Episode #254 - I’ve Learnt To Support My Staff, Even If They’re Leaving The Company - with Mike Dunn
Release Date: 06/23/2023
Episode #486 - Balancing Growth, Culture, and Family in ISO Quality Services - with Jennifer Appleton
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent sits down with Jennifer Appleton, the dynamic Director behind ISO Quality Services, a Worcester-based business that's been helping companies achieve ISO certifications for over two decades. Jennifer shares the story of how this family business has scaled from a local consultancy to a global service provider, supporting clients in over 28 countries. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 🔹 The Business Model: ISO Quality Services thrives on a hybrid revenue model combining upfront implementation fees with a recurring client maintenance...
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Episode #485 - Aligning Business With Values, To Create A Winning Marketplace - with Lorraine Allman
ScaleUp Radio
On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Lorraine Allman, a purpose-driven entrepreneur and the founder of Party Without Plastic – a marketplace for sustainable, plastic-free party supplies that launched in spring 2024 and is already on an exciting growth trajectory. Lorraine brings a wealth of experience to the conversation, having built and scaled multiple ventures. In this insightful and honest discussion, she shares the highs and lows of her journey so far, from funding challenges to transitioning from founder-led to team-based operations, all while keeping a firm eye...
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Episode #484 - Building Trust and Clarity in Financial Planning - with Matthew Naylor
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we’re joined by Matthew Naylor, the founder of Whitestone Financial Planning, an independent financial advisory firm that’s built around one core value – personal connection. Matthew shares the fascinating journey of launching his own advisory firm just three years ago, following a career that began not in finance, but in law. After realising his passion for working directly with clients and demystifying the world of finance, Matthew stepped into entrepreneurship – and never looked back. We explore how Whitestone stands apart by prioritising genuine...
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Episode #483 - ScaleUp Presentation - with Tom Hughes from Gemba Docs
ScaleUp Radio
In this ScaleUp Club exclusive Q&A edition of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Tom Hughes, CEO of Gemba Docs, for a practical and eye-opening discussion on Lean Thinking for SMEs. Tom brings decades of experience in operational excellence and process improvement and shares how small businesses can adopt lean principles without over-complicating things. This session breaks down what lean really looks like in a small business context – and it’s not about cutting costs or mimicking manufacturing giants. It’s about reducing struggle, improving value flow, and making work life...
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Episode #482 - Unlocking Business Growth the Human Way - with Bob Hayward
ScaleUp Radio
Welcome to another episode of ScaleUp Radio with me, Granger Forson. You can find me at or on LinkedIn. This time, I had the true pleasure of talking to Bob Hayward, founder of two incredible ventures: Be More Effective and Key Performance Training. Bob’s entrepreneurial journey is not only seasoned with decades of experience but fuelled by a deep commitment to improving the lives of others. His business Be More Effective is a consultancy designed to unlock human potential through the scientific blend of coaching, training and recruitment, all...
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Episode #481 - Utilising AI to Help Beat Workplace Stress - with Moksha Menon
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we dive into the fascinating journey of Moksha Menon, the driving force behind &I Technologies Ltd and its flagship product, Moai – an AI-powered stress management app designed specifically for the workplace. What began as a university project evolved over four years into a proactive SaaS solution aimed at revolutionising how organisations approach employee stress. Moksha shares how her team pivoted from a hardware concept to a software-first strategy, learning key lessons about resilience, product-market fit, and the power of community support along the...
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Episode #480 - Building A Gym Business Where Everyone Finally Feels At Home - with Louise Williams
ScaleUp Radio
I’m Granger Forson and you can find me at or connect with me on LinkedIn. Today on ScaleUp Radio, I’m chatting with Louise Williams, co-owner of Solace Gym in Cheltenham and the warm personality behind the Pink Pear Bear blog. Louise shares her inspiring journey from feeling frustrated by the unrealistic “insta-perfect” images of motherhood to embracing her own ADHD diagnosis and turning her desire to help others into a thriving community-centered gym. She believed wholeheartedly in creating a place where everyone, from teenagers to seniors, could comfortably work out...
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Episode #479 - Creating Authentic Content & Sustainable Growth - with Andrew Kelly
ScaleUp Radio
On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we dive into the story of Andrew Kelly, the founder of Eightyfive90, a dynamic digital content production company specialising in photography, videography, and drone services. Andrew shares how he turned a crisis into an opportunity when the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to re-evaluate his business strategy – a move that led to significant growth. With turnover increasing by 48% in the last year, Eightyfive90 has expanded beyond Northern Ireland to work with clients in Southern Ireland and internationally. Beyond the lens of content creation, Andrew is also...
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Episode #478 - Marketing That Puts Rural Businesses on the Map - with Liz Graney
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Liz Graney, founder of Escape the Village, a marketing business born out of her own career pivot from corporate life. Based in rural Britain, Liz has a passion for helping small, often-overlooked rural businesses overcome unique challenges to thrive in a digital-first world. Founded in October 2023, Escape the Village specialises in marketing support for what Liz describes as “well-kept secrets” – rural businesses that struggle with infrastructure limitations, visibility issues, and digital accessibility. From building websites...
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Episode #477 - Creating Joyful, Sustainable Business for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs - with Nikki Butler
ScaleUp Radio
In this enlightening episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Nikki Butler, the dynamic founder behind The Autistic Joyologist. Nikki shares her powerful journey from corporate burnout to creating a thriving, purposeful business that supports neurodivergent entrepreneurs in finding joy, balance and authenticity. Nikki was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at the age of 36, and what followed was a profound transformation. Through her personal experiences and professional insights, she now empowers others through coaching, mentoring and her innovative RADIATE model – a framework for...
info_outlineToday I had the pleasure to interview Mike Dunn on ScaleUp Radio. Mike founded the Excel TM group and they're a telemarketing company in the construction sector. I love that they have specialised down into a niche and you'll hear some of the ways that that brings them a competitive advantage over general telemarketing companies.
I'd really like you to listen to this episode. Mike's very open and honest about some of the things that didn't go too well as well as some of the things that went well. He's had the situation where they did scale up to 22 people and then they had to drop back and regroup if you like and then and then go again. There's a lot of powerful messages in how he talks about this and definitely worth listening to.
I love his answer to my question around what legacy do you want to leave I think and I recommend you listen out for this.
So some great conversation, quite a lot of it around the people side of things, but listen out for some of the lessons around the cash side of scaling his business and the lessons that he's learned
So I won't spoil it any more, let’s go straight across and listen to Mike for the rest of his story.
Mike can be found here:
linkedin.com/in/mike-dunn-b3033358
07946 767634
https://www.instagram.com/mike.dunn_/
Resources:
Taking Care of Business by Paul Cheetham-Karcz - https://www.waterstones.com/book/taking-care-of-business/paul-cheetham-karcz/9781912587193
Taking Care of Business Podcast - https://www.sedulo.co.uk/podcasts/taking-care-of-business/
Deep Work by Cal Newport - https://www.waterstones.com/book/deep-work/cal-newport/9780349411903
How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people/dale-carnegie/9780091906818
Diary of a CEO - https://stevenbartlett.com/the-diary-of-a-ceo-podcast/
The Secret Leaders Podcast - https://www.secretleaders.com/episodes
Startup Podcast - https://gimletmedia.com/shows/startup
MyCoach - https://mycoachapp.io/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/