ScaleUp Radio

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 apply to be a guest, just click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/apply Kevin's New Book Is Now 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/

Episode #600 - ScaleUp Shorts - Stop explaining. Start solving! 05/01/2026

Episode #600 - ScaleUp Shorts - Stop explaining. Start solving! This episode is created with the use of AI In this ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt unpack two recent interviews with very different leaders operating in very different sectors, yet facing strikingly similar scaling challenges. On one side, Paul Patras, a deep-tech founder translating complex AI into commercial value. On the other, Greg Baldwin, scaling a fast-growing operational business through practical, data-led leadership. This episode focuses on the practical shifts in thinking, communication, and leadership that enable businesses to move from complexity and instinct to clarity and scalable performance. 💡 The One Key Thing The one key thing is this: if your message is not clear and your decisions are not grounded in data, growth will stall no matter how strong your product or service is. ⭐ Standout Message “You have to stop selling vitamins and start solving painkillers.” 🔍 Key Insights & Practical Guidance 1. Speak the Language of the Customer One of the biggest barriers to growth is not capability, it is communication. Paul Patras had to shift from academic, technical explanations to clear, commercially relevant messaging. Customers do not buy complexity They buy solutions to painful problems Your value must be immediately understood 👉 Practical application: Review your messaging. Are you explaining features or solving urgent problems? 2. Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution A critical mindset shift for scaleup leaders: Stop leading with what your product does Start with the customer’s biggest pain point Align everything to that outcome 👉 This is the difference between interest and revenue. 3. Move from Gut Feel to Data-Led Decisions Greg Baldwin’s growth journey highlights a common scaling challenge, relying on instinct for too long. Early-stage businesses can operate on intuition Scaling businesses require measurable insights Data does not need to be complex to be valuable 👉 Start simple. Even manual tracking creates clarity and better decisions. 4. Build Before You Automate A powerful operational lesson: Do not wait for perfect systems Create manual processes first Learn what matters Then automate 👉 Progress beats perfection every time. 5. Leadership Evolution is Non-Negotiable Both leaders had to fundamentally change how they lead: From reactive to considered From individual contributor to strategic leader From doing to enabling 👉 Growth demands a different version of you as a leader. 6. Resilience is a Leadership Responsibility Scaling a business brings external and internal pressures: Funding challenges Personal setbacks Market uncertainty Greg Baldwin’s experience highlights that leadership resilience directly impacts team resilience. 👉 Your energy, mindset, and wellbeing set the tone for the business. 7. Cash Flow and Adaptability are Critical Paul Patras’ experience navigating funding challenges reinforces: Cash flow is always a priority Funding environments change quickly Leaders must adapt funding strategies 👉 Diversification and creativity in funding can be the difference between survival and growth. 8. Culture is Built Early and Protected Intentionally Both businesses emphasised culture, but in different ways: Greg focused on maintaining values during rapid growth Paul focused on embedding values early in a small team 👉 Culture does not scale by accident. It requires clarity and consistency. 📈 Practical Takeaways for ScaleUp Leaders Simplify your message to focus on customer pain points Start measuring key metrics, even manually Build systems after understanding the process Invest in your own resilience and performance Be intentional about culture from day one 📢 About Smart90 Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter. If that's you, the G90 Summit is worth a look. A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days Then commit to them; and build the system to make sure they actually happen. Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat. Smart90.co.uk/summit. /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/41073300

Episode #599 - 5 Years On: What Happens When You Choose Control Over Chaos? - with Greg Baldwin 04/29/2026

Episode #599 - 5 Years On: What Happens When You Choose Control Over Chaos? - with Greg Baldwin 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 Greg Baldwin, Managing Director of Highway Traffic Management. Now this is a special one; because we’re revisiting Greg’s journey five years on to see what’s actually happened since our last conversation. And it’s a fascinating look at what real scaling looks like in practice. From rapid 65% growth to deliberately slowing things down, Greg shares why choosing control over speed has been critical to building a stronger, more sustainable business. One standout message really hit home for me: “We realised growth was putting too much pressure on the business and the people; so we chose control over speed.” We also talk about leadership through personal loss, how to protect culture as you scale, and why starting simple with data beats jumping straight into technology. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk. Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Greg. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Greg can be found here: Resources: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40987885

Episode #598 - ScaleUp Club - AI Agents, Anti-Fragile Teams & Hiring for Outcomes - with Rafmary Baker 04/27/2026

Episode #598 - ScaleUp Club - AI Agents, Anti-Fragile Teams & Hiring for Outcomes - with Rafmary Baker 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 returning guest Rafmary for a live Q&A session recorded at our ScaleUp Club. This episode is structured a little differently and brings together three key elements. First, our latest AI Pulse update, where we explore how tools like Claude Co-Work are moving AI beyond content into real workflow automation. Second, a look at this month’s ScaleUp theme around building teams for outcomes, not roles. And third, a live Q&A with Rafmary, sharing practical insights and answering real scaling challenges from the room. One standout message really captures the discussion — most businesses don’t struggle because of lack of effort, but because the founder becomes the bottleneck. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with our ScaleUp Club panel. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Rafmary can be found here: /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40973045

Episode #597 - Net AI – From Academic Breakthrough to Commercial ScaleUp - with Paul Patras 04/20/2026

Episode #597 - Net AI – From Academic Breakthrough to Commercial ScaleUp - with Paul Patras In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Paul Patras, co-founder of Net AI, a University of Edinburgh spin-out transforming how telecom networks manage energy and capacity. What started as deep academic research has evolved into a commercial AI engine helping telecom providers reduce energy costs by up to 35% - potentially saving tens of millions annually - without compromising service quality. This is a fascinating conversation about the realities of moving from research to revenue, the mindset shift required, and the challenges of scaling a highly technical innovation into a viable business. One of the standout insights from this conversation is this: the shift from something interesting to something essential is what makes a business scalable. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Paul. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Paul can be found here: /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40897610

Episode #596 - ScaleUp Short - Why Your Leadership, Not Your Strategy, Is Holding You Back 04/17/2026

Episode #596 - ScaleUp Short - Why Your Leadership, Not Your Strategy, Is Holding You Back This episode is AI generated In this ScaleUp Radio Shorts edition, Kevin and Louise revisit two powerful conversations exploring one of the biggest constraints in scaling a business: people. Drawing insights from Mike Moorhouse and Anita Čavrag, this episode unpacks how leadership, culture, and self-awareness shape your ability to grow beyond the founder-led phase. This episode was produced with the aid of AI to help bring together key insights and actionable takeaways. 🔍 What You’ll Learn 1. Why People Are the Real Bottleneck Both guests highlight that while strategy and finance can be structured, execution depends entirely on people. Mike focuses on aligning business strategy with human capability Anita focuses on eliminating disengagement and building thriving cultures 2. The Trap of the “Hero Founder” Early-stage hustle doesn’t scale. Founders often stay stuck in control mode Micromanagement and fear of failure limit growth What got you here will not get you to the next stage Standout insight: 👉 “Your job isn’t to be right. Your job is to move people.” 3. Leadership vs Management You can manage processes and tools You must lead people through inspiration and trust Traditional hierarchies often create dependency and disengagement. Modern teams need autonomy and ownership. 4. Building Psychological Safety If you suddenly ask your team for ideas and get silence, that’s normal. People are conditioned not to challenge authority. To unlock contribution: Invite disagreement explicitly Ask your team to challenge your thinking Create structured ways to critique ideas 5. Practical Tools to Unlock Better Thinking “Kill the company” exercise to stress-test strategy Encourage teams to think like competitors Use frameworks and checklists to avoid emotional decision-making 6. The Role of Ego in Scaling Ego blocks learning and adaptability. Great leaders: Admit when they are wrong Change direction quickly Focus on outcomes, not being right 7. Self-Awareness is the Foundation If performance or culture is off, look in the mirror first. Leadership is a learnable skill, not an innate trait. 8. AI vs Human Thinking A powerful contrast: Mike warns against outsourcing thinking to AI Anita leans into human connection and simplicity The risk: 👉 Losing “organisational knowledge” and becoming indistinguishable from competitors 💡 The One Key Thing Scaling your business means scaling your leadership capacity first. 🔥 Key Takeaway Quote “Your job isn’t to be right. Your job is to move people.” 📌 About Smart90 If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. 👉 Try it free at Smart90.co.uk /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40897025

Episode #595: Stop being the problem solver, and become the person who BUILDS problem solvers - with Michael Moorhouse 04/15/2026

Episode #595: Stop being the problem solver, and become the person who BUILDS problem solvers - with Michael Moorhouse 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 Michael Moorhouse, a leadership expert and advisor who works with scaleup businesses to align their strategy, systems, and people for high performance. In this episode, Michael shares practical frameworks to help you break through one of the biggest scaling barriers — founder dependency. We explore how to move from building a team of helpers to developing real leaders, how to make better decisions under pressure using simple but powerful frameworks, and why over-reliance on AI could actually be weakening your competitive edge. One standout insight from the conversation is this: your job as a leader isn’t to be right — it’s to move people. That shift alone can completely change how your business grows. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Michael. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Michael can be found here: Resources: The Expectation Effect by David Robson - Simply Put by Ben Guttmann - Tools from Michael: Critical Thinking & Decision-Making Tool This tool provides a simple, practical way to improve decision quality by bringing structure to how you think. It helps clarify what decision is actually being made, separates facts from assumptions, and walks through options and tradeoffs so you can move forward with greater clarity and intention. To request the tool, visit the website contact form and enter “Tools” in the subject line. Operating Conditions Tool This tool helps identify the underlying conditions influencing performance, including cognitive load, clarity, environment, and stress. It surfaces where friction is present and where conditions are either supporting or undermining effective execution, so you can make targeted adjustments that actually improve how work gets done. To request the tools, visit the website contact form () and enter “Tools” in the message body. Note: We will send them the tools, but they will not be added to any marketing lists. When we send the email out, within the body of the email there will be an option to subscribe, but that will be their choice. /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40790870

Episode #594 - Burnout doesn’t stay at the top, it cascades through the organisation - with Anita Cavrag 04/13/2026

Episode #594 - Burnout doesn’t stay at the top, it cascades through the organisation - with Anita Cavrag 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 Anita Čavrag, a leadership expert who specialises in helping founders overcome burnout and build high-performing, engaged teams. In this episode, Anita shares practical frameworks to help you make the critical shift from operator to leader — and why failing to do so is one of the biggest hidden barriers to scaling a business. We also explore how burnout at the top impacts the entire organisation, and what you can do to create psychological safety so your team can truly perform. One standout insight from the conversation is this: leadership isn’t about doing more — it’s about becoming someone your business no longer depends on. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Anita. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Anita can be found here: Downloadable Resource - Resources: The Inventing Organisations by Frederic Lalouix - https://www.reinventingorganizations.com/- /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40784655

Episode #593: ScaleUp Short - From Overwhelm to Focus: How to Scale Without Breaking 04/10/2026

Episode #593: ScaleUp Short - From Overwhelm to Focus: How to Scale Without Breaking What’s really stopping your business from scaling; poor decisions or poor execution? In this ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin and Louise distil expert insights from two leading advisors working at the heart of scaleup challenges. Drawing on conversations with Lis Hubert and Diane Mentzer, this episode brings together practical frameworks to help founders cut through overwhelm, make better decisions, and build the operational capability required to execute effectively. This episode is produced with the aid of AI to help surface the most valuable insights and make them easier to apply. 💡 Practical Insights for ScaleUp Leaders 1. Busyness Is a Decision Problem Feeling constantly busy is often a symptom of unclear priorities. Lis Hubert highlights that overwhelm comes from failing to decide: What matters most What gets deprioritised Framework: “Now, Next, Later” Evaluate initiatives based on: Business impact Customer impact Available resources This creates clarity and removes emotional bias from decision-making. 2. Stop Doing Everything; Start Making Trade-Offs Scaling requires saying no. A key discipline for founders is moving ideas into the “Later” category with confidence; without guilt or second-guessing. Practical tip: Set milestones early to avoid the sunk cost trap. If something isn’t working, stop. 3. Execution Breaks When Operations Lag Behind Growth Diane Mentzer’s race car analogy is clear: A powerful engine with weak tyres will crash. In business terms: Sales and marketing = engine Operations = tyres If your delivery can’t keep up with growth, scaling will fail. 4. You Don’t Need More Ideas; You Need Better Alignment Many founders operate as “idea generators”, constantly introducing new initiatives. The challenge isn’t creativity; it’s execution. Solution: Build operational leadership (COO / integrator role) Create structure and follow-through Align vision with delivery 5. The CEO–COO Relationship Is a Scaling Multiplier Misalignment between leadership roles creates friction, confusion, and cost. Key principles: CEOs focus on vision and direction COOs focus on execution and delivery Practical communication framework: Start with the outcome Summarise key points Provide detail only when needed 6. Miscommunication Is Costing You More Than You Think Leadership misalignment isn’t just frustrating; it’s expensive. Poor communication can result in: Lost productivity Rework Delayed decisions In some cases, this equates to weeks of lost payroll each year. 7. Delegation Requires Letting Go Properly Delegation fails when responsibility is handed over without authority. A powerful framework discussed: Write down your fears. Then share them with your leadership team. This creates: Clear expectations Defined boundaries True ownership 🎯 Standout Message Scaling isn’t about doing more; it’s about deciding better and executing through others. 🎯 The One Key Thing If you don’t choose what to stop, your business will choose for you; through overwhelm. ⚡ Smart90 If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk NOTE: This episode is AI generated /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40782660

Episode #592 - Intentional Decision-Making for Smarter Growth - with Lis Hubert 04/08/2026

Episode #592 - Intentional Decision-Making for Smarter Growth - with Lis Hubert 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 Lis Hubert, founder of CX by Design, who helps leaders make smarter, more intentional decisions using customer evidence. Now, if you’ve ever felt like you and your team are incredibly busy but not actually moving forward, this episode is going to hit home. Lis shares how that busyness is often a symptom of decisions not being made, and how introducing customer insight into the process can completely change the outcome. We break the conversation into three parts. First, we explore Lis’s business, her model, and where she is on her scaleup journey. Second, we dive into the real challenges of scaling and her perspective on decision-making, including her thoughts on the ScaleUp Challenges Report. And third, we wrap up with some quickfire questions. One standout message from this episode is this: busyness is often just a sign that we haven’t made the hard decisions yet. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Lis. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Lis can be found here: Resources: Now-Next-Later Framework - Will It Make The Boat Go Faster? by Ben Hunt-Davis - The Prediction Machine by A. Agrawal - The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene - Claude - Google Gemini - ChatGPT - Fathom Notetaker - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40708160

Episode #591: Mastering the CEO–COO Dynamic - with Diane Mentzer 04/06/2026

Episode #591: Mastering the CEO–COO Dynamic - with Diane Mentzer 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 Diane Mentzer, an expert in the CEO–COO dynamic and how leadership teams can unlock the next stage of growth. If you’ve ever felt like your business has hit a ceiling; where growth slows, complexity increases, and everything still seems to depend on you; then this episode is for you. Diane shares practical insights on when to bring in a COO, how to make that relationship work, and why letting go of execution is often the key to unlocking scale. One of the standout ideas from this conversation is simple but powerful: hiring a COO without truly empowering them isn’t delegation; it’s just expensive frustration. Diane has provided a toolkit for managing the COO-CEO relationship – you can download it using the link in the shownotes If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. You can also nominate a guest for ScaleUp Radio if you know someone with an interesting ScaleUp story – you can find how in the shownotes. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Diane. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Diane can be found here: Toolkit - Resources: Just Listen by Mark Goulston - Own The Room by Jake Stahl - 90.IO - Rocket Fuel app - Mem.ai - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40696500

Episode #590 - ScaleUp Radio Short - Quarter 1 2026 Review Special 04/01/2026

Episode #590 - ScaleUp Radio Short - Quarter 1 2026 Review Special What can we learn from our latest 90 days of ScaleUp journeys? In this special ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt step back and reflect on the standout lessons from an incredible line-up of founders, CEOs, and investors interviewed in Q1 2026. From simplifying strategy to navigating resilience, embracing AI disruption, and building high-performing teams, this episode distils three months of conversations into a powerful, practical masterclass for scaling businesses. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure what to prioritise next, this episode will help you refocus on what actually drives growth. 🔑 Key Themes & Insights 1. Simplicity Scales. Complexity Kills Progress. A recurring theme across multiple guests was the danger of overcomplicating business. Doing more does not equal progress Clarity beats activity 90-day planning creates focus and momentum As highlighted in the discussion, many founders confuse busyness with effectiveness. The real shift comes from simplifying strategy and focusing on what truly moves the needle. 2. The Execution Gap: Why Most Plans Stall Even with the right strategy, execution often fails. Key blockers: Procrastination Information overload Lack of clarity on outcomes A simple but powerful approach emerged: Define what success looks like (personally and in business) Take one meaningful action immediately 3. Resilience is Non-Negotiable The reality of scaling is far tougher than most expect. Standout lessons: Persistence in B2B sales can take months or even years Setbacks are inevitable The ability to keep going is a competitive advantage From extreme operational challenges to relentless sales cycles, resilience repeatedly showed up as a defining trait of successful founders. 4. People Drive Performance (But Are Often Ignored) Despite being critical to growth, people metrics are rarely tracked. Insights: Culture and engagement directly impact profitability Scaling requires intentional team design Hiring vs outsourcing is a key strategic decision Businesses that align people, purpose, and profit outperform those that don’t. 5. Technology is Reshaping Entire Industries Several guests highlighted how digital transformation and AI are disrupting traditional models. Key takeaways: Markets with friction create opportunity AI is changing how customers find and choose businesses “Information gain” is now critical for visibility If your business isn’t evolving with technology, it risks becoming invisible. 6. Know Your Edge or Get Lost in the Noise A strong, defensible position in the market is essential. A weak or unclear USP is a major growth blocker Deep customer understanding beats broad targeting Predictability and cash flow matter to investors 💡 Standout Message “If you aren’t saying something genuinely new, you’re invisible.” 🎯 The One Key Thing The one key thing is this: scaling successfully isn’t about doing more; it’s about focusing on fewer things that truly matter and executing them consistently. 🔄 Why This Episode Matters This Q1 review is more than a recap. It’s a blueprint. It brings together: Strategy clarity Execution discipline Founder mindset Real-world scaling lessons If you recognise any of these challenges in your own business, this is your signal to pause, simplify, and refocus. 📣 Explore More If any of these stories resonate, go back and listen to the full interviews on ScaleUp Radio. ⚙️ Smart90 If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. 👉 Try it free at Smart90.co.uk 🎧 Listen & Subscribe Make sure you don’t miss future episodes of ScaleUp Radio by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40679970

Episode #589 - Eat What You Love, Do What You Love, And Make It Sustainable - with Hannah Lanel 03/25/2026

Episode #589 - Eat What You Love, Do What You Love, And Make It Sustainable - with Hannah Lanel 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 Hannah Lanel, founder of The Fore; a business on a mission to disrupt the diet and fitness industry by focusing on long-term, sustainable wellbeing rather than quick fixes. In this conversation, we explore three key areas. First, Hannah shares how The Fore works as a holistic wellness platform and how the business model is evolving as it scales. Second, we dig into the real challenges of scaling up; from surviving co-founder exits to navigating controversial decisions during lockdown. And third, we finish with some quickfire questions to uncover Hannah’s personal insights on leadership and growth. One standout message from this episode is simple but powerful: “Eat what you love, do what you love; and make it sustainable.” If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts; and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Hannah. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Hannah can be found here: Resources: Simon Sinek - Building A Story Brand by Donald Miller - The One Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib - How I Built This podcast - IdeasFest - Quickbooks - Canva - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40543240

Episode #588 - ScaleUp Club - Focus, AI Multipliers and The Checklist Advantage with Victor Carpio 03/23/2026

Episode #588 - ScaleUp Club - Focus, AI Multipliers and The Checklist Advantage with Victor Carpio 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 we are doing something slightly different. This episode was recorded live during one of our ScaleUp Club sessions, where we bring together founders and leadership teams to explore the real challenges of scaling a business. The session included our regular AI Pulse update, a live Q&A discussion, and a returning guest to the podcast, Victor Carpio, founder of Inventor SmartCare and creator of the Dental Wand. Victor shared how a sudden 10x surge in demand after appearing on Dragon’s Den forced the business to rethink its operational foundations, and how they are now expanding across Europe with a far more focused strategy. One standout message from the conversation was this: Focus is the ultimate scaling tool. Victor talked about filtering every opportunity and partnership against clear strategic priorities so the business avoids distraction while scaling. You will also hear how AI is acting as a human multiplier for small teams, including a system producing content for eleven channels in just two hours per week. And our ScaleUp Club theme this month is The Checklist Advantage; how simple checklists can free up leadership bandwidth for higher value work. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk. Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Victor. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Victor can be found here: /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40541970

Episode #587 - ScaleUp Shorts - Scaling isn't about choosing between numbers or people 03/20/2026

Episode #587 - ScaleUp Shorts - Scaling isn't about choosing between numbers or people In this episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt dive into two seemingly contrasting, but ultimately aligned, scaling philosophies from recent guests Jeremy Middleton and John Hibbs. On the surface, one is a data-driven investor focused on predictable growth and cash flow. The other is a people-first founder measuring culture, wellbeing, and connection. But the real insight? 👉 You cannot scale what you do not measure. This episode unpacks why both financial discipline and people metrics are essential if you want to build a resilient, scalable business. What You’ll Learn 📈 Predictability Drives Scalable Growth Proven business models beat risky innovation when scaling Repeatability is the foundation of sustainable expansion You don’t need to win everyone, just your target market 💰 Cash Flow is King (and Needs Managing Properly) Many founders underestimate the importance of a Finance Director Revenue alone is meaningless without clear financial visibility Poor data leads to poor decisions, and often hidden losses 👥 People Metrics Are the Missing KPI Only 4% of businesses track people-related metrics in their top KPIs Culture, engagement, and psychological safety are leading indicators Disengaged teams cost far more than most realise 🔁 Alignment is the Real Growth Lever Successful businesses align founders, teams, and investors Motivation, retention, and shared purpose drive long-term success Both guests highlight that people, not product, are the differentiator Standout Moment “You cannot scale what you do not measure.” The One Key Thing… 👉 The one key thing is this: scaling successfully requires balancing financial discipline with people insight, ignore either, and growth will eventually stall. Why This Matters for ScaleUps Too many businesses lean too far in one direction: All numbers, no culture → burnout and churn All culture, no numbers → no profit and no sustainability The real opportunity lies in integrating both. Referenced Guests & Episodes Jeremy Middleton – Investor and Co-founder of HomeServe John Hibbs – CEO & Co-founder of Coefficient (Be sure to listen to their full episodes for deeper insights.) About Smart90 If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. 👉 Try it free at Smart90.co.uk /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40544365

Episode #586 - From University Dismissal To A Realisation That You Need To Measure What Matters For Success 03/18/2026

Episode #586 - From University Dismissal To A Realisation That You Need To Measure What Matters For Success 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 John Hibbs, founder of Coefficient, a platform designed to help leaders measure the human side of their business — things like culture, psychological safety and engagement. In this conversation John explains why so many businesses track revenue and profit but struggle to measure the people factors that actually drive those results. Through anonymous staff surveys and intelligent analysis, Coefficient helps leaders surface the data behind culture so they can act on it. Our discussion follows the usual ScaleUp Radio structure. First we explore John’s business, his model and where Coefficient is on its scaleup journey. Second we dive into the challenges of scaling businesses and John’s perspective on the ScaleUp Challenges Report. And third we finish with a few quickfire questions. One standout message from this episode is simple but powerful: ““If you believe people are the biggest challenge in business, then measuring people should be a leadership priority.” John also shares his philosophy of “The Monergy Flow” — where profit is reinvested into people, creating a positive cycle of happier staff, families and communities. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with John. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - John can be found here: Resources: Article on Monergy Flow - American Icon by Bryce Mulally - Start With Why by Simon Sinek - Briskine (Chrome plugin) - Thunderbird - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40424605

Episode #585 - From Near Failure to FTSE 100: The Power of Predictable Revenue - with Jeremy Middleton 03/16/2026

Episode #585 - From Near Failure to FTSE 100: The Power of Predictable Revenue - with Jeremy Middleton In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Jeremy Middleton. Jeremy is best known as one of the early backers of HomeServe, a business that grew from a struggling plumbing service into a FTSE-100 company before its eventual acquisition. Today he leads Middleton Enterprises, investing in profitable founder-led businesses and helping them scale from around £500k profit to £5m and beyond. This episode explores the real lessons behind scaling successfully: pivoting business models, building predictable revenue, hiring the right people and making smart funding decisions. As always, our discussion breaks down into three parts. First, we explore Jeremy’s journey with HomeServe and the lessons from building and scaling the business. Second, we dig into the real challenges founders face when scaling including hiring the right people, building predictable revenue and why one of the most important early hires is a strong Finance Director. And third, we finish with some quickfire questions to wrap things up. One standout message from the discussion is this: a small share of a big business is far better than a big share of a small one. If you’re tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, Smart90 might be for you. It’s a simple 90-day execution rhythm with an AI alignment check that keeps your daily focus tied to what actually matters. Try it free at Smart90.co.uk. Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Jeremy. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Jeremy can be found here: Resources: What’s Your Dream by Simon Squibb - Be Useful: 7 Rules For Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40412370

Episode #584 - ScaleUp Radio Short - Strategy Over Hope: What Three Founders Teach Us About Scaling Smarter 03/13/2026

Episode #584 - ScaleUp Radio Short - Strategy Over Hope: What Three Founders Teach Us About Scaling Smarter In this special ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt distil some of the most powerful insights from three recent interviews with founders working at the cutting edge of marketing, AI, and business growth. Featuring lessons from Andreas Voniatis, Benjie Hughes, and Serge Nguele, the discussion explores what really drives successful scaleups and where many businesses go wrong when trying to grow. While each founder operates in a different space, a common theme runs through all three conversations: clarity of strategy beats blind activity every time. From diagnosing marketing problems properly, to understanding the future of AI search, to building systems that allow founders to step back from the day-to-day, this episode is packed with practical insights for anyone navigating the scaleup journey. This episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts is produced with the aid of AI to help capture and share the key insights from our founder conversations. In this episode we explore 1. Why marketing without strategy wastes money Serge Nguele, founder of Your PPC Doctor, brings a medical mindset to digital marketing. His core philosophy is simple but powerful: “We can't prescribe what we didn’t diagnose.” Too many businesses assume the answer to poor results is simply spending more on advertising. But without diagnosing the underlying strategy, messaging, and positioning, more budget just amplifies the problem. Serge focuses first on understanding the full marketing picture before recommending any spend. 2. The power of a clear and focused message Benjie Hughes, founder of Hopeless Marketing, believes many businesses fail to scale because they try to say too many things at once. He describes the difference as being: “An ice pick versus a snowshoe.” The ice pick breaks through the noise with a sharp message about one thing that matters. The snowshoe spreads the message across too many ideas and fails to create traction. For scaleups especially, clarity becomes essential because the founder can no longer be the only person explaining the business. The team needs a simple, repeatable story. 3. Why AI search will change how customers find you Andreas Voniatis, founder of Artios, has been building machine learning models since before the recent AI boom. His view is that traditional SEO is rapidly changing. Instead of competing for the classic “ten blue links”, businesses now need to create content with genuine “information gain”. In other words, AI systems reward insights that bring new thinking or original data, not recycled content. As Andreas puts it, asking AI to generate content that another AI will rank is like asking it to “drink its own sweat.” Businesses that win in this new world will be those producing genuine insights. 4. The personal realities of the founder journey Beyond the tactics and technology, the episode also explores the personal challenges founders face. Serge shared how trying to wear every hat in the business pushed him close to burnout. His recovery involved asking for help, building healthier routines, and embracing a mindset he calls the Three Nos: No excuses No complaint No self-pity It’s a reminder that founder wellbeing and business performance are closely linked. 5. Building a business that can scale beyond the founder Benjie also shared a powerful lesson from a previous business he scaled to 250 events per year. His approach centred on what he calls the Trifecta of Scalability: Teachable Valuable Repeatable By systemising how the business delivered value, he was able to empower others to deliver the experience while stepping away from daily operations. This is the classic shift many founders must make: from doing the work to building the system that does the work. Key takeaway The one key thing: Scaling a business requires clarity. Whether it’s marketing strategy, your core message, or the systems behind delivery, growth happens when founders move from activity to intentional design. Standout quote “We can't prescribe what we didn’t diagnose.” Smart90 Lite – Help Us Test It Quick heads-up — we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can request access by emailing: Listen to ScaleUp Radio If these insights resonate, make sure you check out the full interviews with Andreas Voniatis, Benjie Hughes and Serge Nguele. And don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also nominate a guest if you know someone with a great scaleup story. /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40412455

Episode #583 - Digital Diagnosis Before Ad Spend – with Serge Nguele 03/11/2026

Episode #583 - Digital Diagnosis Before Ad Spend – with Serge Nguele What happens when a former medical student applies diagnostic thinking to marketing? In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Serge Nguile, founder of Your PPC Doctor, a PPC and digital strategy agency built around one powerful idea: diagnose before you prescribe. Serge shares his fascinating journey from medical studies in Ukraine to becoming a PPC Director, and ultimately launching his own agency after redundancy. He also opens up about founder burnout, mindset shifts, and why purpose now sits at the heart of his business model. As always, our discussion is structured in three parts. First, we unpack the business, the model and where it sits on its ScaleUp journey. Second, we explore Serge’s views on the challenges of scaling, including his own experience of burnout. And third, we close with some quickfire questions. Quick heads-up — we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s designed to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It’s free during testing and your feedback will shape the final version. Just email kevin@biz-smart.co.uk to get access. Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Serge. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Serge can be found here: Resources: Search Engine Journal - Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty - Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - ChatGPT - Google Gemini - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40339060

Episode #582 - AI Search Is Rewriting the Rules. Are You Still Playing the Old Game? - with Andreas Voniatis 03/09/2026

Episode #582 - AI Search Is Rewriting the Rules. Are You Still Playing the Old Game? - with Andreas Voniatis In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent sits down with Andreas Voniatis, founder of Artios.io, to explore what might be the biggest shift in search since Google began. Traditional SEO as we know it is fading. AI search is changing how content is discovered, prioritised, and rewarded. And Andreas saw it coming early. In fact, Artios built its own Large Language Model back in 2019; years before ChatGPT entered the mainstream. This conversation dives into: Why traditional SEO is becoming a back-office function Why most AI content strategies are fundamentally flawed What “information gain” really means; and why it’s now critical How Andreas bootstrapped deep-tech R&D without external investors The founder mindset shifts that helped him scale without burning out As always, we break the discussion into three parts. First, the business, the model and where Artios.io is on its ScaleUp journey. Second, Andreas’ views on scaling challenges and the future of AI search. And third, a few quickfire questions to close. Quick heads-up; we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s designed to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will shape the final version. Just email to get access. Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Andreas. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Andreas can be found here: Resources: The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40326885

Episode #581 - ScaleUp Club: Take Control of Your Week - with Ryan Slaney 03/04/2026

Episode #581 - ScaleUp Club: Take Control of Your Week - with Ryan Slaney This ScaleUp Radio episode is a ScaleUp Club special — recorded live in February — and it’s packed with practical ideas you can apply immediately. Kevin Brent opens with the month’s theme: gaining control of your week, moving away from reactive firefighting and towards deliberate, high-value leadership time. You’ll hear a simple framework to help you protect the work that really moves the business forward, rather than letting your diary become “a democracy”. Then we switch gears into a short AI Pulse update from Paul Rhodes, founder of Green Gorilla Software, who shares a genuinely useful productivity shift: stop typing and start talking. Paul explains why AI needs context, why dictation creates richer prompts, and how tools like Granola and WhisperFlow can turn messy spoken thoughts into structured, usable output. Finally, we move into a live Q&A session with Ryan Slaney, Managing Director of iLockerz, who shares the realities of scaling a product business — including the mistake that “nearly killed” them: trying to build the perfect product from day one. Ryan talks candidly about payroll reality, customer-led development, the value of weekly all-hands alignment, and spotting issues early through “Potential Red Flags”. You’ll hear: How to redesign your week around green time (strategic), red time (operational) and grey time (low value) Why you must put the rocks in first (or the sand will swallow your week) Paul’s AI Pulse: why dictation creates better prompts and faster output Ryan’s hard-won lesson: MVP, revenue and feedback loops beat perfection A simple scaling discipline: weekly all-hands, shared visibility and “PRFs” before they become fires Quick heads-up — we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals — in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing . Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Ryan. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Ryan can be found here: /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40239590

Episode #580 - Scaling a Personal Brand Without Becoming the Bottleneck - with Benjie Hughes 03/02/2026

Episode #580 - Scaling a Personal Brand Without Becoming the Bottleneck - with Benjie Hughes 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 Benjie Hughes, founder of Hopeless Marketing. Benjie works with B2B service businesses turning over between one and thirty million pounds who feel stuck, plateaued or unclear about their positioning. His philosophy is simple but powerful; hope is not a strategy. Most businesses do not need more marketing. They need more clarity. In this episode we explore his Ice Pick Strategy; why being focused and sharp beats being broad and busy; and we talk honestly about the challenge of separating the founder from the business. Benjie shares how he scaled his first company to run without him, and why his current business requires a very different approach, including hiring a fractional COO for accountability. As always, our discussion is structured in three parts. First, we look at the business, the model and where it sits on the ScaleUp journey. Second, we explore Benjie’s perspective on the challenges of scaling, including growth plateaus and founder psychology. And finally, we close with a few quickfire questions. One standout message from this episode is this: most marketing problems are not visibility problems; they are clarity problems. Quick heads-up; we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing . Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Benjie. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Benjie can be found here: Resources: E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber - Predictable Success by Les McKeown - Getting Things Done by David Allen - Remarkable - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40239250

Episode #579 - ScaleUp Short: Scaling Does Not Need To Be Complicated 02/27/2026

Episode #579 - ScaleUp Short: Scaling Does Not Need To Be Complicated Welcome back to ScaleUp Radio Shorts, where Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt distil the best insights from our recent full-length interviews and turn them into practical, actionable takeaways for ambitious business owners. This week, we’re bringing together two very different voices with a surprisingly aligned message: Jack Molyneux – former Merchant Navy Master Mariner turned tech founder, building a disruptive superyacht platform, IDOSY. Lindsey Burden – Intuitive Business Coach with over a decade of experience helping founders stop overcomplicating and start executing. Different industries. Different journeys. The same core lesson: scaling successfully comes down to clarity, courage and focused execution. 1. Simplicity Scales. Complexity Distracts. Jack built IDOSY around a clear mission: fix a broken, opaque system in the superyacht charter industry. His entire platform centres on three things: Live price. Live availability. Live booking. In an industry dominated by phone calls, PDFs and delayed email chains, that simplicity is the disruption. Lindsey shared the flip side. In her early days, she described herself as the “Queen of Overcomplication”. Busy work felt productive. Complexity created the illusion of progress. But when business owners panic, they often abandon the plan and chase shiny objects. A new platform. A new offer. A new strategy. Instead of staying focused on the destination, they start reprogramming the sat-nav mid-journey. The lesson? Simplicity creates traction. Complexity creates noise. 2. The Right Team Will Challenge You Jack made a powerful point about leadership: as a founder, you must have someone around you who is prepared to say no. Founders are persuasive. Vision-driven. Convincing. But without challenge, conviction can turn into blind spots. Having led crews of over 100 people as a Master Mariner, Jack understands operational discipline. In a scaling business, strong teams aren’t just compliant. They question. They test. They refine. Lindsey sees this transition from another angle. When you move from solopreneur to employer, you quickly realise: No one will care quite as much as you. You cannot hire only “doers”. You need a mix of reliable executors and people who think, lead and innovate. Scaling requires a shift in identity. From being the person with all the answers… To being the person who sets the intent and trusts others to execute. 3. The 90-Day Sweet Spot One of the strongest overlaps between both conversations was execution rhythm. Lindsey is a huge advocate of 90-day planning. She calls it the sweet spot: Long enough to deliver meaningful results Short enough to stay focused and accountable Without that rhythm, founders get trapped in what she calls the “octopus business” – tentacles everywhere, constant activity, little progress. Jack demonstrated this mindset in action when raising capital. Instead of being overwhelmed by the enormity of fundraising, he broke it down step by step. His advice? Start with friends and family. If you cannot convince the people who know and trust you, persuading strangers will be even harder. It builds confidence, momentum and belief. And when the rejections come, as they always do, remember: Every “no” is one step closer to the next “yes”. 4. Pricing, Confidence and Backing Yourself Lindsey delivered some tough but essential advice on pricing. When things get quiet, the temptation is to drop your prices or accept the wrong-fit clients for quick cash. But that decision shapes your future pipeline. Do premium work at bargain prices and you attract more bargain buyers. She challenges founders to stop pricing by the hour. Clients do not pay for time. They pay for outcomes. They care about getting from A to B, not how many hours it takes. Her practical tip for selling high-ticket services: “Nail your pricing, say it with confidence, and then don’t say another word.” Confidence is built through repetition. Through experience. Through backing yourself. Which mirrors Jack’s advice to his younger self: Back yourself. Be brave. It’s okay if people don’t like it. He also challenged the idea of overprotecting your concept. You do not have a business until you build it. Talking about your idea creates momentum. Silence does not. The One Key Thing The one key thing this week: Focus on execution over emotion. Keep it simple, commit to a 90-day rhythm, price with confidence, and back yourself even when it feels uncomfortable. Standout Message “You can have 100% of nothing, or you can start talking to people and see what happens.” Quick Heads-Up: Smart90 Lite We’re currently looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. If you would like early access, take a look at smart90.co.uk /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40241890

Episode #578 - From Master Mariner to Marketplace Disruptor - with Jack Molyneux 02/25/2026

Episode #578 - From Master Mariner to Marketplace Disruptor - with Jack Molyneux In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Jack Molyneux, Founder of IDOSY – a new digital marketplace set to disrupt the superyacht charter industry. Jack’s journey is anything but conventional. From qualifying as a Master Mariner at just 26 and commanding cruise ships and superyachts around the world, to managing fleets of luxury yachts for a family office, and now launching the first live-booking superyacht platform – this is a true ScaleUp story grounded in deep operational credibility. IDOSY launches mid-April with a bold ambition: to bring live pricing, live availability and instant booking to a market that still runs on emails, brokers and PDF brochures. And yes – it is as complex as it sounds. Our discussion is structured in three parts. First, we explore the business, the model and where IDOSY sits on its ScaleUp journey. Second, we dig into Jack’s views on the real challenges of scaling, including raising capital from industry insiders and navigating complex global regulations. And third, we close with a few quickfire questions. One standout message from this episode is this: if you are going to disrupt a market, you need deep operational understanding before you digitise it. Quick heads-up — we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing . Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Jack. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Jack can be found here: Resources: Close To The Wind by Pete Goss - Turn The Ship Around by L. David Marquet - Diary of a CEO podcast - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40173545

Episode #577 - Tailored Coaching Based On Intuition - with Lindsey Burden 02/23/2026

Episode #577 - Tailored Coaching Based On Intuition - with Lindsey Burden In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, host Kevin Brent is joined by experienced business coach Lindsey Burden, whose intuitive and deeply personalised approach to coaching breaks the mould of cookie-cutter programmes. Lindsey helps her clients build a business that aligns with their version of success, not someone else's template. Whether you're overwhelmed by doing too much, struggling to price your services confidently, or need to make your goals more achievable, this conversation is packed with sharp insights and practical tools to move your business forward. Key Themes in This Episode Tailored Coaching Based on Intuition Lindsey shares how she tunes into the unspoken, body language, word choices, hesitations, to help clients uncover the real blocks to growth. Her coaching isn’t about handing over a rigid system; it's about building a flexible path around the client's unique strengths and context. Standout Quote: “The problem isn’t usually that you need to do more, it’s that you’ve forgotten what works and stopped doing it.” Avoiding the Busy Trap Busy doesn’t always mean productive. Many founders fall into the trap of overcomplication or jumping onto the next trend (new channels, shiny tools), when the real power comes from simplifying and refocusing. Strategic Pricing & Confident Selling Discounting under pressure is a quick road to burnout. Lindsey’s advice? Price based on the value and outcomes you deliver, not the hours. Start with a figure you can say confidently, then stop talking. The Power of 90-Day Planning Long-term goals feel overwhelming; 90-day plans create the perfect runway. Lindsey explains how this rhythm helps bring structure to entrepreneurial creativity, so you stop half-finishing great ideas and start delivering real progress. Building the Right Team The founder mindset must evolve, leading a team takes intentional effort. Lindsey shares tips on balancing operators and innovators in your team, and why reaching out to HR experts or trusted networks is a game-changer. Quick heads-up, we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing . Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts, and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Lindsey. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Lindsey can be found here: Resources: The Inside Out Revolution by Michael Neill - Atomic Habits by James Clear - The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks - Heartbeat online platform - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40162915

Episode #576 - ScaleUp Short - Two Founders. Two Paths. One Scaling Truth 02/20/2026

Episode #576 - ScaleUp Short - Two Founders. Two Paths. One Scaling Truth The Art of Sales, Self-Awareness and Scaling Featuring Dr Muddassir Ahmed (SCM DOJO) and Rachael Jackson (WIBN Birmingham) Produced with the aid of AI In this episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt reflect on two powerful – and very different – scaling journeys. On one side, Dr Muddassir Ahmed, founder of SCM DOJO, who built a global AI-enabled learning platform from scratch. On the other, Rachael Jackson, who chose a franchise route with WIBN Birmingham to create structure, community and flexibility – while building her passion project, Array of Light. Two contrasting models. One shared truth: scaling demands self-awareness, discipline and resilience. Sales Is Not Optional Muddassir learned a hard lesson early: You can outsource HR. You can outsource accounting. You can outsource marketing. But you cannot outsource sales as a founder. Despite being highly technical and data-driven, he had to personally master enterprise sales – including sending 72 emails over 18 months to land a major global brand. The takeaway? Polite persistence wins. Enterprise sales cycles are long. And founders must own the conversation. Cash Flow Is Reality Rachael’s scaling journey exposed a different challenge. Moving from corporate retail into a franchise networking model meant adjusting to the unpredictability of SME payments. Her response? Save upfront Take no salary for 12 months Prioritise reinvestment and resilience It is a disciplined approach that many founders underestimate. Self-Awareness as a Strategic Advantage Rachael openly discussed being diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD traits in adulthood. Instead of seeing this as a weakness, she built systems around it: Time-blocked email checking Turning off notifications Choosing tools designed for dyslexic thinkers Delegating dense information into top-line bullet points Self-awareness became a scaling tool. Meanwhile, Muddassir applies “lean accountability” and daily stand-ups to manage a global team across time zones, backed by documented SOPs. Different personalities. Same principle: structure enables scale. AI – Tool or Transformation? Muddassir is building agentic AI into SCM DOJO – not just generative AI that writes text, but AI agents that: Plan Analyse Execute workflows Run forecasting models Evaluate supplier responses Yet even with advanced AI, he still had to build human relationships the hard way. AI enhances. It does not replace resilience. Two Definitions of Success Muddassir wants SCM DOJO to become the industry standard for supply chain learning. Rachael defines success as happiness, impact and helping women grow in confidence. Different ambitions. Both completely valid. The One Key Thing Scaling is not about copying someone else’s model. It is about knowing yourself, managing your cash carefully, building repeatable systems, and staying resilient long enough to win. Quick Heads-Up If you want more structure and accountability in your own ScaleUp journey, explore Smart90 – our proven 90-day execution system. And if you’d like to stay focused and actually deliver each week, try our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite. It’s free while we’re testing it – just email for access. /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40163655

Episode #575 - Scaling B2B With AI, Content, and Persistence – With Dr. Muddassir Ahmed 02/18/2026

Episode #575 - Scaling B2B With AI, Content, and Persistence – With Dr. Muddassir Ahmed On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Dr. Muddassir Ahmed, the founder of SCMDOJO, a platform revolutionising access to supply chain training and consultancy. From launching a $99/month subscription model to developing a proprietary AI consultant set to launch in March, Dr. Ahmed shares how he's turning SCMDOJO from a content platform into a cutting-edge supply chain technology business. Highlights Business Model Mastery: SCMDOJO began with low-ticket courses and evolved into a hybrid model blending community, content, and consultancy. AI Leap: SCMDOJO Sensei is an AI agent trained on proprietary content to analyse problems, deliver expert advice, and even automate sourcing. Sales Wisdom: Dr. Ahmed closed a deal with LVMH after 72 emails over 1.5 years; proof that persistence pays. Remote Execution vs Creativity: While the team excels operationally, fostering innovation in a lean, remote setup remains the next hurdle. Quick heads-up; we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals; in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. 👉 Get access by emailing: Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Muddassir. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Muddassir can be found here: Resources: /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40096665

Episode #574 - Neurodiversity, Franchising & Relentless Focus – with Rachael Jackson 02/16/2026

Episode #574 - Neurodiversity, Franchising & Relentless Focus – with Rachael Jackson In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent sits down with Rachael Jackson, a dynamic entrepreneur who has turned personal challenges into entrepreneurial strengths. From launching her business through a franchise model to reframing dyslexia as a leadership asset, Rachael’s story is all about strategic thinking and relentless focus. Key Highlights Franchise as a Strategic Launchpad: Rachael chose a WIBN franchise to de-risk her startup journey, gaining crucial business experience and a peer network before launching her dream venture. Relentless Focus = Results: She became Franchisee of the Year by intentionally managing her time, prioritising member value, and building financial resilience through reinvestment. Neurodiversity as Strength: Diagnosed with dyslexia at 30, she harnessed it as a leadership superpower—mastering delegation, systems, and people management. Tech for Inclusion: She uses a dyslexia-friendly CRM (POP) to boost productivity and sidestep complexity. The one key thing: A franchise can be more than a business – it can be a confidence-building launchpad for your bigger vision. Quick heads-up; we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals; in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. Get access by emailing . Don’t forget to subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us for new episodes every week. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Rachael. 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: You can get in touch with Kevin here: Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, 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 - Rachael can be found here: /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40085365

Episode #573 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts: The Pivot Point: Moving from Busy to Impactful 02/13/2026

Episode #573 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts: The Pivot Point: Moving from Busy to Impactful This week on ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin and Louise unpack two fascinating recent conversations, one with Samantha Thurlow of In Collaboration, and one with Graeme Tennick of Tennick Accountants. Different sectors. Same pivotal moment. Both guests hit a point where “business as usual” stopped working, and had to rethink structure, mindset, and action to move forward. 🔎 What We Cover 1️⃣ The Associate Trap Samantha built her agency on a flexible associate model. It worked, until it didn’t. Growth meant more work… but not more profit. Flexibility became a ceiling. Her pivot? Moving towards an employee model to build stability, culture, and long-term asset value. Lesson: Convenience can quietly cap your growth. 2️⃣ Strategy Over Volume Samantha also shared a key observation about marketing. AI-generated content is everywhere. But engagement is dropping when there’s no strategy behind it. More posts ≠ better marketing. Clear positioning and thinking wins. 3️⃣ The Real Reason Businesses Don’t Scale When Kevin asked Graeme the biggest barrier to growth, his answer wasn’t cash flow. It was procrastination. We are drowning in knowledge but starved of action. His advice is simple: Identify the biggest challenge in front of you, then take one immediate action to move it forward. One action is progress. 4️⃣ 10x Requires Reinvention Graeme referenced 10x Is Easier Than 2x, the idea that small growth can come from working harder, but exponential growth requires fundamentally changing how you operate. You cannot 10x with yesterday’s structure. 🎯 The One Key Thing If you feel stuck, don’t just push harder. Change the structure or behaviour that’s holding you back. 🎧 Want More? To hear Samantha’s full transition story and Graeme’s Client Impact Tree framework in detail, listen to their full episodes of ScaleUp Radio. Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. This episode was created using AI /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40086170

Episode #572 - From Virtual Assistant to Strategic Agency: Evolving for Growth - with Samantha Thurlow 02/11/2026

Episode #572 - From Virtual Assistant to Strategic Agency: Evolving for Growth - with Samantha Thurlow In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Samantha Thurlow, founder of In Collaboration, a business support agency that’s grown from offering virtual assistant services to delivering full-service strategy, admin, and marketing. As her business evolves into a two-brand model, with the launch of Creative Bean Studios, Sam shares how she’s adapting to market shifts, overcoming growing pains, and preparing for the next stage of her scaleup journey. Key Takeaways Pivoting the Business Model: Sam transitioned In Collaboration from a flexible associate model to a hybrid employed team, following clear advice from her accountant. This shift was vital to improving profitability and enabling scale. New Brand, Same Vision: The launch of Creative Bean Studios allows her to expand specialist marketing services while focusing In Collaboration on strategic support for clients. Strategy Over Service: Clients are moving away from generic VA tasks to valuing strategic insight, SEO, branding, and business positioning are now in high demand. The Power of Vulnerability: Sam’s standout message? Being open about challenges attracts support and builds trust, both in business relationships and team culture. AI Done Right: AI isn't a silver bullet, real results come when it’s used as a tool by experienced humans, not a content factory. The One Key Thing Building a scalable business model sometimes means letting go of what's worked in the past. For Sam, it was moving beyond the associate model to unlock long-term sustainability and growth. Quick heads-up, we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing . Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow? For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Sam. 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: 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, 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 - Samantha can be found here: Resources: Blockworks - Atomic Habits by James Clear - Dear Female Founder by Lu Li - Brene Brown - Asana - /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40004040

Episode #571 - ScaleUp Club - Dr. Serge Santos on Letting Go, Building Legacy, and Leading with Purpose 02/09/2026

Episode #571 - ScaleUp Club - Dr. Serge Santos on Letting Go, Building Legacy, and Leading with Purpose This episode of ScaleUp Radio is part of our Scale-Up Club spotlight series – a special format where we welcome back a previous guest to go deeper in a live Q&A session with our Scale-Up Club members. This time, we shine the spotlight on Dr. Serge Santos, also known as The Business Physicist – and for good reason. Serge brings a rare blend of financial acumen, physics-trained problem solving, and a deep passion for business legacy. From being made redundant in 2013 to raising £700 million and running three growing businesses under his Bedrock Enterprises group, Serge speaks with refreshing honesty about the real challenges of scaling – and the mindset shifts required to succeed. This engaging Q&A covers wide-ranging questions from the audience, including: How Serge transitioned from founder to multi-business leader His approach to building empowered leadership teams Why culture is the bedrock – and how to enforce a “no dickhead policy” Letting go of control, and why founders often become their own bottleneck Balancing long-term investment with short-term performance His thought process for setting strategic direction across multiple businesses And why legacy matters more than ego Expect practical advice, candid reflections, and a healthy dose of inspiration. The standout message? “You can’t build legacy if the business is still about you. Step back, empower others, and invest in a culture that can thrive without you.” The one key thing you’ll take away? If you want to scale, you have to learn to let go – and build a team and culture that doesn't rely on you. Quick heads-up, we’re looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It’s built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It’s free while we’re in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing: Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full Q&A session with Serge. 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: 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, 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 - Serge can be found here: /episode/index/show/scaleupradio/id/40003705

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