scale with soul

No.1 Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff shares the theory behind her book Tiny Experiments, which includes the problems with goals as we know them today. She is an entrepreneur, whose first startup failed after she left her comfortable job at Google, but now has a thriving content business, Ness Labs, alongside her research as a neuroscientist at Kings College London.We dove into a range of topics including...📖 Episode Chapters00:00 - Intro 00:58 - The 3 Problems With Goals 08:06 - Why You Should Use Metacognition 13:47 - How To Escape The Prison Of Over-Thinking 20:35 - Cognitive Scripts: The Sequel, The Crowdpleaser & The Epic 32:51 - Where Are We Drunk On The Illusion Of Certainty? 39:43 - How To Lead Through Change 43:13 - How 1 Tiny Experiment Can Change Your Life 50:30 - End Of Year Routine 54:56 - The Paradox Of Persistence 57:50 - How To Get Out Of A Mental Hole 01:11:21 - How Can We Support Anne-LaureIf you enjoyed this episode you'll probably love;One Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesnerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558sWeWork Cofounder Breaks His 5-Year Silence (Exclusive)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62kFgnUrU0&t=1615s&pp=0gcJCTwKAYcqIYzv🪨 Resources:Episode summary doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KdMvHuOvSA-WCkRGWcF3-xZoGntx7PpMBGyHuxmbobI/edit?usp=sharingNess Labs: https://nesslabs.com/Ness Labs Annual Review Template (Google Slides): https://nesslabs.com/annual-review-templateNess Labs Annual Review Template (Notion): https://satisfying-melody-287.notion.site/Year-in-Review-Template-5b31d64596cf40f1b8d79e88fb24a280?source=copy_link👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building:https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/.

Cherrypick Discount Code: https://alpha.lollipopai.com/codes/soul50Tom Foster Carter is the Ex-COO of Monzo and a serial entrepreneur. He joined Monzo as COO at Series A and helped them scale to become a £1 billion unicorn, before leaving to start his next startup Cherrypick. He's a startup and business weapon which you can tell through this interview where we cover... Episode Chapters:0:00 - 0:53 - Intro0:54 - 9:27 - Monzo: What broke as they scaled?9:28 - 18:55 - Hiring lessons - 30-1000 employees18:56 - 22:47 - Don’t set Values, set Operating Pinrciples22:48 - 41:01 - Speed as a habit; Kipchoge, not Bolt41:02 - 53:14 - Speed is a habit; Data not Debate53:15 - 58:58 - Pains of going from free to paid58:59 - 1:02:42 - How to spot shifts in the VC landscape1:02:35 - 1:09:05 - How has he developed as a leader1:09:06 - 1:15:25 - How are you kind in firing people?1:15:26 - 1:20:39 - Top lessons from Monzo & Curve1:20:40 - 1:24:54 - His secret sauce to startupsIf you liked this episode, you'll probably love;One Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesnerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558sNick Jenkins - The Marketing Secrets Behind The $Billion Businesshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDJtTNTxvs👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building:https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Maya Moufarek is a Full Stack meaningful marketing expert, with decades of experience from companies like Google, Amex, Not On The High Street, and then the company she was the founding CMO of, Pharmacy2U (which raised $300m and is the 3rd largest pharmacy in the UK).How do we have to evolve as the company evolves? How do we think about our business' marketing from a high level? What biases do leaders suffer from the most? Expect to learn a lot about your psychology, meaningful marketing, startups and so much more in this podcast interview. 📖 Chapters:00:53 - What got you here won't get you there04:05 - The Problem With Founder-Problem Fit09:39 - What Biases Do Founders Fall Prey To The Most?11:28 - What's A Meaningful Company To You?18:53 - How To Recognise Meaning23:58 - Hoffman Process - How To Come Back To Yourself27:20 - "I'm not good enough" vs Owning Our Differences31:25 - Finding Your People (Mentors, Advisors)35:24 - Strongest Limiting Beliefs In Female Founders39:03 - How We Get In The Way Of Timing42:29 - Maya's Evolution Of Her Relationship With Control44:00 - Control: Masculine vs Feminine48:24 - How To Give Feedback Well01:01:56 - Meaningful Marketing01:05:07 - How Should We Stay Aligned With Customers?01:14:05 - Customer Interactions Post PMF01:18:44 - The Core Of BusinessIf you enjoyed this, you'll probably love:Nick Jenkins - The Marketing Secrets Behind The $Billion Businesshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDJtTNTxvs£100m CEO Superpowers & Shadow Sides - Aron Gelbard, Bloom & Wildhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c289plCAeDA&t=76s&pp=0gcJCQgKAYcqIYzv👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Aron Gelbard is the CEO of the £100m revenue startup, Bloom & Wild, a flower delivery company operating across Europe. In this interview he shares his work styles and shadows as a entrepreneur and a look inside a unicorn startup business.📖 Chapters00:00 - What does inefficient work look like?07:45 - CEO = Upside Down Pyramid09:26 - Core Value: Care Wildly14:37 - World Class Customer Service20:45 - Biggest Feedback from Executives - Goalkeep Less25:17 - Responding to Market Trends 30:10 - Fix the System Not the Symptom31:50 - How to operationalise values34:19 - Values In Life = Embedded in Business37:19 - Balancing kindness with demanding high performance39:54 - The Most Difficult Decisions45:48 - How To Set Stretch Goals50:23 - Managing Up & Down as CEO53:32 - Knowing everyone on the team56:54 - Stages Of The Business Model01:01:35 - Merging Three Teams into One01:11:15 - Novel Annual Board Agenda01:15:21 - The Secret To Consistency01:21:42 - How Life impacts What We DoIf you enjoyed this interview, you'll likely love:WeWork's Co-Founder Breaks His 5-Year Silence (Exclusive)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62kFgnUrU0&t=1615sPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1EYLLS_0xw&t=1205s👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Karolina Pelc is the author of HerPlay, and the Founder and ex-CEO of the startup BeyondPlay, which was acquired by FanDuel. She has been through the startup storm and has come out the other side with methods for finding calm. 📖 Chapters00:00 - Karolina Pelc 01:02 - Intensity As A CEO 04:22 - "You Think You're So Tough?" 06:48 - Addiction To Doing & Parenting 15:20 - Deep Internal Wisdom vs Limiting Beliefs 21:01 - What if You Fly vs What if You Fail24:58 - Don't Try To Be Liked As The Leader 27:57 - Unexpected Challenges With Gender Diversity 31:24 - What Does Being Ruthless Mean?33:07 - How Transparent Can You Be As A Founder 38:49 - Boundaries to Transparency 46:30 - "Entrepreneurs Are Not Managers" - Sir Richard Branson49:16 - Your Relationship With Control vs Delegation 53:41 - Setting Standards of Trust and Attention to Detail 56:44 - "The Chaos Muppet Building Calmness" 01:11:27 - What Health Habits To Prioritise When You Have No Time 01:14:04 - Psychedelics: What they uncovered?01:19:00 - The Habit Of Reframing01:22:48 - A Book is Like A Startup01:29:34 - Don't Believe In Luck!01:33:02 - Her Play: The BookIf you enjoyed this interview, you might love:Work Isn't A Family...But It Can Be Human | Katy Turner (interview)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Gxz1cQstI&t=58sOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesner (interview)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558s👉 Subscribe on this channel to be the first to watch future episodes📧 Subscribe to the newsletter to get summaries of each episode: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Moonpig is valued at over a $Billion and the founder, Nick Jenkins, reveals all his marketing and business secrets in this rich and insightful interview!Nick is a marketing wizard and here he delivers a masterclass in business and marketing as well as...📖 Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:49 - What Will you Do When You Grow Up? 00:01:48 - What is next to be learnt? 00:02:28 - Lessons from living through the Russian Revolution 00:06:26 - Decisions: At Some Point Your Going To Have To Jump 00:08:55 - When Entrepreneurs Overcomplicate00:12:35 - Moonpig Marketing Marvel00:18:59 - The Most Important Discovery From A Statistics Degree00:21:50 - Growing Repeat Customers00:24:46 - Where To Start With Marketing00:27:21 - What's Your Price?00:28:54 - What's Your Product?00:30:56 - What Companies Get Wrong About Customers00:33:27 - Actors on the Phone Lines00:35:20 - Optimising Each Element of the Business00:37:18 - Forming Your Team00:40:35 - Breaking Through The Clouds into The Sunshine00:42:38 - What Would You have Done Differently?00:44:03 - How To Scale Employees00:48:43 - Changing Direction00:51:43 - Europe Vs US00:52:49 - "Don't hand in unfinished homework"00:54:21 - How To Sell A Business00:59:28 - Burn After Selling01:01:51 - Recruiting Advice01:06:20 - Work Life Balance01:08:10 - Crafting Creativity01:10:04 - The Difference Between A Good and Great Entrepreneur01:13:15 - Passion For What You Do01:14:34 - VC / Investors: Judging what to do next01:16:56 - Getting Caught Out01:17:50 - What The Entrepreneur Community Could Do Better 👇 If you liked this interview, you'll probably love these too:Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1EYLLS_0xw&t=1205sOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesnerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558s👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Devika Wood is the CEO of the public company Brain+, who are leaders in improving dementia care. She is also one of the most honest and vulnerable founders I have ever interviewed. In this interview she not only shares her deep inner world and trauma experiences, but also an exclusive summary of a court case involving her previous startup, and a deep betrayal of trust.📖 Chapters00:00:00 - A letter to my younger self00:06:54 - How trauma can shape your impact on the world00:13:51 - Refining your 'why'00:18:48 - ROI for investors when your mission isn't money driven00:26:36 - The story of the previous startup and a betrayal of trust00:37:53 - The court case - lessons in leadership00:46:10 - Compartmentalising vs Bottling it up00:50:33 - The art of transparency in a team00:54:22 - Backing yourself in moments of crises00:56:50 - The best process to dealing with a crisis00:58:51 - The balancing of the masculinity and femininity01:11:32 - How your identity evolves as a founder01:16:52 - How to best support our partners and ourselves01:27:52 - WEALTH - Women In Health01:32:27 - What stamp do you want to leave on the world01:34:42 - How we can support DevikaIf you enjoyed this episode, you might love these:WeWork Cofounder Breaks His 5-Year Silence (Exclusive)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62kFgnUrU0&t=1615sDangerous (But Common) Startup Myths | Sho Sugiharahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8eBlgYIVDg&t=2943s👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

A 15-lesson reflection on £100k spent, 18 months, over 50 interviews with some world class entrepreneurs. This is a very open and honest look under the hood into what it takes to create a podcast business. I've been focusing on founder interviews because I wanted to learn what it takes to create a great company and build an audience at the same time. I definitely learned one of them.... the hard way. 📖 Chapters 0:00:00 - Intro 0:01:13 - Pret A Manger & Itsu Founder - Get To The Truth 0:05:29 - Sharmadean Reid - Build Networks Of Power 0:12:30 - Busuu Founder - Operationalise Your Culture 0:17:19 - Count the pennies, and the millions will count themselves 0:21:49 - WeWork Cofounder - What Does It Mean To Change The World? 0:28:11 - Don't go slow to go fast... just go 0:31:10 - Know what you're selling first 0:36:44 - Distribution is 50% of the game 0:39:46 - The cost of isolation is delusion 0:41:31 - The answer isn't pushing harder 0:43:32 - Financial Breakdown (My P&L) 0:48:38 - Don't build for the wrong reasons 0:51:05 - Question your foundations 0:53:12 - The Cognitive Dissonance Spiral 0:54:43 - The art of learning from others' experiences 0:56:10 - Failure Is The Cost Of Entry 0:57:22 - The future of this channel If you enjoyed any of the clips I shared, here are the whole interviews:Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brandshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1EYLLS_0xw&t=1205sCreate Your Networks Of Power | Sharmadean Reid MBEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyskAAx_P90&t=3243sOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558s From 80 VC Rejections To Rejecting VCs | Atilana Pinon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gK5uCJscFU&t=1852s WeWork's Cofounder Breaks His 5-Year Silence (Exclusive) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62kFgnUrU0&t=1615s Please subscribe and hit the bell icon to support the channel! Much love, AJ x

WeWork's Cofounder, Miguel McKelvey, shares the most vulnerable, insightful and rounded account of WeWork in his first interview since the startup's dramatic collapse 5 years ago. 📖 Chapters - In this interview we cover... 00:00 - The Guilt Of WeWork & How To Let Go15:40 - What Does Changing The World Actually Mean?22:03 - Business And Community Tensions27:36 - What Does Community Actually Mean?32:21 - Community Ideologies vs Geographies38:20 - Wisdom & Naval Ravikant44:38 - When Does A Startup Become A Cult? "57:26 - "How do you scale culture? "01:04:03 - What culture practices to invest in as a smaller startup01:11:21- Leaning Into Conflict01:13:07 - Team Adam vs Team Miguel01:21:24 - Power Tensions01:26:27 - Rebekah Neumann's Role in WeWork01:32:23 - S-1 IPO Filing01:37:34 - The Public's Reaction To Adam01:47:19 - Miguel's Awareness Of WeWork's Finances01:54:02 - How Much To Trust Others In The Leadership Team?01:57:18 - Noticing Scrappy Scaling02:00:31 - Why It Made Sense For WeWork To Buy An Artificial Wave Startup02:02:41 - Adam & Miguel's Reality Distortion02:10:45 - What Really Destroyed WeWork02:12:40 - How To Step Outside Of Ourselves & Reflect02:18:08 - Miguel's Advice For Entrepreneurs02:27:40 - What Can We Support Miguel With🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfe (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter

When GoHenry's founder hit rock bottom, she was drowning...She realised that the single point of failure was her. At 6am every morning, that familiar sick thump of dread would hit.Here's how she built her company from the ground up, faced rejection from her own board, and emerged stronger than ever.💡 What you'll learn in this episode:▪️ How to identify and eliminate dangerous "single points of failure" in your business before they drown you▪️ Why operationalising your values through your entire team is the secret to retaining talent for over a decade▪️ How to navigate brutal board dynamics and still drive toward what's right for your company▪️ The 6-month evolution framework that prevents you from running into walls as you scale▪️ The counterintuitive approach to M&A that led to a successful £125M+ exit to Acorns📖 Chapters00:00 - What Keeps You Up At Night?01:21 - When you are the Single Point of Failure05:19 - Fixing the system when you're drowning07:36 - The little Red Handbook!13:59 - Fixing the Points of failure in practice15:39 - Realising you might not be needed in a company you built19:14 - Do they just want a yes man?23:09 - Control as a leader: When to hold on and when to let go!27:32 - Developing Finance Function... When and how to do it30:21 - The board chose someone else to be CEO35:30 - 2 Points: Identify Your Dragons and Learn The Art of Pre-Present37:41 - Working with Dragons on your board39:52 - Three biggest Board meetings, the biggest decisions43:02 - Fundraising Learning Curves: Raised £125M, Acquiring Pixpay and Being acquired by Acorns48:01 - How we Acquired Pixpay, finding a similar culture in your acquisition48:03 - Biggest learnings from 6 rounds of fundraising52:14 - Generosity within the company culture. A solidifying moment56:08 - The ROI of paying for a holiday for all the staff01:00:29 - What in the culture leads to people staying on for so long?01:03:31 - Going from CEO to Executive Chair of the Board01:07:44 - Make your passion your mission01:12:08 - How to choose and win your battles01:15:38 - What action we need to take🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:One Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesner (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter: 🔗 Guest Links https://www.gohenry.com/ LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/louise-hill-5197614 🔗 Affiliate Link Monk Ice Baths: discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOUL for £100 discount

Most founders think they can figure it out alone - until they crash.Sam Knight was "very, very resistant" to coaching, convinced it was just "talking about feelings." Then his friend forced him to try it...This is the story of how losing his father at 15 shaped his leadership blind spots, and why facing them transformed both his company and his life.🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ The performance management framework that separates high-growth teams from collections of individuals▪️ Why "I am because we are" (Ubuntu philosophy) transforms competitive founders into collaborative leaders▪️ The five pillars every leader must master (and why most CEOs score poorly on at least two)▪️ How childhood trauma creates invisible leadership blind spots that sabotage teams▪️ How to spot what you know is true now but will only admit in six months' time▪️ Why feeling words at work unlock deeper team connection and performance📖 Chapters00:00 - From Resistant CEO to Coaching Convert06:11 - The Yoko Ono Exhibition That Changed Everything11:24 - Pollinate: Building and Selling a B2B Platform13:52 - "I Really Just Wasn't Enjoying My Job"17:38 - The Five Pillars of Leadership Framework25:47 - Goal Setting vs Accountability: What's the Difference?32:43 - Why Most Teams Avoid Performance Management42:43 - The Question That Reveals Hidden Truths49:02 - Ubuntu: "I Am Because We Are"1:02:18 - Losing Your Father and Leading Others1:13:06 - Preparing for Fatherhood After Loss1:16:56 - The Ubuntu Philosophy That Transforms Teams🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfe (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest linkSam Knight - LinkedIn🔗 Affiliate LinkHEIGHTS Brain + Gut Supplements - 15% OFF

Most founders don't realise the biggest barrier to scaling isn't capital or talent — it's learning when to let go.Carolyn Dawson built a 10,000-person founder community by understanding this one truth:The best leaders know exactly when to stop being indispensable.In this interview you’ll discover what is needed to choose between entering the US vs Europe startup sector.🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ Why European founders' "humanity" in hiring decisions might actually be holding back the ecosystem▪️ How celebrating failure accelerated growth at Supercell (and why most founders get this backwards)▪️ The curation secrets behind building the UK's most exclusive founder community▪️ Why "founder mode" becomes dangerous after Series B and when to transition▪️ The internal vs external balance that separates unicorn founders from the rest📖 Chapters00:00 - UK vs US: The Narrative Problem06:27 - When Founders Should Actually Exit Their Companies11:43 - Building a People-Driven Business at Scale22:46 - The Stories Behind Closed Funding Rounds24:15 - What Separates the Top 1% of Founders31:03 - The Quality vs Speed Trade-off in Company Building33:22 - Building Loyalty: The Team That Follows You Everywhere39:13 - From Control Freak to Strategic Leader42:05 - The External vs Internal Balance Every Founder Must Master45:21 - What Information to Share vs Keep Private47:37 - European vs US Firing Culture: The Speed vs Humanity Debate57:28 - Going Global: Boots on Ground vs Remote59:09 - The Inner Voice That Builds Resilience62:06 - Taking Yourself Too Seriously: The Success Trap🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledgehttps://youtu.be/XcBwsq-KzmI?si=-WhZcPjyXXLWZYMq👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter:https://the-aj-connection.kit.com/e2d35e66c4🔗 Affiliate LinkHEIGHTS Brain + Gut Supplements - 15% OFF https://www.heights.com/scalewithsoul

He built a company to millions, hired someone better to run it, and walked away.Why stepping down as CEO can be your greatest act of leadership.Most founders cling to their CEO titles long after they've outgrown the role.Evgeny Shadchnev did the opposite. He recognised the misalignment, planned his exit over 14 months, and handed the keys to someone who could scale what he'd built. What he soon learnt transformed both his life and the business.🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ How to recognise when you've outgrown your own company (before burnout forces the decision)▪️ The difference between founder skills and CEO skills — and why confusing them kills companies▪️ A framework for making confident leadership transitions without destroying what you've built▪️ The breathwork techniques that shift your nervous system from reactive to strategic▪️ Why starting a company for belonging can lead to profound misalignment later📖 Chapters00:00 - What A Founder Coach Does00:41 - What Founders Don't Talk About05:02 - "Predicting the Future of the Company"08:10 - The Founder's Job: Make Sure It Survives11:15 - The Skills Needed at Pre-Product Market Fit14:17 - Moving to Product Market Fit - "This Is a Very Specific Skillset"15:15 - "The Skills You Never Stop Needing - Fred Wilson's Advice"17:48 - The First Alarm Bells20:24 - CEO Transitions Take Time22:16 - Feeling Misaligned: Childhood Experiences27:59 - The One Thing That Helped Me Make the Tough Decision35:23 - Ego Wanting vs Heart Longing37:40 - Success 10 Years Ago vs Success Now40:07 - The Startup Is Not There to Make You Happy45:09 - Running Away or Braving the Wind49:26 - Working Long Hours Sustainably58:22 - Decision Making01:05:31 - What Makes You Tick?01:08:20 - Revelation on Simplification of Life01:13:12 - What Your Fiancée Said About You01:15:25 - Read Evgeny's Book!🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Why Your Outer Voice Is Your Biggest Threat | Soheil Ahmadzadeh - Coach👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter:🔗 Guest Links:Find Evgeny's Book HereFounder and Ex CEO at MakersMentioned Resources:"Let Your Life Speak" by Parker Palmer Other Sheep breathwork appFred Wilson's blog on CEO framework (Union Square Ventures)🔗 Affiliate LinkVisit Monk Ice Baths for £100 discount

If you want to help Freddie's research on founders please fill this out: https://forms.gle/jLiW7TJBniXQfDRK8Most founders obsess over their company metrics while completely ignoring their own performance metrics.What if the secret to scaling your startup isn't just building better systems, but becoming a better human?Finder coach Freddie Birley has spent years studying what separates venture-backed rockstars from the rest ... and it's not what you think.🧠 What You'll LearnCritical Founder Insights:▪️ Avoid the spiritual poverty trap that follows most successful exits▪️ Master the balance between masculine drive and feminine intuition in leadership▪️ Discover the 3 core traits that define outlier performers in venture-backed startups▪️ Understand why 50%+ of founders report wellbeing as their biggest personal challenge▪️ Learn why alignment beats intelligence when it comes to sustainable high performance▪️ Data Vs Debate: What founders at different stages (0-10, 10-20, 20-50, 50-150 team size) struggle with most📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro - Headhunting Taught Me to Coach02:50 - What Actually Makes a Venture Rockstar05:47 - The Three Pillars: Authenticity, Value Creation & Leadership11:35 - Founder Challenges by Company Stage (Research Insights)14:55 - Why First-Time vs Serial Founders Face Different Identity Crises19:50 - The Performance Paradox: Preparation vs Play25:47 - When Success Becomes a Spiritual Prison29:09 - Internal vs External Motivation: Signs of an Emotionally Rich Founder32:39 - Building High-Performance Culture Without Cracking the Whip37:33 - Founder Circles: What Makes Them Thrive vs Die43:44 - Breathwork for Founders: The Wild Modality Explained50:29 - Connecting with Yourself as the Ceiling for Leading Others52:31 - What the Startup Ecosystem Gets Wrong About Human Nature54:57 - Balancing Masculine Structure with Feminine Intuition1:05:40 - The Fundamental Principles of Being a Better Human🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooDangerous (But Common) Startup Myths | Sho Sugihara👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest Links & Resources Connect with Freddie BirleyHer Website🔗 Affiliate LinkFor a £35 Discount on a Digital Detox Cabin - UnpluggedUse Code - UPMSCALEWITHSOUL

Most founders won't talk about this…But the line between grandiose confidence and dangerous delusion is thinner than you think. James Roycroft-Davis stood on Putney Bridge, hearing voices telling him to jump, before discovering his bipolar diagnosis would become his greatest teacher.This is the unfiltered story of how ego, untreated mental health, and founder identity nearly destroyed everything - and how radical self-awareness rebuilt it all.💡 What you'll learn in this episode:▪️ How to spot the early warning signs of ego-driven decision making that destroy startups▪️ Why bipolar disorder can be both a founder's greatest asset and deadliest trap▪️ Why most founder therapy misses the mark - and what actually works▪️ How becoming a father rewired his entire relationship with success and identity▪️ A framework for making decisions based on who you want to be, not who you think others expect▪️ The difference between £100M ego goals and £500K happiness goals (and why one nearly killed him)📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:19 - The Bridge Call That Changed Everything07:28 - 20 Years of Trauma Exploding at Once09:07 - The Guilt of Surviving11:12 - Nature vs Nurture in Mental Health12:19 - When Granddad's Death Flipped the Switch15:31 - The Israeli Psychologist Who Gets Startups18:10 - "Most Founders Do Have Grandiose Sense"25:49 - Type 1 vs Type 2: Why It Matters28:58 - The £500/Hour Diagnosis Story34:13 - Ego Work: From Validation to Creation38:20 - Why "Founder" Identity Makes You Unemployable42:21 - Two Job Offers, One Ego Check44:51 - Old James vs New James46:58 - The Exit Community Vulnerability49:02 - Alex McDonald's Life-Changing Advice50:48 - Happy and Comfortable vs £100M Dreams58:32 - The CBT Technique That Rewires Your Brain01:02:15 - Dual Purposes: Father and Founder01:06:26 - Final Asks: Jobs, Dad Groups, and Baseline🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Shazam Founder Interview; Secrets of Luck, Persistence & Success (Ep. 1)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest Links & ResourcesJames Roycroft-Davis : LinkedIn🔗 Affiliate LinkVisit Monk Ice Baths - for £100 discount

What does it really takes to SCALE (not just grow...)?Neda Sahebelm was an early joiner at Multiverse, achieving 98% retention and 50% diversity in her teams, whilst delivering multiple £20M quarters. Growth is doing more with more. Scale is doing more with less. In this episode she reveals the system that transforms chaos into high-performing teams. 🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ Growth vs Scale: The difference between success and chaos▪️ "Operation Thrive": How to flip a toxic team culture in 6 months▪️ The hiring system that achieved 98% retention and radical diversity▪️ The 3-pillar framework: Org Design, Recruitment, and Retention done right▪️ How to fire people gracefully (and why most leaders get this catastrophically wrong)📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro06:14 - Growth vs Scale: Why Most Founders Get This Wrong10:11 - The "Operational Efficiency" Myth.16:32 - The SVB Crash Aftermath: Market Shifts and Human Costs24:35 - Start with Product (Not People or Process)30:34 - The Org Design Crisis: Why Founders Hire Wrong38:14 - Building Scalable Hiring Systems: The 55-Person Quarter46:04 - The Diversity Masterclass: 98% Retention Secrets58:11 - "Operation Thrive": Turning -5 NPS Into +681:08:00 - The "Train Analogy": Managing Exits with Grace1:16:23 - "Don't Bring Your Whole Self to Work" - The Leadership Reality🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Affiliate Link:For a £100 Discount discovermonk.co.uk/SCALEWITHSOUL

A Universe Class Coaching Session...This is an insight into the framework to separate your inner wisdom from the fear-based voices that keep you small. This isn't therapy. It's reconnecting with your humanity.🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ The “5 Pillars of Connection” that transform any relationship▪️ 9 Steps to identify "outer voices" Vs your authentic inner voice▪️ The visualisation technique that silences self-doubt in minutes▪️ How to turn your values into actionable "inner voice archetypes"▪️Ask "If X wasn't there, what would be different?"📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro02:01 - "I've Never Been Career-Driven" - Led by Curiosity10:13 - Meet Soheil: Founder of ReHumanity14:15 - The 5 Pillars of Connection Framework17:11 - Inner vs Outer Voices: The Foundation of Self-Awareness21:25 - 9 Signs You're in "Outer Voice Territory"25:10 - Moving from Outer Voice to Inner Voice31:38 - Creating Inner Voice Archetypes from Your Values57:18 - A Firm Foundation - "My Work Is Led by Love"59:40 - How to Connect: Building Humanity in Startups🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Google's Expert Communication Coach | Kay Munday (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest Links Connect with Soheil Websitehttps://rehumanity.comInstagram: @rehumanity🔗 Affiliate Link For a £35 Discount on a Digital Detox Cabin - UnpluggedUse Code - UPMSCALEWITHSOUL

A Billionaire AND World Champion Powerlifter?Jodie Cook, after selling her agency for 7-figures, is now building Coachvox whilst training to be a world champion. And the secret isn't talent, it's systems. This discussion explains how to crack the code on any goal; why Jodie never looks at competition; and the exact framework that's taking her to the top of two completely different games.🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ How to identify your personal success system from past wins (and apply it to anything)▪️ Why "extreme people get extreme results" and how to test your edges safely▪️ The 3-part superpower matrix: Ace Cards, Best Self, and Success Systems▪️ The spirit animal framework that instantly shifts you from reactive to zen▪️ How to build user manuals for your team that eliminate 90% of friction📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro04:21 - From Birmingham Agency to Global Ambitions07:07 - Lifetime Goals Vs Annual Targets14:19 - Cognitive Biases and the Halo Effect17:12 - The Superpower Matrix: Ace Cards, Best Self, Success Systems22:15 - Lion vs Pomeranian Puppy 28:12 - What Makes You Human in an AI World?31:44 - Your Success System (Extract It from Past Wins)40:06 - Finding People's Superpowers on Your Team52:20 - Jody 2.0 vs 3.0: The Card Exercise57:43 - Horizontal vs Vertical Relationships in Teams1:08:18 - High Standards for Yourself, No Standards for Others1:26:47 - The Content-Beliefs-Community Flywheel1:34:42 - "Don't Waste Your Potential"1:39:10 - Applying Success Systems to Becoming a Billionaire🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Mastering Leadership - Growing Teams & Growing Yourself | James Grant👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest LinksConnect with Jodie: LinkedInCoachvoxMentioned Resources:The Courage to Be Disliked (Book) Blue Ocean Strategy (Book) Rocket Fuel (Book) Power vs Force (Book)🔗 Affiliate LinkHEIGHTS Brain + Gut Supplements - 15% OFF

The "ruthless" business world tells us kindness is weakness – but what if that's backwards?Marcus Exall has built a reputation as one of the most respected angel investors in the world, not through aggression, but through genuine care for founders. His approach challenges everything we think we know about succeeding in startups.🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ Why treating kindness as strength (not weakness) creates better investment returns▪️ The 6-month founder evaluation process that's led to 2.5x returns across 31 investments▪️ How to build resilience through saying problems out loud instead of carrying them alone▪️ How to separate exceptional founders from good ones through focus and vulnerability▪️ Why obsessing over product features (not problems) kills most early-stage startups▪️ The storytelling framework that makes impossible visions feel inevitable📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:03 - From Tokyo Diner to 31 Angel Investments03:07 - What Japanese Culture Taught Me About Company Building13:08 - Balancing Kindness with Ruthless Business Decisions17:22 - The Swan Problem: Creating Safe Spaces for Founders to Be Real24:45 - Why Marcus Doesn't Invest Primarily for Money33:21 - How to Spot Exceptional Focus in Founders39:06 - Building Resilience: Why You Must Keep Getting Up42:03 - The £150k Mistake Most Founders Make01:02:07 - The Choice Between Health and Building Big Business01:03:28 - Marcus's Mum on Raising a Future Angel Investor🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Shazam Founder Interview: Secrets of Luck, Persistence & Success (Ep. 1)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletterAffiliate LinkMonk Ice Bath For a £100 discount on the world's first smart ice bath, visit - www.discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOUL

How to comeback from over 80 VC rejections. Atilana Pinon, CEO & Founder of Retorna, went from constant rejection to investors fighting for her, all by telling her story. 🧠 What You'll Learn In This Episode: ▪️ How to shift the power dynamic with VCs ▪️ The research framework that identifies aligned investors before you waste time ▪️ Why being profitable before fundraising is the ultimate negotiating position ▪️ Elite cash management mindsets📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:44 - "Saying No to £600K"05:31 - The Breaking Point: 80+ VC Rejections 07:47 - The Moment Everything Changed11:03 - How to Research Investors Like a Pro13:47 - The Preparation That Made All the Difference19:52 - Cash Management: "Take Care of the Pennies"27:08 - Revenue-Based Bonuses That Actually Work31:14 - Growing Double-Digit Monthly (The Secret Sauce)41:01 - From Solo Founder to Co-CEO Partnership45:08 - Building Mutual Respect and Trust52:29 - "Stop Worrying About the Future"59:05 - "I Don't Deserve to Be Successful" - Breaking Limiting Beliefs1:02:07 - Building a Zebra, Not a Unicorn🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too: My Identity Was Crippling My Company | Will Pearson - Ocean Bottle👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Connect with Atilana: Atilana's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/atilanapinon/?locale=en_US Website - https://retorna.app, or other relevant links] Affiliate Link: For a £35 Discount on a Digital Detox Cabin - Unplugged https://unplugged.rest Use Code - UPMSCALEWITHSOUL

Why do most startups fail? Harvard's largest startup study reveals this as the #1 cause of failure, yet most founders don't realise. Orr Vinegold, CEO of Unrest, has built an entire programme around solving this hidden crisis.💡 What You'll Learn:▪️ Why interpersonal issues kill more startups than any other factor▪️ How to separate your ego from your business before it becomes toxic to your team▪️ The trauma-to-fuel framework that turns personal pain into authentic brand messaging▪️ A practical 4-pillar resilience system to "fix the roof when the sun is shining"▪️ Why most founders confuse their identity with their company (and how to break free)▪️ The neuroscience behind founder burnout and the salience network that controls motivation📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro00:44 - From Israeli Politics to Startup Psychology02:16 - The Four Dimensions of Self-Development04:10 - What Kills More Startups Than Anything Else11:22 - The Circle of Connection: Self vs Others14:13 - Creating Challenging Relationships That Push You Forward22:02 - Dangers of Building a Business to Heal Yourself26:06 - The Trinity - I Am, I Will, I Must31:45 - Four Pillars Framework39:29 - The Three Arenas: Personal, Community, or World Impact43:06 - From Aberdeen to Israel: A Founder's Origin Story58:23 - The Rooms We Haven't Entered: Unprocessed Trauma01:09:02 - The Energy Cost of Carrying Unresolved Pain🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooYou Find Your Edge When You BREAK | Emmie Faust - Female Founders Rise👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter:Affiliate Link15% OFF at Heights - Brain and gut supplements use this linkOrr's LinkedInUnrest Website

After 70 rejections and six months of pain, Mai Le made one phone call that changed everything. She asked for help for the first time in her life, and raised £6.5M in seven days.This is the unfiltered story of how a hyper-independent founder learned that sometimes all it takes is one person with conviction.💡 What You'll Learn▪️ How to turn 70 rejections into a £6.5M round in one week▪️ How to handle co-founder breakups with respect and generosity▪️ The "smart but nice" hiring framework that builds unshakeable trust▪️ The three pillars of authentic leadership: respect, abundance, consistency▪️ Why masculine "giving" energy must balance with feminine "receiving" energy📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:03 - From Vietnam War to Entrepreneurial Mastery03:48 - "You Can Never Fail Until You Quit"09:09 - Project Bold: The £10K Learning Disaster16:05 - The "Smart but Nice" Hiring Philosophy20:20 - The Biggest Struggle as a Leader27:23 - When Logic Meets Intuition in Leadership35:24 - The Remote vs Hybrid Hiring Strategy42:14 - 70 VCs, 6 Months of Pain, Then Magic52:31 - The Practical Side of Resilience No One Talks About61:25 - Mai's Ask: Take Care of Yourself First🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too: Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletterAffiliate: Visit for a £100 discountSAPI

Most founders talk about near-death experiences, but few admit the brutal truth: sometimes the company survives, but you lose pieces of yourself you can never get back.James Lo had 2 weeks left before bankruptcy, watched a team member become a stalker after layoffs, and wrestled with whether building venture-scale companies requires abandoning your deepest values.This is his unfiltered reckoning with what it really costs to build.🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ How to survive the 48-hour countdown to bankruptcy▪️ Why consensus-building will destroy your startup - and the conflict framework that saves it▪️ The hidden psychology of why deep friendships at work become emotional time bombs▪️ How Sequoia plays a 10-year game most founders never see coming▪️ Why the "spend money to grow" VC playbook is fundamentally broken in 2025▪️ The automation-first hiring philosophy that could revolutionise early-stage companies📖 Chapters0:00 - Intro1:24 - Two Weeks From Bankruptcy4:58 - "We Were Completely Wrong..."7:45 - The Portuguese Holiday That Nearly Killed Us10:21 - When Deep Friendships Become Toxic at Work15:17 - From Hong Kong Activism to Silicon Valley22:13 - "You Look Down at Your Footsteps, Walk Upward in Flow"25:16 - Why Activism and Entrepreneurship Are the Same (And Different)30:47 - The Guilt of Abandoning the Movement35:20 - How We Pivoted After Raising (And Why Antonio Still Backed Us)40:04 - How Sequoia Scouted Me for 2 Years Before I Knew It46:18 - The 30-Person Founder Speed Dating Experiment50:12 - How to Test Co-Founder Chemistry in Crisis55:46 - From Consensus Builder to Conflict Embracer60:21 - Why "Hire Your Way Out of Problems" Will Kill You65:16 - The Controversial Truth About VC Growth Mentality70:19 - Building Vision from Personal Problems (Not Top-Down Idealism)78:53 - How Simplicity Reveals Unexpected Vision88:00 - The Team Member Who Became a Stalker95:17 - Balancing Ruthlessness with Humanity🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll loveWhy 93% of Entrepreneurs Fail at Content Creation | Dan Murray-Serter👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletterAffiliateFor a £35 discount on a Digital Detox Cabin. Visit Unplugged.rest & Use Code: UPMSCALEWITHSOUL🔗 James Lo on LinkedInEthos

Most founders don't realise they're killing their brand until it's too late. The very growth they're chasing becomes the poison that destroys what made customers fall in love with them in the first place. Bryony Simpson has spent 20 years watching brilliant startups scale themselves into irrelevance—and she knows exactly why it happens. 🧠 Critical Founder Insights What You'll Learn:▪️ Why 90% of scaling brands lose the human connection that built them▪️ The four relationship principles every resilient brand must master▪️ How to spot the early warning signs before your customers start leaving▪️ Why personalised marketing often feels like spam (and what works instead)▪️ The simple feedback loops that keep you connected as you grow▪️ How tech and data can deepen relationships instead of destroying them📖 Chapters 00:00 - Intro01:21 - Human Connection Built Civilisation04:15 - What's Actually Broken About Branding09:12 - The Four Principles of Relationship Building16:22 - Building Trust: Don't Break Promises20:00 - Short-Term vs Long-Term Brand Thinking23:04 - Knowing Yourself: The Brand Foundation28:38 - Getting to Know Your Customer37:48 - How Growth Destroys Customer Connection48:05 - Becoming Human-Centred52:13 - The Human-Centred Mindset in Practice59:35 - How Data Can Build (Not Break) Relationships1:06:36 - Growing Together: Evolution, Not Revolution1:18:26 - The Solo Founder Challenge🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Google's Expert Communication Coach | Kay Munday (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletterFor 15% Off at HEIGHTS (Brain and body supplement)

Startups are meant to be rocket ships - some reach outer orbit… Others crash back down to earth in a ball of flames Rob Bridgman built Snug from £1M to £31M revenue in just three years, only to watch it nearly collapse overnight when the market turned. This is the unfiltered story of what it really takes to survive as a founder when everything falls apart. 🧠 What You'll Learn: ▪️ How to build challenger (or “Pirate”) thinking into your culture from day one ▪️ The "Clear Is Kind" framework that transforms difficult conversations into breakthroughs ▪️ Why Rob's "Golden Hour" policy became their secret weapon for creativity and retention ▪️ The brutal reality of what happens when growth-stage funding disappears overnight ▪️ How feedback loops with customers can drive exponential product-market fit ▪️ How to scale from 12 to 70 people without losing your startup soul📖 Chapters0:00 - Intro1:06 - From Childhood "Inventor" to Entrepreneur3:42 - The Values That Built Snug's Culture10:10 - How "Clear Is Kind" Revolutionised Team Performance15:49 - Working With the Best: Hiring Top 5% Talent17:17 - The Nonviolent Communication Framework24:04 - Give Every Team Member Professional Coaching26:21 - Making Culture Tangible: Weekly Pulse Surveys & NPS39:46 - The ICE Framework: How to Prioritise 100+ Product Ideas44:22 - Year One: Selling One Sofa to £1M Revenue46:26 - The Three Pillars: Product Innovation, Customer Journey & Brand52:25 - Year Two: £7M Revenue During COVID Chaos54:32 - Year Three: £31M and 70 People - "It Was Absolute Chaos"57:24 - Scaling Pains: From 12 to 70 People in One Year59:29 - Fixing Our Management Structure Crisis67:00 - The Fundraising Nightmare: From £70M Valuation to £900K Exit69:23 - Selling to SCS: From Pirates to Navy78:13 - What I'd Do Differently: Standing Your Ground From Day One85:33 - The Fork in the Road: Rebuild Snug or Start Fresh?o🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:The Human Side Of Startup Leadership | Margot De Broglie👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🧊 Affiliate Link: For a £100 Discount on the World's First SMART Ice Bath - follow this link discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOULRob's LinkedIn

Most founders don't talk about this... but success isn't years of experience... it's confidence!Emilie Vanpoperinghe, CEO of Oddbox, built a wonky vegetables business into a £20M+ scale-up.This revolutionary female founder explains the uncomfortable biases women have in business, her hiring protocol and what leadership advice backfired on her.🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ Why confidence trumps experience in determining entrepreneurial success (and the 20% confidence gap that's holding women back)▪️ How to stay close to customers without losing focus as you scale to 50,000+ users▪️ The uncomfortable truth about hiring bias▪️ How small sustainable actions create bigger behavioural shifts than grand gestures▪️ Why asking for input when you don't really want it damages team trust▪️ The art of being directive as a leader without being authoritarian📖 Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:35 - From Finance to Fighting Food Waste08:03 - Tangible vs Intangible Impact13:00 - The Sustainability Brand Balancing Act19:17 - When Product-Market Fit Isn't Enough25:24 - Staying Close to 50,000 Customers32:00 - The Values Exercise That Almost Failed38:22 - "I Ended Up Hiring All Men"43:18 - The Confidence Research That Shocked Emilie52:15 - Why She doesn't post on LinkedIn57:23 - Co-founding With Your Husband01:03:58 - "Stay Odd" — What It Really Means in Management🍿 WATCH NEXT (on Youtube)If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:How To Be A Great Manager | Mel Murray-Serter (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter:🧊 Affiliates:HEIGHTS - https://www.heights.com/scalewithsoulUnplugged - put in code UPMSCALEWITHSOUL at checkout for £35 off

Not the kind of burnout you see coming - Will Pearson, Founder of Ocean Bottle.When you’re still performing, still hitting targets, but your identity has become so intertwined with your company that you can't see where you end and the business begins. This is the story of Will Pearson and how stepping down as CEO saved both his sanity and his relationship with the company he'd built from nothing. 🧠 What You'll Learn: ▪️ How to build a company that works around your lifestyle, not against it ▪️ Why prioritising happiness actually made Ocean Bottle more successful ▪️ Co-CEO structures often create exhaustion, not efficiency ▪️ Understand how to decouple your self-worth from company performance ▪️ Avoid the "everything depends on me" trap that destroys founders ▪️ Build a regenerative business model that gives back 15% of revenue to impact 📖 Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:28 - "I Intertwined My Identity With the Company" 01:02 - A CEO Shake up 04:12 - What Works in Co-CEO Leadership (and what doesn't) 09:45 - Co-Founder Coaching That Changed Everything 12:11 - The 5-Step Pearson Plan 14:08 - Crafting Business Around Lifestyle. Not the Other Way Around 17:09 - "We've Come So Far But We're Just Getting Started" 22:07 - "My Life Would Be Over" - The Toxic Early Mindset 23:49 - How Perspective and Meditation Changed Everything 25:10 - "Every Minute Should Be Work" - The Burnout Point 26:31 - The Happiness Advantage: Success vs Happiness 28:00 - Staying Grounded When the Rocket Ship Takes Off 30:35 - Decoupling Identity From Company Performance 31:23 - "What Are You Insecure About?" - Megs' Question 36:03 - Key Lessons From Board Member Peter Ward 38:00 - Ocean Bottle's Impact Model: 15% Revenue to Impact 40:34 - Building a Coalition of Impactful Companies 48:28 - Triple Bottom Line: Balancing Profit, People, and Planet 52:35 - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and Open Communication 54:10 - Why People Join Mission-Driven Companies 56:09 - Reinventing Capitalism: Measuring Success by Good Done 🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too (Youtube): How 120 Seconds Changed My £7.6M Startup | Laura Fullerton 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Will's Links: Ocean Bottle LinkedInInstagram🚀 Affiliates: Monk Ice BathFor a £100 discount on the world's first smart ice bath, visit - www.discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOUL Heights Supplements: 15% OFF from the world class, all-in-one brain and gut supplements with everything you need and nothing you don’t, head to - www.heights.com/scalewithsoul

From burnout to community leadership.... After 18 months of Long Covid, perimenopause, and complete breakdown, Emmie Faust channelled her recovery into creating one of the UK's most impactful founder communities - Female Founders Rise. 🧠 What You'll Learn What does burnout actually look like and how to bounce backThe surrender mindset that turned a passion project into an 8,000-member communityThe people-pleasing trap that keeps founders stuck and how to break freeTurning her breakdown into an 8,000-member community - Female Founders RiseHow to build sustainable founder communities while prioritising mental healthHow to monetise a community without compromising your mission or accessibility 📖 Chapters 00:00 - The breaking point 01:05 - Rising from the ashes 04:59 - "Founder burnout is huge..." 06:30 - The Founder's Dilemma: Pushing Until You Break 08:21 - Early Warning Signs You're Approaching Burnout 11:39 - The Surrender Experiment: Letting Go While Taking Action 14:58 - From Self-Doubt to Self-Confidence 17:15 - The People-Pleasing Trap 23:28 - Building Female Founders Rise: From 10 to 8,000 Members 28:47 - The Art of Gut-Based Decision Making 33:14 - The Community Monetisation Challenge 38:29 - IMPACT first - INCOME second 41:55 - Why Everything Should Cost Something 47:02 - The Two Questions That Changed Everything 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive frameworks on company and community building: https://the-aj-connection.kit.com/e2d... Scale with Soul - The home of Connected Scaling - how to build businesses without breaking yourself

This is his unfiltered story of how founder martyrdom, ego-driven decisions, and the relentless pursuit of “productivity” can kill everything you’re trying to build. 🧠 Critical Founder Insights ▪️ How to identify what work actually moves the needle ▪️ The difference between being bold versus being rash▪️ The psychological traps that make founders optimise for ego instead of reality ▪️ The art of creating psychological safety that transforms company culture overnight ▪️ Why putting yourself first isn’t selfish - it’s the only way to truly serve your team ▪️ The “martingale system” trap that destroys even the most promising startups 📖 Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:45 - From university reject to startup head of growth 05:00 - “95% of work is a complete f**king waste of time” 08:11 - How to spot busywork vs needle-moving activities 10:24 - The ego test: when rationalisation becomes poison 12:20 - Breaking down founder ego and fear of failure 16:01 - The other side: why you still need some ego to succeed 20:22 - The secret to good research (Amos Tversky’s game-changing quote) 22:08 - Reality vs perception: mental models for startup success 23:13 - Mould toxicity: when founder martyrdom nearly killed him 28:04 - The subtle signs that compound into disaster 30:39 - Why your energy ripples through everything 35:05 - The Elon paradox: when 100-hour weeks actually work 41:33 - Bold vs rash: the Napoleon trap every founder falls into 45:25 - Richard Branson’s secret: understanding the rules before breaking them 52:11 - The barbell theory: how to take asymmetric bets 58:44 - First principles of hiring: why companies are just people breaking bread 01:04:39 - Leading through change: communication as the ultimate leverage 🍿 WATCH NEXT (YOUTUBE)How 120 Seconds Changed My £7.6M Startup |... 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter: https://the-aj-connection.kit.com/e2d... Visit discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOUL for a £100 Discount

Most founders don't talk about this... but the pressure of "it all depends on you" doesn't just create stress - it creates an impossible choice between succeeding and surviving.Laura built a £7.6M company while discovering why that choice is actually killing founder performance - and how 2 minutes of discomfort changed everything.Use our affiliate link for your £100 discount with MONK https://discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOUL🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ Why the "founder pressure paradox" sabotages both your health and your business results▪️ How to optimise cold therapy based on your gender, cycle, and specific goals (not just "jump in when you can")▪️ The $2.7M fundraising lesson: Why saying no to money can be your smartest business decision▪️ How to disconnect your identity from your business without losing your drive▪️ The "3-day rule" that prevents founder burnout before it starts▪️ Why leading with "feminine energy" might be your biggest competitive advantage_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company building_ _ _📖 Episode Chapters00:00 - Intro01:24 - "Mother nature doesn't screw up" - What we've forgotten about being human04:01 - The science behind strategic cold therapy (not just "jump in")06:00 - Why your menstrual cycle changes EVERYTHING about ice baths10:30 - The 120% autophagy increase that changes your cells13:10 - From ancient Greeks to modern biohackers: 5000 years of cold15:02 - When your identity IS your business (and why that's dangerous)19:27 - The founder pressure paradox: Why "it all depends on you" KILLS performance23:42 - The 3-day rule that saved her mental health27:44 - Using AI as your co-CEO and therapist34:19 - Masculine vs feminine energy: when to tap into each39:36 - Why female founders get "protection" questions (and how to flip them)43:17 - Turning down money: the $2.7M fundraising lesson48:58 - How to stress-test investors before they stress-test you53:02 - The ROI of founder networks (and when they're worth 10k)57:18 - Values that actually work: solutions-focused, health-first, innovate always01:05:00 - The uncomfortable truth about building hardware without being technical01:09:55 - What's keeping me up at 3am (and why sleep scores decline)01:12:23 - How to ask for support when you're used to giving it🍿 Watch Next On YoutubeOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu €436m | Bernhard NiesnerPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfe👉 Follow me on Linkedin

Raj Dey is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Learnerbly, a workplace L&D platform at Series A.Raj has stared some dramatic health crises in the face while building and has come out more optimistic than ever._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _In this interview, Raj shared very openly about... 📖 Episode Chapters00:00 - Intro 00:52 - Ego-Minimising Practices 06:33 - Where Are Founders At Risk 09:14 - Who is Raj? 16:21 - Butterfly Effect Moments 20:43 - Solo Founder Mindset 24:10 - Founder Communities 30:21 - Extreme Positivity 40:34 - Leading Indicators To Stress 45:10 - Advisors & Investors 52:22 - How To Maintain Relationships 56:21 - Learnably 01:00:44 - Justifying L&D Spend 01:05:22 - Talent Activation over Acquisition 01:09:45 - Entrepreneur's Characteristics 01:12:41 - Who Impacted Raj Most? 01:18:48 - Where Raj Needs To Grow 01:22:22 - How Can We Help Raj?🍿 Watch Next On YoutubeOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu €436m | Bernhard NiesnerPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfe👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ Who am I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building. Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast, my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!

Mel Murray-Serter was Ops Director for Vice Media in Europe before it collapsed, she is the Executive Chair of Foundrs, the community of 400 entrepreneurs that I previously ran, and she's generally a startup weapon. _ _ _ 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _I visited Mel in her home in London where she shared a tonne of lessons on how to be a great manager, running Foundrs, motherhood and many others including... 📖 Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:35 - Who is Mel? 12:29 - Mel's Career 14:52 - Vice's Downfall 20:03 - Great Maternity Leave 25:25 - Foundrs, the community 45:24 - Hiring & Managing A Board 52:21 - Management Comms & Team Charters 01:06:24 - Impact Of Motherhood 01:11:20 - Relationship OKRs 🍿 WATCH NEXT ON YOUTUBEPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfe Hard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge 👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ Who am I? If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building. Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast, my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!

Bernhard Niesner is the founder of Busuu, which sold to Chegg for €436m in 2021, making it the largest EdTech Exit in Europe. However, the company almost died 7 years in which marked a pivotal moment for Bernhard, specifically with how he approached startup culture._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _Bernhard was kind enough to share his incredible story and lessons from the rollercoaster ride of Busuu! _ _ _📖 Video Chapters00:00 - Intro04:19 - Culture Crisis17:30 - Culture Exercises21:42 - Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast32:02 - Team of A Players38:55 - 100 Rejections From VCs47:56 - How much to raise?50:37 - Relationships with investors58:05 - Evolving our internal chatter01:02:12 - Success is the struggle 01:05:50 - M&A Learnings01:17:43 - Post-exit life01:20:11 - Family : Work Harmony01:24:10 - What's impossible? 01:28:55 - Unconventional Opinion01:30:04 - How we can help Bernhard_ _ _🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands| Julian MetcalfeHard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge_ _ _👉 Follow me on Linkedin_ _ _🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast and my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for people-centric company building

Katy Turner is a serial startup founder, investor and advisor. She's wise, cool and also incredibly silly._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _Katy and I have been close friends since I started running Foundrs and we had so much fun in this conversation with topics ranging from...📖 Video Chapters00:00 - Intro (sillyness)12:18 - The Human Experience14:02 - Work Isn't A Family22:56 - Overcoming conflict aversion 29:06 - Creativity in business37:14 - Culture48:04 - How To Solidify Values53:48 - Foundations Of Stories01:06:31 - Different 'Why's01:09:35 - Soren Kierkegaard01:15:21 - Katy's Best Friend01:17:44 - What's under your bed?01:18:52 - Katy's influences_ _ _🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands| Julian MetcalfeHard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge_ _ _👉 Follow me on Linkedin_ _ _🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast and my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for people-centric company building

Julian Metcalfe founded both Pret A Manger and Itsu, which are together worth over $3 billion! That speaks for itself really..._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _I visited Julian in the Itsu offices in London where we broke down what it takes to be a unicorn entrepreneur and the operating principles behind building Pret A Manger and Itsu.📖 Video Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:20 - The Truth 06:29 - Itsu 09:23 - Innovation 13:55 - Being demanding 16:55 - Passion 20:58 - Beauty 23:06 - What's itsu missing? 26:24 - How Pret changed 27:50 - Pride 30:06 - Trust 34:26 - Itsu's values 35:17 - Evolving 38:51 - Awareness 44:32 - Itsu as a startup 46:53 - Butterfly Club 47:55 - Julian's Drive_ _ _🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Why 93% of Entrepreneurs Fail At Content Creation | Dan Murray-SerterHard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge_ _ _👉 Follow me on Linkedin_ _ _🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast and my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for people-centric company building

Monika Holod has been Head Of Brand for unicorns like BlaBlaCar and Ankorstore as well as VP of Global Brand for OYO (after their $1bn Series E). Since then she has founded a therapy startup called OMA. _ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _In this zen conversation we cover founder wellbeing, startup branding, and scaling culture. 📖 Video Chapters 00:00 - Intro 04:50 - What makes a great brand? 07:07 - What questions to ask? 12:03 - Scaling a brand (AirBnB) 15:14 - Hiring cultures 23:50 - Scaling culture internationally 34:04 - Story of OMA 42:55 - Founder therapist matching 53:13 - Psychology of founders 01:01:13 - Pre-therapy work_ _ _🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands| Julian MetcalfeHard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge_ _ _👉 Follow me on Linkedin_ _ _🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast and my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for people-centric company building

Dan Hogan is an epic founder. He co-founded Ember, an automated accountancy and tax startup that recently raised £5m and boasts clients including thousands of small business owners and banks like HSBC._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _He's also one of my closest friends, - we clicked at a retreat I was running while at Foundrs (a community of 400 entrepreneurs in the UK), and have since lived together and seen each other's best and worst. Dan is an incredibly wise, kind and diligent founder (he was originally an accountant after all) so this was a detailed, powerful and hilarious conversation where we dove into: 📖 Video Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:30 - How We Met 05:03 - Ember Story 10:48 - Choosing Cofounders 18:17 - Remote Team Comms 24:18 - Key Internal Documents 37:00 - How To Connect Employees 46:15 - How Vulnerable At Work? 50:54 - Boundaries 59:00 - How To Fire With Care 01:04:02 - Pre-Firing Work 01:08:48 - Founder Resilience 01:10:56 - Building Resilience In Others 01:15:39 - Ember's Fundraise 01:21:09 - Meeting Stripe's Founder 01:23:51 - Shifts In Fundraising Market 01:29:10 - Closing Lesson_ _ _🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands| Julian MetcalfeLeadership Styles, Social Apps, Cancer & More | Jack Rogers_ _ _👉 Follow me on Linkedin_ _ _🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast and my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for people-centric company building

Kike Oniwinde is the founder and CEO of BYP Network, a community of 150,000 whose purpose is to advance the careers of black professionals._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _Kike and I have been friends for years and really bonded over the grief of losing our parents (trauma-bonding is a thing!). Here we have a very real and wide-ranging conversation on... 📖 Video Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:06 - Team GB Javellin 09:28 - Mindset 13:12 - Loneliness 14:28 - Mindset Evolution 23:43 - Identity Crisis 25:53 - Dealing with pressure 27:11 - Sports vs Business 30:28 - Achievement Fallacy 33:22 - Lessons From Loss 34:38 - Childhood moulding 39:32 - Ambition Evolution 41:00 - Kike's Uncle Dado 46:50 - Mother Daughter 49:29 - Business as a child 51:51 - Changing Black Narrative 58:06 - BYP's Growth 01:02:20 - How BYP makes money _ _ _🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands| Julian MetcalfeCreate Your Networks Of Power | Sharmadean Reid MBE_ _ _👉 Follow me on Linkedin_ _ _🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast and my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for people-centric company building

James Mitra is the founder and CEO of JBM, a top startup executive recruiter. Since recording this, James sold JBM to Amplified Group after 11 years of building. He's very kind, wise and breaks down hiring into simple terms._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _James and I have been friends for the past couple of years and so in this interview we deep dive into... 📖 Video Chapters 00:00 - Intro 04:04 - Retained vs Contingent 17:21 - Priority Of Info 25:15 - Candidate Packs28:05 - Assessment Criteria 33:27 - Our Biases 39:40 - The Whole Process 43:33 - Interview Process 49:45 - Feedback 54:02 - How long it takes? 55:00 - Power of relationships 01:00:19 - Relationship Niche 01:07:27 - What feels risky now? 01:11:20 - James Mentoring me 01:17:00 - Who do you plan to be? 01:22:40 - Kind stories to ourselves_ _ _🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands| Julian MetcalfeHard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge_ _ _👉 Follow me on Linkedin_ _ _🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos on Youtube, the podcast and my writing on Linkedin and in my newsletter, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling people-centric business!_ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for people-centric company building

Sophie is the Chief Sales Officer at the scale-up onefinestay. We have been friends for a couple of years as she started a community of senior commercial leaders called cmrcial, which I helped get off the ground. She has an electric and infectious energy and we go into the nitty gritty of how to build sales teams and processes. _ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _In this detailed conversation, Sophie and I break down...📖 Episode Chapters:00:00 - Intro03:55 - Promotions After Maternity12:56 - Organisation Superpower20:38 - Communication Superpower28:06 - Staying Aligned With Your Gut30:10 - Being Data Driven In Sales41:16 - Creating Long Term Mindsets43:24 - Exceptional Sales People46:07 - Questions To Personalise A Pitch47:44 - Difficult Questions50:24 - Going Niche53:41 - 80/20 of Defining Your ICP54:58 - Finding Your Team's Superpowers59:49 - Personalised Management01:01:56 - Managing Up🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Why 93% of Entrepreneurs Fail At Content Creation | Dan Murray-SerterHard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!

Jack Rogers is a serial founder with deep experience in the B2C space - alongside that he's a legend. A wonderfully real, reflective, and often self-deprecating guy who has been through a lot of hardships and laughs about them. His current startup is called Picnic which is helping people 'reimagine the camera roll', and they have only just started to taste product market fit, 5 years in...._ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _In this very real conversation, Jack and I break down...📖 Episode Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:49 - Tinder Banter Fb Page04:00 - Hard Things In Consumer Apps11:43 - TikTok & Our Evolution23:19 - Ambition Changing Over Time36:44 - Raising 4 Seed Rounds39:59 - Keeping Companies Alive42:49 - Different Leadership Styles51:52 - Screening for high integrity55:31 - Bumble's Brand & Culture01:02:25 - How Much Time On Brand?01:04:06 - Connecting To 'The Problem'01:09:57 - Unique Founder Characteristics01:19:38 - Cancer, Break Up, Failure🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Why 93% of Entrepreneurs Fail At Content Creation | Dan Murray-SerterMastering Leadership: Growing Teams & Growing Yourself | James Grant👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!

Kay Munday is Google's expert communication coach. She works with large corporates as well as startup founders to help them connect with themselves, which she says is the key to becoming a great speaker _ _ _ 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _In this very energetic conversation, Kay and I break down... 📖 Episode Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:02 - Names (Kay & Bear)07:39 - Not fitting in10:25 - How to find our essence15:50 - AJ as a case study20:54 - Timeline therapy23:45 - Finding the golden thread26:30 - Crafting your story28:35 - Your story breakdown32:41 - Youtube's ABCDs38:36 - Example Story43:16 - Simon Sinek (+ so what?)44:15 - Stories as medicine48:40 - Labels55:41 - Where are you judging yourself?🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Why 93% of Entrepreneurs Fail At Content Creation | Dan Murray-SerterMastering Leadership: Growing Teams & Growing Yourself | James Grant👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I? If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building. Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!

Jamie Mitchell was the MD of Innocent Drinks, Tom Dixon (designer furniture), and now he's a serial Non-Executive Director and Board Chairman. _ _ _👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _Jamie and I met when I advised him on his community of entrepreneurs (called All Together) which was started during covid, connecting volunteer advisors with startup founders. This was a brilliant conversation about... 📖 Episode Chapters00:00 - intro05:09 - ADHD24:12 - Great board meetings28:30 - When should we have a board?31:00 - Who should we have on our board?35:00 - What problems do boards tackle?41:00 - How to know when the meeting is going well44:23 - CEO mistakes with their board49:00 - CEO : Chairman Relationship51:18 - When should the board fire you?55:51 - How to nurture board relationships57:49 - All Together (community)01:03:49 - Asking for help01:08:00 - Do world changers love themselves?🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)The Hardest Part Of Scaling: What You Can't Delegate | Hannah FeldmanShocking Stories From A Successful Startup Founder | Graham Hobson👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!

Hannah Feldman scaled her company, Kidadl, from 12 to 450 people in two years. In this podcast interview she shares the hard truths of scaling, and the life of a full time entrepreneur and parent. _ _ _ 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building_ _ _ Hannah and I have been good friends for years (she was even the catalyst to me proposing to my fiancé - which we speak about at the end) so this is as honest a conversation between entrepreneurs as it gets. 📖 Video Chapters00:00 - Intro01:28 - 4 Year Rollercoaster 10:48 - Scale Up Lessons13:11 - Impactful Processes19:08 - Measuring Quality : Quantity21:32 - Culture With Global Freelancers25:55 - Growing Pains29:59 - What you can't delegate34:11 - Interview Qs 37:32 - Juggling parenthood & startups 40:39 - How to keep going44:49 - Where did you learn resilience?47:54 - Unlocking fulfilment51:12- Mental models for home and work55:15 - Roles split at home58:23 - What characteristic are you most proud of?01:00:10 - How Hannah changed my life🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Hard Startup Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James RoutledgeShazam Founder Interview; Secrets of Luck, Persistence & Success👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!

Stu MacDonald has built the world's tastiest peanut butter. From auto-immune disease, to accounting, a trip to Argentina, scrappy beginnings and then 8 years of grind to build ManiLife to what is it today.- - - 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building- - -Stu has been one of the most supportive people on my content journey and his generosity, openness and wisdom shines through in this interview where we cover... 📖 Episode Chapters:00:00 - Intro00:53 - Wilson's Disease (The 'Fuck You' Driver)05:16 - Psychosis, Mania, Depression10:42 - Who Is Stu?11:40 - Why Are People So Important?13:38 - Edu, The Supplier16:51 - Love As A Currency23:00 - Listing With Holland & Barrett25:39 - One Favour A Day27:46 - Balancing Ambition And A Family32:29 - Doing Things That Don't Scale41:56 - Interviewing For Care44:16 - Trickle Down Attention To The Team45:35 - Balancing Accountability & Care47:52 - Long Run vs Short Run52:50 - How To Get Out Of The Way54:47 - What's Unique About You As A CEO🍿 WATCH NEXT (YouTube)The Human Side Of Startup Leadership | Margot De Broglie From Vision to Action: Olio’s Bold Goals & Cofounder Dynamics | Saasha Celestial-One👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I? If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building. Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom! - - - 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building

Margot De Broglie founded Juno, a free app for women and non-binary people to help them become more financially literate. Margot is a very honest and passionate entrepreneur who, in this podcast, shares her relationship with key investors, advisors and her sibling cofounder relationship as well as her relationship with herself. This is the best summary of the human side of startup leadership I've ever seen.- - -👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building- - -Margot and I have been good friends for years so this is as honest a conversation between entrepreneurs as it gets. We deep dive into...📖 Episode Chapters00:00 - Intro02:57 - Sibling Cofounder Relationship09:30 - Encouraging Employees To Push Back12:21 - When To Systemise Your Management16:17 - The Impact of Advisors25:04 - Vulnerable Investor Relationships29:20 - Leaning Into Inexperience & Imposter Syndrome32:45 - Masculine & Feminine Leadership43:10 - How To Bring Play Into Work47:18 - Story Of A Human Moment49:42 - Founders Never Get Positive Feedback51:32 - How Is Your Mental Health?56:51 - Founders Are More Polyamorous01:01:09 - What existential crisis are you going through?01:10:29 - Who are you outside of work?🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James RoutledgeWhy 93% of Entrepreneurs Fail At Content Creation | Dan Murray-Serter👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my podcast, my videos on Youtube and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!- - -👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building

Graham Hobson built Photobox for 17 years before selling it for €400m. In this deep dive interview he shares crazy stories from that journey and frameworks for building companies.- - -👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building- - -Graham and I have been friends for years so this was a deeply personal and educational dive into:📖 Episode Chapters00:00 - Trailer00:46 - How To Deal With Code Reds08:19 - Intro15:03 - Characteristics Of An Entrepreneur18:48 - Talk To Other Founders28:57 - Culture Transplant41:54 - What Leader Would You Have Liked To Be?45:30 - How Much Can We Push Employees? (& Incentives)51:52 - Near Death Experiences57:00 - Was It Worth It?01:02:00 - Impact On Family Life01:06:04 - Lessons That Apply To Family & Business🍿 WATCH NEXT (Youtube)Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James RoutledgeWhy 93% of Entrepreneurs Fail At Content Creation | Dan Murray-Serter👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my podcast, my videos on Youtube and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!- - -👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building

Saasha Celestial-One is the cofounder of a rapidly growing consumer scale-up called Olio (4m users in the UK, 8m users globally). --- 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building --- Saasha and I have been friends for years so this was a very real and educational deep dive into cofounder relationships, scaling challenges, and juggling personal life struggles with the demands of a scale-up. 📖 Episode Chapters00:00 - Intro01:44 - What Does 'Getting Old' Mean To You?03:28 - How Does That Impact Your Leadership? 06:17- ABF (Always Be Fundraising)08:54 - Weaving Values Into Everyday Life15:31 - Top Of Funnel Experiments17:40 - Impacts on User Experience (UX)20:40 - Olio's Community23:52 - How To Test Cofounder Relationships29:53 - How To Nurture Cofounder Relationships35:50 - Staying Aligned With Cofounders42:49 - Company Vision Iteration49:06 - What Feels Ambitious For Olio?53:08 - Founder-Led Brand56:30 - Transparency With The Team01:00:19 - Managing A Divorce & Running A Startup01:05:10 - Saasha's Husband Mat👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I? If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building. Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom! --- 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building

James Grant is the cofounder of My Tutor, an online tutoring startup, and in our interview he shares the highs and lows of startup hiring, structuring of rapid team growth, and how leaders must evolve as the business grows. - - - 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building.- - - 📖 Video Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:58 - Lessons From Pole Vaulting 06:17 - Scientific Hiring Process 15:58 - Hiring Failure Story 18:53 - How To Nurture Employees 23:17 - Evangelist Employees 26:48 - Different Leadership Stages 30:28 - James' Progression Plan 32:28 - Invest In Your Network 34:14 - Covid Journey 40:27 - Growing Pains 45:00 - Investing In Your Leadership Team 50:25 - Cofounder Relationship 56:47 - The Step Into Parenthood 59:17 - What Is Balancing To You? 01:03:38 - Marriage Teamwork 🍿 👉 Follow me on Linkedin🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I? If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building. Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom! --- 👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs 📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building

Rachel Carrell is one of the most methodical, and intuitive hiring experts. She's CEO of the highly acclaimed Koru Kids, where they're building the world's best childcare service.---👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company and community building---Rachel and I have been friends for years and this was a very real and educational deep dive into culture, hiring and the nuanced challenges that CEOs face.📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro03:00 - Effective Teams08:00 - Culture of Feedback20:00 - 3-Word Check Ins26:00 - Decision Systems30:40 - Assessing for Values34:00 - Hiring Process48:15 - Getting Lots Of Candidates51:00 - Our Biggest Unsolved Mystery01:03:35 - What Is Success For You?👇 Follow me on Linkedinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-connection/🙋‍♂️ WHO AM I?If we haven’t met before - Hey 👋 I’m AJ, a serial entrepreneur and community expert who believes that company building should be viewed more through the lens of relationship building.Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast and my writing on Linkedin, I share stories of successful entrepreneurs and evidence-based strategies and tools to help you create the most sustainable and fulfilling business - giving you a life of freedom!