How This Founder Went From Retail Manager to Building an AI Startup & Raised £2M | Martin Mason

Ever wondered how someone goes from working as a Floor Manager at Halfords to raising £2M for an AI startup?In this episode of The Everyday Founder Podcast, Martin Mason, CEO of Talent Mapper, shares his unconventional journey, from retail and HR to building a high-growth HR tech company.We dive deep into:✅ The struggles of fundraising (and why it's a nightmare)✅ How Talent Mapper landed enterprise clients from Day 1✅ The truth about founder burnout and why therapy helped✅ Why internal promotions can save companies £450K+If you're a founder, entrepreneur, or just curious about the startup grind, this episode is packed with insights, lessons, and hard truths you won’t want to miss.#StartupJourney #Entrepreneurship #HRTech #FounderLife #BusinessGrowth📍 CHAPTERS:00:00 – Intro: Who is Martin Mason?01:19 – The accidental entrepreneur: From Halfords to HR Tech05:32 – Building TalentMapper: A problem worth solving10:57 – The truth about fundraising (and why it's brutal)15:40 – Landing enterprise clients as a startup21:13 – Internal promotions vs. external hiring (£450K savings!)28:05 – The challenges of scaling a startup35:40 – The dark side of entrepreneurship: Burnout & therapy42:22 – AI & the future of HR Tech50:01 – Martin’s advice for founders: Hiring, growth & resilience55:15 – What’s next for TalentMapper?🎧 Listen & Subscribe for More Everyday Founder Stories! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.