a traditionalist, Jaded talks all things Sipsmith, entrepreneurship as well as history, books and has some great stories along the way. Seb certainly enjoyed the interview and you can see him soaking in the advice and stories that Jared has about drinks business & history. This is of particular interest to Seb as he is in the Tequila market himself, more of that to come later. In this episode we cover: Starting up Moving to London History of Gin and Sipsmith Product development Passion! Aromas, Taste! Books and essential reading for entrepreneurs Tradition Brand Customers Advocates and much more. We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday on our Youtube channel.

3.5X Podcast#066 with Raphael Sofoluke. Founder of the UKBBS (UK BLACK BUSINESS SHOW). In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Raphael Sofoluke, the CEO and founder of the UK Black Business Show. Please view the link to the episode here - https://youtu.be/RKlJD5s6sYA The annual conference and exhibition highlights and promotes businesses founded by people from the black community. The 2019 show had over 2,500 attendees and 110 businesses from across Europe and Africa. The 2020 show was due to go ahead in the upcoming weeks but unfortunately it has been rescheduled to October 2021 due to the current covid uncertainty and regulations in public spaces. Raphael has been recognised by Forbes as one of the 25 leading Black British Business people to follow alongside 24 other remarkable role models. He has also recently launched the Black Tech Achievement Awards, sponsored by J.P. Morgan, to celebrate and acknowledge black role models and innovators within the tech sector and to help illuminate the pathways to greater representation of the black community within the industry. Sofoluke started his journey as many entrepreneurial young people do by following conventional advice and enrolling in university to study law and business. Whilst this took up the bulk of his energy, his spare time was consumed by a passion for media and music, he even had a brief career as a rapper! In this episode, Seb and Raphael talk about: Launching his entrepreneurial adventure within the event and exhibition spaces. Black Tech Awards Black Lives Matter Equality, diversity and inclusion within the workplace Rafael's upcoming 2021 book Plus plenty more! Rafael has also been kind enough to give us a few free tickets to the show, although this will now be in October 2021. Please check out social channels for information closer to the time.

I'm In! This week we have Piers Linney, most known from BBC's Dragons Den & The Secret Millionaire. Entrepreneur, Investor, Adviser, Speaker and Creator of the #StartUp#ScaleUp course, it's fair to say Piers Linney has had his fair share of business experience and adventures! Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Piers grew up in a former mill town in Lancashire where he attended the local comprehensive school. His mother is from the Parish of St. Philip in Barbados and came to the UK in the early 1960s and spent her career working for the NHS before retiring and starting her own business. His father is from working class Manchester and was one of the first to earn an academic scholarship to attend Cambridge University in the 1950s. The host Seb also shares a similar upbringing in Leeds and in this episode they talk upon the current BLM movement and diversity and inclusion within entreupenurship and workplace culture. Piers is often referred to as an entrepreneur and a TV personality following his appearances as an investor on the prime-time BBC show ‘Dragons’ Den’ and the Channel 4 series, ‘The Secret Millionaire’, he has a professional background in law, investment banking and fund management. On Dragons’ Den he invested in the personalised children’s book publisher Wonderbly, which was the #1 fastest growing company in Tech Track 2017.   He has experienced both success and failure and is a recognised champion of entrepreneurship, technology and small and medium-sized enterprises. Although it is difficult to align objectives, culture and timescales, Piers also believes that value can be created by partnerships between small innovators and large enterprises. As you know, The Startup Secrets Podcast is now the 3.5X Podcast and we continue to bring you the best entrepreneurs from the UK and around the world. In this episode we discuss: Investing and starting businesses in an economic downturn The coronavirus pandemic Raising finance Workplace culture Co-founders Structurting shareholder agreements Pier's story and TV personality Marketing Investing Black entrepreneurship, Black Lives Matter Diversity and Inclusion And much more... Check our social channels for our latest competition in which we're giving away FREE access to #START-UP with Piers Linney. https://www.pierslinney.com/startup-c... His website: https://www.pierslinney.com/

Grenade is one of the fastest growing companies in the UK. Founder Alan Barratt states: "I want us to be the redbull of sports nutrition". Based in Solihull, Grenade now employs more than 60 staff, and retails in more than 80 countries around the world. Next Grenade plans to expand its international presence, following the opening of its new offices in Dubai. A married couple who launched their first product with just £27 in their bank account and sold it for £72 million seven years later, have been named recently as the National Great British Entrepreneur of the Year. With an initial focus on high performance sports nutrition products, Grenade®  In this episode we discuss: Idea generation & formation  Building a brand not just products Focussing on best taste and exploiting gaps in market Marketing a premium product Constant improvement And much more...  

Who doesn’t love ice cream!? If you answered ‘me’, you’re only lying to yourself and don’t need to read any further :) well, it’s up to you whether you read further, but you really should get some more frozen goodness down you!   In this episode I speak with Douh Bouton, co-founder of Halo Top ice cream. For those of you not familiar with the brand, Halo Top is a light ice cream with fewer calories, less sugar, and more protein than traditional ice cream. And it’s delicious!   In August 2017, Halo Top became the #1 selling pint of ice cream in the U.S. beating out long-term industry giants including Hagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry's. In November 2017, Time Magazine named Halo Top one of its top inventions of the year, and their sales are in excess of $350million!   In this episode we discuss: Being “lean by design” Customer feedback and product design International expansion Marketing a premium product What does and exit look like And as always, plenty more...

Quorso exists to provide companies and management teams with the information they need to make smarter decisions, ensuring their business run more effectively and more economically.    5 years in the making, Quorso now works with the likes of National Express, Radisson Blu Hotels, Chiquito, and Marks & Spencers, to name but a few. The client base of Quorso turns over in excess of $20bn!   We talk at length about how they validated their initial idea, grew the team (not just in the UK but internationally), raised funding, and continued to improve and develop their software.     In this episode we discuss:   Idea validation Collaborative and remote working  Team culture Fundraising Branding and messaging Measuring customer satisfaction And as always, plenty more…

I’m lucky enough to chat with plenty of companies and entrepreneurs, the majority of which have had great success, but there’s always a little something extra when they’ve done it without funding, which is exactly what Jennifer and her team at Digital Voices have done!   We cover a whole load of topics in this chat, but particularly focus on doing it without funding, some of the challenges, and how those have been overcome.   We also touch on the importance of building an ethically aware company, and how social impact is becoming an increasing part of a company’s strategy.   In this episode we discuss:   The first 6 months and biggest challenges YouTube and other content channels Time management and balancing workload Lean startup methodology Creating and ethically driven company And as always, plenty more...

In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Jos Majic, Founder and CEO of Tacit. We jump straight into how their company is capturing data you never even knew you were sharing, to help companies make smarter decisions. Before you panic, Tacit work within controlled environments and utilise apps and wearables to catch a whole load of data points around consumer happiness or stress!   If it sounds pretty futuristic, it’s because it is. Tacit actually started our by capturing data for parents to better understand their children, and have since pivoted to a model that depends less on hardware, and better services universities and companies, including a number of Fortune 500 companies!    Happy listening :)  

In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Shahzad Younas the founder and CEO of Muzmatch. Shazad is a fellow northerner so we hit it off straight away and had a great conversation about his Muslim dating site. Shazad got the idea for Muzmatch whilst in a career of trading and has since grown the company exponentially into millions of users and tens of thousands of successful relationships and marriages all around the globe.    Shazad talks us through his fundraising and recruitment as well as what it’s like to run a Technology company and gaining an absolutely huge user base.   I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it.

In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Jan Amstutz, Founder and CEO of Halo.me.    Jan has had a life full of extremes so far, starting life with no TV and a hippy upbringing, through to earning crazy money as a commodities trader, and then on to running his own Augmented Reality startup in London… and plenty in between.   We managed to chat about what it’s like to approach such a vast market, and build a business where the demand may not yet exist. We also talk about finding your own happiness and purpose, which Jan understood only too well after some pretty tough life events!   Finally, we chat about Jan’s experience as a consultant to a VC, and why you should avoid VC money if you can!   In this episode we discuss: Augmented and virtual reality Creating and finding demand VC funding Focusing on your own priorities Making a different And as always, plenty more...

The first thing you notice about Sam Browne is his energy. I like to think I’m quite a big character but I felt like a tornado had entered the room when Sam stepped in! Once I’d managed to calm (just about) the positivity storm, we sat down and had a good gnatter for an hour or so.   Sam is Co-founder of Let’s Do This, a company on a mission to help more people discover epic experiences than any other community on the planet, whether that be a 5k fun run or a double Ironman triathlon.   They’re also one of the very few to be selected from tens of thousands to be part of the Y-combinator cohort, a huge achievement in itself. They’ve raised in excess of $6million, including a chunk from a certain Serena Williams and Usain Bolt!   We focus a lot on the team Sam and his Co-founders have built and how they start right from the point of recruitment to make sure they have a team of absolute winners. And this is not just in the work sense, their team includes Team GB gold medallists and European champions.   I really enjoyed recording this one and hope you enjoy listening :)

“A leap into the unknown” with James McAulay   James McAulay is the Co-founder of Encore: an online marketplace helping events planners find their perfect musical accompaniment. Encore were founded in 2014, and now work with over 25,000 musicians and groups. The platform has provided musical accompaniment to over 6,000 events since 2015 including The X-Factor and a launch party for Game of Thrones. What’s more it’s paid out over £3m to the musicians in its orbit.   In the episode we talk plenty about the accelerator that James and his co-founder went through. We also touch on James’ personal background and how he’s found that surrounding himself by the best talent has allowed him to reach his own potential.    In this episode we discuss: Accelerators and incubators Surrounding yourself with the best talent How to improve as a manager/leader and get feedback from your team Organic customer growth Ads vs SEO And as always, plenty more…

Where do I begin? MIT and Harvard Business School Alumni… Member of Founders Pledge… Chair of REAch2… or last (but certainly not least) CEO and Founder of Attest! Whichever angle you come from, it’s hard not to be impressed by Jeremy King’s story to date, and even more so by his longer term plans!   I had the pleasure of chatting Jeremy about how he’s built Attest, a platform enabling companies to engage directly with 100+ million consumers worldwide.   Jeremy and the team have raised a hugh $20million to date, with solid plans and forecasts to invest that wisely to secure further growth and funding!   We also talk about the “giving back” element of Jeremy’s story, and how that same culture is fed into Attest’s day-to-day practices.   Please share away and let me know what you think :)     In this episode we discuss:   MVP’s and customer feedback Tackling the hardest part of your plans first Hiring well (and then leaving them to it!) Preparing early on for longer term scaling plans Fundraising and selecting the right partners And as always, plenty more...  

A couple of years back I had the pleasure of chatting with Aldo De Pape, CEO and Founder of TeachPitch. If you haven’t yet heard that episode I’ve very much suggest checking it out before listening to this one!   I try my best to keep in touch with guests after the show and Aldo has had a very busy couple of years business-wise, managed to squeeze his first baby in there as well, and has a slightly different outlook in terms of well-being and efficiency as an entrepreneur. As such, I thought it would be a great chance to check back in with him and see how he’s getting on.   As mentioned, check out the first episode if you’ve not already, and hope you enjoy them both :)   In this episode we discuss: International growth Journalling and task setting Fitness and wellbeing Fasting and how it impacts physical and mental performance And as always, plenty more

In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Matt De La Hey, CEO and Co-founder of Inploi. Inploi was launched in 2016, and more than 25,000 candidates were registered as of 2018, with applications growing month-on-month. Over 1,000 employers including the likes of Gaucho, Young’s Pubs, Hilton Hotels, the Hurlingham Club, and Polpo use the Inploi system to fill vacancies every single day!   Matt has come off the back of an MBA to build Inploi alongside his co-founders, and they’ve already seen some amazing traction after a well timed and planned pivot. They took a really innovative approach to bringing potential investors along the journey with them, and that resulted in a quick and successful round.   Let me know what you think :)   In this episode we discuss: Building investor relations before asking for funding Understanding when and how to pivot The impact of brexit Avoiding burnout And as always, plenty more...

“Take a step back” with Victoria Lee   In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Victoria Lee, Co-founder and CEO of 100 Pound Social. Victoria’s company was actually mentioned by another of our guests on their recording (George Lambert, Lambert Labs - Listen here) and so I reached out to find out more. I really liked what they were about and their business model and so thought we’d get them on the show to share their story!   Victoria and her sister, Louise, started 100 Pound Social just over 3 years ago when they spotted a gap for affordable social media services to companies. They grew the company organically, and eventually got it a point where they were able to leave their jobs and pursue it full time. Since then, they’ve gone from strength to strength, recruiting a team, signing clients, and ensuring they’ve got the systems in place to support their future growth.   If you’re interested in growing a company organically, getting the most out of your social media, or even running a remote team, check out this episode :)   In this episode we discuss: Organic growth Social media trends and strategy Remote working Hiring and staff culture Delegation And as always, plenty more...  

In June, podcast host Seb Francis featured on the Venturi Podcast speaking about the '3 things I’ve learned from starting a business'.    Venturi are an incredibly innovative company that help with tech recruitment. You can find out more about Venturi here.    Here is what they wrote about the episode -      Sebastian is the co-founder and director of Titus Learning.   As the co-founder of Titus Learning Sebastian has always championed e-learning and alternate educational routes. After a brief stint at university, he found he worked best when engaging in ‘non-traditional’ educational avenues. This realisation saw him set up Titus Learning to bring the advantages of e-learning courses to as many people as possible.           Key points covered in this show include:   How e-learning is disrupting the ‘traditional’ education sectors How can we create a tech curriculum that can adapt to the pace of change of technology     Seb's three lessons    These are the three key lessons Seb learned when running his own company:   Hire Quicker / hire more   ‘I would have hired quicker and hired more people if I could have done. There were times where I was probably too cautious. I had cash sat there and I thought I could get people in but said ‘lets hold off until we’ve got to X point’. That point may never come, so hire people when you believe it is right too. The real turning point for my business was when I started hiring and getting more people onboard.’         Make sure what you're doing is affecting your companies bottom line   ‘You need to make sure everything you’re doing is positively affecting your businesses bottom line. You might go through a good few months of sales and be tempted to shift your focus on to an untested idea at the expense of your sales. Be careful about that. Always ask yourself is this action increasing my profits and if it isn’t doing that straight away make sure you have a vision for how the project can make you money in the future.’     Have fun with it   ‘This one’s a bit cheesy but seriously have fun running your business. It can be really tough at times and there are times where you lose motivation. I find it’s expected of people running companies that they never lose any motivation. But ultimately anyone running a company is only human so don’t be too hard on your self and enjoy your work because you’ll find if you do that your staff will too.’  

“I wanna do it fast” with Rachel Carrell   In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Rachel Carrell - Founder and CEO of Koru Kids. Rachel’s career before founding Koru Kids is impressive enough on its own, and after being the CEO of other companies previously, Rachel was well set to build Koru Kids to the brilliant business it has already come to be.   The team of 30 based in London now support over 17,000 families to support their childcare needs, and their vision is to become the “World’s best childcare service”. Rachel has raised £4.1m to date, with other rounds in the pipeline, and amazingly she ‘accidentally’ raised the second round of £3.5m whilst pregnant and gave birth halfway through the process!   This episode is a great example of how to take on a large issue within a very large sector, and Koru Kids seems to be growing from strength to strength!   In this episode we discuss:   Fundraising - how to do it, and when is it right to do it? Understanding how to negotiate with investors Research and development in the early stages Validating your idea Marketplace companies Building your entrepreneurial network And as always, plenty more

“Understand why people will say no, and eliminate as many of those as possible” with Timo Armoo   In this episode I’m delighted to be joined by Timo Armoo, Co-founder of FanBytes, the social media marketing company who support the likes of Universal, Warner, Sony, and Apple!   MusicFanbytes own and operate a network of Snapchat communities entertaining millions of teens every day. They create Snapchat optimized content for brands and distribute organically through their influencer networks, and also grow Snapchat accounts for brands and individuals.   FanBytes growth has been brilliant so far, and it is showing no signs of stopping with Timo soon moving out to LA to continue their growth!   We talk in detail about the different marketing routes, which ones are best suited to which sector and market, and how the market may change over the coming years.   Let me know what you think :)   In this episode we discuss: Social media market and the most suited platforms How to market to a GenZ audience How to sign large clients early on Creating a USP in a crowded sector Pros  cons to having a young team And as always, plenty more...

“Change, change, change” with Alexandra Isenegger   Alex Isenegger is the founder and CEO of Linkilaw, a legal platform for startups that provides quality legal services, including contract writing, and other legal advice to businesses at an affordable cost. Alex has been listed on Forbes 30 under 30, is a mentor and coach to other startups, and regularly writes on the topic of wellbeing within entrepreneurship.   Further to graduating from her Law degree, Alex was ready to head into the world of work and immediately saw issues in regards to the cost, efficiencies, and quality of legal practices that already existed. As opposed to accepting the status quo and going to work for one of the ‘big boys’, Alex decided to set out on her own and build LinkiLaw into a business that would rival the standard practices. In the time since she’s started, the team has an international presence and a team of around 40 people support startups, scale-ups, and SMEs. We talk about the LegalTech sector and how Alex pivoted a number of times to get to where she is today.   In this episode we discuss: Disrupting the legal sector Imposter syndrome Happiness and balance whilst building a company Recruitment, culture, and values Working with a co-founder And as always, plenty more…

“Manufacturers are your first investor” with Ilana Lever   In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Ilana Lever, the co-founder of Motley London. After working for many years as a Management Consultant, Ilana grew increasingly frustrated by the limited choices available for women who wanted stylish jewelry of good quality that didn’t break the bank.   With that frustration, Ilana teamed up with Cecily Motley who spent her early career working for an art jewelry dealer. The two have created a brilliant brand in Motley, where they find the best jewellery designers and makers in the world to create unique jewellery collections. Motley have since been featured in The New York Times, The Sunday Times and Vogue!   Ilana gives a great insight into building and running a product based company, and some of the pitfalls you can avoid. We also talk about ‘Female Founders’ and some of the challenges they can face in comparison with their male counterparts, particularly when it comes to raising funds. We really enjoyed chatting with Ilana and hope you will too, give it a listen and let me know what you think!   In this episode we discuss: Manufacturing and launching a product Female founders and the stereotypes faced Internationalisation Fundraising Personal wellbeing when running a company And as always, plenty more…

In this episode, we chat with Charlie Pool, Co-founder of Stowga, a platform for finding warehouse space on demand that’s revolutionising the sector. Stowga is regularly described as a WeWork / AirBnB for warehousing, and has the potential to have just as much impact!   Featured on both the BBC and in the Financial Times, the team from London have 650 warehouses in over 10 countries around the world. They are backed by Seedcamp, Speed Invest and CBRE, amongst others.   Their customers include BT, KFC, Nike and Unilever, in addition to plenty of other worldwide brands and multinationals.   This is a great introduction to the sharing economy and building a marketplace, and we also talk about the passion of Charlie, and that not necessarily being warehouses, but building a brilliant company!   Let me know what you think!   In this episode we discuss: The sharing economy Assessing the size of a market Funding and whether it’s the right route for everyone The potential impact of Brexit Content marketing and becoming and expert in your field Finding your passion, no matter what the business And as always, plenty more...

Who doesn’t love a bunch of flowers? Exactly. And that’s just the market Aron and his team wanted to disrupt. Have you ever tried sending flowers but unsure whether the person would be in, or to what location, and it ends up more of a hassle than it is a nice gesture? Well if not, it really is. Enter Bloom & Wild, famous for their ‘letterbox flowers’ to be sent anywhere, anytime.   This isn’t only a quite nice idea solving a very really problem, it’s also a business idea to be reckoned with. The team of 70 now ship tens of thousands of boxes a week across the UK, Ireland, Germany and France, and have raised a whopping £21m+ in funding! Bloom and Wild are also recognised by Deloitte as the second fastest growing company in the UK, and the second fastest growing company in Europe with a growth rate of 13,818%!   Prior to Bloom & Wild, Aron worked as a management consultant, advising technology, retail and consumer products companies at Bain & Company, having previously worked at Google and OC&C. Aron has an MA in Modern Languages from Jesus College, Oxford, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.   Let me know what you think of the episode :)   In this episode we discuss: Funding and hyper growth Challenges of fast growth Customer acquisition Internationalisation Managing a large team Company culture How to combine tech, flowers and logistics (or any other 3 elements!) And as always, plenty more...

David Feinman had various business ideas growing up, and plenty of those he ran with. It’s no surprise that years on he’s running his own company with his entrepreneur buddy Zach!   David explained that Zach and he ‘accidentally’ started their company, but they’ve certainly turned that ‘accident’ into a force to be reckoned with. Based out of Philadelphia, United States, David and Zach run Viral Ideas Marketing. With what started out as a consulting business, they have moved into the content creation space, and have since ‘productised’ their offering with Flixation, a video editing service.   If you’re looking at how to scale, and how to use video to better support your company and marketing then give this a listen!   In this episode we discuss: The power of video How to use video across social media Evolving your company to scale Customer retention and happiness And as always, plenty more...  

Lambert Labs is the brainchild of George Lambert. A couple of years ago George was, and still is I should add, a very talented developer, but due to health issues he found himself unable to type or work at a desk. When faced with the dilemma of completely changing his career path or figuring out a way to continue doing what he loved, George figured out a way to do that latter!   2 years on and George employees a team of developers at their West London office, and their developments reach end-users within the NHS and Accenture!   This is a great story about how entrepreneurship can help you overcome personal challenges, and how to adapt to your customer and opportunities!   In this episode we discuss: Starting a company when the odds are against you Scalability Filling skill gaps within your company Sales and marketing Specialisation vs generalisation And as always, plenty more...

“Say yes to everything” with Sam Jarvis   Ever been sworn at for carrying a big ol’ piece of art on the tube? Nope, me neither! But that’s exactly what prompted Sam Jarvis to start HubBox and solve the issue we all face around deliveries either not getting to us on time, being in the wrong place, or wasting a full day waiting at home.   Since founding, more than 100 retailers have signed up to HubBox, and among them are a number of top 500 retailers including Jack Wills, Warehouse, Joseph Joseph, and JOY - all of them utilising HubBox’s revolutionary click and collect options.   Sam talks us through their extensive ‘idea validation process’ and how they took the first steps to signing users on both sides: vendors and consumers. We then talk about their future plans for international expansion and how that will be managed stateside!   Enjoy!!   In this episode we discuss: Signing the big clients Finding your ‘truths’ and testing them Wider business strategy Motivation International expansion And as always, plenty more…

With over £30 million raised in funding, and 70,000 people helped with their mortgages to date, it’s fair to say Dan Hegarty and the team have achieved a HUGE amount in a very short space of time!   Hegarty’s overall mission for Habito? “To make mortgages as easy to switch as your broadband or car insurance from the comfort of your home, and something you do in moments, not weeks.”   I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Dan at their London offices and found out how Habito are managing to ‘make the un-sexy, sexy’ with mortgages (< I said that, not him!). Their growth to date is phenomenal, and their simplistic approach to tackling such a huge problem is enviable.   If you feel like you’re facing a brick wall (or brick industry!) with your new idea, then give this a listen to find out how one man is changing the game bit by bit.   In this episode we discuss: Cashflow Investment rounds Investor expectation Recruiting secrets Tackling such a huge industry And as always, much more...

Launched in January 2015, Craft Gin Club has seen HUGE growth over the past three years to become the UK’s largest subscription club for gin lovers. Jon and John are targeting the massive £1.3bn gin market within the UK, and are well on their way to being one of the biggest names with over 230,000 newsletter subscribers and 450,000 fans on social media.   Craft Gin Club have done an unbelievable job of growing their revenue levels, and have cut off other less profitable areas when required. Their appearance on Dragons’ Den did them great favours and I’m sure they’ll continue going from strength to strength!   Looking at a subscription business? Give this a listen!   In this episode we discuss: Building a subscription model The impact of an MBA Content marketing Socials media Doing what you love Visiting the den of dragons And as always, plenty more...

“Learn to say no” with Ben Saul-Garner   Heading to the Attachment offices you immediately get a vibe of what the company is like, with celeb pics hanging on the walls, bottles of gin lining the shelves, and bose speakers in the corner - the company and what they do is just about as cool as you’d expect!   I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Co-founder Ben Saul-Garner. Ben, and his co-founder Chris, have built an amazing team of “superstars”, and an equally impressive list of clients and partners, including Google, YouTube, AirBnB, ASOS, and plenty more. And the talent they link these brands up with isn’t so bad either, with names such as James Corden, Lady Gaga, and Ellie Goulding.   We also touch on Ben’s ‘side gig’: Rebel Book Club. RBC is a network for like-minded individuals who love to read (typically non-fiction), but perhaps don’t always follow through on the action points or takeaways. We talk about the club itself (which I highly recommend you check out), and also the business element of building a subscription model.   In this episode we discus: Establishing links with top brands Building a superstar team Freelance economy Beer and books Subscription businesses And as always, plenty more...

“Don’t innovate” with Peter Watson   Peter started Distract when still at university with just £5,000 from his previous business! By the end of uni, they already had a book of clients and 5 staff. Peter has been involved in marketing since the age of 16 after honing his skills in social media, PPC, and email marketing.   Peter has some pretty strong views on why going to university is an absolute must for any new young entrepreneur, and there are some very fair points in there. He’s extremely hungry and will to try anything new to disrupt and put his own stamp on things!   In this episode we discuss: Becoming a ‘Key Person of Influence’ Starting young Working different The benefits of going to uni Relationship building and your network And as always, plenty more...  

1 of 20 businesses selected out of 3,500 for an accelerator. Offers from all 5 dragons on Dragon’s Den. And acquired within 3 years. Ben Corrigan and the team haven’t done so bad!!   Ben joined me very very shortly after Pouch had been acquired as part of a cash buyout. To reach that stage after 3 years of founding (and only 2.5 years from product launch) is insane, and so it was great to speak to him fresh off the back of this acquisition.   We touch on the growth, product testing, preparing for Dragon’s Den, and how they managed the acquisition process.   In this episode we discuss: Pitching and raising funds Dragon’s Den Finding the right co-founders Accelerator programmes Acquisition and the details And as always, plenty more…  

*** GIVEAWAY***   Want a snack? ;)   Sara and the team at Well and Truly have very kindly given us some of their goodies to pass away to our listeners! Simply share this episode on social (FB, IG, Twitter) and tag the Startup Secrets page (links on website) and we’ll pick some lucky winners :D   In this episode we speak with the brilliant Sara Trechman - not only because of the unbelievable business she’s built, but also because she’d had her newborn baby just 6 days before this recording and still joined us!!   Sara and her co-founder have managed to build a widely recognised product and business with Well and Truly: they’ve raised chunks of money, have exported overseas, are stocked in Tescos and Sainsburys, and rocked an electric tuk tuk around the streets of London (why not)!   If you’re in the product and/or FMCG sector then give this a listen!   In this episode we discuss: Focus groups and testing Manufacturing Marketing Selling to the big boys Internationalisation and exporting And as always, plenty more...

“We’ve burnt a hell of a lot!” with Dan Jeffreys   In this week’s episode I speak with the refreshingly honest co-founder and COO of Resooma: Dan Jeffreys. The student accommodation platform has gone from strength to strength, after some harder times in the early days!   One of the great things about speaking with Dan is how open he is about not only the good times and their amazing achievements, but also the challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve overcome those challenges.   If you think entrepreneurship is all a walk in the park with multi-million pound raises, 100s of staff, and beautiful exits… then give this a listen :)   In this episode we discuss: Grants and investment Identifying skill gaps (and filling them!) Outsourced development KPIs and metrics for success Growing/hiring too big Forecasting And as always, plenty more...

“The product has to earn your respect” with Louise Doherty   Did you know it can take over 9 apps, 22 app switches, 77 swipes, 13 minutes on the phone and 10 texts to make a plan, and even then, 40% of the time planning fails completely!? Well now you do, and that’s exactly the problem that Louise and the team at PlanSnap are solving!   In this episode I chat with Louise Doherty, Founder and CEO of PlanSnap, the revolutionary new app to help you and your friends manage all your plans! PlanSnap amazingly signed its first brand partnership contract for £46,500 before a single line of code was written, and have since completed Techstars Connection in partnership with AB InBev in New York. Techstars is one of the world's top business accelerators. 1000+ companies have completed the Techstars program and 90% are still active or have been acquired, with a market cap of £8.3bn. Louise and the team also ran a crowdfunding campaign which was a resounding success after funding 152% of their target!   In this episode we discuss: Offsites and strategy days ‘Remote first’ teams User acquisition Funding and grants The calm tech revolution And as always, plenty more...

“Don’t try and be superman” with Harry Hugo   Offices in London, New York, Singapore, and Monaco. 100+ staff. Working with some of the world’s biggest brands. A $50million business. Oh yeah… and they’re only 3 years old!!   In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Harry Hugo, Co-founder of The Goat Agency. I joined Harry at their stunning offices in London and we chatted about their amazing growth in such a short period of time, his backstory and previous experience, and future plans for what sounds like world domination!   In this episode we discuss: Rapid growth and how to manage it Recruitment Team culture Internationalisation Social media influencing and the future of marketing How the role of the co-founder changes as the team grows And as always, plenty more...

“Fail to plan, plan to fail” with Chris Forbes   In this episode I was joined by Chris Forbes, Co-founder of The Cheeky Panda, a massively innovative company offering sustainable tissues made exclusively from bamboo!   Starting out in 2016, The Cheeky Panda have managed to gain a presence in 15+ countries, won various awards, and have been featured in numerous publications. They have been through a number of funding rounds, including Crowdfunding and offering equity, both of which surpassed their target, and eventually gave them a multi-million pound valuation!   It’s great to hear Chris talk about specific challenges of working in the product sector, so if you’re eyeing up the FMCG market then give this a listen!   In this episode we discuss: Sustainable companies Supply chain management Running a successful crowdfunding campaign Market testing Product launches Company valuation Angel funding Cashflow Funding and bootstrapping Working overseas and internationalisation And as always, plenty more...

“The idea of perfect evidence is a trap” with Rob Fitzpatrick   Ever since I first read ‘The Mom Test’, I’ve been obsessed with recommending the book to friends and entrepreneurs who are looking for business advice. For me, it’s the ultimate ‘how-to’ guide when it comes to validating business ideas, understanding your customers, and deciding whether you have a real idea of value. To say I’m excited to have the author, Rob Fitzpatrick, as the guest on this episode is a huge understatement!   Rob’s background is in tech companies, where he was part of incubator/accelerator groups alongside the likes of Dropbox. After running a number of his own successful companies, and (in his own words) a ‘failure’ or two, he’s extremely well-placed to write about how to best validate ideas to see when you’re on to a winner, and when you’re not!   When Rob’s businesses didn’t end up exactly the way he wanted/expected them to, he felt like he was doing a lot of work, and having a lot of conversations, but soon realised he wasn’t having the right conversations, and was also experiencing burnout. It was at this point he wrote his guide so others could avoid doing the exact same thing!   For any entrepreneurs with new businesses or ideas, if I can urge you to listen to any episodes, please let it be this one!   **As we’ve done with previous episodes, we’ll be giving away copies of Rob’s book (The Mom Test) to 3 lucky listeners who share the episode on their social platforms**   In this episode we discuss:  How to get honest feedback Validating your business idea - a masterclass! Tips for public speak and presenting Why surveys are no good for your pitch deck Blogging to improve your writing skills Why talking to customers is not enough, you have to talk to them properly Avoiding burnout Lifestyle businesses How and when to pitch your idea And as always, plenty more...

“Insecurity drives improvement” with Phil Neal   In this episode, we had the amazing opportunity to chat with one of (if not THE) most prolific EdTech entrepreneurs in the UK: Phil Neal.   For any listeners who went to school in the UK in the last 30 years, there’s a very good chance you’ve used or been exposed to Phil’s software. Phil is the brains behind the SIMS Management Information System, used in over 80% of (or 20,000!) schools in the UK. It’s reached many 10s of millions of users, and also has an international presence across 50 countries around the globe.   As a teacher in his earlier years, Phil, like many entrepreneurs, had an ‘itch of his own to scratch’ - the outcome, a system that soon caught the attention of multiple school groups and councils, and some years later, the attention of Capita who eventually acquired SIMS.   To scale any business to that size is unbelievable impressive, to do it in a market as challenging as the UK education sector is even more impressive.   In this episode we discuss:   Scaling and huge growth Finding the right partner for acquisition Appetite for risk and spotting opportunities Focusing on the benefits you’re providing Smart pricing strategies Picking the right founding team And as always, plenty more…