Episode #635: Can we still trust a CV in the age of AI? - with Lee Nazari
Release Date: 07/29/2026
ScaleUp Radio
What makes a business genuinely valuable? For many founders the answer isn't more customers, more turnover or even more profit. It's creating a business that can thrive without depending on them every single day. In this episode Kevin Brent is joined by entrepreneur, investor and business strategist Jake Young to explore why founder dependency is one of the biggest barriers to sustainable growth and successful exits. Jake shares the frameworks he uses with businesses ranging from ambitious SMEs through to organisations preparing for institutional investment and IPOs. From defining your end...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Making decisions as a founder or leader is rarely about having perfect information. In this episode, Kevin Brent is joined by David Mansfield, strategist, board adviser and researcher into strategic decision making, to explore why so many intelligent leadership teams still make poor strategic choices and what business owners can do to dramatically improve the quality of their decisions. Drawing on doctoral research and decades of board experience, David explains why the process behind a decision matters far more than simply reaching an answer. He shares practical techniques that help leaders...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Growing a business isn't just about strategy, systems or structure. As organisations grow, founders often discover that the biggest obstacle isn't the market. It's themselves. In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Peter Rimmer, founder of Tusk Consulting, to explore why scaling successfully requires founders to evolve alongside their businesses. Peter shares why organisation design should start with people rather than process, how founders can overcome the fear of letting go, and why creating a culture where both hiring and leaving are positive experiences is essential for...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Growing a business beyond founder-led sales is one of the biggest challenges many SMEs face. In this special ScaleUp Club edition of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined once again by returning guest Dhanushka Tennakoon from RE24 for an interactive Q&A session exploring one of the biggest questions facing growing businesses: How do you create a predictable flow of new opportunities instead of relying on referrals and hope? Alongside the discussion, Kevin also shares this month's AI Pulse update, covering one of the most talked about AI stories of recent weeks and what it means for business...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Choose Less. Scale Better. Three founders. Three wake up calls. One lesson every business owner needs to hear. What do an authority strategist, a sales leader and an AI entrepreneur have in common? Far more than you might think. In this special edition of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt reflect on three recent conversations with Erica Holthausen, Gulliver Burns and Lee Nazari. Despite completely different industries and experiences, all three arrived at the same conclusion: sustainable growth doesn't come from doing more. It comes from choosing less, focusing better and...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
What happens when you build multiple multi-million-pound businesses... but almost lose yourself in the process? In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by entrepreneur Gulliver Burns, who has experienced both extraordinary growth and devastating setbacks. From building a call centre with over 200 employees before the age of 25 to creating a multi-million-pound automotive business, Gulliver has learned the hard way that scaling without strong foundations comes at a significant cost. Rather than another success story, this conversation is a refreshing look at how not to scale a...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Artificial Intelligence has made applying for jobs easier than ever. It has also made it much harder for employers to identify the best candidates. In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent speaks with entrepreneur Lee Nazari, founder of Interviewa, a platform using conversational AI and on camera interviews to help recruiters, universities and job seekers cut through the growing noise created by AI generated CVs. Following a life changing personal tragedy, Lee chose to build something with genuine purpose. The result is Interviewa, a business focused on creating fairer, faster and more...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Most business owners know they should be creating content. Yet many find themselves stuck on a relentless treadmill of blogs, social posts and newsletters that consume huge amounts of time without generating meaningful opportunities. In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Erica Holthausen, founder of Catchline Communications, to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in modern marketing: that more content equals more business. Erica argues that authority doesn't come from publishing more. It comes from having a clear point of view, writing with conviction and building a...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
What do artificial intelligence and cost optimisation have in common? At first glance, not much. But when Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt compare two recent ScaleUp Radio interviews, a clear theme emerges. Whether you're using AI to remove administration or reviewing supplier contracts to eliminate unnecessary costs, the goal is exactly the same: Freeing founders to spend more time doing what only they can do. In this ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin and Louise explore the practical lessons from conversations with Julie Begbie, founder of the AI Confidence Club, and Ryan Olson from ERA Group,...
info_outlineScaleUp Radio
Can AI actually make your business happier? Many business owners hear about AI and immediately think about efficiency, automation or replacing people. Julie Begbie takes a very different view. Her philosophy is simple. AI should remove the work you don't enjoy so you can spend more time doing the work that gives you energy. That creates a happier founder, a better customer experience and ultimately a stronger business. In this episode Julie shares practical ways any SME owner can start using AI without becoming a technology expert, whilst also explaining how to build systems that genuinely...
info_outlineArtificial Intelligence has made applying for jobs easier than ever. It has also made it much harder for employers to identify the best candidates.
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent speaks with entrepreneur Lee Nazari, founder of Interviewa, a platform using conversational AI and on camera interviews to help recruiters, universities and job seekers cut through the growing noise created by AI generated CVs.
Following a life changing personal tragedy, Lee chose to build something with genuine purpose. The result is Interviewa, a business focused on creating fairer, faster and more authentic recruitment and admissions processes while helping candidates prepare for interviews with confidence.
One standout message from this conversation is:
"The CV is becoming less valuable. The conversation is becoming more valuable."
Lee explains why businesses need to rethink how they assess talent and why execution, partnerships and data are becoming the real competitive advantages in an AI powered world.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why AI generated CVs are creating huge challenges for recruiters
- How Interviewa uses conversational AI to screen every candidate through video interviews
- The importance of follow up questions and authentic conversations
- How anti cheat technology helps maintain interview integrity
- Why transparency builds trust when candidates know they are speaking with AI
- How universities are using Interviewa to improve admissions and student employability
- The new AI Job Consultant helping people identify career opportunities they may never have considered
- How one recruitment agency achieved a 25 times return on investment using Interviewa
- Why execution is now a stronger competitive advantage than simply having a good idea
- Building defensibility through partnerships, proprietary data and compliance
- Lessons in leadership, delegation and trusting great people
- Why every business owner now needs AI literacy
About Lee Nazari
Lee Nazari is the Founder of Interviewa, an AI powered interview platform transforming recruitment, university admissions and interview preparation.
Interviewa combines conversational AI, intelligent screening and personalised interview summaries to help organisations make better hiring decisions while giving candidates a fairer opportunity to demonstrate their potential.
The one key thing
The businesses that win with AI will not simply automate existing processes. They will redesign them around better conversations, faster decisions and stronger human outcomes.
Smart90
Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck. Plenty is happening but it is not always clear what genuinely matters most this quarter.
If that sounds familiar, the G90 Summit is worth a look.
It is a structured half day virtual workshop where we work through everything competing for your attention, identify the three to five priorities that will have the biggest impact over the next 90 days, then build the system to make sure they actually happen.
Quarterly, virtual and just £97 per seat.
Find out more at Smart90.co.uk/summit.
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:
Lee can be found here: