Send us a Text Message.This podcast is for entrepreneurs, reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale, and exit—inspired conversations with world-class entrepreneurs and the specialists who support them.I came up with that strapline when I launched the pod a couple of years ago, as that’s exactly what I wanted to create—a resource that, if you’re a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, you can tap into and learn from those who were perhaps a few years ahead of you on the jou...

Send us a Text Message.This podcast is for business owners and entrepreneurs - reverse engineering your way to success through inspiring conversations.And the conversation you're about to hear is truly inspiring. I'm conscious that many of the guests I've had on the podcast over the last couple of years have shared stories of incredible success.But anyone who’s been in business for any length of time knows the significant challenges and difficulties of entrepreneurship.And no one knows that b...

Send us a Text Message.Joanna Jensen is the founder of Child's Farm, the hugely successful baby and child skincare company that was recently sold for £40m.This is one of the most inspiring conversations I’ve had since we launched the podcast. Joanna is a fabulous storyteller, and her enthusiasm is infectious!Hers is an amazing story of grit, resilience, and sheer determination to succeed against the odds. Joanna battled cancer, surgery, and a divorce, all while building her business.She funde...

Send us a Text Message.Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast, where we delve into the minds of experienced entrepreneurs and uncover their secrets to success.I’m your host, Alan Smith, and I’m really excited to bring you my conversation with today’s guest, Alexis Sikorsky. Alexis is an entrepreneur who built a software business from the ground up and eventually negotiated a sale to private equity for over $100m.I’ve just read his new book, "Cashing Out: A Business Owner’s Guide...

Send us a Text Message.If you’re a business owner who plans to sell your business one day, this episode is essential listening.Picture this: You've poured years of your life into a business, helping to build it from the ground up, and then the business is sold. As a result, you receive a seven-figure sum, and you’re financially secure.Or at least you hoped so.But then you take the proceeds, decide to invest in a new company, and lose it all.That’s the situation today’s guest, Jim McLaughlin, ...

Send us a Text Message.Peter Cowley is one of Europe’s best-known angel investors and active supporters of entrepreneurship. He studied computer science at Cambridge and founded his first company in 1984.Since then, he’s launched no less than 12 companies, some of which he exited from successfully, some of which failed, and one that is still going over 40 years later.As one of the UK’s most successful business angels, he’s invested in 76 technology companies, and his book, The Invested Invest...

I’m pleased to share a fascinating conversation I had recently with Jeremy Harbour, one of the most successful and experienced entrepreneurs around. Jeremy is a born entrepreneur who started selling jeans, watches, and even Cadbury creme eggs at age 11!  He left school at 15 and has gone on to build, buy, and sell multiple companies. He’s currently more active than ever through his company and network, The Harbour Club. Jeremy has deep insight into the strategies and tactics needed to...

Let me set the scene by telling you that one of my all-time favourite TV shows is "Succession”. It's a fascinating tale of a wealthy family wrapped up in the complexities of their business empire led by the founder and patriarch, Logan Roy, brilliantly portrayed by the actor Brian Cox. If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend you do. But let me give you a quick overview: "Succession" is not just about wealth and power; it's a saga of business intrigue, sibling rivalry, and the...

Let me start by sharing some statistics with you, which I find rather shocking. 90% of SMEs are unsellable50% close down for zero valueOnly one in 2,000 are sold for the full market value. It was today’s guest, Christine Nicholson, who shared that data with me, and as awful as the numbers are, the good news is that she’s developed a business owner’s toolkit to ensure that you’ve got the best chance of being that 1 in 2000 who do have a successful exit. Christine is an extraordinary lady....

Alex Chisnall is the creator and host of one of the UK’s leading podcasts called Screw It Just Do It and is now a highly successful entrepreneur in the content creation space. The name of his podcast is a reference to the time he spent working at Virgin and observing his then-boss, Sir Richard Branson, at close quarters. Screw It Let’s Do It was a phrase often used by Sir Richard and the title of one of his books. During our conversation, Alex talked in depth about the resilience needed to...

My guest today, Rand Fishkin, is the author of one of the best business books I’ve ever read, and trust me, I’ve read a lot of business books! It’s called Lost and Founder, and it charts his journey as a marketing tech business entrepreneur who raised money from Venture Capital investors and was growing at 100% year on year. It’s a ruthlessly honest book in which Rand breaks down the details and behind-the-scenes experiences of an entrepreneur. I think it’s essential reading for any founder...

Hello, and welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast, the first of 2024. We’ve  got something special for you to kick off the New Year! ‘Bitconned” is currently one of the top shows streaming on Netflix around the world is and it features my guest Ray Trapani. It tells the story of 3 young hustlers who get caught up in the murky world of crypto investing and ultimately create a criminal enterprise and make millions. There are so many twists and turns, and if it were a fictional...

Most business owners that I know aren't entirely focused on making money or on the financial rewards, but nevertheless, creating economic security for you and your family is a vital part of why you started your business in the first place. So whether you sell your business in the future or simply use it as a vehicle to build your personal wealth, having some deep insight into the world of money and financial success can never be underestimated. So, I couldn't think of anyone better to round...

I was in Cape Town a couple of months ago, speaking at a conference, and I was in the audience to witness one of the best keynote speeches I’ve ever seen, certainly the best keynote on the subject of entrepreneurship. The speaker was Bruce Whitfield, who is a big-name broadcaster in South Africa, hosts his own daily business show and is a writer, journalist, podcaster, and incredible storyteller. During his career, he’s met with, interviewed, and spent time with some of the best business...

In my ‘day job’, when I speak with entrepreneurs and ask them what their single biggest financial concern is once they sold their business and received a capital sum, the answer is often ‘I don't want to lose it  - I don’t want to mess this up!’  So I started this podcast as a resource for founders and business owners - those who’ve taken the leap, created a business and are now in the process of growing it or possibly already sold and exited. Anyone who’s started a business knows how...

Since I began the podcast as a resource for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, I’ve aimed for a blend of real-life conversations with founders and owners as well as practical ideas and insights from the people who can help and support entrepreneurs, such as lawyers, accountants, wealth advisors, and bankers. But my favourite episodes are the entrepreneur stories. The real-life experiences of those who had a spark of an idea and began working on it to create something, to build...

Have you ever had an idea for a business but thought there were too many challenges and barriers to getting started? Whether it's access to funding or more importantly, access to good quality business advice and mentoring, Or maybe you've been in business for a year or two and you’re facing some headwinds- the economy is challenging, getting access to capital is harder than ever, and finding reliable sources of high-quality impartial advice is difficult. Or it could even be that you’re...

Lee Robertson is a serial entrepreneur, having founded no less than 3 companies to date. One didn’t work out and is no longer around; one became a huge success, and he sold it to his colleagues in a management buyout; and the third one is currently thriving and keeping him busy. Lee, who came from humble beginnings and spent his early career in the Royal Navy, entered the financial services industry as a direct salesman in his twenties. In the days before Google, he made cold calls every day...

Gurinder is the founder and CEO of Otto Car, the company that provides cars and finance to most Uber drivers in London. Currently, over 5,000 vehicles on the road are provided through the services of Otto. In the few years since the business was founded and they were operating out of offices in shipping containers in a West London car park, they’ve hit £50 million in annual revenue and are growing faster than ever - and they've done it all without having to give up any equity or selling to...

This episode is a first. After 35 episodes of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast, I thought it was time we explored the dynamics where a husband and wife set up in business and have to manage two different relationships - the business partners working together and the life partners raising a family and having a quality home life away from the business. Richard and Sonia Dixon met when they were young and started working together at a small travel agent in a less salubrious part of...

Roheel Ahmad is the co-founder of Forsythe Barnes, a recruitment company, but not just any recruitment company. The business has been listed on the FT250 Fastest Growing Business list for three years running. In under 8 years, it’s grown from zero to almost £100m in revenue, has a team of 80 and has recently opened an office in New York with plans for LA and Dubai. And they’re just getting started. During the conversation, Roheel shared the 7 key ingredients that make up the secret sauce of...

This is a special episode as it’s the last episode of Season 2 and so we’ve put together a compilation of the greatest hits covering some of the key ideas, insights, and themes that have emerged from the conversations I’ve had so far. This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

You probably know Piers Linney from the TV show Dragon’s Den, where he appeared for two seasons, giving advice and investing his own money in startup companies. Something of a reluctant celebrity, he left the Den and has gone on to start several other businesses in technology, media, and communications, including his latest venture, Implement AI. During our conversation, he explained The importance of storytelling when pitching your business to raise finance, find investors, or just selling...

Bob has enjoyed 100% launch success returning over $1 billion to his investors. He’s founded six companies, sold four and is still running two. He’s grown two startups to $100m and $156m in sales in 5 years and 3 years respectively. During our conversation, Bob explains The vital importance of having a crystal clear vision for your company and what the 11 elements of a successful vision are that comprise what he calls his Vision Pie.The main reasons that startups fail (the most important one...