Explore every episode of the podcast The Naked Founder

After a successful corporate career, Ruth Percival became a founder in her 50s and has grown Contollo Group into a £37m business in just two years.

Ruth Percival had seen the highs and lows of corporate life before becoming a first-time founder in her 50s – and she’s been making up for lost time ever since.

Just two years after launching built environment consultancy Contollo Group, she’s made five acquisitions and grown the business to £37m turnover and 230 staff – with ambitious plans to double in size.

In the latest episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Percival reveals why she’s finally found her dream job.

“It’s my favourite (job) so far,” she said of being a founder. “I’ve absolutely loved this role. I feel like I’m thriving in it. I’m a deeply curious person and I’m stretched all the time but in a good way. It’s forced me to stretch myself.”

In this episode of The Naked Founder, Percival also talks about:

• Tackling misogyny in the male-dominated world of corporate finance
• The importance of choosing the right investor
• Why she regrets not raising more money at the start
• Being married to legendary dealmaker Jonathan Boyers

The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

 

Chapters: 00:00 – First-Time Founder at 51 00:58 – What She Wishes She'd Known 02:03 – Why Women Say What They've Done, Men Say What They're Capable Of 03:24 – Built £38M in Two Years and Apologising for Going Too Slow 04:04 – Made Redundant at Fishawack 04:17 – The Silver Lining 06:09 – Why She Chose Northedge 06:39 – The No D*ckheads Rule 07:33 – "It's My Favourite Job So Far" 08:14 – How Stress Shows Up 09:53 – Studying Genetics, Breaking the Electron Microscope & Being Told It Wasn't for Her 10:25 – Going Wild at University After a Strict Upbringing 11:22 – Her Dad Was an Accountant. So She Became One. Then She Hated It. 13:15 – The Epiphany Outside Smithfield Market 15:33 – Into Corporate Finance 16:02 – "Dial It Down": The Advice a Senior Partner Gave Her That Still Bothers Her 21:30 – Working Twice as Hard Just to Compete With an Average Male Counterpart 22:07 – Why She Named It Contollo 23:28 – Jonathan Boyers : Mr. Corporate Finance, Four-Time Deal Maker of the Year - and Her Husband 25:00 – Two Years, No Income & an Investment Club That Never Happened Before Contollo Did 27:37 – Meeting Every Single Member of Staff Who Joins the Business 28:01 – Buy and Build Means They Didn't Choose to Join Contollo 29:48 – The Icebreaker She Uses Every Quarter 31:38 – The Memory That Sticks 32:08 – Talking About the Menopause 32:38 – Finding the Right Investor Is the Difference Between Loving the Job and Misery 33:55 – 160 Targets, AI-Powered Deal Origination & 12 New Businesses Met This Month Alone 36:42 – The Plan 37:54 – No Regrets 38:34 – Letter to Her Younger Self

Adam Ward is the CEO of Airtime Rewards and told The Naked Founder podcast about the two events that changed the course of his life.

In March 2023, the collapse of California-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) left him fearing the worst.

All of Airtime Rewards' money was tied up with SVB, leaving Ward facing an anxious wait before HSBC stepped in and guaranteed all deposits.

The other life-changing moment came when his son, Max, was diagnosed with the rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome.

The experience prompted Ward to launch the Max Ward Foundation to support other families affected by Angelman syndrome.

In this episode of The Naked Founder, Ward also talks about:

• Swapping a law degree for a career in tech
• Why founders need to prioritise their fitness
• Growing Airtime Rewards into a £40m-turnover business
• The importance of finding the right co-founder
• Why he's not thinking about an exit

The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

 

Chapters

00:00 - Introducing Adam Ward, CEO of Airtime Rewards 00:53 - The psychological weight nobody warns you about 01:30 - The 2023 Silicon Valley Bank collapse 04:23 - A weekend of crisis talks and government lobbying 05:58 - Monday: back to work, staff none the wiser 07:36 - Dropping accountancy for a law degree 08:43 - Learning to code 09:58 - Building a mobile ringtone business at university 12:06 - Choosing the business over finishing his law degree 12:47 - Selling Wapfly Technologies to 2ergo 13:47 - Founding Karrot, now Airtime Rewards, in 2014 16:26 - Airtime Rewards today: scale and team 17:24 - Why Manchester and London, and the Wire accelerator 18:16 - Choosing co-founder Josh 20:21 - Bootstrapping instead of chasing fundraises 22:40 - Turning down acquisition offers 23:54 - Son Max's diagnosis with Angelman syndrome 28:10 - Setting up the Max Ward Foundation 29:45 - Where business and parenting a child with additional needs overlap 30:23 - Expanding to Germany, then refocusing on the UK 31:50 - Losing 25kg and putting health first 34:09 - Is there an exit strategy for Airtime Rewards? 34:44 - A letter to a founder on day one

Three-time founder Jennie Johnson has experienced the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur.

She sold her first business, Kids Allowed, after growing it to eight sites and 500 colleagues.

However, she closed her second business, parenting app My First Five Years, after realising she couldn't achieve the traction needed to make it sustainable.

Now she's back with her third business, Vets at Home, the trading name of The Pet Euthanasia People, which allows people to give their pets a peaceful goodbye at home.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Johnson also talks about:

The mistake of sacrificing your health for business success Why business success is a 'wiggly path' rather than a straight line The juggling challenge facing female founders Why every bruise in business is also a lesson The importance of founders owning failure The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

Chapters 00:00 - Introducing serial entrepreneur Jennie Johnson MBE 00:33 - What she wishes she'd known about founding a business 02:03 - Riding the highs and lows without losing balance 03:18 - Why Kids Allowed succeeded and My First Five Years didn't 07:57 - Culture and colleagues: the pivotal parts of success 10:14 - Purpose, motherhood, and juggling multiple roles 12:02 - Selling Kids Allowed right before Covid — and the health toll 16:10 - Closing My First Five Years: what she'd do differently 18:40 - The idea behind Vets at Home 19:38 - Finding co-founder Mike 21:22 - The need for at-home end-of-life pet care 24:05 - How the new business is performing 25:39 - Choosing the right co-founder each time round 27:00 - Feeling different the third time as a founder 28:17 - Failure, driving tests, and the journey to success 29:11 - Building a tribe of fellow female founders 31:09 - Closing question: a letter to a founder starting out

Clare Roberts OBE is one of the UK's most successful female founders.

The CEO of Kids Planet Day Nurseries is part of the rare 'Superscaler' community of UK women who have founded businesses generating more than £50m in annual revenue.

She founded the business with her dad, John, in 2008 after struggling to find flexible childcare for her daughter and deciding there had to be a better way.

Today, Kids Planet has grown to more than 300 nurseries and is now the UK's second-largest nursery provider, caring for more than 40,000 children.

Despite her success, Roberts says she likes people to think she's 'normal' and approachable.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Roberts also discusses:

Scaling a £200m-turnover business How she mistook early menopause for early-onset dementia Why she hates women-only awards Politics and why it needs to be done differently The rules of working with your sister Raising investment Why fitness is a non-negotiable in business The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

 

Chapters 00:00:00 - Why are there so few female founders? 00:02:11 - Introducing Clare Roberts OBE and Kids Planet 00:03:10 - What she wishes she'd known at the start 00:04:17 - Mum of three, "mum" to 40,000 kids 00:06:31 - Founding Kids Planet in 2008 with her dad 00:08:41 - Problem-solving and breaking the ice with 9,000 staff 00:11:09 - Scaling from 2 nurseries to 300+ 00:13:34 - Running a family business with her sister and dad 00:16:37 - Taking investment 00:20:14 - The hardest part of being a founder 00:22:15 - Menopause, brain fog, and talking about it openly 00:25:39 - Why so few female "super scalers" 00:27:35 - Fixing how schools teach kids to think 00:30:34 - AI, the future of work, and politics 00:32:03 - How Kids Planet identifies acquisitions 00:33:16 - On women-only awards and events 00:35:48 - How her daughters and staff would describe her 00:37:15 - Charity trekking, fitness, and the half marathon 00:39:50 - A letter to her younger self

Sean Brown is the founder of tech startup Versori, which was acquired earlier this year by US tech giant Avalara.

The deal was remarkable because Brown and Daniel Jones had only founded the next-generation integration platform specialist four years earlier.

However, success has not come without significant sacrifices. Brown recalls leaving his wife and newborn child to attend the Y Combinator programme in San Francisco for three months.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Brown discusses:

• Working alongside Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett in his early days
• How a skydive saved him from being skint in Australia
• Launching his own cryptocurrency, SeanCoin – but only for people called Sean
• Understanding the importance of having the right team
• Why he still gets a buzz from building things
• How a Post-it note bearing the words 'profit' and 'purpose' drives his decision-making

The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.   Chapters: 00:00 – The Story That Just Got Acquired by US Tech Giant Avalara: 00:24 – What Nobody Told Him: It's Not About You, It's About the Team 01:52 – Why He Doesn't Call Himself Resilient - He Just Likes to Build 02:33 – Happy Place: Maldives at 2am, Laptop Out, Waves in the Background 03:51 – Broke in Australia, Sniffing Bakeries & Raffling a Skydive He Didn't Own 06:41 – Growing Up Above Rough Pubs: Why His Relationship With Risk Is Completely Inverted 07:52 – Psychometric Test Says: Unemployable. He Agrees. 09:08 – Social Scuba, $6,000 & Learning to Code From YouTube at 20 10:56 – Working With Steven Bartlett Before Anyone Knew Who He Was 13:44 – Sean Coin: Why He Launched His Own Cryptocurrency  15:45 – 24 Staff, Millions in Revenue - and How He Learned to Be a Terrible Boss 17:28 – Leadership Flaws 19:10 – The Problem That Built The Story 20:26 – Building a Connector Engine Instead of Pre-Built Connectors 23:45 – 50% of Pipeline Comes From Conferences - Here's Exactly How He Works a Room 25:53 – We Don't Fish, We Hunt 27:08 – 100% Close Rate From Qualified Meetings: Why Cold Calls Are a Waste of Time 28:01 – Four Weeks Post-ACL Surgery, Flew to San Francisco, Knee Blown Up 29:07 – 310% Growth, Y Combinator & the Who's Who of Startup Validation 30:18 – Three Months in San Francisco, Newborn at Home, House Already Sold to Fund It 31:11 – 260 Investor Calls in Three Weeks: Refining the Pitch 1% at a Time 32:04 – Raising - Term Sheet Signed in Austin on a Wednesday 33:16 – Why the Avalara Acquisition Felt Like a Match Made in Heaven 35:41 – Family First, Then Keep Building: Why He Said Yes to the Deal 37:50 – Five Identical Sweatshirts, One Post-It Note: The Mind That Doesn't Waste a Thought 38:48 – No More Existential Dread: What It Feels Like to Found Inside a Huge Company 39:30 – Profit and Purpose: The Two Words on His Post-It Note That Drive Everything 41:04 – Why Profit Comes First - and What That Means for the Letter He'd Write to His Sons

Simon Swan is on track to create a one-man £1m+ startup, with a little help from former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan.

Two-time founder Swan is the latest guest on The Naked Founder podcast and his second business, Uthful, is already profitable after less than six months.

Uthful is a health supplement business and it’s a far cry from Swan’s previous enterprise, Manchester-based talent marketplace Hiring Hub.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Simon discusses:

How he persuaded cricket legend Michael Vaughan to become an investor Growing a £1m business with just one member of staff Changing the face of the health supplement market How the idea for Uthful came to him on a bike ride The importance of being authentic Inspiring his children Why he wants Uthful to be different from Hiring Hub The Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast. It is sponsored by Financielle, the home of money for women, and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

 

Chapters: 00:00 – 14-Year Overnight Success, Then Going Again at 45: Meet Simon Swan 01:06 – What He Wished He'd Known First Time Round 02:28 – Calm on Top, Furiously Paddling Underneath 03:16 – Cricket, Michael Vaughan & How Uthful Got Its First Investor 04:22 – 24 Vitamins, One Drink: The Problem He Was Solving for Himself 05:34 – Meeting Michael Vaughan 06:22 – No Website, No Product — Just a Name and a Napkin Pitch 07:05 – What Hiring Hub Actually Was (and Why He Hated Being Called a Recruiter) 07:51 – Designing the Logo on His Honeymoon 09:06 – Two People, One Office, One Phone — Fake It Til You Make It 10:27 – The Lessons He Carried Out of Hiring Hub and Into Everything Since 11:03 – Founder vs CEO: The Moment Hiring Hub Stopped Being His 12:38 – Burn the Boats: Why He Had to Remove the Safety Net Completely 14:05 – Gary Neville, Reinvention & Not Wanting One Thing to Define You Forever 14:50 – Loving the Building Phase: Why Year 11 Felt Nothing Like Year One 15:54 – The Apple Moment: Why Packaging and Brand Image Matter From Day One 16:50 – Solo Founder, One Dog, No Office: Is This the Future of Startups? 17:51 – Six Months Riding His Bike Across Spain, Waiting for the Idea to Come 18:12 – Lying in Bed on GoDaddy: The Night Uthful Became Real 20:01 – The Pub in the Peak District He Nearly Bought Instead 21:02 – What Humans Will Still Value in a World Run by AI 22:20 – Idea to First Sample in Eight Weeks: The Speed of Starting Now 23:00 – His Advice to Anyone With an Idea: Just Test It First 24:08 – Transparent Founder Content: Why He Posts the Bad Days Too 24:53 – The Day Meta Stopped Working and 3,000 Boxes Came Back Wrong 26:38 – Kids Watching Dad Build From Scratch: The Best Lesson He Can Give Them 28:56 – Could Uthful Be a £100M Business?  30:06 – Has Founding a Business Made Him Unemployable? Probably, Yeah 31:04 – The Hardest Part of Being a Solo Founder: Loneliness, and How He Beats It 32:46 – Letter to His Younger Self 33:29 – Never Too High, Never Too Low: The Emotional Steadiness That Defines Him 33:50 – Happy Place: 140km on a Bike Through the Spanish Countryside

Tom Dunlop turned his back on an Olympic dream to launch LegalTech Summize and said a degree of paranoia is healthy in business.

Earlier this year, Summize raised £40m in a Series B investment round and has just acquired the key assets and staff from Seattle consultancy InnoLaw Group.

After swapping a successful badminton career for a legal one, he became an in-house lawyer at AppSense, where he met high-profile entrepreneur Charles Sharland.

While working as a lawyer, Dunlop recognised how technology could speed up legal processes, so he launched Summize, and Sharland became an early investor.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Tom discusses:

• Why paranoia can be good in business
• How he turned his back on an Olympic dream
• How he struggled when he lost at badminton
• Why he can never forget his children's names
• The lessons he took from elite sport into high-performance business
• Raising $50m
• The difference in mindset between the UK and the US

The Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast. It is sponsored by Financielle, the home of money for women, and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.     Chapters 00:00 – Thinking Long-Term From Day One 02:45 – The Year or Two He Could Have Shaved Off Just by Planning Five Years Ahead 04:13 – Three Kids, Three Tattoos 04:29 – Europe's Number One Badminton Player  05:51 – Untouchable: The 15-Match Winning Run That Made Him "The Killer" 06:59 – Turning Down the Olympics for Law School: The Decision That Changed Everything 07:44 – Going From Invincible Junior to Getting Exposed by the Far East 09:13 – From Superstitious Socks to 1% Marginal Gains: What Sport Taught Him About Business 10:24 – ABCD: Codifying Culture So Every Employee Knows the Mission 11:55 – The Lesson in Being a Founder People Listen To 13:22 – Healthy Paranoia: Why You Should Never Feel Comfortable 13:55 – Office Tour 14:58 – The Elevator Pitch Booth (and the Original Pitch Line) 16:04 – One Team, One Board: Keeping Three Offices in Sync 17:00 – £1,000 a Month for the Best 1% Idea  17:37 – Meet the Nameless, Eyeless Office Giraffe 18:35 – The Gong, the Clocks & the Mural: Building Culture Through Physical Symbols 19:36 – Highlighting Contracts by Hand: How Summize Was Actually Born 21:45 – From Point Tool to Full Platform: What Summize Does Today 22:59 – Why San Diego Over LA or San Francisco: Choosing Offices on Culture, Not Just Cash 24:25 – 250 Pitches, Four Funding Rounds: What Investors Actually Back at Pre-Seed 27:06 – Hurt Money: Quitting His Job, Moving House & Having a Baby in the Same Month 29:08 – The Polish Badminton Players Who Had No Plan B — and Why That Stuck With Him 31:24 – Burn-and-Raise vs. Build It Right: The Philosophy Between Series A and B 33:52 – UK vs. US Founders: The Ceiling of Ambition Difference 35:42 – "Could You 10x?" — Why US and UK Investors Ask Completely Different Questions 37:00 – From Silicon Valley Podcasts to Trusting His Own Gut 39:24 – Letter to a Young Founder: Build Your Network, Raise Your Ceiling00:00 – Thinking Long-Term From Day One 02:45 – The Year or Two He Could Have Shaved Off Just by Planning Five Years Ahead 04:13 – Three Kids, Three Tattoos 04:29 – Europe's Number One Badminton Player  05:51 – Untouchable: The 15-Match Winning Run That Made Him "The Killer" 06:59 – Turning Down the Olympics for Law School: The Decision That Changed Everything 07:44 – Going From Invincible Junior to Getting Exposed by the Far East 09:13 – From Superstitious Socks to 1% Marginal Gains: What Sport Taught Him About Business 10:24 – ABCD: Codifying Culture So Every Employee Knows the Mission 11:55 – The Lesson in Being a Founder People Listen To 13:22 – Healthy Paranoia: Why You Should Never Feel Comfortable 13:55 – Office Tour 14:58 – The Elevator Pitch Booth (and the Original Pitch Line) 16:04 – One Team, One Board: Keeping Three Offices in Sync 17:00 – £1,000 a Month for the Best 1% Idea  17:37 – Meet the Nameless, Eyeless Office Giraffe 18:35 – The Gong, the Clocks & the Mural: Building Culture Through Physical Symbols 19:36 – Highlighting Contracts by Hand: How Summize Was Actually Born 21:45 – From Point Tool to Full Platform: What Summize Does Today 22:59 – Why San Diego Over LA or San Francisco: Choosing Offices on Culture, Not Just Cash 24:25 – 250 Pitches, Four Funding Rounds: What Investors Actually Back at Pre-Seed 27:06 – Hurt Money: Quitting His Job, Moving House & Having a Baby in the Same Month 29:08 – The Polish Badminton Players Who Had No Plan B — and Why That Stuck With Him 31:24 – Burn-and-Raise vs. Build It Right: The Philosophy Between Series A and B 33:52 – UK vs. US Founders: The Ceiling of Ambition Difference 35:42 – "Could You 10x?" — Why US and UK Investors Ask Completely Different Questions 37:00 – From Silicon Valley Podcasts to Trusting His Own Gut 39:24 – Letter to a Young Founder: Build Your Network, Raise Your Ceiling

Mark Stuart is on a mission to make Stuart Energy Europe’s leading power generation business.

He founded Stuart Energy in 2017 alongside his father Fred and brother Lee, and the company has been named in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list for three consecutive years.

But following in the footsteps of a successful parent comes with its own pressures.

“You see great footballers that have sons that go into football and you’re never as good as your father,” he said. “There’s a bit of stigma attached to that.”

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Mark discusses

Launching Stuart Energy with his dad Fred and brother Lee and working alongside his sister Jane Why the company puts ‘family first, work second’ The importance of bootstrapping a business Growing up with a ‘work or want’ mentality Stuart Energy’s unusual three-stage recruitment process The Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast. It is sponsored by Financielle, the home of money for women, and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

From being raised by an alcoholic mother to fighting off a sex pest and coming out as gay at the age of 30, Sam White has faced more challenges than most.

She is the award-winning CEO of female-focused motor insurance business Stella Insurance, which has offices in Manchester and Australia, and is the latest guest on The Naked Founder Podcast.

No-nonsense White brings a new meaning to the phrase 'straight talking' and has appeared on BBC Morning Live, Wake Up To Money and Sky News.

In this episode of The Naked Founder, White also discusses:

• Living with an alcoholic mother

• Launching her first business at the age of 24, only for it to go into administration

• Dealing with crippling panic attacks

• Kneeing a sex pest in the ‘balls’

• Turning Stella Insurance into a multi-million-pound business

• Her dream of creating a fund for female founders

This episode of The Naked Founder is a product of BusinessCloud. It is sponsored by Financielle, the home of money for women, and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

 

Chapters: 00:00 – What Nobody Told Her at 24 01:48 – Raised by No One: The Dysfunctional Childhood That Made Her Strong 03:28 – Why the Best Entrepreneurs Usually Have the Hardest Upbringings 04:22 – From Sister's Conservatory to Beverly Hills: The Rise and Fall of Action 365 06:27 – The Exit Plan Question She Used to Think Was Stupid 06:54 – Four or Five Panic Attacks a Day 09:49 – Coming Out at 30 11:44 – When She First Realised She Was Attracted to Women - and Why She Wasn't Shocked 13:33 – The CEO Who Asked "What Lights You Up?" - and Accidentally Started Stella 15:31 – How Big Is Stella Now?  16:52 – The Speaking Coach, the Keynotes & Getting Out of Her Own Way 19:10 – LinkedIn, Media Appearances & Why She Built Her Profile on Purpose 20:53 – "Your Friends Will Never Tell You the Truth" 23:31 – Size 24 to Six Stone Lighter: The Weight Loss Nobody Made Her Do 24:03 – Her Mum, Alcohol & the Nervous Relationship She Had With Drinking for Years 26:52 – Two Kids and a Clearer Head: Why She Finally Quit for Good in 2022 27:05 – The Investor Who Booked a Joining Hotel Room and Got Kneed in the Balls 29:26 – Misogyny in Business: Still There, Just Harder to Call Out 30:00 – The Hardest Part of Being a Founder: Feeling Like the Only Adult in the Room 31:32 – Exit in Two to Three Years, a Fund for Female Founders & a Bit More Balance 35:17 – Letter to Her Younger Self: Start With the End in Mind

Derry Green knew his Dragons' Den appearance would transform the fortunes of his business, The Secret Garden Glamping, but even he underestimated its power.

Green had become a social media sensation when he built a glamping pod for his kids in his back garden during Covid and turned it into a business.

The success of The Secret Garden Glamping saved Green from financial ruin, but even he had no idea what would happen when he walked into TV's most famous Den in 2023.

In this episode of The Naked Founder, Green also discusses:

• The REAL reason he went on Dragons' Den • How appearing in the Den changed his life • Why The Secret Garden Glamping saved him from financial wipeout • How wanting to spend more time with his kids resulted in a multi-million-pound business • Overcoming his fear of public speaking • What he'd say on his deathbed

This episode of The Naked Founder is a product of BusinessCloud. It is sponsored by Financielle, the home of money for women, and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome to The Secret Garden: Glamping on Location 01:04 – What He Wishes He'd Known Before Starting 01:59 – Building Dens in the Woods as a Kid 02:50 – When He Started Treating It Like a Business, He Stopped Enjoying It 04:23 – Before the Glamping: The Haulage Company 04:50 – Christmas Day, Sky News, Half a Million Gone: The Citilink Collapse 07:37 – Building the Den That Started Everything 08:44 – Lad Bible, 10 Million Views & 150 Airbnb Bookings Overnight 09:59 – Why He Went on Dragon's Den 10:49 – "I Want to Make Less Money" - The Pitch That Won Over Four Dragons 12:01 – One Site, Half a Million Turnover: The State of Play Before the Den 12:34 – What Deborah Meaden Actually Brought to the Business 13:25 – Five Sites, 47 Staff, Nearly £2M Turnover - and Six More in the Pipeline 14:26 – Why He Doesn't Think of It as a Glamping Business 14:48 – Competing With Everyone Making Content, Not Other Glamping Sites 16:09 – Never Spent a Penny on Advertising: UGC Methodology 18:10 – The Site Tour: Treehouse, Tiki Bar & Why Units Cost What They Do 19:50 – Inside the Retreat: Hot Tubs, Outdoor TVs & What Guests Actually Share 22:21 – Boot Fair Décor, Three-Quid Props & When to Actually Spend Money 23:45 – The Guest Who Couldn't Get In - and Became His Partner 24:59 – The Hardest Part: Letting Go of Control 26:17 – How AI Fits In (and Where It Doesn't) 27:15 – Why Mums on School Hours Make the Perfect Workforce 28:14 – Public Speaking Terrifies Him - So He Keeps Doing It 29:10 – Letter to His Younger Self: Chase Passion, Not Money 30:25 – The Netflix Series 31:18 – 47 Guests on Site, Haven't Seen One: Why He'll Never Overcrowd It 31:50 – Wrap-Up

Vicar's daughter. Accidental entrepreneur. Published author. Founder. Award winner. Disruptor.

There are plenty of ways to describe myHappymind CEO Laura Earnshaw. Another would be: in demand.

Last year, 16 investors wanted to back myHappymind before Earnshaw eventually chose LDC. 

She has also spoken out about the lack of women in the investment world and her mission to equip every child with the mental health skills they need to thrive.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Earnshaw also discusses:

• Why she walked away from a successful corporate career to launch myHappymind

• Why founders should ignore advice from people who haven't done what they're trying to do

• How she secured investment in just four months

• Going from a kitchen table startup to a multi-million-pound business

• Why assumptions about female founders still persist

This episode of  The Naked Founder is a product of BusinessCloud. It is sponsored by Financielle - The Home of Money for Women - and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction – Laura Earneshaw, founder of My Happy Mind (and Max, Head of Happiness) 0:30 What didn't they tell you about founding a business? 0:46 Working every weekend for 10 years and never switching off 1:12 The M25 moment: visiting a loved one in a mental health hospital and deciding to act 2:09 Career before My Happy Mind - Accenture, AstraZeneca, PwC, and meeting her husband in Swindon 3:53 Quitting a six-figure salary at 35 to fix a problem nobody was preventing 4:31 Prevention over cure: why all the money goes to fixing mental health, not stopping it 5:28 From kitchen table to Alderley Edge offices - the early days of winging it 6:16 Purpose before profit: led by passion, and the profit followed 7:36 'My Happy Mind' cards 8:33 The science behind the cards 9:38 From 2 pilot schools to over 2,000 10:05 Resilience and focus: never take advice from someone who hasn't done what you're trying to do 10:46 Was there ever a moment she wanted to quit? 11:05 Female founder, mother of two, no nanny - and bootstrapping by choice 12:22 How she'd describe herself 13:49 NHS endorsement  15:45 The My Happy Mind book published by Penguin - and why they came to her 17:00 Husband Tim joining as COO - rules, balance, and making it work 18:14 The King's Award - Windsor Castle, a scroll, and 100 schools celebrating together 19:52 Raising investment: 16 offers, exclusivity to LDC on 1st December, deal closed the 23rd 21:16 No one will ever drive her harder than she drives herself 21:21 How LDC have been as an investor - and why terms matter more than promises 22:45 Assumptions made about female founders - and how she squashed them quickly 24:21 The gender investment gap and the shortage of female investors in the room 25:51 Vision for My Happy Mind: every child, every school in the UK - and going global 26:50 Letter to a younger Laura 26:59 Wrap-up

Jen Atkinson is a legend in the travel industry and has grown her business, Travel Seen, to nearly £60m turnover.

She told The Naked Founder podcast that female founders need more self-belief if they want to scale their business.

“One of the reasons that women particularly struggle in the world of scaling a business is investment and that self-belief that they can ask for £10m and get £15m, as opposed to asking for £5m and getting £1m,” she said. “Women tend to struggle with asking in a way that men don’t.”

Atkinson made her name at ITC Travel Group, where she grew turnover from £40m to £90m.

2020 marked Atkinson’s professional and personal ‘annus horribilis’, which saw her split from her husband and take a huge financial hit from Covid.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, she also discusses:

• Going from marketing manager to CEO at ITC Travel

• Having to make 40 redundancies to turn around ITC’s fortunes

• Why so many female founders get divorced

• Becoming a first-time founder at 48

• Why founders should always ask for more investment than they need

• Dealing with imposter syndrome, ADHD and the menopause

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

 

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Jen Atkinson & Travel Scene 00:36 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business 01:03 Would You Do It All Over Again? 01:33 Founding a Business vs. Running Someone Else's 01:56 Having a Dog Is Like Starting a Business 03:40 Are You Impulsive? The Entrepreneurial Trait 04:15 A Million Reasons Not to Launch — Why She Did It Anyway 05:07 The Idea: A Social-Led Community in Travel 06:42 The USP: Building Travel Scene on Instagram 08:43 From Zero to £20M Turnover: The Buy & Build Model 09:11 Growing Up in Leeds: Mum, Dad & Where It All Came From 10:18 The Mentor Who Changed Everything: Drew Foster at ITC 11:30 Women, Self-Belief & Asking for More Money 12:02 Starting at ITC as Marketing Manager, Becoming CEO 12:24 Making 40 People Redundant as a First-Time CEO 12:42 Making Tough Decisions: It's in Her DNA 13:26 Always Choosing the Hard Option 14:08 Living Without Regrets: Lessons from Dad 15:44 Growing ITC from £40M to £90M — Then COVID Hit 16:24 Losing Millions in COVID & a Marriage Falling Apart 17:51 Why So Many Successful Female Entrepreneurs Are Divorced 19:02 Hiding Under a Stone or Launching a Business? 19:46 Why She Was Unemployable & Had to Go Again 21:16 ADHD as a Superpower 22:48 Imposter Syndrome, the Menopause & Being Open About It 23:35 Are Female Founders More Emotionally Open Than Men? 24:55 Being a Role Model to Her Son and Daughter 26:12 How Do You Deal With Failure? 27:20 Failure Is Just a Signpost on the Way to Success 28:41 Targeting £100M in Two Years: Weight or Ambition? 30:16 Key Lessons for Founders: Funding, Your Why & Your Team 32:09 Pick People You'd Go Over the Top With 33:06 Letter to a Founder: Back Yourself Above All Else

Matthew Scullion is the founder of British unicorn Matillion and told The Naked Founder about the ‘crazy’ world of AI.

His business joined an exclusive club of only 41 UK unicorns in 2021 when a $150m Series E funding round took its valuation beyond the magical $1bn mark.

He estimates Matillion has invested ‘many, many tens of millions into Maia’, which is its AI data automation platform.

Scullion predicted that AI could mean multi-million turnover companies could have only one or two members of staff, and that established hundred million pound companies could disappear because AI makes their business model irrelevant.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, he discusses:

• Starting his first business aged 17 • Proving his GCSE French teacher wrong • Why AI will change businesses forever • Why achieving unicorn status was just ‘a moment in time’ • The relentless nature of being a founder • Why his wife is behind his success

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

 

Chapters: 0:00 Introduction – Matthew Scullion, co-founder of Matillion, Manchester's last unicorn 0:49 Opening question: what didn't they tell you about founding a business? 1:59 15 years of overnight success – and a career in software entrepreneurialism since age 17 2:41 What is Maia? The AI data automation platform that Matillion has reinvented itself around 6:14 Why AI agents need data and context – and how Maia provides it at machine scale 7:00 Will we say "Maia that" instead of "Google it"? 7:37 Mrs Scullion's physiotherapy website: built from scratch in two hours using AI tools 16:25 Multi-million pound companies with one staff member – and the macro impact of AI 21:24 Jack Dorsey halving Block's workforce and where AI disruption is really heading 22:25 The French GCSE story: E forecast, 24 hours of cramming, A grade 24:50 Founding his first software business at 17 – and how he thinks about risk 27:13 Pivoting vs staying relevant – and the corporate graveyard of companies that didn't 28:41 Inside the Matillion Manchester office: a 2026 Victorian factory for software 29:31 Giving up a six-figure salary in 2011 to launch Matillion with co-founder Ed Thompson 30:32 What you're really signing up for: all in, every ounce of energy, for as long as it takes 34:13 The real risk isn't failure – it's living to regret not doing it at all 35:29 What drives him: building something beautiful that makes a dent in the universe 37:09 Nine digits of recurring revenue and 400-500 staff – how Matillion got here 37:40 The three acts of Matillion: managed services, then ISV software, now Maia 40:42 Fewer unicorn CEOs than people who've been to space – and what the moment really felt like 44:36 Do UK founders sell too early? The cultural and structural reasons Britain doesn't build big 48:34 "There are two types of problems in business – people problems, and people problems you haven't spotted yet" 52:14 Letter to a founder: make sure you really want this, then start – and don't stop 55:19 Roger Federer only wins 54% of points – and what that means for building a business 56:22 Wrap-up

Russell Teale was juggling the pressures of business and family life when he thought he was having a heart attack.

Tests later revealed he was having a panic attack but the near-miss changed his life and his outlook.

He’s the founder and CEO of Vivify, which today employs 500 people and is set to grow turnover from £8m to £12m this year.

At the same time, the startup has given more than £10m back to schools and raised £2m in investment.

In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast he discusses:

• Living with panic attacks • Having former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy as an investor • Coping with the death of his mum while building Vivify • Giving £10m back to schools • Why your network is your net worth

 

Chapters: 0:00 Introduction – Russell Teale, founder & CEO of Vivify 0:43 Opening question: what didn't they tell you about founding a business? 1:42 The highest of highs and lowest of lows – what founding really feels like 2:04 Fitter: the Uber-style fitness app, hockey stick projections, and the brutal reality of traction 3:54 Money running out, wife pregnant, and a terrifying thud in the chest 4:22 Panic attacks in his early thirties – and learning they never fully go away 5:33 How panic attacks manifest and how he manages them now 6:02 School Letting Solutions: landing on his feet, then made redundant when it went into liquidation 6:46 What he learned from failure and why there's no point looking backwards 7:39 Founding Vivify in 2020 – the problem: 27,000 schools full of empty facilities 9:48 Where the name Vivify came from – meaning "to breathe life into" 10:12 Mum Janice: single parent, two jobs, rehoming stray cats, and a lesson in resilience 11:58 Janice dies of blood cancer on New Year's Day 2022, aged just 56 12:25 How do you manage personal trauma, COVID, a startup, and a young family? You just get on with it 13:04 Co-founders leaving, bootstrapping, and raising £1m from Arete in 2022 13:44 Choosing the right investor and the full-circle moment of pitching to the former Tesco CEO 15:26 Founder vs CEO – two very different skill sets 16:47 Total Fitness, rising through the ranks, and how far Vivify has still to go 17:43 The global opportunity: 27,000 schools in the UK, and the same problem everywhere 18:30 Do's and don'ts for scaling: never lose sight of cash 19:16 The importance of a commercially-minded CFO 20:02 Hiring for passion and pride over skill set – and why attitude always wins 21:19 Building a network from scratch and the power of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme 22:53 Founders he admires and why ego-led founders put him off 24:21 Letter to a younger Russell: go easy on yourself 24:56 Wrap-up

James Laithwaite has been described as rugby league’s unluckiest player after fracturing his left leg four times and breaking his neck during a career that saw him play for Warrington Wolves, Toronto Wolfpack and Bradford Bulls.

However, from the depth of despair, he launched premium meal prep delivery firm FuelHub in 2019 with his wife Michelle.

Today the company is working with some of the UK’s most talented sports stars and clubs and now makes 20,000 meals a week.

FuelHub has now grown turnover to £6.5m and forged a partnership with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom.

In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, James and Michelle Laithwaite discuss:

· Fearing he was paralysed after breaking his neck · How his spells out injured inspired FuelHub · How love blossomed after an online date and turned into a business · Raising £1.2m from AJ Bell founder Andy Bell and former director Fergus Lyons · Partnering with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom · How their son was born on their launch day · The secret of working with your partner

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

 

Chapters: 0:00 Introduction – Michelle & James Laithwaite, founders of Fuel Hub 0:20 What didn't they tell you about founding a business? 0:51 From 10,000 meals to £5 million – how the weight of responsibility grows 1:50 The story: single mum meets rugby player, and an unlikely partnership begins 3:10 Watching James break his leg at the AJ Bell Stadium on their second date 4:22 Wanting to eat healthy but not being able to find the quality – the light-bulb moment 5:37 Launching Fuel Hub eight months pregnant – and Stanley arriving early 6:31 Brand story, green identity, and the three pillars: premium, trust, quality 8:49 Starting with £20k, a £20 eBay desk, and a red swivel chair 10:34 Selling the family home, moving into a two-bed flat, and taking no wage 11:11 The landlord connection: how Fergus Lyons led them to a £1.2m investment from Andy Bell 12:41 Warrington Wolves, Chelsea, England Rugby – leveraging James's sporting contacts 14:08 Eddie Hearn ordered off his own back: how the Matchroom partnership came about 17:19 Never racing to the bottom – why staying premium builds loyal subscribers 18:51 The subscription model and the power of authentic LinkedIn storytelling 20:08 Michelle reads their five-year anniversary LinkedIn post live 22:15 The reality of being a female CEO – school calls, tiredness, and raw honesty 24:04 Co-founder dynamics: CEO vs COO, and why being so different makes it work 25:50 Drawing the line between work and home life with kids and a clear 8pm rule 27:48 Date nights in the Lake District and trusting the team enough to switch off 28:59 Michelle on public speaking, BBC Radio 5 Live, and getting comfortable being visible 30:32 James's turn: Michelle doesn't like being told what to do (he nods vigorously) 31:38 Transitioning from professional rugby to business – resilience, injuries, and broken necks 34:53 Starting from scratch: learning emails, invoicing, and everything from the ground up 36:33 An insatiable appetite to learn – podcasts, people, and being a sponge 37:27 Advice for couples thinking about co-founding: sacrifice, hard work, and plan A only 37:54 Vision for Fuel Hub: 100,000 meals a week, a forever home, and B2B growth 41:24 Letter to a younger Michelle: always trust your gut and never deviate 41:59 Wrap-up

 

As the co-founders of Pareto Law, Jonathan Fitchew and Andy Sawer were inseparable.

For 26 years they shared the same office and, when away on business trips, even shared the same bed rather than book separate rooms.

One look at his best friend’s empty desk after he died in 2021 was enough to convince Fitchew that he could never work there again.

In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, he discusses: • The grief of losing your best friend and business partner • Going again with the launch of Apprentify • Growing Apprentify to £25m turnover and 250 staff • His regrets at selling Pareto Law to Randstad • Being kicked out of school for being rebellious • Relaxing by keeping chickens and building Lego

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle' - The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Jonathan Fitchew & Apprentify 00:28 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business 00:53 Would You Do It All Over Again? 01:39 Losing a Co-Founder: The Story of Andy Sawyer 02:25 Andy's Illness, COVID & Keeping the Business Alive 04:00 Friend First, Founder Second: How Andy & Jonathan Met 05:11 You Can't Force a Business Partnership 05:47 Risk Taking vs. Gambling: The Entrepreneurial Mindset 07:03 Borrowing 15 Grand & Pitching a Bank Manager 07:47 Why They Named It Pareto Law 09:52 Hiring Graduates Over Experienced Salespeople 10:07 Starting in a Broom Cupboard in Salford (1995) 10:51 Sharing a Room, Sharing a Business: Life with Andy 11:57 Did You and Andy Ever Disagree? 12:45 Pareto Law Grows to £40M & 400 Staff 13:25 When Randstad Came Knocking (2008) 15:02 Selling Part of the Business: The Air Was Sucked Out 16:06 Visiting Andy in Hospital While Running a Business 17:52 Do You Still Think About Andy? Every Single Day 18:27 Leaving Pareto Law & Going Again: Launching Apprentify 18:52 The Embryo of Apprentify Started Before Andy Died 20:38 Still Hungry: The Eye of the Tiger 21:18 How Apprentify Grew to £25M & 250 Staff 23:25 AI: The Biggest Opportunity Jonathan Has Ever Seen 25:27 AI Won't Replace You If You Add Value 26:23 Top Tips for Anyone Thinking of Starting a Business 27:51 Getting Kicked Out of Boarding School 28:13 The Itch That Always Needs Scratching 29:44 The Chickens: Mary, Latte & Cappuccino 30:57 Chickens as a Decompression Valve 31:21 Building Lego as a Switch-Off: 4,000-Piece Ferrari & Concorde 32:12 Whatever You Do, You're a Builder 32:43 Letter to His Younger Self

In the events industry, Holly Bennett (Moore) is almost as big a name as the stars she rubs shoulders with. From Robert De Niro to Kylie Minogue, and from Gary Barlow to McFly, Moore has worked with them all.

However, behind the confident exterior, Moore has wrestled with crippling OCD.

At one point, on New Year’s Day 2012, Moore was unable to carry on and rang the Priory to be admitted.

Moore has battled back from the depths of despair to build a multi-million-pound turnover business, partly thanks to a chance call with billionaire Fred Done.

Professional success has been matched by personal happiness, and she talks about falling in love with a member of her team and their fairytale wedding.

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

Chapters

0:00 Introduction – Holly Moore, founder of Make Events 0:36 Opening question: what didn't they tell you about founding a business? 1:30 Living with OCD – how it really manifests and what it feels like 4:33 Pure OCD: rumination, reassurance-seeking, and intrusive thoughts 5:20 OCD relapses – the tornado that pulls you back in 6:21 The darkest moment – calling the Priory on New Year's Day 2011 8:09 Becoming OCD-free and the new lease of life that followed 9:11 Handing in her notice at AstraZeneca and testing herself 12:26 Launching Make Events in 2012 – spotting the gap in Manchester 13:27 Pounding the pavement: giving out business cards to venues 14:26 The Fred Done call – landing a billionaire's 70th birthday party 16:35 Working with Robert De Niro, Kylie Minogue, Gary Barlow and more 19:10 Behind events and the mindset behind never cutting corners 20:15 Building the right team and trusting them to deliver 21:34 What kind of founder is Holly? Leadership style and high standards 23:56 The 5am Club – early mornings, discipline, and wine with Lily Shippen 25:09 Is she a workaholic? The constant fear of a clean slate each year 26:44 Bootstrapping to a multi-million pound business – looking back with pride 28:32 COVID and the events industry – pivoting with gift boxes and creativity 30:37 Marketing through the downturn: the 10X mindset 31:19 Social media, LinkedIn, and changing her name to Holly Bennett 32:38 Meeting Joel – falling for someone from the team 35:29 "Anything is Possible" – her personal development brand and podcast 36:22 Burnout, health scares, and an OCD relapse 37:30 Acquiring the PA Club with Joel and the vision ahead 39:56 The importance of networks and why she's saying yes to more in future 42:33 Letter to a younger Holly: work in the industry first and hire well early 43:36 Wrap-up

James Cole is the straight-talking founder of Panache Cruises.

He founded the luxury cruise retailer during Covid and believes in authenticity and honesty, and is partial to the odd swear word.

A two-time founder, he’s on track to build his second £100m turnover company, but this time it won’t be at the expense of his family or by turning to drink.

In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, he discusses:

• How he nearly lost it all with his first startup Cruise118 • How stopping drinking on New Year’s Eve 2018 transformed his life • Launching Panache Cruises during Covid • Turning 50 by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity • Growing to £50m turnover in five years • Why his family will always come first • Meeting his hero Sir Richard Branson

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

Chapters 0:00 Introduction: James Cole & Panache Cruises 00:35 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business 02:09 Christmas Day & Drinking to Cope: The Cruise 118 Crisis 03:24 Launching Into Lehman Brothers: Nearly Going Bust 04:26 Giving Up Alcohol: New Year's Eve 2018 05:40 Building Panache on Better Foundations 06:52 How to Build a £100 Million Turnover Company 07:21 The Entrepreneur's Playbook Is Bollocks 08:21 Launching Cruise 118 With Everything on the Line 08:49 Hour to Hour Survival: The Early Years 11:17 Why Launching Panache During COVID Was the right move 11:39 Leaving Cruise 118: Was There Any Sadness? 12:59 What James Did Differently Second Time Around 14:27 Vision 2020: Colleagues, Customers, Cruise Lines 15:12 A Tour of the Panache Cruises Office 16:09 What Is a Connoisseur? The Panache Sales Model 16:46 Top 40 Customers: £8 Million in Bookings 17:05 Thriving With Your Back Against the Wall 18:20 Turning COVID Into an Opportunity: 12,000 Leads 19:21 Influencer Marketing & Richard and Helen Tallew 20:58 Anna Perra, CCO: Why Panache Is Different 21:42 Giving Customers the CEO's Mobile Number 23:18 A More Content James Cole: Family, Balance & Growth 24:14 Work-Life Balance Is Bollocks — Life Balance Isn't 25:47 Being Authentic on LinkedIn as a Founder 27:15 Turning 50 & Climbing Kilimanjaro for Rubens Retreat 28:52 Reaching the Summit: What It Meant 30:07 The Road to £100 Million & Going Global 30:40 Expanding Into the US, Australia & Canada 32:14 Meeting Richard Branson on Necker Island 33:14 The 5km Open Water Swim: Visualise It First 34:31 Staff Perks, Pensions & Doing the Right Thing 36:53 Long-Term Goal: World's Biggest Luxury Cruise Seller 38:53 Letter to His Younger Self: Look After Yourself

Hayley Roberts had it all. And then she didn’t.

She founded cybersecurity business Distology in 2015 and has grown it to £63m turnover, 50 staff and offices in the UK, Netherlands and Germany.

Roberts is one of a growing number of female founders who get divorced and has opened up on the price she paid for going it alone.

In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, she discusses: • Why female founders can’t have it all • Why women and mothers always put themselves last • The shock realisation that having three amazing kids wasn’t enough to fulfil her • The cost of divorce, both financial and on the business • Launching Distology and why the business has never been in a better place • Why she’d tell her younger self not to worry and celebrate the little wins Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Hayley Roberts & Distology 00:28 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business 00:57 Childhood Dreams: Wanting to Be an Actress 01:28 Dad's Influence & the Academic Route 01:53 Divorce, Growth & Evolving Apart 03:43 Being a Mum vs. Being a Founder 05:56 Can You Have It All? 08:24 How Divorce Impacted the Business 09:57 Masking Your Emotions as a Leader 11:00 A Hard Father & Never Feeling Good Enough 12:35 Resilience: The Gift of a Tough Upbringing 14:09 Mum: The Stay-at-Home Opposite 14:36 First Jobs: From IBM to Toiletries 16:50 The Road to Founding Distology (2015) 18:29 Telling Dad She Was Starting a Business 20:11 The Founding Years: Easy Bit, Hard Reality 21:10 Building the Business from Scratch 23:04 Juggling Three Kids & Running a Company 24:11 Giving Up a Six-Figure Salary 25:00 Raising Private Equity Investment (NorthEdge, 2021) 27:03 The Investment Process: Did It Hurt the Business? 28:17 Navigating Divorce & a PE Round at the Same Time 30:34 Where Is Distology Today? 31:33 How Far Ahead Does Hayley Plan? 32:46 Setting Goals, Not Resolutions 33:18 Key Lessons for Founders 34:36 The Friday Night Review Ritual 35:47 Mindset: Stop Attracting the Negative 37:14 Letter to Her Younger Self: Don't Worry

Peter Cliff and Jos van der Steen hated each other when they first met but went on to launch one of the UK’s most exciting companies.

They are co-founders of CONDUCTR, which creates world-class ‘kick-ass attractions’ from its Manchester HQ.

In four years, the startup has grown turnover to £26m and staff numbers to 100, with studios in the UK, US and Middle East.

In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, they discuss: • Acting with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe • Going from arch-enemies to best friends and co-founders • Risking everything to deliver a £1.6m contract for Alton Towers • Launching their two latest ventures – Game Volt and Originals • Remembering to enjoy the ride

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

 

Chapters

00:00 The Naked Founder On Location at CONDUCTR, Manchester 00:35 What do you wish you'd known before launching? 01:05 The reality of being a founder – relentless pivots and risk 02:12 The Alton Towers deal – a £1.6M contract with 8 staff 03:05 The Curse of Alton Manor – delivering the full show package 04:30 No service lift, no warehouse: finding a solution on the fly 06:20 Peter's backstory – trained actor, Daniel Radcliffe & drama school 07:45 Leaving acting: the agent ultimatum & joining Merlin/Alton Towers 08:31 Rising to Global Creative Director at Merlin 09:29 Meeting co-founder Jos at Holovis – friction at first 11:02 Founding CONDUCTR in 2022 with just 6 months of self-funding 13:16 Early doubts, lost contracts, and a trademark dispute 14:26 CONDUCTR today – £24–26M turnover, 100+ staff, global offices 15:28 Game Vault & Originals – why they launched two new brands 17:00 Game Face at Printworks Manchester – opening April 2026 17:36 How Peter & Jos handle co-founder disagreements 18:28 Interview with Jos Van der Steen – co-founder perspective 19:18 Friends first, founders second – the co-founder relationship 20:34 Jos' backstory – IBM consultancy, South America 22:12 Risk taker vs. cautious thinker – how they balance each other 24:06 Vision for CONDUCTR, Game Vault & Originals 26:09 Behind-the-scenes warehouse tour – arena products & interactive tech 27:41 Final question: letter to your younger self 28:28 Peter's advice – enjoy the journey 29:30 Jos' advice – prioritise company culture 30:09 Sign off

The Naked Founder - Season 1 Trailer