Libsyn Directory

Episode #470 - Growing People, Growing Business, Celebrating 100 Episodes Of ScaleUp Wisdom - with Granger Forson

Release Date: 04/09/2025

Episode #555 - What if your business could scale globally with just 25 people — and no external funding? - with Lilia Stoyanov

ScaleUp Radio

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I’m joined by Lilia Stoyanov, the CEO and cofounder of TFY (Transformify Ltd), a bootstrapped, AI-powered global workforce management platform. TFY enables businesses to hire, onboard and pay contractors in 184+ countries – all from one platform. And it’s not just another HR tool — it’s a human-centred, AI-powered engine that automates compliance and payments, so finance and HR teams can focus on strategic growth. In this episode, we cover: How TFY achieved 90% profit growth in 2024 with zero external investment The three-phase scaling strategy that...

Episode #554 - From Neurosurgeon to $200M Founder

ScaleUp Radio

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson unpack the remarkable ScaleUp journey of Dr. Mark Kotter, a neurosurgeon, stem cell biologist, and founder of Bit Bio, a deep-tech biotech company that’s raised over $200 million and scaled to 200+ people. It’s a story that starts with clinical frustration and leads to a cutting-edge company using AI to literally reprogram cells. But beyond the science lies a business story that any entrepreneur can learn from, full of lessons on leadership, values, team alignment, and the bumpy road of scale. 💡 Episode...

Episode #553 - Flipping The Traditional Agency Model On It’s Head - with Virtyt Pula

ScaleUp Radio

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I’m joined by Virtyt Pula, the founder of TOML, a talent-first creative agency that’s reimagining how creative work gets done. Instead of a traditional in-house model, TOML operates as a global creative collective, blending a tight-knit core team with a flexible international network of creative specialists. Founded in 2015, TOML was built to challenge agency norms, and when the pandemic hit, its remote-first model went from being questioned by clients to becoming its biggest asset. We cover three key areas in this conversation: The Business, how TOML...

Episode #552 - ScaleUp Club Special: Scaling Deep Tech - with Mark Kotter

ScaleUp Radio

In this exclusive ScaleUp Club session, Kevin Brent sits down with Dr Mark Kotter, the visionary neurosurgeon and founder of Bit Bio, a revolutionary deep tech company transforming how we produce human cells at scale. Bit Bio has raised over £250 million, and what started as academic frustration with the limits of regenerative medicine has become a game-changing platform for industrial-scale cell production. But it hasn’t been an easy ride. From a near-collapse caused by co-founder misalignment to pioneering an intensive, values-driven hiring process, Mark shares a raw and honest look at...

Episode #551 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts: The Engineer and The Artist – Balancing Structure with Spirit in Scale-Ups

ScaleUp Radio

This week on ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin and Granger reflect on two standout interviews that bring together the worlds of engineering precision and artistic expression in leadership. On one side, we have Jono Taylor, a grounded product design engineer scaling his service-based business with a flexible freelance model. On the other, Nigel Hughes, a ballet-trained serial entrepreneur helping leaders inspire from within. Despite their wildly different backgrounds, both guests shared strikingly similar insights around resilience, team dynamics, and the importance of values in scaling. 💡 In this...

Episode #550 - From Performer to Purpose-Driven Leader: Vision, Inspiration & Personal Discovery - with Nigel Hughes

ScaleUp Radio

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast brought to you by Smart90, 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 Nigel Hughes, a former professional performer turned leadership advisor and founder of Outstanding Global. Nigel’s journey is anything but ordinary. At just 13 years old, he chose ballet over the Marines — a decision that marked the beginning of a 20-year career on stage...

Episode #549 - Designing Products That Change Lives, Innovation, Resilience and Radical Teamwork - with Jono Taylor

ScaleUp Radio

Hi, I’m Granger Forson find me at or connect on and in this episode of ScaleUp Radio we dive deep into the world of product design engineering with Jono Taylor, founder of Relay Industries. Jono has spent ten years building a business that brings breakthrough physical products to life, helping solve real-world problems in medical, industrial, scientific and connected technology sectors. From life-saving blood pumps and IoT telematics hardware to quantum physics instrumentation, Relay Industries stands out by combining creativity with deep manufacturing...

Episode #548 - You Can't Scale Chaos

ScaleUp Radio

In this punchy ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson take a deep dive into two recent ScaleUp Radio conversations, one with Hamish Yates, founder of Neptune Infrastructure Associates, and the other with Steve Johnson, MD of Scaling Sales. At first glance, managing offshore wind farms and building a sales team might seem worlds apart. But when it comes to scaling, the core principles of focus, systems, and people are universal. 🎯 Key Themes Explored: Niche Down, Scale Up Both Hamish and Steve highlight the importance of narrowing your focus to accelerate growth....

Episode #547 - Scaling Sales: The Right Way, At The Right Time - with Steve Johnson

ScaleUp Radio

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast brought to you by Smart90, 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 Steve Johnson. Steve’s a founder who’s been in the trenches, he grew his SaaS business from £750k to over £5 million ARR in just three years. In this conversation, we break down his proven 3-stage framework for scaling sales the right way, starting with the founder doing...

Episode #546 - From Wind Farms to Wisdom: How Neptune Infrastructure Powers Renewable Success - with Hamish Yates

ScaleUp Radio

Hi, I’m Granger Forson, and you can find me at or on . In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I’m joined by Hamish Yates, founder and CEO of Neptune Infrastructure Associates, a fast-growing advisory firm dedicated to helping asset managers optimise the performance of renewable energy projects across Europe. With experience advising on over £2 billion of projects powering more than two million homes, Hamish brings a rare blend of engineering rigour and entrepreneurial purpose to the clean energy space. We explore how Neptune was built on a...

More Episodes

Hey, I’m Granger Forson – find me at www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn! In this special episode, we’re looking inward on my own business journey, from the days of engineering beer taps to embracing the power of continuous improvement.

I’ll be sharing the highs and lows of ditching the corporate path in favour of scaling up my own adventure. You’ll hear my learning from 100 recoding’s of ScaleUp Radio podcast and growing my own business, and how nurturing a culture of experimentation built a strong foundation for BizSmart Gloucestershire.

Listen in as I reflect on countless interviews with fellow entrepreneurs, each story helping me refine my approach to growth, strategy, and joyful leadership. My experience in Lean and 2 Second Lean shaped a coaching style that focuses on people-first development, from identifying strengths to leading with clarity.

Throughout this conversation, I’ll reveal the five key pillars that every business owner can use to strengthen their own enterprise, covering everything from repeatable processes to forging the right mindset in your team. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn your passion into a sustainable future, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

By the end, you’ll be inspired to keep innovating, keep improving, and keep celebrating every milestone on your way to scaling your own dreams. Let’s keep going and growing together!

To ensure you don’t miss any inspirational future episodes do subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.

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 Granger here:

grangerf@biz-smart.co.uk

Book a call with Granger - 30 minutes value add conversation for Business owners with Staff.
https://api.goexela.com/widget/bookings/catchupgrangerugx7zl

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/

Resources:

All episodes of ScaleUp Radio that Granger talked about can be found here:

https://www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk/scale-up-radio/

Robin Waite - Take Your Shot - https://www.robinwaite.com/books/take-your-shot

2 Second Lean by Paul Akers - https://paulakers.net/books/2-second-lean

The Road Less Stupid - https://keystothevault.com/the-road-less-stupid-advice-from-the-chairman-of-the-board/

No BS Marketing - https://magneticmarketing.com/

Turn This Ship Around - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/turn-the-ship-around-a-true-story-of-building-leaders-by-breaking-the-rules-l-david-marquet/3549368?ean=9780241250945

Extreme Ownership - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/extreme-ownership-how-u-s-navy-seals-lead-and-win-jocko-willink/651009?ean=9781250183866

Start With Why - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/start-with-why-how-great-leaders-inspire-everyone-to-take-action-simon-sinek/239994?ean=9780241958223

The Infinite Game - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-infinite-game-simon-sinek/185827?ean=9780241385630