In this episode I talk about my TEDx Talk and celebrating a milestone!

0:00 Intro

2:57 How To Start A Business With No Money

11:25 How To Win

17:34 How To Lose

20:44 How To Do A Mind Map (Business Plan)

28:15 How To Find Purpose

34:34 How To Find A Co-founder

40:27 How To Sell

48:55 How To Market Your Business

1:01:08 How To PR Your Business

1:07:28 How To Get An Investor

1:23:23 How To Get Sponsors

1:32:45 How To Build A Brand

1:42:46 How To Hire, Grow And Build

1:52:31 How To Fire Someone

1:58:27 How To Go Global

2:02:02 How To Get A Mentor

2:08:37 How Equity Works

2:19:53 How To Sell Your Business

Today I'm talking about getting hacked!

In episode 4 of PEP Talk, Simon talks to Melinda Nicci. Melinda is the sole founder and CEO of Baby2Body, the award winning, wellness company for women. Melinda’s passion for wellness and optimising health and performance through technology has driven Baby2Body to its success today: a global business helping millions of women all over the world to live healthier and happier lives through the critical reproductive stages of life. She is a Sports and Exercise Psychologist, a qualified personal trainer and author and innovator, passionate about women’s wellness, and optimising both health and performance through technology. Before she founded Baby2Body in 2015, Melinda founded her own fitness business, wrote a bestselling book on wellness for DK publishers and has contributed to numerous magazines and publications about both physical and mental health. Melinda is also on the board of Team GB Snowsport as a Non Executive Director.

In season 2, episode 17 Simon talks to Emma Kenny. Emma Kenny is a psychologist, TV presenter, writer and expert media commentator, and is now recognised as one of the UK’s leading TV psychological experts. She is perhaps best known for her role as resident psychologist on ITV’s This Morning where, during the viewer phone-in segment of the show, she provides expert advice on a whole range of sensitive issues. Emma has also emerged as a fan favourite for her presenting roles on true crime programmes – most notably Britain’s Darkest Taboos on the Crime & Investigation Channel. Her Youtube True Crime series is becoming one of the most watched on the platform and her serial killer next door tour is coming in 2021 across the whole of the UK. ​Emma is a member of the British Psychological Society and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and runs private sessions from her therapy clinic in Manchester. Emma is the founder of Appy the health and wellbeing social media app.

In episode 2 of PEP Talk, Simon talks to Sonya Morton Firth. Sonya grew up in a single parent family, in Newcastle in the seventies where divorce and children of mixed race were not the norm. After many fights in the playground with school bullies she was told that she would never amount to anything and would be lucky to even make it to higher education. Sonya worked as a high-flying sales executive in the City for many years, travelling between London, New York, and Miami, and enjoying the challenge of the fast-paced, high-pressured lifestyle; A woman in a man’s world, Sonya’s passion and enthusiasm always drove her to be the best, she was successful but felt unfulfilled, the ultimate failure. Sonya left the rat race, the corporate lifestyle, to become an Entrepreneur and pursue her passion of health, wellbeing, and personal fulfilment. She qualified in fitness and nutrition, launched a brand of glamourous fitness wear for women; and competed on stage in Physique competitions. By bringing her focus to healthy nutrition and disciplined training, Sonya went from Briefcase to Bikini, proving that it’s never too late to change the way you look and feel. She is dedicated to body building and the benefits that weight training brings for women in confidence in mind and body. As well as being an Entrepreneur, Sonya is a property investor and has built a multi-million-pound property portfolio that gives her the financial freedom most people dream of. Now Host of her YouTube channel and Podcast ‘The Sonya Morton Firth Show’, she has interviewed over 100 inspiring guests from Amir Khan to Dr John Demartini. Entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and Bikini Athlete, Sonya Morton-Firth is the Queen of transformation!

In season 2, episode 16 Simon talks to Jas Bagniewski. Jas is the founder and CEO of Lover, a digital platform focused on improving people's sex lives. Before founding Lover Jas was the founder and CEO of Eve Sleep PLC, a direct to consumer mattress business that exited in one of the UKs fastest IPOs. Jas was also the country head of Zalando UK (the UK's largest eCommerce business) and a member of the Senior Management Team at CityDeal/Groupon UK. Prior to working in e-commerce, Jas worked as a consultant in the Financial Services industry with Accenture. Jas has an MBA from Cambridge University and a Master's degree in International Relations from University College London.

In episode 02 of PEP Talk, Simon talks to James McAulay. James is the CEO and Co-Founder of Encore — the UK’s largest musicians bookings platform. Since its 2014 launch, Encore has become home to over 25,000 musicians and 10,000 bands from every corner of the country.

In season 2, episode 14 Simon talks to Brett Wigdortz. Having worked with kids who start primary school not even knowing how to play, Brett has seen first hand the impact of the developmental gap which exists between disadvantaged children and their wealthier peers: 4.3 months by the time they're just 5 years old. On a mission to attract new talent and drive up standards for the UK's broken childcare market, Brett set up Tiney. The initiative is focused on training up a new generation of childminders who are afforded the same pay and respect given to teachers; helping them start 'micro nurseries' which are run from home and grounded in pedagogical care. Brett can talk about what it was like to leave an esteemed organisation after 15 years at the helm of Teach First, to begin a new venture from scratch. As traditional nurseries are closing in huge numbers, he can also talk about the spike in applications to join the programme since the pandemic started.

In episode 01 of PEP TALK, Simon talks to John O'Brien. John is EMEA Managing Partner at ONE HUNDRED, Omnicom’s ethical purpose consortium consisting of nine of Omnicom’s leading global agencies. John is also a bestselling business author and recognized campaigner with over thirty years of experience leading initiatives covering over twenty countries. John is a senior advisor to business, high net-worth individuals, charities and governments on the interface between business and society, related strategies and communication. During the last ten years he has played a leading role in developing much of the language and thinking around ethical, sustainable purpose in the UK. He is a sought after speaker and commentator on the subject. John’s professional background is varied, starting with a few early years in banking followed by a decade as a British Army Infantry officer, serving in theatres around the world, retiring as a Captain in 1994. His training and operational experience in creating clarity from complex, often chaotic and dangerous situations, acted as a key grounding for his future career and brings wide experience to bear for clients.

In Season 2, Episode 14, Simon talks to Maria Hatzistefanis. Maria is a London-based beauty entrepreneur who founded her ground-breaking skincare group, Rodial, in 1999 by identifying a niche for treatments targeted to specific skin concerns. With a growing global beauty empire, her results-oriented products excite with evocative tongue-in-cheek names such as Dragon’s Blood and Snake Serum. There are 2 brands – Rodial, and Nip + Fab – sold through 20,000 doors across 35 countries worldwide including Saks Fifth Avenue, Space NK, Harvey Nichols and Harrods. Today, the cutting-edge products are available in the most prestigious stores around the world, while high profile celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Sofia Richie fronting the brands campaigns.

In episode Adam Kamani is an award-winning property entrepreneur, start-up investor, mentor and CEO of Kamani Property Group, KM Capital and YourNxtDoor. He has just launched a next-gen property app called Move Streets.

In Season 2, Episode 12, Simon talks to Tom. Tom Mercer is the Founder of MOMA Foods, a London oat brand. Frustrated with the lack of quality breakfast on the market Tom decided to leave his job in the City and do something about it. MOMA was a genuine grassroots start-up – the first kitchen was under a railway arch in South London and the first retail outlet was a stall (made from a converted filing cabinet) in Waterloo station. MOMA is now the go-to premium porridge brand in the UK, the #1 bircher muesli brand, and a fast-growing player in burgeoning oat milk market

Tom is from a farming family in Staffordshire, read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, and prior to MOMA worked as a management consultant for Bain & Co. In his personal life Tom is a proud husband and dad.

Today I talk about why you don't need a lot of money to start a business!

In Season 2, Episode 11, Simon talks Dr Ali Parsa. Ali is a British-Iranian healthcare entrepreneur and engineer. He’s the founder and CEO of Babylon, the revolutionary AI and digital health company. Babylon’s mission is to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on earth.

Dr Parsa was listed in The Times 100 people to watch. He was featured in the Maserati 100, a list that recognises game-changing entrepreneurs. He was formerly a UK Cabinet Office Ambassador for Mutuals and the Chair of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Tech Forum. He has a PhD in Engineering Physic.

In Season 2, Episode 10, Simon talks to Alexia Inge. Singularly committed to curating a ‘Beauty Hall of Fame’, featuring only the best hero products from across the globe, Alexia Inge co-founded Cult Beauty with a lifelong passion for beauty and a mission to become the most trusted beauty retailer in the world.

Under Alexia’s leadership since 2014, Cult Beauty has become the place to go for beauty discovery and incubating trends – from the latest scientific wellbeing discoveries to centuries-old remedies that have never been bettered. It has fast become home to some the biggest names and need-to-know burgeoning brands: from being the first independent e-tailer to stock Anastasia Beverly Hills to bringing Milk Makeup across the pond and herding Drunk Elephant into the EU.

In Season 2, Episode 9, Simon talks to Sach Kukadia. Sach is a serial entrepreneur, non-executive director, chairman, board advisor and angel investor. He launched his first start up, SecretSales.com at the age of 22 and over a period of 10 years, raised £18m through leading Venture Capital Institutions and drove annual sales of £47m. He eventually sold the business to a London based Private Equity firm in 2017.

Sach’s current interest lies with Residently, a disruptive Property Tech platform alongside a new D2C business launching in Q2 2022 that allows you to invest in gold. In addition, Sach is Chairman to vintage furniture business Rehaus, and NED to a number of other consumer facing businesses.

In season 2, episode 8, Simon talks to Patrick Tsang. Patrick Tsang is Chairman of Tsangs Group, a fourth-generation China-focused Single Family Office from Hong Kong. Patrick invests in various companies with a positive influence and positive impact. Born and raised in the United Kingdom with deeply-rooted Chinese heritage, he has a robust global network as a seasoned investor.

He has worked on numerous IPO and M&A transactions globally and has successfully made investments in Asia, mainly in Hong Kong and China, North America, and Europe. Patrick holds several prestigious appointments, including the Trade Commissioner of Grenada in Macau, to promote international business and investment.

In Season 2, episode 7, Simon talks to Dan Murray-Serter. Dan is a multi-award winning serial entrepreneur, who talks openly about failure, mental health, mental performance, and 'braincare' - which includes his journey using science to build habits, cultivating a positive mindset & nutrition for optimizing his brain's health. Having started (and failed) the UK's #1 fashion app, Grabble, he is now back building his new company, Heights. In his spare time, he podcasts with both the Braincare podcast for Heights, and Secret Leaders, one of the UK's top business podcasts.

In Season 2, Episode 6 Simon talks to Nick Wheeler. Nick Wheeler first had the idea for Charles Tyrwhitt shirts - to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, with unbeatable service - whilst studying Geography at Bristol University in 1986;. He used his middle names - Charles Tyrwhitt – more anonymous (and better sounding!) than “Nick Wheeler shirts” The first brochure was a one-page leaflet with 8 shirts and 8 ties.

The product range has developed from just shirts and ties to suits, shoes and a full casual offering. Today the business is a multi-channel retailer and a leading British brand. The company grew rapidly to sales of £220M in 2018, but then hit Covid…

Charles Tyrwhitt’s mission today remains true to Nick’s founding principles - to provide quality and value, and to deliver them to the customer with unrivalled customer service. Nick is also a non-executive director of The White Company. He is married to Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company. They have four children and live in Oxfordshire. Nick was awarded an OBE for services for retail in December 2017.

In season 2, episode 5, Simon talks to Nick Jenkins. After graduation, Nick spent eight years trading sugar in Moscow for Glencore. In 1998 he returned to the UK to study for an MBA at Cranfield, after which he started Moonpig.com, the personalised greeting card retailer. By 2011 the business had over 5 million customers and Nick sold a majority of his holding to Photobox. Nick now divides his time between the charity sector and investing in early stage businesses which led to him joining the panel of BBC2 Dragons’ Den in 2015 and 2016. He now has a portfolio of 19 angel investments, mostly in ed-tech, med tech and e-commerce.

In Season 2, Episode 4, Simon talks to Stepan Galaev. Stepan Galaev identified the growing demand for portfolio management services in the angel investment community while working on the investment portfolio of renowned UK angel investor – Nick Jenkins. After several years of deep-diving in the venture capital environment, he saw an opportunity to build a multi-family office that would cater to individuals with similar business ethics, and the strong belief that investing in young ventures can deliver both social and economic returns.

In S2 Episode 3, Simon talks to Anne Skare Nielsen. Anne is one of Scandinavia's - in fact the world's leading futurists. With her great interest and knowledge in radical change and transformation of thinking, she is in high demand as a lecturer and provocateur all over the world.

You see her very often in the media. Among other things, she has been on DR's popular radio program 'The Philosopher, the Author and the Woman of the Future', and has been a TV host on the program 'NewScience' on TV2 News.

Season 2 trailer by Simon Squibb

Today, I asked someone about their dream, but it had a slight twist.

In season 2 episode 2, Simon talks to Hugh. Hugh Thomas is the NYC-based CEO and Founder of Ugly Drinks. Ugly is a flavored sparkling water brand, now available in over 15,000 stores globally and with offices in both the UK and US. Ugly believes in an omni-channel approach to business, and has built its business online as well as in traditional retail. Before starting Ugly, Hugh worked at Vita Coco in Europe, leading bra

In season 2, episode 1, Simon talks to William Reeve. William is CEO of fast growth technology business Goodlord, a role he's held since 2018. Alongside this, he's non-Exec Chairman of Nutmeg and non-Exec Director at Dunelm PLC. William is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Fletcher Research, LOVEFiLM.com, and Secret Escapes. He is also an experienced angel investor.

In episode 60, Simon talks to Pippa Murray. Pip Murray, 32, is the Founder of Pip & Nut, an award-winning food brand that launched to market in January 2015. Over the last five years, she’s been shaking up the healthy food and drink sector with her range of naturally nutritious nut butters and recently launched nut butter cups. Pip & Nut is now the fastest growing nut butter brand in the UK and is a certified B corporation.

As a self-confessed peanut butter addict, Pip had the inspiration for the brand after searching, unsuccessfully, in the supermarkets for a range of peanut butters that were free from palm oil. With no options available, she started making her own natural range of products in her kitchen with her blender, before trailing them at Maltby Street Market. Today Pip & Nut can be found in over 5,500 stores around the UK and Ireland. Her mission for the brand is to help people love food that loves them and break down the perception that choosing a ‘better for you’ option has to feel like a sacrifice.

Amongst other accolades, Pip was most recently named in the Evening Standard Progress 1000, London’s Most Influential People 2019 and the ‘Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

In episode 59, Simon talks to Nick Telson. Nick co-founded DesignMyNight 10 years ago. Coming from a marketing background at L’Oreal, where he launched 2 brands in the UK, he grew DesignMyNight into 8 million views a month website with three ground-breaking B2B hospitality systems with over 15,000 customers. DesignMyNight was acquired by The Access Group in November 2017. He now hosts a top 10 global business podcast, Pitch Deck and has founded a new spin on venture for startups; Horseplay Ventures - a Startup Playground, where he has already invested in 25 startups in the UK and US.

In episode 58, Simon talks to John Elkington, Co-Founder & Chief Pollinator at Volans. John is one of the founders of the global sustainability movement, an experienced advisor to business, and a highly regarded keynote speaker and contributor, from conferences to advisory boards.

In 2008, The Evening Standard named John among the ‘1000 Most Influential People’ in London, describing him as “a true green business guru”, and as “an evangelist for corporate social and environmental responsibility long before it was fashionable”. In 2009, a CSR International survey of the Top 100 CSR leaders placed John fourth: after Al Gore, Barack Obama and the late Anita Roddick of the Body Shop, and alongside Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank.

John has addressed over 1,000 conferences around the world. He was a faculty member of the World Economic Forum from 2002-2008. He has served on over 70 boards and advisory boards. John has won numerous awards and is the author or co-author of 19 books. The 20th book was published in April: Green Swans: The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism (Fast Company Press).

In episode 57, Simon talks to Norris Koppel. Norris is Founder & CEO of the European banking service Monese. He launched Monese in 2015, after his first-hand experience of the hassle involved with opening a bank account in a new country. With its multi-currency current accounts that are available in 31 countries, Monese enables people to bank like a local across the UK and Europe.

Since 2007, Norris has co-founded and built a number of fintech companies. He is passionate about financial education and is founder of the Artha Foundation that focusses on educating children about money.

In episode 56, Simon talks to Jeff Rotmeyer. Jeff Rotmeyer is the Founder and CEO of ImpactHK, a charity transforming the lives of the homeless in Hong Kong.

ImpactHK started with just a few individuals wanting to show kindness to those in need. It has now grown into a humanitarian movement, involving thousands of participants, that is truly saving lives. Jeff is also the Founder and CEO of Love 21 Foundation, a charity supporting the down syndrome and autistic community with sport and nutritional programmes.

Originally from Vancouver Canada, Jeff has lived in Hong Kong for 14 years and spent his first 13 years teaching in a government primary school. Jeff is dedicated to living a meaningful life through social work and is passionate about making positive impact for those in need.

In Episode 55, Simon talks to Rich Goldsmith. Rich founded MOJU in 2015, alongside his best mate, Charlie Leet-Cook. Rich has a degree in Engineering and worked in commercial and finance roles before discovering his passion for innovation in food & beverage. MOJU has grown from a craft juice made in a home kitchen and sold at local markets and music festivals, into the market leader of juice shots and the fastest growing brand in the UK juice & smoothie category.

Rich is forever fascinated by how things work and connecting the dots. He’s a huge believer in the power of collaboration and the ability of teams to bring big ideas to life, that has the potential to help drive positive societal change. Rich was named a Young Gun in the startups.co.uk awards in 2018 and is a steering committee member of 1% for the Planet, a community of businesses that donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental impact causes.

In episode 54, Simon talks to Jeff Lynn. One of the world's largest platforms for investing in private companies. He also serves as Chairman of The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec), a non-profit advocacy group for UK startups and scaleups. Jeff began his career as a corporate lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York and London. He has been named one of the 100 most influential men in the UK by GQ and one of the 10 coolest people in tech by Business Insider.

In episode 53, Simon talks to James Chase. As a member of the family that invented Tyrrell’s Crisps in the nineties before going on to found Chase Distillery in 2008, it is little wonder that entrepreneurialism is in James Chase’s blood.

The Director at Chase Distillery cut his teeth on the family farm, helping his father to challenge the status quo of the spirits industry. They did this by adopting a unique field-to-bottle process, using the potatoes grown on the farm to distill into vodka and then gin.

James was inspired having spent time in the USA, where he witnessed the success of the hard seltzer market; catering for the demand for alcoholic drinks with lower calories that were still big on flavour.

Today I'm talking about an entrepreneur I gave £5,000 to and helped them start their dream business!

In episode 52, Simon talks Angelina Riccio and Tenna Anette. The pair turned their back on a fast paced, party lifestyle after a case of burn-out inspired them to create products that would actively benefit the wellbeing of themselves and their families. Prior to Purearth, Angelina became an entrepreneur at a young age, founding a global modeling agency Reality Check Management, whilst Tenna is an ex-event manager at Sketch.

The pair, who became flatmates for over a year and a half to help support the business, produce cold-pressed juices, water kefir’s, and more recently, CBD shots which have helped achieve a 61% annual growth year on year. They work with industry-leading scientists such as Dr. Gabriel Cousens and David Wolfe to help identify new superfoods that can boost immunity and protect people from illness – especially relevant in today’s world.

In episode 51, Simon talks to Duro Oye. Duro is a London based award-winning social entrepreneur and filmmaker. Duro is Chief Executive of 2020 Change a youth empowerment organisation focused on the social mobility of young people from low socio-economic backgrounds. He strongly believes that every young person should have the opportunity to live to their fullest potential.

Oye’s national recognition came in 2013 after he raised £50k to fund his first independent film project ‘247365 Change’. Since then he has worked on documentary film projects with The BBC's ‘County lines, Teenage Drug Runners’ & Channel 5 ‘Gangland Season 1 & 2.

2020 Change’s flagship programme ‘I Am Change’ which runs in prisons, schools and local communities across London, uses alternative education in a unique way to engage young people in interactive workshops and seminars about discovering purpose, potential and most importantly their unique identity.

In Episode 50, Simon talks to Mads Faurholt. Mads is a serial entrepreneur and best selling author. He has started over 20 companies across technology, financial services, marketing, HR and education, with thousands of employees, and investors such as Goldman Sachs, Alibaba, Peter Thiel and the World Bank. Prior to starting his current company, Nova Founders Capital, Mads was Global Partner and Managing Director of the German internet giant, Rocket Internet; Head of Asia at Groupon (the world’s fastest-growing company), and Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company. Mads received his bachelor from Copenhagen Business School at the shortest time ever recorded while managing a sales team of 50 and subsequently took his MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In episode 49, Simon talks to Mark Tilbury. Mark left school at 16 with no qualifications and no money. No one believed in him especially his teachers. His first job was making wooden trashcans and it paid less than $2 per hour. Mark's manager bullied him and gave him all the bad jobs. He decided to quit and start his own business, it was a big risk. 30 years later, he runs a million-dollar business. Mark has grossed over 50 million. He has the house of his dreams, but most importantly has the freedom to spend time with his family.

Mark is now helping entrepreneurs become financially free as well!

In episode 48, Simon talks to Sonalie Figueiras. Sonalie is the founder & editor-in-chief of Green Queen, an award-winning impact media platform advocating for social & environmental change in Hong Kong with a mission to shift consumer behaviour through inspiring & empowering original content.
She is also the founder & CEO of Ekowarehouse, the global sourcing platform for certified organic products, with a mission to make safe, quality food accessible & affordable for the whole planet. With over a decade of experience in publishing, digital marketing, organic trade and health & sustainability, she is an eco wellness industry veteran with a keen eye for market trends and a sought-after international speaker and moderator, sharing her expertise on stages across Asia and beyond, including TEDx and Harvard Business School.

In episode 47, Simon talks to Jenny Knighting. Jenny has worked with a number of ambitious start-up’s, leading commercial strategy and making bold business growth plans a reality. With a wealth of experience in media, manufacturing, services and events, Jenny brings a unique creativity and perspective to every launch, scale and strategy. As founder and CEO of Nutcracker Agency, Jenny has led her team to win multiple awards, including finalist in the Best New Business at The National Business Awards. Since launching Nutcracker in 2014, the business has grown 60% year on year, helping countless clients in a wide range of industries to fulfil their vision through targeted, exciting and results-driven marketing.

In episode 46, Simon talks to Paul Smitton. Paul is the CEO and Managing Director for Asia's leading travel and lifestyle rewards programme, with more than 12 million members and over 800 programme partners worldwide. Responsible for 200+ team members delivering the P&L for this important business unit.

In episode 45, Simon talks to Bernard Moon. He is the Co-founder & Partner at SparkLabs Group, which is a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds that has invested in over 280 companies across the globe. Previously, he was Co-founder & CEO of Vidquik, a web conferencing & sales solutions platform. Bernard was a Managing Director at the Lunsford Group, which is a private investment firm with holdings in real estate, healthcare and other industries. Bernard was Co-founder & VP of Business Development of GoingOn Networks, a social media platform for companies, and also led their product development where BusinessWeek recognised them in their "Best of the Web" list.

In episode 44, Simon talks to Sophie Baron. Sophie is the Founder of UK based parent/baby digital start-up Mamamade; a fast growing direct-to-consumer business. With the use of AI Mamamade creates bespoke nutrient-dense meals for children aged 6-36 months.Originally from New York, Sophie ventured to the UK to undertake a PhD at London School of Economics before becoming Head of Operations at a tech company.

In episode 43, Simon talks to Dr Kalmeta. She presently completed a 25 month international chronic wound project in which her company, BioRegentech, successfully transferred its technology: successfully tested all prototypes of advanced wound medical devices, active substrates, and the associated protocols. This work was a dedication to humanity to prevent one of humanity's greatest suffering, limb amputations. Under Dr. Kalmeta leadership, BioRegentech has grown and currently has 2 divisions: Advanced Wounds and COVID 19.

Every 22 seconds, a leg is amputated and 85% of these amputations are the result of a diabetic foot ulcer. BioRegentech is a new life science company that has developed disruptive technology that can completely heal these open wounds by growing up to four layers of fresh tissue, a completely impossible task for modern medicine. Our mission is to give doctors our advanced tools in order to prevent further amputations, which are especially prevalent in the disproportionately affected populations.

Today I am talking about my trip to Liverpool, university, AI, acting school, failure rates and I'm sharing some exciting news!

In episode 42, Simon talks to Hayley Peacock. She is the Managing Director and Owner of Little Barn Owls Nursery group in West Sussex, her Horsham setting being awarded Nursery World UK Nursery of the Year in 2015/16. Her three nurseries are Reggio Emilia Inspired Forest and Farm Schools, the largest being based on a farm and is home to 20 animals including pigs, chickens and ducks that children look after every day, and another bring a full time forest school.

Hayley’s newest and most exciting project is the opening of ATELIER 21 FUTURE SCHOOL – a revolutionary new school for children 4-16 years old which is planned to open in September 2020 which will be inspired by project -based learning, Guy Claxton’s Learning Power Approach and the Reggio Emilia Approach. A blend of academic workshops, outdoor learning through Wild Friday’s and time for Self – Directed Learning and Entrepreneurship projects gives pupils a holistic, experiential education where they are supported and developed to make progress in the skills they will need to compete and thrive in the 21st Century.

In Episode 41, Simon talks to Spencer Matthews. Spencer is the Founder & CEO of The Clean Liquor Co and keen investor in start-ups and early growth companies. The development of The Clean Liquor Co. has been a long and personal journey. CleanGin - their first product, represents everything they stand for, a complex and beautifully produced liquid in a stunning bottle that will stand the test of time as a classic drink.

Why Clean? Spencer felt that describing what they offer as “Clean” was a more positive approach than the often negative connotation surrounding No & Low alcohol. It makes for an easier bar call and more sense for people like me who drink less, or not at all as part of a cleaner lifestyle. They strive to create the most authentic products in this exciting new category and will continue to experiment across other key spirits and more.

In episode 40, Simon talks to Frederick "Fritz" Demopoulos. He has been an entrepreneur and investor within the media and internet industries for over 10 years. He co-founded Qunar.com, China's largest travel internet company; and Shawei.com, China's largest sports internet company. Fritz also had senior positions at Netease and The News Corporation.