ScaleUp Stories

Episode 53 (Part2) "The Future CEO" What makes a CEO in 2026 different from a CEO in 2016? Artificial Intelligence. Remote-first teams. Accelerating change. Customer expectations that shift daily. In this episode, Daisy breaks down the eight essential CEO skills for the next decade. Not the skills that mattered last year. The skills that matter now and will matter for the next ten years. This is required listening for every founder building a company today.

Episode 53 (Part2) "The Future CEO" What makes a CEO in 2026 different from a CEO in 2016? Artificial Intelligence. Remote-first teams. Accelerating change. Customer expectations that shift daily. In this episode, Daisy breaks down the eight essential CEO skills for the next decade. Not the skills that mattered last year. The skills that matter now and will matter for the next ten years. This is required listening for every founder building a company today.

Episode 53 (Part1) "The Future CEO" What makes a CEO in 2026 different from a CEO in 2016? Artificial Intelligence. Remote-first teams. Accelerating change. Customer expectations that shift daily. In this episode, Daisy breaks down the eight essential CEO skills for the next decade. Not the skills that mattered last year. The skills that matter now and will matter for the next ten years. This is required listening for every founder building a company today.

Scaleup Stories - Episode 53 Treiler: "The Future CEO. What makes a CEO in 2026 different from a CEO in 2016? Artificial Intelligence. Remote-first teams. Accelerating change. Customer expectations that shift daily. In this episode, Daisy breaks down the eight essential CEO skills for the next decade. Not the skills that mattered last year. The skills that matter now and will matter for the next ten years. This is required listening for every founder building a company today.

"The Silent Killers: Founder's Edition" We're back with a fresh angle on the most dangerous business mistakes. This time, Alex joins Daisy to explore the seven silent killers through the lens of actual founder failures. Not theoretical. Real companies. Real founders. Real mistakes. In this four-part series, we dissect what went wrong, why founders didn't see it coming, and most importantly, how you can avoid their fate. This is the episode every founder needs to bookmark

SCALEUP STORIES — EPISODE 52 (PART 3) "The Silent Killers: Founder's Edition" Host: Alex |We're back with a fresh angle on the most dangerous business mistakes. This time, Alex joins Daisy to explore the seven silent killers through the lens of actual founder failures. Not theoretical. Real companies. Real founders. Real mistakes. In this four-part series, we dissect what went wrong, why founders didn't see it coming, and most importantly, how you can avoid their fate. This is the episode every founder needs to bookmark

"The Silent Killers: Founder's Edition" We're back with a fresh angle on the most dangerous business mistakes. This time, Alex joins Daisy to explore the seven silent killers through the lens of actual founder failures. Not theoretical. Real companies. Real founders. Real mistakes. In this four-part series, we dissect what went wrong, why founders didn't see it coming, and most importantly, how you can avoid their fate. This is the episode every founder needs to bookmark

The Silent Killers: Founder's Edition" We're back with a fresh angle on the most dangerous business mistakes. This time, Alex joins Daisy to explore the seven silent killers through the lens of actual founder failures. Not theoretical. Real companies. Real founders. Real mistakes. In this four-part series, we dissect what went wrong, why founders didn't see it coming, and most importantly, how you can avoid their fate. This is the episode every founder needs to bookmark

The Silent Killers: Founder's Edition"We're back with a fresh angle on the most dangerous business mistakes. This time, Alex joins Daisy to explore the seven silent killers through the lens of actual founder failures. Not theoretical. Real companies. Real founders. Real mistakes. In this four-part series, we dissect what went wrong, why founders didn't see it coming, and most importantly, how you can avoid their fate. This is the episode every founder needs to bookmark

"The Silent Killers: Dee Dive" SHOW NOTES - PART 4 Episode: 51 (Part 4 of 4) - FINAL PART Title: The Silent Killers Deep Dive (Part 4: Competition and Master Framework) Host: alk Guest: Daisy Runtime: ~10 minutes Format: Deep dive case study exploration + comprehensive framework Topics: Competition killer, master framework, prevention, system building

The Silent Killers: Deep Dive" ScaleUp Stories is a business podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs, creators, and future founders who want to build something bigger than themselves. Each episode explores the real stories behind startups, brands, marketing strategies, business psychology, and modern growth. From powerful ideas and scaling lessons to failures, comebacks, and success systems — ScaleUp Stories brings practical insights and inspiring conversations designed to help you think bigger and grow smarter. Whether you're starting your first business, building a personal brand, or scaling your next venture, this podcast delivers the mindset, strategies, and stories behind real business growth. 🎧 New episodes every week.

Your business is failing and you don't know why. Revenue looks good. Team seems fine. But something is slowly destroying your company from the inside. In this episode, Daisy reveals the hidden mistakes that destroy small businesses. Not obvious mistakes. Silent killers. Things that seem fine until they're not. We explore the mistakes she's seen destroy companies. The patterns that precede collapse. And most importantly, how to avoid them.

Your business is failing and you don't know why. Revenue looks good. Team seems fine. But something is slowly destroying your company from the inside. In this episode, Daisy reveals the hidden mistakes that destroy small businesses. Not obvious mistakes. Silent killers. Things that seem fine until they're not. We explore the mistakes she's seen destroy companies. The patterns that precede collapse. And most importantly, how to avoid them.

Your business is failing and you don't know why. Revenue looks good. Team seems fine. But something is slowly destroying your company from the inside. In this episode, Daisy reveals the hidden mistakes that destroy small businesses. Not obvious mistakes. Silent killers. Things that seem fine until they're not. We explore the mistakes she's seen destroy companies. The patterns that precede collapse. And most importantly, how to avoid them.

EPISODE 49 - PART 2: "BUILDING AND LAUNCHING YOUR PRODUCT" Most founders are trapped in service work. They trade time for money. Work harder, earn more. Work less, earn less. Digital products change everything. You build once. You earn forever. In this episode, Daisy shares her framework for creating digital products that generate passive income. From courses to software to communities. We explore the economics of digital products, the psychology of choosing this path, and the exact steps to build your first product.

: Most founders are trapped in service work. They trade time for money. Work harder, earn more. Work less, earn less. Digital products change everything. You build once. You earn forever. In this episode, Daisy shares her framework for creating digital products that generate passive income. From courses to software to communities. We explore the economics of digital products, the psychology of choosing this path, and the exact steps to build your first product.

Most founders are trapped in service work. They trade time for money. Work harder, earn more. Work less, earn less. Digital products change everything. You build once. You earn forever. In this episode, Daisy shares her framework for creating digital products that generate passive income. From courses to software to communities. We explore the economics of digital products, the psychology of choosing this path, and the exact steps to build your first product.

"The Business of Trust: Why Customers Buy From Brands They Trust" Episode: 48 (Part 1 of 2) Title: The Business of Trust (Part 1: Building Trust) Welcome to Episode 48. This is about the most valuable currency in business. Not money. Not attention. Trust.

"The Business of Trust: Why Customers Buy From Brands They Trust" Welcome to Episode 48. This is about the most valuable currency in business. Not money. Not attention. Trust.

"The Business of Trust: Why Customers Buy From Brands They Trust" Welcome back. Part 1 was building. Part 2 is leverage. Once you have trust, what do you do with it?

"From AI to Augmented Teams: Building the Hybrid Workforce" Welcome back. Part 1 was mindset. Part 2 is execution. Daisy, how do you actually build an augmented team?

"From AI to Augmented Teams: Building the Hybrid Workforce" Welcome to Episode 47. This is about building teams that actually win. Not AI replacing humans. Not humans competing with AI. But humans and AI working together.

TRAILER: "From AI to Augmented Teams"AI doesn't replace your team. It augments it. In this episode, Daisy reveals how to build teams where humans and AI work together seamlessly. You'll learn which roles to keep, which to automate, how to retrain people, and how to build culture that embraces AI rather than fears it. This is the next frontier: Not AI vs. Humans. But Humans + AI.  

"AI Employees: Your New Competitive Advantage"How AI is fundamentally changing the way businesses operate. From customer service to content creation to data analysis, AI is becoming the employee that never sleeps, never takes vacation, and scales infinitely. In this episode, Daisy shares how she's integrated AI into her businesses to 10x productivity and reduce costs by 60%. We explore the shift from hiring humans to deploying AI. The competitive advantage you get today will be baseline requirement tomorrow.

How AI is fundamentally changing the way businesses operate. From customer service to content creation to data analysis, AI is becoming the employee that never sleeps, never takes vacation, and scales infinitely. In this episode, Daisy shares how she's integrated AI into her businesses to 10x productivity and reduce costs by 60%. We explore the shift from hiring humans to deploying AI. The competitive advantage you get today will be baseline requirement tomorrow.

How AI is fundamentally changing the way businesses operate. From customer service to content creation to data analysis, AI is becoming the employee that never sleeps, never takes vacation, and scales infinitely. In this episode, Daisy shares how she's integrated AI into her businesses to 10x productivity and reduce costs by 60%. We explore the shift from hiring humans to deploying AI. The competitive advantage you get today will be baseline requirement tomorrow.

"The First Million: What Successful Founders Do Differently" Episode: 45 (Part 1 of 2) Title: The First Million (Part 1: The Habits of Successful Founders) Host: alex Guest: Daisy (continued from Episodes 43-44) Runtime: ~50 minutes (Part 1 of 2) Format: Deep exploration of habits and psychology of seven-figure founders Topics: Daily habits, mental models, compounding success, founder psychology, accountability systems

"The First Million: What Successful Founders Do Differently" The First Million (Part 1: The Habits of Successful Founders) Host: Sakil Guest: Daisy (continued from Episodes 43-44) Runtime: ~50 minutes (Part 1 of 2) Format: Deep exploration of habits and psychology of seven-figure founders Topics: Daily habits, mental models, compounding success, founder psychology, accountability systems

You want a real, earned first million — not luck or a lucky break. In this episode Sakil and Daisy break the journey into two parts: the daily habits that compound (talk to customers, ship fast, track the right numbers, protect focus, sell daily) and the practical decisions that create leverage (when to say yes, when to say no, when to hire, when to pivot). Short, actionable checklist: talk to one customer a day, do one sales activity, improve one part of your offer, review core numbers weekly, and protect deep work. The first million is a system built from consistent, often unglamorous choices.

The $0 Startup Blueprint: 12 Tactical Strategies for Success . In this episode of Scaleup Stories, host Sakil and guest Daisy dive into the practical execution strategies for launching and scaling a startup with zero budget. They discuss 12 specific tactics, from building in public to leveraging no-code tools, and how to acquire customers and grow effectively. With actionable insights and real-life case studies, this episode empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality without needing significant financial resources.

In this episode of Scaleup Stories, host Sakil and guest Daisy delve into practical tactics for effectively executing a $0 startup. They discuss 12 actionable strategies ranging from building in public and leveraging community platforms to creative customer acquisition methods and bootstrapping techniques. Listeners will gain insights on how to grow their startup with minimal spending while maximizing impact, making this a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The $0 Startup Blueprint: Scaleup Stories Ep. 44 This two-part episode features serial entrepreneur Daisy, who reveals how to build a profitable startup without any initial funding. Learn the mindset and tactics for launching with zero dollars, including free tools,

"Start Before You're Ready: Why Waiting Kills Business Growth" Episode 43 (Part 2) of Scaleup Stories features host Sakil and guest Daisy sharing actionable strategies for launching a startup before you're fully prepared. The episode covers a 7-step launch framework, finding early

"Start Before You're Ready: Why Waiting Kills Business Growth"  Daisy — Serial entrepreneur, startup advisor, studied 500+ failed and successful startups. Started 12 businesses (6 succeeded, 6 failed). Discovered that timing of launch correlates with success more than readiness. Reveals that most founders wait 2-3 years too long. By then, market has moved, momentum is lost, competition has launched.

If you’ve been sitting on an idea, this episode exposes a common trap: waiting for “ready.” Daisy, a serial entrepreneur who’s studied 500+ startups and founded 12 businesses, argues timing often matters more than perfection. Waiting two to three years to polish an idea lets markets change, competitors move, and momentum disappear. Starting sooner isn’t about rushing — it’s about testing, learning, and building real feedback. This episode explains why delay feels safe but usually backfires, how early launches create momentum, and what to change in your mindset: swap false readiness for small, real tests that put you in the market while there’s still time.

"Your Personal Brand Is Your Real Resume" Your Personal Brand Is Your Real Resume — Career strategist, personal brand architect, founder of $8M personal branding company. Built her own personal brand from zero followers to 500K+. Studied how personal brands impact career trajectory, income, and opportunities. Reveals that traditional resumes are increasingly irrelevant. Your actual resume is your digital presence, your reputation, your visible work, and your demonstrable expertise.

 Episode 42 trailer — "YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IS YOUR REAL RESUME"

elcome back. If you're still with us, you're in the extended segment — the deep dive. This is where we go further and slower. We're picking up right where we left off and I want to start by zooming out geographically, because so far we've been talking a lot about the US context, and the picture looks really different in different parts of the world.

Welcome, welcome, welcome back to Scaleup Stories — the podcast where we dig deep into the stories, the strategies, the stumbles, and the straight-up breakthroughs of entrepreneurs and innovators who are building something real in a world that never stops changing. I'm your host Sakil, and as always I'm joined by my brilliant co-host Marnie. Marnie, how are you doing today?

Episode: 39 Title: How Algorithms Control Consumer Behavior Host: Sakil Guest: Elodie — AI researcher, behavioral economist, founder of an algorithm auditing firm that studies how recommendation systems manipulate human behavior. Built tools to detect algorithmic bias and manipulation. Studied 10,000+ consumers across 50+ platforms. Reveals that algorithms don't just recommend—they control. They predict your desires, manufacture needs, and guide your decisions before you know you're being influenced.

Episode: 38 Title: The New Rich Work From Anywhere Host: Sakil Guest: Isabelle — Location-independent entrepreneur, built three 8-figure businesses from 25+ countries, author of "The Anywhere Economy," studied 500+ digital nomads and location-independent professionals. Reveals that "working from anywhere" is not just a lifestyle trend—it's the economic structure of the future. The ability to earn Western salaries while living anywhere is creating a new class of rich people who operate outside traditional corporate and geographic constraints.

Episode: 37 Title: Why Most Businesses Die Quietly Host: Sakil Guest: Phoebe — Serial entrepreneur who has killed 7 companies, studied 300+ failed businesses, and now helps founders avoid the death traps. Built a $50M company that nearly died, then was saved. Her research reveals that most businesses die predictably and preventably

Episode: 36 Title: Digital Leverage: The New Superpower Host: Sakil Guest: Freya — Founder of three companies valued at $1B+, leverage researcher, and author of "The Leverage Thesis." Built her career understanding how to multiply impact through digital tools and systems. Studies how founders who understand digital leverage scale 10-100x faster than those who don't. Her framework has been applied by 500+ companies. Runtime: ~90 minutes Format: Deep strategic exploration of digital leverage as the new competitive advantage

Episode: 35 Title: Small Teams Will Defeat Big Corporations Host: Sakil Guest: Maeve — Strategy advisor, founder of a company that disrupted a $100B industry with a team of 12 people, and researcher who studied how small teams consistently outcompete large corporations.

Episode: 34 Title: The Creator Economy Is Replacing Traditional Jobs Host: Sakil Guest: Nancy — Economist, creator economy researcher, and founder of a platform enabling creators to monetize their work. Studied the shift from employment to creation across 50+ countries.

Episode: 33 Title: Why Smart People Stay Broke Host: Sakil Guest: Zara — Behavioral scientist, founder of a $15M ARR company, and advisor to high-IQ founders who struggle with wealth building. Her research reveals that intelligence actually hinders wealth accumulation because smart people overthink problems that have simple solutions, and they're too creative to stick with boring winning strategies.

Episode: 32 Title: The Attention War Has Already Started Host: Sakil Guest: Sophie — Founder and strategy advisor who specializes in attention capture and retention. Built a $30M ARR platform by winning the attention war. Now studies how attention economics are reshaping every industry and what founders need to do to survive the next decade.

Episode: 31 Title: How Modern Founders Buy Back Time Host: Sakil Guest: Arabella — Founder and advisor who specializes in time architecture for founders. Built a $20M ARR company while working 25 hours per week by systematically buying back time through outsourcing, automation, and delegation.

Episode: 30 Title: The 4-Hour CEO Framework Host: Sakil Guest: Esme — Founder and CEO of three companies ranging from $10M to $100M ARR. Developed and refined the "4-Hour CEO Framework" — a systematic approach to running a business while working only 4 hours per day. Built her companies to scale while maintaining a sustainable, sane founder lifestyle.

Episode: 29 Title: Why AI Employees Never Sleep Host: Sakil Guest: Harper — AI implementation specialist, founder of an AI-native company with zero traditional employees, and advisor to 100+ companies on replacing human labor with AI systems. Built a $5M ARR company with just herself and AI tools.