Bulletproof Entrepreneur

1. #95 Mark Rhodes: The Case for the Strategic Accountant Every SME Founder Wishes They Had

   17.09.20261 Std. 9 Min.Folge 95Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailMark started his career at Ernst & Young writing transaction reports for corporates being sold, then walked away from big-business M&A to work with his dad in the family accountancy practice …

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   Mark started his career at Ernst & Young writing transaction reports for corporates being sold, then walked away from big-business M&A to work with his dad in the family accountancy practice, the one his dad had spent 30 years turning into a growth-focused consulting firm for entrepreneurial SMEs. Years on, Mark has taken those big-firm disciplines pricing analysis, forward forecasting, Michael Porter's competitive strategy and applied them to a corner of the market where most accountancy firms rarely go beyond filing tax returns. In this conversation, he unpacks the "consulting accountant" model, the frameworks he brings to every founder, and why forward-facing beats historical every time.

   In this episode:

   • Why Mark walked away from Ernst & Young's transaction services team to join his dad's accountancy practice, and the reverse psychology that seems to have worked
   • The "consulting accountant" phrase, borrowed from Rick Payne, and Mark's blunt take that most SME accountants are great historians but poor strategists
   • The full-day (or half-day) in-person planning session that starts every client relationship, with personal objectives before business objectives
   • Why he treats costs as resources: renaming the P&L, spotting the areas where founders are chronically under-investing training, marketing, people
   • Peter Drucker's line that the purpose of a business is to create results outside yourself, and Michael Porter's two-part framework: create value, then capture value
   • Why pricing is one of the biggest untapped levers in SME businesses, and Mark's simple rule for choosing clients if they can't get 10x the value back, don't work with them
   • Michael Gerber's "the boss doesn't have a boss" problem, and why the accountability of a monthly meeting with an outsider often does more than any tool inside the business
   • OKRs (courtesy of Measure What Matters), cascading business plans, and the client who has every single person in the organisation present their own mini business plan at an annual day
   • Rick Payne's shift from Key Performance Indicators to Key Predictive Indicators, and the "desert island" test for how few metrics you actually need
   • The Harkham property client (Mark's own brother-in-law and brother) that grew from six people to 30 by taking the process to heart, and the dental practice founder who stepped out of clinical work and eventually sold with far less stress than she expected
   • The "Draw Toast" TED Talk exercise Mark uses to visualise how a business actually serves customers, and the moments of innovation that fall out of drawing rather than talking
   • HIPPO the Highest Paid Person's Opinion and why Mark's first question in a strategy session always goes to the person with the least equity and the least influence in the room
   • The mini MBA programme Mark runs with Paul three topics (leadership, finance, competitive strategy), ten business owners a year, three hours a month, and a business simulation game that has founders running a fake company on eight decisions a month
   • Working alongside other accountants rather than poaching them, and why Mark's firm trains 60 other accountancy firms in the same approach
   • Mark's definition of true wealth: having choices, and never playing with scared money

   A conversation about the forward-looking discipline that almost every SME accountant leaves on the table, and why the founders who get it done tend to end up with far more optionality than the ones who don't.

   Book and resource recommendations: The Go-Giver by Bob Burg, What is Strategy by Michael Porter (Harvard Business Review), The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt, Measure What Matters by John Doerr, and the Happiness Lab podcast.

   
   

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

2. #94 Nigel Shanahan: The 20-Year Journey From IBM Salesman to a £50M Tech Exit

   06.08.20261 Std. 8 Min.Folge 94Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailNigel Shanahan started his working life as a chartered accountancy trainee who "failed miserably", found his feet as an IBM salesman for 12 years, then left with a colleague and £250,000 of …

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   Nigel Shanahan started his working life as a chartered accountancy trainee who "failed miserably", found his feet as an IBM salesman for 12 years, then left with a colleague and £250,000 of business angel funding to launch a text-messaging business at the start of the 2000s. It took another 20 years, one dilution to 5%, one buyback of his own company from the VCs, one moment of clarity at an M40 service station, and one 4:30am deal signing to build Rant and Rave into a business he sold to Upland Software in 2018 for what he'd told his team eight years earlier it would be worth: £50 million.

   In this episode:

   • Loughborough University, a failed 18 months as a chartered accountancy trainee, and how a graduate management programme at IBM turned him into a salesman for 12 years
   • The Warwick University EU-funded programme (six Saturdays and Sundays in a row) that separated the entrepreneurs-in-waiting from those who'd stay in corporate life
   • The mentor, Harry, who ran that programme, and who Nigel credits with being one of the most important business relationships of his career
   • The first business idea: SMS broadcast for corporates in the days when only people with "status" at IBM had a phone in their car, and the £250,000 angel investment that landed six weeks after the first pitch
   • The £100k+ IBM salary he walked away from, the £25,000 a year he paid himself for three years, and the young family who paid for it too
   • The VC round that came next, the discipline it forced on him, and the phone call telling him his co-founder Ian had to go — and the "hardest business conversation" of Nigel's life the next morning
   • Being diluted to 5%, working 80-hour weeks, having remortgaged the house five times, and the moment at the M40 Welcome Break service station where Rant and Rave was born
   • The wife, Desi, who told him it was "bloody brilliant" before anyone else did
   • Harry's response when Nigel said he'd walk away and start over: "Don't be ridiculous. Do an MBO"
   • The Vodafone relationship changing at exactly the right moment, the board panicking, and the MBO that ended with the VCs getting every pound of their money back
   • The sentiment engine that turned SMS broadcast into a two-way customer feedback business, and the ten further years of building that followed
   • The £50 million valuation Nigel told the team was possible eight years before it happened, and the 64 staff on the Enterprise Investment Share Scheme who came along for the ride
   • The wrong CEO hire that came from "meals and drinks" instead of a proper process, and the non-exec chairman Simon who asked the killer question over a curry: "what's the exit strategy?"
   • Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), the beauty pageant with investment banks, and picking GP Bullhound
   • The 2.5x ARR multiple SaaS deals used to go for, the £20M annual recurring revenue that got them to their target price, and the twin-track PE vs trade sale campaign
   • Why the senior team chose Upland Software over a leveraged private equity offer at the same valuation, and the 40-day due diligence that followed
   • The 4:30am signing after Nigel "threw his dolly out" and demanded the acquiring CEO come back from a golf trip, and "Disco Dave" — the M&A lawyer from Northern Ireland who arrived three weeks before the deal after the original partner left the firm
   • Life after the exit: Mill Street co-working in Leamington Spa, the Make Good Grow philanthropic matchmaking platform, and Nigel's definition of true wealth — "happiness and contentment"

   A conversation about betting on a technology wave before anyone else can see it, why not all VCs are the same, and how a 20-year "overnight success" actually gets built.

   
   

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

3. #93 From the vault: Scaling to a £100m ARR business and successfully exiting with Mark Mills

   24.07.20261 Std. 3 Min.Folge 93Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailMark Mills started buying and selling at school — literally, with bags of broken biscuits from the biscuit factory where his aunt worked. Three decades and five businesses later, after a £20,000 …

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   Mark Mills started buying and selling at school — literally, with bags of broken biscuits from the biscuit factory where his aunt worked. Three decades and five businesses later, after a £20,000 debt from the failed pay phone venture that took years to clear, and a publishing business he sold for £1, he built Cardpoint into a £100M-a-year cash machine business turning over £2M a week. He now takes other founders through the 40-step process he ended up writing after selling his own company disastrously badly on the first attempt.

   In this episode:

   • The broken-biscuits business at school that started it all, and why he thinks the best entrepreneurs are always capable salespeople
   • The pay phones business in the early '90s that made money on hardware but nothing on calls, and the recession that wiped it out
   • The £20,000 debt he decided to pay off personally rather than take anyone down with him
   • The mobile phone moment: sitting around a table laughing at the idea that "someone would want one for his wife" — and the revolution they completely missed
   • The publishing business that got so broad it had no audience, and the £1 exit that followed
   • The 1999 trip to New York with his brother "because all the good ideas come from the States"
   • The five business model rules it took him three failed ventures to figure out: recurring income, location-independent, scalable, necessary rather than fashion, and of its time
   • Cardpoint: 36,000 free ATMs already in the market, and the counter-intuitive decision to put paid ones in more convenient locations — corner shops, petrol stations, tourist spots
   • The maths behind £1.50 charges adding up to £100M in revenue, and why the business ended up needing a lot of accountants
   • Why he ran Cardpoint with an exit in mind from day one, and how that discipline shaped every small day-to-day decision
   • The disastrous first attempt to sell it — running buyer meetings while trying to do his day job — and the Christmas Day conversation with his wife that reset everything
   • The six-month "I'm not for sale" period he used to prepare properly, and why saying no created more interest not less
   • The 40-step exit process he now takes founders through, from tidying up leases and share structures to sharpening the sales pipeline
   • The four kinds of buyer he thinks about: PLCs, PE-backed roll-ups, private equity taking a hybrid stake, and pure trade sales — and the Minicam deal that used two of them
   • Why buyer due diligence matters as much as the other way round, and the founders who took less money because they preferred one buyer's team to another's
   • The anticlimactic feeling after selling — the founder who ate beans on toast and cried the night the deal closed, and Mark's advice to do nothing for 12 months afterwards
   • Marking the occasion: daft cars, one burnt orange McLaren, and a pair of cufflinks Mark still wears years later
   • The five "disinheritance events" his kids can recite, and why they occasionally try to talk each other into breaking the rules
   • His definition of true wealth: not the money, but the choices — and why he'd rather be rich than famous

   A conversation about ruthlessly interrogating your own business model, the discipline of running every day as if the exit is coming, and why the moment after the wire transfer clears is often quieter than anyone expects.

   Mark's Website: https://www.mark.co.uk
   Book “Making Your Mark” - https://amzn.eu/d/04iC0CF7

   
   
   

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

4. #92 Niraj Shah: How a Stroke at 30 Rewired His Definition of Wealth and Built Five Businesses

   09.07.20261 Std. 13 Min.Folge 92Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailNiraj was 30, healthy and getting ready for work when a stroke put him on the bathroom floor and eventually into the stroke unit at St Mary's Hospital in London. Fifteen years on, he has …

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   Niraj was 30, healthy and getting ready for work when a stroke put him on the bathroom floor and eventually into the stroke unit at St Mary's Hospital in London.

   Fifteen years on, he has built five businesses across property, meditation, sports tech and now M&A, all while carrying two convictions the health scare gave him: that a useful thought beats a true one, and that energy is a strategy in its own right. His latest venture, DKZ Equity, is out to fix what he sees as broken about how smaller entrepreneurs get sold.

   In this episode:

   • The stroke at 30 that came with no family history, no warning and no explanation, and the "car crash" analogy his doctors used when they discharged him
   • The father he lost at 14 to a heart attack aged 47, and the two ambitions that shaped Niraj at 15: run his own business and see the world
   • Why the plan he was already forming to leave employed life got accelerated the day he woke up in hospital
   • The year he spent inside two tech startups just to learn how to build, and the mistake he was making that stopped anything getting off the ground
   • The pivot into real estate out of "desperation and frustration", the London Plan document nobody in property was reading, and the co-living niche that replaced his salary
   • Why he built video viewings, electronic signatures and fibre-optic broadband into his lettings in 2012, and why he still finds property "incredibly boring"
   • Riding the London wellness wave in 2014 and 2015, building a meditation and mental wellbeing movement, and the "moderately successful" exit that taught him more than a bigger one might have
   • The sports tech partnership with Mac Lackey that nearly delivered a seven-figure exit on something that fundamentally didn't work
   • The three near-miss accountancy acquisitions that turned into the origin story of DKZ Equity in December 2024
   • Why he thinks the sub-£50M M&A market is where things get "murky", and the incentive structures that push good advisers up-market
   • The retainer-free M&A model he thinks founders should be wary of, the four-to-six percent fee range, and the tail provisions that have quietly wrecked good deals
   • The 24-month tail clause that trapped one founder, cost them a £20M exit and forced them into another funding round
   • Why he stacked his firm with two experienced partners from day one, and why he almost never takes equity when early-stage founders offer it
   • Energy as a strategy: the physical, mental and social edge that shows up in every meeting whether you notice it or not
   • His two-part definition of true wealth: winning the demographic lottery of a free-market Western economy, then having the bravery to define what you actually want rather than what social media tells you you should

   A conversation about treating your own health as infrastructure, building businesses in markets other people have written off, and the questions every founder should be asking before they sign an M&A engagement letter.

   Niraj’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niraj5hah/

   DKZ Equity Website: https://www.dkzequity.com

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

5. #91 Sam Smith: From Northern Rock Crisis to London IPO and Super Scalers

   25.06.202652 Min.Folge 91Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailSam Smith spent 24 years building FinCap from a single desk and a phone into a London-listed investment bank, becoming one of the few women to lead a public financial business in the UK. She bet …

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   Sam Smith spent 24 years building FinCap from a single desk and a phone into a London-listed investment bank, becoming one of the few women to lead a public financial business in the UK. She bet on small caps when the big banks were running for the exit, kept hiring when her own team thought she was reckless, and walked away at her best year ever. Now she's putting everything she learned into Super Scalers, a community helping underrepresented founders scale past £50 million.

   In this episode:

   • The summer sandwich round at age 17 that doubled takings in two weeks, and the family bakery moment Sam only recognised as entrepreneurial 20 years later
   • Why she walked away from the Schroders and Morgan Stanley route on the day she qualified as an accountant, against the advice of literally everyone she knew
   • Building a corporate finance division at 24 with nothing but a desk, a phone and three books on company law
   • The MBO signed on 1 August 2007 — two weeks before Northern Rock collapsed across the road from her office
   • Why she kept hiring aggressively through the financial crisis while her team begged her to stop, and the four months in 2009 when fees stopped completely
   • The first redundancies she ever made, the coach she had to bring in, and the moment she still describes as one of the hardest of her career
   • The 48-hour ultimatum to raise £2.5 million for the secondary buyout, the chairman who underwrote her on the spot, and the team that delivered the money in 24
   • Why she gave everyone the same allocation, from receptionist to senior partner, and what that single decision did to the culture
   • The IPO timed against Theresa May losing her cabinet, and the "last man standing" mindset that got the deal over the line
   • Why she prefers loaning staff money to buy shares over handing out free options, and what skin in the game actually changes
   • The 10 days after stepping away that she calls the worst of her life, and why she still knew it was 110 percent the right call
   • Super Scalers, Rosaleen Blair, and the 144 women in the UK who have built businesses past £50 million in revenue

   A conversation about trusting your gut against every voice in the room, treating culture as the real point of difference, and ranking your own happiness out of ten every single day.

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

6. #90 Martin Lightbody - The Scottish Baker Who Conquered America's Cake Aisle

   11.06.20261 Std. 12 Min.Folge 90Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailMartin Lightbody turned a fourth-generation Scottish bakery into the number one celebration-cake supplier to the UK supermarkets, scaling from 50 staff to 1,200 and £60 to 70 million in …

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   Martin Lightbody turned a fourth-generation Scottish bakery into the number one celebration-cake supplier to the UK supermarkets, scaling from 50 staff to 1,200 and £60 to 70 million in turnover. Then he sold up, took the whole idea to America, and won the Hershey licence for the entire country.

   This is the full arc of a career built on one habit: seeing where the market was heading before anyone else, and betting big when the moment came.

   In this episode:

   • Why his father refused to let him work in the family bakery as a boy, and the unpaid training across Europe's best bakeries that replaced it
   • The UK award he collected just as a new supermarket opened up the road and quietly started killing his trade
   • The decision to sell every shop, take on millions in debt, and put the family home on the line before a single supermarket had said yes
   • The point of difference no rival could match, and why speed to market beat the big factories every time
   • The licensing deals that built an empire, and the three that went spectacularly wrong (one involves rival football fans and a lot of ruined cakes)
   • How he finally landed Disney after three years of knocking, then closed an entire American licence with a pallet and a half of cake
   • The naked sauna standoff that got him the finance director he had chased for a year, who then stayed for 28 of them
   • Representing Scotland at a sport he had never played, on an animal he had never sat on
   • What he means when he calls himself a fan of plagiarism
   • His honest definition of true wealth, and the moment of relief he still remembers

   A conversation about pivoting before you are forced to, hiring people you think you cannot afford, and knowing exactly when to walk away.

   Helpful Resources mentioned in the episode:

   Sam Walton: Made In America

   Bulletproof Entrepreneur #78 Sir Tom Hunter

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

7. #89 The 20-Year Overnight Success: Failed Businesses, Crippling Debt, and Building GoProposal Into an Eight-Figure Exit

   28.05.20261 Std. 35 Min.Folge 89Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailJames Ashford sold GoProposal to Sage for an eight-figure sum. People hear that and picture a clean line from idea to payday. It took him two decades, several businesses that died along the way …

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   James Ashford sold GoProposal to Sage for an eight-figure sum. People hear that and picture a clean line from idea to payday. It took him two decades, several businesses that died along the way, and one moment where he couldn't afford the fee to shut a company down.

   He started as a wedding magician, walking straight up to the rowdiest table in the room on purpose. What he learned there became the thing every later business ran on. The failures came too: an agency he loved, gone over a single decision. A marriage under strain. A debt a friend had to cover for him.

   Then a mentor asked him one blunt question, and the answer changed how he built everything after.

   The part people don't see coming is what the exit actually did to him. The win arrived, and so did something he hadn't planned for. He talks about it more honestly here than most founders ever will, including the redefinition of "wealth" he landed on at the end, which is not the one he set out chasing.

   If you're building something you hope to sell, or you already have and it feels stranger than you expected, this one's worth your time.

   What Alan and James get into:

   • Why he targeted the worst table in the room, every time
   • The agency that went under from one bad call, and what it cost him beyond money
   • The liquidation he couldn't pay for himself
   • A million-pound cheque pinned to a bedroom ceiling years before it meant anything
   • The mentor question that rearranged his whole approach
   • How he picked who would buy his company long before they knew they would
   • The second Range Rover he ordered and sent straight back
   • The thing nobody warns you about on the other side of an exit
   • The definition of "true wealth" he arrived at, and how late it came

   Connect with James

   • Website: https://jamesashford.com
   • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesashford/
   • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejamesashford
   • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fireproofjames

   James's book

   • Selling to Serve

   Other Book Recommendations:

   • Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
   • The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
   • The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
   • Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
   • The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
   • Tony Robbins' Money: Master the Game

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

8. #88 The Insider Who Now Teaches Founders to Beat Private Equity

   14.05.20261 Std. 24 Min.Folge 88Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailNick Bradley has sat on the other side of the table for more than 50 acquisitions and 27 exits. He knows exactly how private equity firms assess a business, where founders give away their …

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   Nick Bradley has sat on the other side of the table for more than 50 acquisitions and 27 exits. He knows exactly how private equity firms assess a business, where founders give away their leverage, and why so many walk away from a life-changing deal with far less than they should have.

   But this conversation is not really about deal mechanics. It is about the journey that got him there. From running a small gym in Adelaide to launching magazines in Sydney, to flying between London and New York every week for a job that was quietly costing him everything. It took a sudden loss, a stress injury he never saw coming, and an unexpected reunion to make him question the entire game he had spent a decade winning.

   In this episode, Nick shares the framework he now uses to help founders build genuinely valuable businesses, the difference between the companies buyers fight over and the ones they pick apart, and the identity shift that has to happen before any exit is worth doing. He also opens up about the moment he put a resignation letter on the table, and how his definition of success looks nothing like it did ten years ago.

   A candid conversation about ambition, reinvention, and what it actually means to build something worth selling.

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

9. #87 He arrived in the UK with £500 and sold his company to one of word's biggest banks - Anton Padmasiri

   01.05.20261 Std. 7 Min.Folge 87Als Nächstes

   Send us Fan MailAnton arrived in the UK with £500 in his pocket. Years later, he founded WealthOS. He recently sold it to one of the world's largest banks.In this episode, Alan sits down with the founder …

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   Anton arrived in the UK with £500 in his pocket. Years later, he founded WealthOS. He recently sold it to one of the world's largest banks.

   In this episode, Alan sits down with the founder of WealthOS to talk through what the journey from arrival to acquisition actually looked like.

   We hear about the door-knocking days in suburban Surrey, and the decision to leave a senior corporate role with two children in private school and a mortgage to cover. He shares the framework he used to pick a co-founder, and why the person who scored highest was not who anyone expected.

   We get into the angel rounds, the strategic investment from Barclays, and the Liz Truss-era fundraising window that nearly ended the company.

   There is the November when the bank account was down to four figures and payroll was three weeks away. The conversation he had with his wife about pulling the kids out of school. And the call from JP Morgan that came when an exit was not on his mind.

   He also shares the principle his former chair gave him about how good businesses get acquired, and his answer to what wealth actually means after you have built and sold one.

   Links:

   Wealth OS: https://www.wealthos.cloud/

   Anton's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonpadmasiri/

   
   

   Books:

   "Dreams From My Father" by Barack Obama - https://amzn.eu/d/074kFId1

   "Range" by David Epstein - https://amzn.eu/d/0iBX3kyj

   "Build" by Tony Fadell - https://amzn.eu/d/06ueeONi

   
   

   Podcasts:

   "Invest Like The Best" by Patrick O'Shaughnessy - https://pod.link/1154105909

   
   This podcast is produced by Tribunista

   Sponsored by Capital Partners

10. #86 Darya Simanovich — I Arrived in London with £300 and Built 15 Businesses. Here’s What Actually Worked.

    16.04.20261 Std. 11 Min.Folge 86Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailDarya Simanovich arrived in London 20 years ago with £300, no contacts, and barely any English. Today she runs two businesses, holds a full-time role supporting small business owners across …

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    Darya Simanovich arrived in London 20 years ago with £300, no contacts, and barely any English. Today she runs two businesses, holds a full-time role supporting small business owners across London, mentors 400 founders a year, and has just published her first book.

    In this episode, Daria breaks down what 15 businesses across completely different industries actually taught her about failure, timing, and the kind of resilience nobody calls resilience to your face. She also shares the frameworks she gives every founder she meets, including one with a 72-hour deadline that she says determines whether anything actually gets done.

    If you have ever wondered whether the entrepreneurship path is for you, or you are already on it and wondering what separates the ones who make it, this is the conversation.

    Darya's book: https://amzn.eu/d/0j0KvWsr

    Links to other recommended resources:

    The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

    Atomic Habits

    The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life

    The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness

    
    

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

11. #85 The Music Entrepreneur Who Sold Out To Stay In - Ian Grenfell of Quietus

    02.04.20261 Std. 12 Min.Folge 85Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailIan has spent 45 years in the music industry, managing Simply Red, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, and Suede. He started at 17 with a boot full of vinyl and a two-litre Cortina, driving 1,200 …

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    Ian has spent 45 years in the music industry, managing Simply Red, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, and Suede. He started at 17 with a boot full of vinyl and a two-litre Cortina, driving 1,200 miles a week as a sales rep.

    He went on to oversee the biggest self-released album in history - Simply Red's Home, which outsold most Taylor Swift records and still holds the record today!

    But Ian's story isn't just about music.

    It's about what happens when a founder tries to exit a business built entirely on relationships, trust, and instinct. After a bruising experience selling 50% to Live Nation and rejecting a buyout offer before his plane left the runway at Heathrow, Ian found a route almost nobody in his world had heard of - and it changed everything.

    This is a conversation about sliding doors moments, creative courage, knowing when enough is enough, and an exit strategy that let him cash out, stay involved, and reward every person who helped him build it.

    
    
    

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

12. #84 He was told his business was worth nothing. Five years later he sold it for millions - on his own terms.

    19.03.20261 Std. 17 Min.Folge 84Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailNeil Osmond never set out to be an entrepreneur. He was a pharma executive with a steady job, a young family, and no savings when a friend showed him something on a computer that he …

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    Neil Osmond never set out to be an entrepreneur. He was a pharma executive with a steady job, a young family, and no savings when a friend showed him something on a computer that he couldn't stop thinking about.

    What followed was a 15-year journey - mapping the London Olympics, pivoting into healthcare, nearly running a glorified lifestyle business, and eventually selling Earthware to a global medical communications group after more than ten first-stage offers.

    In this episode, Neil walks through all of it: the brutal feedback that changed his direction, how he used Vivid Vision, EOS, and 8 Agencynomics benchmarks to transform the business, why knowing your number before you sell is non-negotiable - and what true wealth looks like when the chapter is finally closed.

    Books mentioned:

    Maverick – Ricardo Semler | Business Model Generation – Osterwalder & Pigneur | Agencynomics – Spencer Gallagher & Peter Hoole

    Connect with Neil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilmeosmond/

    Subscribe to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur newsletter: https://alan-smith-bulletproofentrepreneur.kit.com/newsletter

    Follow Alan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alancapital/

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

13. #83 From Bomb Survivor to 32x EBITDA Exit - Andrew Scott’s Extraordinary Entrepreneurial Journey

    05.03.20261 Std. 17 Min.Folge 83Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailHe survived a bomb at four years old. Lost everything in his thirties. Then built a group of companies employing nearly 100 people and sold his media business for 32 x EBITDA.I sat down with …

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    He survived a bomb at four years old. Lost everything in his thirties. Then built a group of companies employing nearly 100 people and sold his media business for 32 x EBITDA.

    I sat down with Belfast-born entrepreneur Andrew Scott for one of the most honest conversations about failure, resilience, and reinvention you’ll hear anywhere.

    Andrew shares the full story - from growing up during the Troubles, to arriving in London at 18 with nothing, to the moment he sat in a clapped-out BMW on a beach and thought it was all over. And what happened next.

    Topics covered: surviving childhood trauma, the power of work ethic, building and losing businesses, the Purpose Plan Execute framework, creative deal-making, company culture, AI in business, and achieving a 32x EBITDA exit.

    Links

    🔗 Connect with Andrew: https://www.andrewscott.bio/

    🔗 Subscribe to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur newsletter: https://alan-smith-bulletproofentrepreneur.kit.com/newsletter

    🔗 Follow Alan on LinkedIn: CLICK HERE

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

14. #82 He Ditched Cash, Bought Bitcoin, Then Listed His Company on the Stock Market: Entrepreneur, Scott Ellam of XCE.

    19.02.20261 Std. 8 Min.Folge 82Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailScott Ellam started with a £13,000 basic salary, cold-called his way into closing a company acquisition at 22, and then built a thriving international executive search firm from his kitchen in …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Scott Ellam started with a £13,000 basic salary, cold-called his way into closing a company acquisition at 22, and then built a thriving international executive search firm from his kitchen in 2014.

    Then he did something almost no UK founder has done - he put Bitcoin on his business balance sheet, and then took the whole thing public - listing it on the stock market.

    In this episode, Scott tells the full story:

    • Why he believes the £230 billion sitting in UK business bank accounts is quietly losing value every year,
    • How he held his nerve watching Bitcoin drop from £60k to £16k while still buying daily,
    • Why he believes the IPO structure he’s built solves one of recruitment’s oldest problems - attracting and retaining top billing talent.

    This isn’t really a Bitcoin episode. It’s an episode about what you do with the profits you’ve worked hard to build - and whether cash in the bank is actually as safe as it feels.

    Whether you agree with the strategy or not, this conversation will challenge how you think about incentives, capital allocation, and long-term value creation.

    What’s the “don’t get poor slowly strategy” for your business?

    Links

    https://uk.linkedin.com/in/scott-p-ellam-5a097449

    https://www.spencer-riley.com/about-us/meet-the-team/scott-ellam

    https://xce.io/

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFOxNbmD38

    https://bitcoincollective.co/

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Principles-Bitcoin-Technology-Economics-Philosophy/dp/023122012X

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

15. #81 Rachel Murphy - From £0 to Eight-Figure Exit in 1,042 Days

    05.02.20261 Std. 8 Min.Folge 81Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailEpisode OverviewRachel Murphy sold her company during lockdown. While building the national COVID-19 digital service. Without ever meeting the buyers in person.This conversation is equal parts …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Episode Overview

    Rachel Murphy sold her company during lockdown. While building the national COVID-19 digital service. Without ever meeting the buyers in person.

    This conversation is equal parts masterclass and madness - covering everything from selling timeshare at 13, to negotiating 50% equity in a struggling business, to achieving an eight-figure exit in under three years, to why every founder her acquirer bought has since left.

    Rachel now runs The Grafter, helping entrepreneurs navigate exits with the playbook and emotional support that didn't exist when she needed it.

    
    Guest Bio

    Rachel Murphy is a multi-exited entrepreneur and founder of The Grafter, a business that helps entrepreneurs build, scale, and exit their companies. After building and selling her first company in her 20s, she spent 10-15 years as a high-level interim executive (CIO for Department of Education, leading NHS.UK digital transformation and launching the NHS app).

    In 2015, she negotiated 50% equity in consultancy Difference and sold it for eight figures in 2020 - during lockdown, while simultaneously building the national COVID-19 digital solution.

    She now leads a community of 200+ entrepreneurs and has helped facilitate 5 exits, 12 revenue doublings, and a £44M non-dilutive raise in just 38 months.

    
    Key Takeaways

    1. Build Your Exit Strategy Before You Need It

    Rachel had a complete sell pack ready 18 months into the business. When unsolicited buyers called, she didn't scramble - she sent comprehensive documentation immediately, putting her in a position of strength.

    Action: Start documenting your strategy, financials, and exit roadmap now - even if exit is years away.

    2. Creative Deals Beat Starting From Scratch

    Instead of building from zero, Rachel negotiated 50% equity in an existing struggling business by bringing her expertise, network, and turnaround strategy. One plus one equalled ten.

    Action: Look for businesses adjacent to your skillset that need what you have. Equity partnerships can accelerate your journey.

    3. Use Objective Frameworks for Emotional Decisions

    Rachel used Wardley mapping to objectively assess three acquisition offers. The result: she chose the best fit for her team, not the highest bidder or her personal preference.

    Action: Remove emotion from major decisions with frameworks. Work backwards from outcomes. Be brutally objective.

    Links:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachthegrafter/?originalSubdomain=uk

    The Grafter

    The 5 Types of Wealth: The life-changing international bestseller, a guide to building a happier, healthier, wealthier life

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

    Transkript

16. #80 The 2025 Budget: Hidden Traps Every Founder Must Avoid - with tax guru Malli Kini.

    04.12.202554 Min.Folge 80Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailThe Autumn Budget landed last week - and while the headlines were busy talking about ‘black holes,’ and ‘fairness,’ the fine print tells a very different story.Nimesh Shah, The CEO of leading …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    The Autumn Budget landed last week - and while the headlines were busy talking about ‘black holes,’ and ‘fairness,’ the fine print tells a very different story.

    Nimesh Shah, The CEO of leading tax advisers, Blick Rothenberg didn’t mince words calling it “the most damaging Budget in living memory”

    If you own a business, if you’re scaling your company, or if you’re even thinking about an exit in the next few years, this Budget will affect your future wealth more than you realise.

    And most founders have absolutely no idea.

    So I’ve brought back one of the sharpest tax brains in the country - Malli Kini - to unpack the traps, the opportunities, and the moves you need to make right now to stay ahead.

    We’re talking;

    
    • The stealth tax hikes nobody’s mentioning

    
    • The dividend and pension changes that hit founders hardest

    
    • The EOT crackdown and what it means for succession

    
    And so many other issues that didn't make the headlines.

    This is one of those episodes where a single insight could save you six figures - or more - over the next few years.

    If you’re a business owner, buckle up.

    
    If you’re planning an exit, take notes.

    And if you care about keeping more of what you’ve built… this one’s for you.

    Let’s get into it.

    Ladies and gentlemen, Malli Kini

    
    
    

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

17. #79 The exact playbook to 3 x the value of your business - Graham Stephen of Bizval

    27.11.20251 Std. 8 Min.Folge 79Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan Mail What if your business isn’t worth what you think it is?What if it’s less than you think? What is it’s more?Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most owner-managed businesses never sell.Not because …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    What if your business isn’t worth what you think it is?

    What if it’s less than you think? What is it’s more?

    Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most owner-managed businesses never sell.

    Not because the founders are lazy or stupid…But because the business just isn’t sellable in the eyes of a buyer.

    So Today, we’re fixing that.

    I’m joined by Graham Stephen, CEO and co-founder of a company called Bizval.

    His team helps entrepreneurs get a proper, defensible valuation.
    without a £50,000 big accounting firm invoice - or 80 pages of jargon! - and then they break down the key steps you can take to improve your exit valuation.

    So this episode is a bit different.

    During our conversation, Graham screenshares a live valuation of a very typical business:

    It’s a £10m revenue marketing agency, decent profits, happy owners.

    On the surface, it all looks great.

    But under the hood?

    There are a few issues that are keeping the valuation down in the eyes of a potential buyer.

    He then plugs in the key numbers and data…

    And you’ll hear how that business comes out at a valuation of around £3.7m today.

    Then we apply some smart strategic moves and pull a few specific levers – nothing crazy and all highly achievable as part of a focused strategic exit plan.

    And suddenly the model shows a path from a £3.7m valuation to over £10m.

    • Same business.
    • Same owners.
    • Very different outcome.

    And one other thing, Graham has kindly agreed to offer a very useful discount to the standard cost of your evaluation and strategic plan.

    There’s a link to the discount code below.

    So, if you’re an entrepreneur and your business is your pension, your exit, your family’s future – this episode will make you think very differently about your business value and how to optimise it.

    Let’s face it, you’re probably only going to sell once - and it’s likely to be the most significant financial transaction of your life.

    And so this next hour or so could make all the difference to you when that time comes.

    Let’s get into it.

    https://bizvalglobal.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-stephen?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

    https://bizvalglobal.com/pricing/ - code Bulletproof

    
    
    

    
    

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

18. #78 Sir Tom Hunter - The Incredible Journey From Market Stall to Billionaire.

    13.11.20251 Std. 23 Min.Folge 78Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailToday on The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, you’re going to hear from a man whose story is almost impossible to compress into a single sentence - because it’s part grit, part luck, part audacity… and …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Today on The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, you’re going to hear from a man whose story is almost impossible to compress into a single sentence - because it’s part grit, part luck, part audacity… and entirely remarkable.

    Sir Tom Hunter grew up in the small Scottish mining village of New Cumnock, where his father ran the local grocery shop. It was there - stacking shelves, serving neighbours, and learning the value of every pound - that Tom absorbed the lessons that shaped everything that came next: look after your customers, keep your word, and work harder than anyone expects.

    From those beginnings, he went on to build one of the most successful retail empires the UK has ever seen. The story isn’t neat. It’s not linear. It’s full of missteps, brass-neck decisions, fake-it-till-you-make-it moments, and an unshakeable belief that the best way to learn is to do.

    You’ll hear how he started by selling trainers from the back of a van… how he leveraged luck by simply showing up… how a chance encounter led to selling more shell suits than anyone in Europe… and how an almost absurd coin toss sealed a £296 million deal.

    But you’ll also hear the parts of the journey most people never talk about. The weight of shutting shops. The backlash after the sale. The pressure of the financial crisis. Losing hundreds of millions. And the resilience required to rebuild from the inside out.

    It’s rare to sit with someone who has not only succeeded at the level Tom has but is also willing to speak honestly about the parts that don’t make the headlines.

    And today, he goes further - sharing the philosophies that now guide his work through West Coast Capital and The Hunter Foundation… why he believes entrepreneurs are the engine of the UK economy… what government consistently gets wrong… and the one piece of advice Warren Buffett gave him that changed the way he thinks about family, money, and legacy.

    It’s a conversation about risk, resilience, humility, generosity, and what true wealth really means.

    So settle in. This one is special.

    Links:

    https://www.thehunterfoundation.co.uk/

    https://www.westcoastcapital.co.uk/

    Shareholder Letters

    The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness: Amazon.co.uk

    Barbarians At The Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco: Amazon.co.uk

    Made In America by Sam Walton (1993-06-01): Amazon.co.uk: Books

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

19. #77 “Everyone Exits - You’re either bought out, pushed out or wheeled out” - with Brian Hill

    30.10.20251 Std. 26 Min.Folge 77Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailToday on The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, I’m joined by Brian Hill — ex-soldier, endurance athlete, entrepreneur, and the founder of a business called Pathfinders.Brian’s also just published a …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Today on The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, I’m joined by Brian Hill — ex-soldier, endurance athlete, entrepreneur, and the founder of a business called Pathfinders.

    Brian’s also just published a fantastic new book called Everyone Exits, which is a step-by-step blueprint for business owners who are scaling towards a successful sale.

    I read it before we recorded this conversation and I took a lot from It - and I strongly recommend you put it on your own reading list!

    During our conversation, we unpack how smart founders scale using Brian’s eliminate, automate, delegate rule — and why true delegation, not heroics, creates profit and freedom.

    Brian also exposes the biggest mistakes owners make when selling - from buy-side brokers and exclusivity traps - to why you must create competitive tension to protect your price and business valuation.

    And finally, he shares his Exit-Ready Stay-Ready framework that every business owner should start building right now - with clean data, profitable clients, and reduced risk - because, as his book says, Everyone Exits.

    If a business sale’s even remotely on your horizon, this episode could change your outcome. Let’s dive in.

    Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Brian Hill.

    Links:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hill-pathfinders/

    PathFinders

    EVERYONE EXITS: You’re either bought out, pushed out, or wheeled out : MSc MCSI, Brian Hill

    The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More. The Sunday Times bestseller, as heard on the Diary of a CEO podcast

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

20. #76 From Council Estate to £70 Million Exit: The Unbelievable Story of Andrew Hulbert

    16.10.20251 Std. 20 Min.Folge 76Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailMy guest today is someone whose story is nothing short of remarkable.From a tough upbringing on a council estate in Oxford to building one of the UK’s most disruptive property management …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    My guest today is someone whose story is nothing short of remarkable.

    From a tough upbringing on a council estate in Oxford to building one of the UK’s most disruptive property management companies - and ultimately achieving an eight-figure exit before the age of 40 - Andrew Hulbert’s journey is one of grit, growth, and gratitude.

    • His story begins with a choice he made as a 16-year-old that changed the course of his life and is a powerful story - a real Sliding Doors moment.
    • Later, his decision to walk away from a secure career and risk everything to start a business, all alone with a laptop and a relentless work ethic, is truly inspirational.
    • And then his plan to seek an exit and create financial security for his family provides deep insight for anyone currently growing a business and considering when is the right time to step down and sell the company.

    Today, Andrew lives on a farm, is planting a forest, and spends most of his time with his wife and young children - although he still maintains a healthy interest in business; after all, he’s only 39!

    During our conversation, we discussed how he built his company, what he learned along the way, and what true wealth means after the exit.

    Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Andrew Hulbert.

    
    

    Andrew's LinkedIn:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhulbert/

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

21. #75 The Nicer Side of Private Equity with Matt Taylor, CEO of Rockpool.

    02.10.20251 Std. 7 Min.Folge 75Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailWelcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast - reverse engineering your successful business scale, sale and life on the other side.What I’ve learned over the years is that not every …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast - reverse engineering your successful business scale, sale and life on the other side.

    What I’ve learned over the years is that not every founder wants to sell up and exit their business completely - some prefer to take some ‘chips off the table’ and go again to make the most of the opportunities they see.

    That's where today’s guest comes in.

    Matt Taylor is the founder and co-owner of Rockpool, a different kind of business partner for ambitious owners of SMEs - perhaps a more collaborative version of traditional private equity.

    • During our conversation, he breaks down the secrets to unlocking the real value in your business through recruiting specific people and improving key processes.
    • Matt explained the support and resources his company offers to founders and entrepreneurs, helping them achieve their full potential.
    • We also talk about incentives, employee ownership, and why trust, not regulation, is the real engine of productivity.

    As a seasoned operator in the UK SME market, he’s also got some excellent advice for Rachel Reeves ahead of the next budget - well worth listening to what he’d like to tell her!

    This is a great conversation with a ton of valuable advice if you’re scaling towards a successful exit but not ready to retire and sit on a beach quite yet.

    So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Matt Taylor.

    
    

    Links:

    https://rockpool.uk.com/

    Voluntary Exchange: The Simple Truth of Economics: Amazon.co.uk

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

22. #74 The Deal Maker - Play Nice, But Win with Serial Entrepreneur Phil Hollingdale

    04.09.20251 Std. 29 Min.Folge 74Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to risk everything — your home, your family’s security, and even walk away from a million-pound payday — in pursuit of something bigger?In this episode of The Bulletproof …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    What does it take to risk everything — your home, your family’s security, and even walk away from a million-pound payday — in pursuit of something bigger?

    In this episode of The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, Phil shares the raw truth behind decades of building, selling, and reinventing businesses. From sleeping on an office couch to securing one of the UK’s biggest fintech exits, his journey is a masterclass in risk, resilience, and relentless drive.

    We also get into the tough questions:

    • Why most startups never make it — and what separates those that do.
    • How policy decisions can shape the future of entrepreneurship in Britain.
    • The one skill that underpins every business success.

    This isn’t a story of overnight wins. It’s a story of calculated gambles, painful setbacks, and bold moves that paid off in ways few would dare imagine.

    Resources:

    • Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (founder of Nike)
    • Play Nice But Win by Michael Dell
    • Phil's LinkedIn

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

23. #73 Entrepreneurship, AI, and Resilience: Gary Abela on Failure, Success and Exiting Startups

    21.08.20251 Std. 6 Min.Folge 73Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailWelcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcastWe’ve got a fantastic episode, which turned out to be a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the real story of entrepreneurship.My …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast

    We’ve got a fantastic episode, which turned out to be a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the real story of entrepreneurship.

    My guest today is Gary Abela.

    Gary grew up in a family of hoteliers, and he was serving breakfast in the family hotel in London’s King’s Cross at the age of seven.

    After uni, he secured a job in the City and became one of the youngest sales reps in a major US investment firm.

    He went on to build a highly successful career in asset management before deciding to walk away from it all to start again.

    Gary takes us inside his journey from Berlin property deals to building an AI startup, to navigating failure, burnout, and eventually exiting his own company.

    Along the way, we talk about:

    • Why sales is the most underrated entrepreneurial skill.
    • What failure really teaches you that success never will.
    • The importance of co-founders with complementary values.
    • And why true wealth is measured in time, not money.

    This is an honest conversation about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to keep going when the odds are against you.

    Whether you’re scaling a business, preparing for an exit, or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is packed with insights on risk-taking, resilience, and building a business that lasts.

    Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Gary Abela

    
    

    Links

    https://saturnos.com/

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

    https://adviserpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

    https://allin.com/

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

24. #72 Jordan Walker - Bitcoin on the Balance Sheet: Why Business Owners Can’t Ignore It Anymore

    10.07.20251 Std. 20 Min.Folge 72Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailWelcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast where we explore what it really takes to build, grow, and successfully exit your business.The podcast is designed to be a helpful …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast where we explore what it really takes to build, grow, and successfully exit your business.

    The podcast is designed to be a helpful resource for business owners as they navigate the challenges of scaling their businesses. One area I’ve been spending time on recently is managing cash within your company's balance sheet.

    At my firm, we’ve always kept a healthy cash balance, but the interest rates we receive from our bank is pretty low—after I factored in tax and inflation, that money was melting like an ice cube. It’s probably the same for your business.

    That’s why I was keen to hear from today’s guest, Jordan Walker - founder of The Bitcoin Collective, host of the popular podcast by the same name, and one of the UK’s leading voices in making Bitcoin accessible and actionable for business owners.

    He’s on a mission to strip away the jargon, cut through the hype, and help entrepreneurs understand how Bitcoin could play a meaningful role in their financial strategy.

    Jordan recently launched a service specifically for business owners who are keen to explore how to allocate some of their company’s deposit funds into Bitcoin safely, strategically, and with the right education and support.

    In this conversation, we cover the real risks, the big opportunities, and why he believes that understanding Bitcoin is becoming essential for forward-thinking entrepreneurs.

    If you’ve dismissed Bitcoin as too volatile or too complicated, or if you're simply curious about where it fits into the world of business and money, this episode will challenge your assumptions in all the right ways.

    Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Jordan Walker.

    
    

    https://bitcoincollective.co/

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWKKRsnKBJsaPswBMHvjsAQ

    
    
    

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

25. #71 John Stapleton – New Covent Garden Soup Company; the untold story.

    26.06.20251 Std. 41 Min.Folge 71Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailWelcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast that gives you the mindset, strategies, and tools to build a resilient business and thrive under pressure.Today, I’m joined by a true …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast that gives you the mindset, strategies, and tools to build a resilient business and thrive under pressure.

    Today, I’m joined by a true pioneer in the world of food entrepreneurship – John Stapleton.

    John is best known as the co-founder of The New Covent Garden Soup Company, where he didn’t just launch a product; he created an entirely new category in the UK food market.

    He later took that same disruptive energy to the US and then back to the UK again with Little Dish, the toddler food brand that redefined what healthy eating looks like for young children.

    Across multiple ventures, John has built and scaled companies from the ground up, exited successfully, and stayed right at the heart of innovation as a founder, investor, and mentor.

    In this conversation, we explore how to spot market gaps, stay resilient through the highs and lows, prepare for exit, and reinvent yourself after success.

    If you're a founder scaling towards a sale—or just trying to build something that lasts—this episode is packed with the kind of insight that only comes from the real entrepreneurial trenches.

    So without further delay, let’s dive into this inspiring conversation with Mr John Stapleton.

    
    

    https://www.johnstapleton.eu/about-john

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-b-stapleton/

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

26. #70 - The Entrepreneurial Operating System – the blueprint for business success with Mike Paton of EOS.

    12.06.20251 Std. 13 Min.Folge 70Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailIf you're a business owner or in a leadership role, this episode could genuinely change how you think about running and growing your company.My guest is Mike Paton, an entrepreneur and …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    If you're a business owner or in a leadership role, this episode could genuinely change how you think about running and growing your company.

    My guest is Mike Paton, an entrepreneur and author who is one of the driving forces behind EOS—the entrepreneurial operating system

    We implemented EOS at my firm, Capital Partners, a few years ago, and it was truly transformative. So getting the chance to sit down with Mike was not just a privilege - it was personal.

    • Mike explains EOS and walks us through the six key components every business must master to become more focused, accountable, and scalable.
    • We also explore the vital roles of the Visionary and the Integrator and how getting that relationship right can be a game-changer.
    • And if you're thinking about selling your business one day, listen closely—Mike explains how fully embedding EOS can significantly boost the value and readiness of your company for exit.

    Whether you’re already familiar with Traction, or you're hearing about EOS for the first time, I promise you’ll walk away with powerful, practical insights and a few lightbulb moments!

    Links:

    Mike Paton - EOS Worldwide | LinkedIn

    EOS Worldwide

    Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business: Amazon.co.uk

    Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business

    How to Be a Great Boss: Amazon.co.uk

    Process!: How Discipline and Consistency Will Set You and Your Business Free (The EOS Mastery Series)

    The EOS Life: How to Live Your Ideal Entrepreneurial Life eBook

    
    

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

27. #69 The Entrepreneur Whisperer - How To Get Exit Ready with Damian Connolly

    29.05.20251 Std. 8 Min.Folge 69Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailThe pod's strapline is "reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale, exit, and life on the other side," and that's exactly what we discuss in this episode—strategically …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    The pod's strapline is "reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale, exit, and life on the other side," and that's exactly what we discuss in this episode—strategically reverse engineering success.

    My guest today is Damian Connolly, the founder of a boutique accountancy business that focuses specifically on getting founders exit-ready and maximising their business sale value and terms.

    Most business owners only sell once and are often unprepared for the most significant financial transaction of their lives, so our conversation will help you understand the process and what you should consider.

    • During the discussion, Damian shares the 5 key issues to focus on several years out from your potential exit—and the one thing that will crush any value if you don’t fix it. And it affects most SME business owners.
    • He shares a wild story about a founder he worked with who turned down an offer of £80m, believing his business was worth more, and came to regret that decision - an important lesson in timing and knowing how much is enough.
    • He also explains the optimal time to begin your pre-exit journey and the 3-step process he uses when working with entrepreneurs.

    If you are running a business, especially if you're maybe 3-5 years out from the sale, you’re going to get a lot out of this conversation.

    So now ladies and gentlemen, discussing how to get exit-ready, I give you Mr Damian Connolly.

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

28. #68 Tax Planning Masterclass for business owners - Malli Kini: Head of Entrepreneurs at Blick Rothenberg

    15.05.20251 Std. 3 Min.Folge 68Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailWelcome back to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast. I’m your host Alan Smith and right from day one my goal for this pod was to provide a valuable resource for all UK …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome back to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast. I’m your host Alan Smith and right from day one my goal for this pod was to provide a valuable resource for all UK founders and business owners.

    And therefore I’m delighted today to bring you a masterclass in tax planning from one of the UK’s leading lights in tax advice for successful business owners.

    Malli Kini is head of the entrepreneur team at Blick Rothenberg, a Top 10 firm having already enjoyed stints at PWC and EY.

    Wherever I go now and when I speak with entrepreneurs, smart tax planning seems to be top of the agenda for discussion.

    But getting access to the right kind of advice can be challenging and costly. So the next hour will be of huge value to you - and it’s completely free (other than for some of your time!)

    During our conversation,

    • We discussed some of the important areas to tackle if you’re 2 or 3 years away from a sale of your business - and why seeking advice early will be a huge benefit for you.
    • We unpacked a unique tax planning structure known as a Family Investment Company and why many entrepreneurs are setting these up now.
    • We also talked about the current exodus of business owners to other countries, what countries are popular and what the benefits can be.

    And towards the end of our conversation, Malli provides a generous offer to all listeners and viewers of this podcast so be sure to check that out - it could make all the difference for you and your business.

    Just before you get into the conversation, I wanted to mention that we’ve now launched the podcast on youtube as well and so if you prefer to watch the conversation do check out the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast channel - links to it and to the key discussion points are below.

    But now ladies and gentlemen I give you Malli Kini

    
    

    https://www.blickrothenberg.com/about-us/partners/malli-kini/

    
    

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallikini/?originalSubdomain=uk

    
    

    https://www.youtube.com/@BulletproofEntrepreneurPodcast

    
    

    https://capital.co.uk/

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

29. #67 How to Create an Unbreakable Mindset - Graeme Godfrey, Entrepreneur and Coach to High-Growth Business Owners.

    01.05.20251 Std. 14 Min.Folge 67Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailHello and welcome back to the latest episode.We took a short break, but now we’re back. We've moved into a proper recording studio and launched our own YouTube channel. So you prefer to …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Hello and welcome back to the latest episode.

    We took a short break, but now we’re back. We've moved into a proper recording studio and launched our own YouTube channel.

    So you prefer to watch the discussion, please check out the link below and subscribe to our free newsletter as well.

    Our guest, Graeme Godfrey, is a successful entrepreneur who sold his business, achieved complete financial security and then crashed.

    He found himself lacking purpose and drive in his life, feeling bored and frustrated, and so he began to help other entrepreneurs through one-to-one coaching and mentoring.

    Links

    Graeme Godfrey

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemegodfrey/?originalSubdomain=uk

    Resources

    Who Moved My Cheese

    The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea eBook

    The Inner Game of Tennis

    Tuesdays With Morrie

    Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness

    Bulletproof Entrepreneur Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@BulletproofEntrepreneurPodcast

    Capital Partners https://capital.co.uk/

    Book a call with Alan https://calendly.com/alancapital/free-consultation

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

30. #66 - Joe Bryan - Creator of ‘What’s The Problem?’ The Most Important Video You’ll Watch This year. The future of money, business and wealth.

    06.02.20251 Std. 37 Min.Folge 66Als Nächstes

    Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur - a podcast for founders, owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.As anyone in business knows, things are tough out there. Inflation is …

    Shownotes

    Send us Fan Mail

    Welcome to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur - a podcast for founders, owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.

    As anyone in business knows, things are tough out there. Inflation is driving up the costs of everything, including staff wages, rent, and supplies.

    Tax is at its highest level in 70 years and is about to rise further. The money in your company's bank account is receiving a very modest return—and even that’s subject to tax!

    I don’t know about you, but as a business owner myself, things feel a bit off—not quite right—and I wanted to learn more.

    That took me to a short video called What's The Problem?, which is currently going viral online.

    The video explains in easy-to-understand terms the problems the economy faces and the challenges for everyone, especially those trying to grow a company.

    So, I was delighted when Joe Bryan, the film's creator, agreed to appear on the podcast, share the story, and explain why understanding it is essential.

    Joe explains that our current monetary system is broken. We all experience this through constantly rising costs, which are a form of hidden tax when the pound in your pocket buys you less every year.

    He outlines some of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs as they try to build a business and succeed in an increasingly difficult economic environment.

    He clearly outlines the solution and the precise steps you should take to protect your interests.

    This is not a conversation about Bitcoin - it’s an invitation to learn more about the current economic model we all live in and decide how you want to protect yourself and your business.

    It was a truly fascinating conversation and I know you're going to take a lot from it.

    Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter, where I take a deeper dive into all things business, wealth building and entrepreneurship - available at www.bulletproofentrepreneur.net

    
    

    Links:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFOxNbmD38

    SatsVsFiat

    Joe Bryan - Educator & Speaker - What's The Problem? | LinkedIn

    X - @satmojoe

    
    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Partners

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