Episode #447 - Transforming Leadership and Culture - with Tess Cope
Release Date: 01/20/2025
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we explore the invisible forces that drive team success with Csaba Toth, the founder of ICQ Global. Csaba is an expert in psychological safety, cognitive diversity, and motivational drivers—three key factors that can make or break a scaling business. ICQ Global operates in over 50 countries, with a network of more than 100 licensed partners, and is taught in 60 universities worldwide. The company focuses on measuring and optimising team dynamics to improve collaboration, innovation, and long-term performance. Throughout our conversation, Csaba shares how...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
I am Granger Forson, and you can find me at or connect with me on LinkedIn. In this inspiring episode, I talk with the remarkable trailblazer, Ukponu Ayogu, who is dedicated to uplifting immigrant women and mothers through coaching, mentorship, and technology solutions. We discuss her journey of starting a business born out of personal necessity – transforming her own struggle to find fulfilling work in a new country into a powerful resource for others. You’ll hear how her focus on helping women understand their ‘why’ and monetise their passions has fuelled...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Hi there, and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast brought to you by Smart90 and inspired by the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System. We aim to make navigating our ScaleUp journeys that little bit easier by learning from others' experiences.. I’m Kevin Brent, and in today's episode, I’m joined by Sean Taylor, the founder of Zip World—one of the UK’s most exciting adventure tourism businesses. In this episode, we’ll cover three key areas: Sean’s entrepreneurial journey—how Zip World grew from a single tree-top adventure in 2007 to a multi-site operation...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Hi there, and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast inspired by the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System and designed to make navigating our ScaleUp journeys that little bit easier by learning from others' experiences. I’m Kevin Brent, and in today's episode, I’m joined by Chibuikem Osuchukwu, also known as Chibs, the founder of GuDee—a plant-based protein brand harnessing the power of West African superfoods. Chibs’ journey is a fascinating one. He started his career in aerospace engineering but made the bold move into entrepreneurship, driven by a passion for...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we’re joined by Rhian Caffull, the founder of VegLife, a fast-growing plant-based food brand making waves with its signature plant-based scotch eggs. What started as a small idea has now grown into a business that has sold over 70,000 units, with a strong focus on sustainability, education, and community impact. Rhian’s entrepreneurial journey began unexpectedly when she was made redundant from her job as an expedition leader during the pandemic. She turned this challenge into an opportunity, creating a plant-based alternative to the classic scotch...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we’re joined by Dan Burner, a successful entrepreneur who built and sold a multi-million-pound home care agency, scaling it from a spare bedroom operation to a business with over 1,000 staff and 1,500 clients. Today, Dan is using his experience to coach SMEs on business growth and scaling strategies. Dan shares his hard-earned lessons on what it takes to grow and exit a business successfully, from investing ahead of growth and implementing strong systems to the emotional and strategic challenges of selling a company. Now, as a business coach, he works with a...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we bring you a special session from ScaleUp Club, where we had the privilege of speaking with Ian Morgan, founder of MBS Accountants. Ian shares invaluable financial strategies that can help business owners scale sustainably, improve profitability, and avoid common financial pitfalls. In this conversation, Ian introduces his approach to business growth using the "3 Rs" – Retention, Repeat orders, and Re-engagement – as key drivers of marketing success and cash flow stability. He also dives deep into pricing strategy, warning against the hidden dangers of...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Hi there, I’m Granger Forson, and welcome to another episode of ScaleUp Radio! You can find me at or connect with me on LinkedIn. On today’s episode, I’m speaking with Andrew Hunt, the founder and CEO of Holiday Architects, a travel company that has gone from a bedroom startup to a £9 million turnover business, specializing in long-haul, tailor-made holidays. But this is not just a story of success—it’s a story of resilience, reinvention, and smart scaling. Andrew shares how he built a business where deep customer relationships, an experienced team, and a strategic...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we’re joined by Dan Tennakoon, CEO of RE24, a pioneering enterprise platform that helps large energy users, particularly data centres, manage renewable energy. Dan shares his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of scaling a business in the renewable energy sector, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Key Points: 🔹 How RE24 is revolutionising the renewable energy market with long-term contracts and a customer-first approach 🔹 The biggest challenges Dan faced in scaling RE24, including building credibility, managing cash flow, and navigating...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we sit down with Raluca Epureanu, the founder of Flairmakers—a pioneering talent-on-demand platform designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Raluca shares her inspiring journey from concept to creation, revealing how Flairmakers is revolutionising the freelance talent landscape by integrating skills training directly into their platform. Key Highlights: Innovative Business Model: Flairmakers connects hospitality businesses with freelance talent for short-term assignments, while also providing integrated training to expand the freelance talent...
info_outlineIn this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Tess Cope, the founder of The Transformation Agency, to explore her systemic coaching framework, leadership development strategies, and the scaling journey of her business.
Tess shares her expertise in working with medium to large organisations to enhance leadership team dynamics and organisational culture. She also reveals how her coaching approach, HARNESS, helps leaders identify behavioural patterns and navigate complex transitions. Whether you're scaling a team, hiring new leaders, or trying to maintain your organisational culture through growth, Tess offers invaluable advice for founders and leaders alike.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The HARNESS Framework:
- How unpacking personal and organisational history can lead to sustainable behavioural shifts.
- The importance of addressing root causes, from stakeholder feedback to mapping family patterns.
- Leadership Transition Challenges:
- How to “clean the seat” for new leaders while honouring past contributions.
- Managing allergic reactions to new hires and balancing autonomy with legacy relationships.
- Advice for Founders Scaling Their Business:
- Recruiting for cultural fit, involving your team in hiring, and using competency-based tools.
- Staying consistent in business development efforts, even during tough times.
- Practical tips for managing time and staying intentional about growth.
Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.
For now, continue listening for the full story from Tess.
Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.
If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:
https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin
You can get in touch with Kevin here:
Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!
Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.
More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/
Tess can be found here:
https://thetransformationagency.com/
Resources:
Harness by Tess Cope - https://www.waterstones.com/book/harness/tess-cope/9781784529628
Your Team Is Not The Issue by Tess Cope - https://www.waterstones.com/book/your-team-is-not-the-issue/tess-cope/9781915771230
The New Psychology of Winning by - https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-new-psychology-of-winning/denis-waitley/9781722503611
Otter app - https://otter.ai/