Building The Brand with James Burtt

How to sell your business for £50M? Howard Kosky built his specialist PR agencies over 32 years then sold it for £50M - and says leaving felt like grief. So, what is a business exit strategy really? Howard who is considered to be a broadcast PR pioneer sits down with James Burtt on Building The Brand to break down selling a business in the UK, how to value a business beyond EBITDA, and how private equity really buys companies. How much is my business worth? Howard's answer: Your value is not your profitability. Buyers pay for future-proofing, niche dominance, and runway. In this episode he reveals his first IPO windfall at 28, engineering a management buyout in 2001, buying Cue Sheet magazine to own the market, building 5 interconnected companies, and why he chose PE investment for his final exit. He also breaks down due diligence survival, vendor due diligence, why buyers chip price, and the emotional support gap no advisor warns you about.If you want a UK founder playbook for business valuation, exit planning, and life after selling a business — this is it. 🎙️ Guest: Howard Kosky — Founder, Markettiers4DC 🎙️ Host: James Burtt — Building The Brand 👇 KEY MOMENTS: Selling a Business & £50M Exit Strategy: 0:00 — How to sell your business for £50M? The day after the deal 0:54 — Why does selling a business feel like grief? 2:13 — Radiators vs drains: What founders get wrong after exit 8:02 — What is life after selling your company really like? 13:13 — Business exit strategy: What is your right to win? 15:50 — How did Marketeers for DC start in broadcast PR? 20:29 — What happens in your first IPO at 28? 24:46 — How does a management buyout from a PLC work 30:39 — How to spot digital opportunity early in business? 42:39 — Should you buy a competitor to own your niche? 54:34 — Where do you really make your fortune? Fame vs fortune 57:11 — When is the right time to sell your business to private equity? 01:04:50 — How do buyers value a business? Future-proofing vs profit 01:10:21 — How to survive due diligence when selling a business? 01:24:49 — Why is there no emotional support when you sell your company? ABOUT BUILDING THE BRAND:Building The Brand is the business podcast for people who don't just want inspiration - they want to understand how success is actually built. Hosted by James Burtt, each episode goes beyond the headline with in-depth conversations and signature pause moments that tactically break down strategy. FOLLOW for weekly interviews with UK founders on selling a business, scaling, and brand building.

What happens when you post a video every single day for 243 days and STILL can't break 1,000 views on TikTok? Layton went from working as an electrician to building a successful personal brand, growing an audience of nearly 250,000 followers and securing brand partnerships with companies including Sony, DJI and Adobe. But his success didn't happen overnight. He committed to posting content for 400 consecutive days, learning how to create better videos, build audience trust and turn social media attention into a profitable creator business. Today, Layton helps entrepreneurs, founders and businesses master short-form video content, Instagram growth, storytelling and personal branding through online courses, workshops and brand collaborations. In this episode of Building The Brand, Layton sits down with James Burtt to explain why most businesses get their content strategy wrong, why views don't necessarily equal sales, how to create engaging videos without expensive equipment and how he turned his content into multiple income streams. He also shares the practical formula behind his viral videos, why brands should prioritise storytelling over selling, how to negotiate paid UGC and influencer brand deals, and why consistency is one of the most underrated tools in building a successful personal brand. Connect with Layton: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/layton_video/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Posting 400 Days in a Row: The Reality of Building a Personal Brand 01:46 — Why Most Businesses Get Their Video Content Strategy Wrong 03:01 — Content Consistency vs Batching: How to Get Better at Making Videos 19:22 — Overcoming Camera Anxiety and the Fear of Posting Online 21:22 — 243 Days Without Going Viral: Why Persistence Builds Audience Trust 27:38 — How Businesses Can Create More Video Content In-House 30:13 — Monetising Your Personal Brand With Online Courses and Digital Products 35:15 — How to Get Brand Deals and Build Multiple Creator Income Streams 40:50 — How Consistent Content Builds Trust, Followers and Brand Awareness 45:11 — Brand Storytelling, Social Proof and UGC Marketing That Converts 51:45 — How to Negotiate Influencer Brand Deals, Fees and Usage Rights 54:26 — Do Talking Head Videos Still Work? Creating Authentic Content 01:04:30 — Finding Original Content Ideas and Avoiding Social Media Comparison 01:10:17 — How to Film Better Instagram Reels: The 15-Shot Video Formula 01:12:07 — Viral Videos vs Valuable Content: Building a Social Media Sales Funnel 01:22:35 — Instagram vs Email Marketing: What Actually Converts Into Sales? 01:30:43 — The One-Brick-a-Day Mindset for Building a Successful Business

Guy Phoenix builds £25M super homes for billionaires complete with shark tanks and helipads! The Channel 4 star reveals how he went from terraced houses to Monaco mansions. How do you go from building standard terraced houses to building some of the most extravagant luxury homes in the world for billionaires? Guy Phoenix - luxury home builder, star of Building Britain's Superhomes on Channel 4, and founder of Guy Phoenix Luxury Developments - sits down with James Burtt for an unfiltered conversation on Building The Brand. Guy doesn't call himself a builder. He calls himself an artist. In this episode he breaks down how the Guy Phoenix name became synonymous with luxury and extravagance over 20+ years, why he once built ONE super home on a plot where he could have built six houses, why a client paid him £50,000 just for a conversation, and why his future billionaire project will cost hundreds of millions. You'll hear how his son Jack took the brand to another level with YouTube and TV in the last 3 years (90% of growth), his on-site design process with spray paint and string, 585 lighting circuits vs 23 in a normal house, six-figures-a-month interest bills, £300k planning fees, Monaco, Miami, Beverly Hills expansion, and his take on the UK property market, wealth exodus and tax. If you want to understand luxury property development in the UK, how to build a personal brand in construction, and the mindset of the ultra-wealthy who buy Guy Phoenix homes - this is it. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 - How Guy Phoenix Accidentally Built a Luxury Brand 01:54 - I Am Not a Builder. I Am an Artist. 04:01 - Shark Tanks, Lagoons, Helipads & Football Pitches: Client Wish Lists 06:06 - How His Son Jack 10X'd The Business With YouTube & TV 0:40 - The Hundreds-Of-Millions Billionaire Super Home 12:23 - From Terraced Houses To £25M Mansions: The Stepping Stones 13:41 - Designing With Spray Paint & String: Guy's Process 27:02 - UK Wealth Exodus, Tax & Stamp Duty Truth 29:14 - Moving to Monaco: Why He's Relocating 30:50 - The £50,000 Chat & Hugh Grant Story: Fame & Clients 32:59 - Impenetrable Homes: Security For Billionaires 50:00 - 585 Lighting Circuits: His Lighting Superpower 51:00 - Hard Work, Resilience & Short Temper: Work Ethic 52:35 - Legacy: Homes That Live On After He's Gone 53:12 - Strip Billionaires Naked & They'd Get Rich Again: Wealth Mindset Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter

Former Diary of a CEO Head of Trailers Ant Smith - one of the first 10 key hires who helped build the world's fastest growing podcast - reveals his short form content strategy for YouTube Shorts, TikTok and podcast trailers. Ant goes full tactical on how to go viral short form. Ant made 450+ trailers for Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, turning 90-second podcast trailer cuts into miniature movies. In this episode of Building The Brand with James Burtt, he breaks down exactly how to grow a podcast with short-form: why disconnection kills retention, how to sell the guest in 10 seconds, the psychological effect behind cliff-hangers, eye-lines for retention, perfect imperfection cuts, and his ai video editing workflow that turned 4 hours into 20 minutes. If you want podcast growth , a proven youtube shorts strategy and real storytelling psychology from inside DOAC, this is the playbook. This is Ant Smith x Building The Brand Part 2 - more stories, all tactics. Perfect for podcasters, video editors, and founders using short-form to grow.👇 CHAPTERS - Diary of a CEO Short-Form Tactics: 0:00 — Hook: Why 90 seconds decides if they watch 2 hours 02:50 — Who is Ant Smith? Early DOAC hire to Head of Trailers 11:20 — He'd never heard of Steven Bartlett: joining Diary of a CEO 13:00 — Not a podcast, a show: the trailer philosophy that changed podcasting 29:40 — How Ant used AI in DOAC trailers (guest intros in 20 mins) 32:30 — Disconnection kills retention: the #1 retention rule 34:00 — Perfect imperfection: the authenticity cut that builds trust 38:00 — Quantity vs quality: AI for marketing teams 41:00 — Best AI tools for video creators (Artlist, Envato) 44:00 — Human-led ideas, AI for brutal feedback (Claude workflow) 46:00 — Psychology of cliff-hangers & the Zeigarnik effect 50:00 — Eye-lines for retention in YouTube Shorts 53:40 — Why story is king for brands and creator Connect with Ant via https://www.linkedin.com/in/antedits/ Building The Brand hosted by James Burtt - new episodes weekly on business, podcasting & brand building. Subscribe for tactical breakdowns.

How do you help build one of the UK’s best-known challenger beer brands, walk away from the business you helped create and then start all over again in a completely different industry? Hannah Williams helped build Tiny Rebel from a home-brewing experiment into a major independent brewery employing around 120 people, while acting as CFO and helping scale the company through rapid growth. Today, she is CEO of the Alacrity Foundation, working with technology startups and entrepreneurs, while simultaneously building Lucky No.7 Coffee alongside her husband Mo. And she’s doing it with many of the same principles that helped Tiny Rebel grow: move quickly, test the market, build a distinctive brand, surround yourself with great people and learn as you go. In this live episode of Building The Brand from Ideas Fest, Hannah shares the entrepreneurial lessons behind building Tiny Rebel, launching a coffee brand, scaling a startup, building a team and creating a brand people actually remember. Want more from Building The Brand?Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this episode, Hannah reveals: How Tiny Rebel went from home brewing to employing around 120 people Why they ignored advice that the business needed a traditional marketing budget and backed social media marketing instead How Tiny Rebel hit its original three-year forecast within just nine months Why Hannah believes naivety can sometimes be more powerful than confidence when starting a business Why knowing when you are no longer adding value can be critical as a founder or senior leader How simply asking successful entrepreneurs for help led to mentorship and advice from people behind businesses including Gymshark and Grenade Why she hires for “will over skill” and believes attitude can be more valuable than experience Why great businesses require partnerships, co-founders and complementary skill sets How Hannah and Mo created the Lucky No.7 Coffee brand around their blended family of seven Why Lucky No.7 used events to test its branding, products and customer response before expanding Why moving into physical retail earlier than planned can sometimes create unexpected growth opportunities How Hannah combines startup thinking, technology and ecommerce with a traditional physical product business Hannah also explains the personal side of entrepreneurship: leaving Tiny Rebel after more than a decade, growing up around entrepreneurial parents, raising children around business and why financial success means less to her than creating experiences and making a difference to other people. Lucky No.7 Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.no7coffee/ Alacrity Foundation: https://alacrityfoundation.co.uk/ Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/ Under The Canvas: https://underthecanvas.co.uk/ 0:00 — From Tiny Rebel to Building Lucky No.7 Coffee 03:35 — How Tiny Rebel Started With Beer Brewed at Home 04:45 — Ignoring Traditional Marketing Advice & Betting on Social Media 05:25 — Hitting a Three-Year Business Forecast in Nine Months 06:30 — Why Naivety Can Be an Entrepreneurial Advantage 08:00 — Why Hannah Walked Away From Tiny Rebel 09:25 — How to Get Successful Entrepreneurs to Mentor You 11:00 — Knowing When You’re No Longer Adding Value to a Business 15:55 — “Will Over Skill”: Hannah’s Approach to Hiring Great People 22:00 — Why Entrepreneurs Need the Right Partner Around Them 26:45 — Building the Lucky No.7 Coffee Brand From Scratch 30:30 — Launching Into Retail Without a Traditional Business Plan 32:00 — Testing Your Brand Before Trying to Scale It 35:00 — Why Moving Too Early Can Sometimes Create Your Biggest Opportunity 36:25 — “Slow Down to Speed Up”: Balancing Momentum With Strategy 40:45 — Building a UK Coffee Brand Beyond Physical Stores 41:30 — AI Search, GEO & the Future of Ecommerce Discovery 43:25 — Why Hannah Never Feels Like She Has Done Enough

How do you build a £50 million business empire, operate more than 30 companies, employ 3,000 people and keep acquiring businesses without giving away equity to investors? James 'Jimbo' Sinclair has spent his career buying businesses, building management teams, acquiring commercial property and turning struggling or overlooked companies into valuable assets. Starting out as a teenage children’s entertainer and magician, James has built a portfolio spanning leisure attractions, childcare, food service, hospitality, commercial property and self-storage. In this live episode of Building The Brand from Ideas Fest, James breaks down the business acquisition strategy, management systems and entrepreneurial mindset behind his £50m group. Want more from Building The Brand?Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Big thanks to our much-loved partners for this pod - go show them some love: Ideas Fest https://ideasfest.uk/ Lucky No.7 Coffee https://luckyno7coffee.co.uk/ Under The Canvas https://underthecanvas.co.uk/ In this tactical breakdown, James reveals: Why entrepreneurs should build a business to sell even if they never intend to sell it His Entrepreneurship + Management = Success framework for scaling beyond the founder The acquisition strategy he uses to understand a company before he even completes the purchase Why he refuses to give away equity to investors but is comfortable using bank debt to grow How content marketing has helped him recruit employees and find business acquisition opportunities Why James believes a newsletter can generate more business value than a podcast or YouTube channel How to identify businesses with protected leverage, strong margins and lower labour requirements Why self-storage and commercial property have become increasingly attractive parts of his portfolio Why grit can be more important than talent when building a successful business The reality of cash-flow problems, losing millions and carrying responsibility for thousands of employees James also opens up about the darker side of entrepreneurship: why success can become increasingly lonely, why his brain never switches off and why entrepreneurs often create new problems the moment everything starts going well. This is a masterclass in how to buy a business, business acquisitions, scaling a company, entrepreneurship, business management, business growth strategy, content marketing and building wealth through business ownership. James Sinclair: https://www.youtube.com/@jamessinclairspodcast Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/ Lucky No.7 Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.no7coffee/ Under The Canvas: https://underthecanvas.co.uk/ Questions answered in this episode: How does James Sinclair buy and grow businesses? How do you scale a business without giving away equity? Why should you build a business as if you are going to sell it? How do entrepreneurs transition from operating a business to leading one? KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Inside James Sinclair’s £50M Business Empire 03:40 — The Reality of Running a Business in the UK in 2026 06:00 — How James Chooses Businesses to Buy 08:25 — Why Your Business Needs Growth to Keep Great People 09:32 — Entrepreneurship + Management = Business Success 12:48 — The Businesses James Sinclair Has Bought This Year 13:12 — Build Your Business to Sell — Even If You Never Sell 17:03 — Why Entrepreneurship Gets Lonelier as You Scale 18:38 — Grit vs Talent: What Actually Creates Successful Entrepreneurs? 27:31 — James Sinclair’s Business Acquisition Hack Before Buying 29:08 — How Content Marketing Generates Deals and Recruitment 30:00 — Why James Refuses Investors but Uses Bank Debt 33:46 — Why Newsletters Can Beat Podcasts and YouTube for Business 38:47 — Why James Sinclair Is Investing in Self-Storage 43:56 — The Entrepreneur’s Curse: Why Happiness Can Feel Boring 45:55 — Losing Millions, Cash-Flow Problems and Building Resilience 47:16 — Does Building a £50M Business Actually Make You Happy?

How do you build a multi-million pound ecommerce brand without white-labelling, without forcing subscriptions, and without a big ad budget? Tariq Kazemi, co-founder of BLD BRO, did it by building a community before he had a product. What started as an Instagram page to change the narrative around hair loss has become a 7-figure skincare brand for bald men, stocked in their own warehouse, funded by the community that asked for it. Check our BLD BRO via https://bldbro.com/ This episode of Building The Brand goes beyond inspiration to break down how success is actually built. Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this tactical breakdown, Tariq reveals: How to build a brand community that validates your product before you manufacture (the 90% matte vs shiny test) Why BLD BRO refused to white-label and built a bespoke formula from scratch How to launch a DTC brand building strategy on a 1,000-unit self-funded first order The retention playbook: Why 50% repeat customers beats forced subscriptions How a £1K budget Christmas ad ended up being a high-performing TV campaign that drove direct attribution This is a masterclass in brand building strategy, how to build a community around an underserved niche, how to start a business uk the community-led way and business growth strategy for a physical product brand. Questions answered in this episode: How did Bald Bros build a community-led skincare brand? How a to validate a product idea with your audience before launching? How to build an ecommerce brand without paid advertising? What is a community to commerce strategy for DTC brands? Key Moments: 0:00 - Why This Bald Skincare Brand Became a 7-Figure Community 00:18 - How to Build a Brand From Community: The Bald Bros Origin Story 02:22 - From Hair Loss Anxiety to Brand Purpose: Tariq's 10-Year Journey 07:40 - Shaving His Head: The Moment That Built Bald Confidence 12:48 - The £8 Billion Hair Loss Industry Lie Every Founder Should Know 14:36 - Finding a Market Gap: Why No Skincare Existed for Bald Men 18:55 - App vs Physical Product: How to Choose Your First Business Idea 20:22 - How to Validate Your Product Idea With Your Community (The 90% Matte Test) 23:29 - Why We Didn't White Label: Building a Bespoke DTC Product 34:06 - Launch Day to Sold Out: How to Launch an Ecommerce Brand on 1,000 Units 47:31 - The Content Hire That Scaled Us: Hiring Jake Massey (Ex-LADbible) 53:01 - Bald Fest: How Community Events Build Brand Better Than Ads 57:36 - The £1K TV Advert That Drove Real Brand Awareness

How do you start an influencer marketing agency at 17 whilst battling stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma, scale it to 7-figures and sell it for millions by 24? Suhit Amin did exactly that. WATCH THE FULL PODCAST NOW ON YOUTUBE In this episode, host James Burtt sits down with Suhit Amin, founder of Saulderson Media, to deconstruct the tactical playbook behind building an influencer marketing agency from scratch, winning clients with cold outreach on LinkedIn, doubling revenue with the right advisor, and navigating the full M&A process to a multi-million pound exit to Journey Further. If you want to understand how to build an agency from scratch, how to sell your business in the UK, or how to turn cold outreach strategy into compounding revenue - this is your blueprint. In This Episode You'll Learn: How Suhit turned an MCN sub-network into a talent management business making £100k in 6 months at 16 The cold LinkedIn DM system he used when LinkedIn was quiet - and why manual reps beat automation early Why talent management evolves into an influencer marketing agency for higher margins and scale The exact M&A process: from teaser and information memorandum to 5 offers, due diligence, and the 24-hour wait for money to land Why he chose a lower multiple from Journey Further over a higher US offer and what founders get wrong about business brokers and valuation Connect with Suhit Amin https://www.suhitamin.com/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Key Moments: 0:00 - Introduction: How a 17-Year-Old Built a 7-Figure Influencer Marketing Agency 02:31 - Why Starting a Business Young Was Suhit Amin's Unfair Advantage 04:11 - From Gaming Videos to 37K Subscribers: Learning YouTube MCNs and Sub-Networks 07:04 - Why Talent Management Beat Being a Creator: Spotting the MCN Decline 09:40 - How to Start an Influencer Marketing Agency From Scratch With 5 Clients 15:35 - Cold Outreach Strategy That Worked: Turning LinkedIn DMs Into Revenue 19:25 - Consistency & Manual Reps: Why Volume Beats Automation When Starting Out 31:47 - Thinking Like a Founder: Why He Always Planned to Sell His First Business 37:18 - Doubling Revenue in 12 Months: How Advisor Simon Penson Restructured the Agency for Sale 44:15 - How to Sell Your Business: The Full M&A Process, Due Diligence & Keeping It Secret 53:54 - Choosing the Right Buyer: Why He Took a Lower Offer From Journey Further 01:04:03 - What Happens When the Money Lands: Telling the Team and Calling His Parents 01:26:14 - Battling Stage Three Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 16 While Starting a Business 01:36:26 - How Cancer Changed His View on Business, Risk and Resilience In this show we answer: What is this episode about? This episode of Building The Brand features Suhit Amin explaining how he built and sold a 7-figure influencer marketing agency (Saulderson Media) before age 25, detailing his cold outreach on LinkedIn, transition from talent management to influencer marketing, and the step-by-step process to sell a business including valuation, buyer outreach, and due diligence. Who is Suhit Amin? Suhit Amin is a UK entrepreneur who founded influencer marketing agency Saulderson Media at 17, scaled it to over £100k revenue in six months, doubled revenue with consultancy Scaled, and achieved a multi-million pound exit to Journey Further - all after undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 16. How did Suhit Amin get clients for his influencer marketing agency? He used cold outreach on LinkedIn, identifying brands working with similar creators, connecting with marketing managers, and moving conversations from DMs to calls. He posted daily when LinkedIn was unsaturated and treated outreach like volume-based reps to learn what messaging converts.

How do you build a business from scratch with no assets, no backing and no safety net - twice? In this episode of Building The Brand, Andrew Coulson shares his brutal, tactical business failure story and comeback. From packing sandwiches at 8 years old after his father’s breakdown, to walking out of school at 15 to become a commodity trader, to building a design agency to 45 staff by age 25 - and then losing it all when his bank pulled a £2.5m overdraft days before a £15M deal. This is not a motivational story. It’s a playbook on how to rebuild after business failure, start again with nothing, and build a second business from his mum’s kitchen table. Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Check out the very delicious Novo via https://novosnacks.com/ IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: → How to start a business with no money or qualifications - and why sales skill beats credentials → The scaling mistake that nearly killed a 45-person packaging design business → Why a £15M reverse takeover collapsed: the overdraft trap every UK founder must understand → What to do when you have no assets: how Andrew rebuilt from zero after losing everything → The gym floor strategy: how rescuing a failing gym rebuilt his momentum and network → How he became Head Judge for UK bodybuilding in 9 months - and spotted a gap in the market → How he built one of the first online coaching businesses (Body Coaches) - pre-Instagram, pre-OnlyFans - using video + subscription Key Moments: 0:00 How do you build a business from scratch with no assets? Trailer 01:08 Who is Andrew Coulson? From packing sandwiches at 8 after his father's breakdown 02:45 How to start a business with no qualifications? Becoming a commodity trader at 15 05:30 How he scaled a packaging design business to 45 staff by 25 - then lost a £15M deal 07:40 Why did a £15M reverse takeover collapse a week before completion? 09:55 What happens when the bank pulls your overdraft? 12:30 How to rebuild after business failure with no money? Penny shares and the satellite dish edge 15:10 Sleeping on his mum's floor at 28: Starting again from the kitchen table 18:40 Why rescuing a failing gym was his best business move 23:15 How to become a UK authority fast: Becoming Head Judge for UK bodybuilding in 9 months 28:40 How to build an online coaching business from scratch? The first video subscription platform (Body Coaches) 33:00 How was the world's first protein crisp invented? The birth of Novo Nutrition 46:05 Novo vs Walkers: Can a challenger brand beat the UK's biggest crisp brands? 51:30 How to get into Tesco and Asda? The 72-hour packaging ultimatum that saved the product 59:01 Is work-life balance a myth for entrepreneurs? The obsession behind building a brand 1:06:20 The true cost of success: Family, burnout and is the juice worth the squeeze? 1:19:50 Legacy over money: Why he's still chasing Tesco after 14 years

Can being £24,000 in debt become the foundation for building one of the UK’s fastest-growing personal finance brands? Sammie Ellard-King is the founder of Up The Gains, a UK personal finance platform built around helping Britain get financially fit, and the founder of Gains App - a money management and fintech app designed to make budgeting, spending, cashback and everyday financial decisions simpler. Connect with Sammie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammieellardking/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter In this episode of Building The Brand, Sammie explains how authenticity transformed his content strategy, why talking openly about his £24,000 debt sent social media views from thousands into the millions and how he built Up The Gains by making complicated financial education simple, relatable and entertaining. He also breaks down the transition from content creator to fintech founder, including why the rise of AI made him question the long-term value of a founder-led media business and why he decided he needed to build a product that could exist without his personal brand. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — From £24,000 debt to becoming a UK personal finance educator 03:00 — The psychology of overspending and trying to impress people 06:17 — The simple retirement calculation that changed his relationship with money 09:36 — Ronnie Scott’s, entrepreneurship and growing up around business uncertainty 16:17 — Becoming Head of Marketing at 24 while struggling with debt 22:06 — How GameStop and a WhatsApp group helped create Up The Gains 29:10 — Building a side hustle around a full-time job 35:20 — How personal storytelling turned thousands of views into millions 39:56 — Founder burnout: why eight productive hours can beat sixteen 43:40 — Why Sammie chose to build a fintech app instead of staying a content creator 47:55 — AI, personal brands and the risk of building a business around your own face 51:00 — How Gains App combines budgeting, bank accounts, cashback and AI 58:43 — Reaching 10,000 users in around two and a half months 1:00:04 — How a 13,000-person waitlist converted more than 7,500 users 1:05:04 — Freemium pricing, fintech economics and building towards profitability 1:09:24 — Choosing co-founders, organic growth and scaling customer acquisition 1:15:34 — The reality of launching a startup, delays, burnout and founder pressure

Can going viral actually grow your business… or are most brands chasing attention without knowing what to do with it? Joel Macadar is the founder of 8original, a multi-award-winning social media agency that has generated more than half a billion organic views in the last 12 months. In this episode of Building The Brand, Joel breaks down the social media strategy behind viral content, organic growth, TikTok marketing, Instagram content and turning online attention into real commercial results. Connect with Joel Macadar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelmacadar/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter He explains why brands destroy potentially successful content by over-controlling the creative process, how the “road to beige” turns social-first ideas into forgettable adverts and why 8original operates a post-first, feedback-afterwards model designed around speed rather than endless approval processes. Joel also reveals why shares can be more valuable than likes or views, how his team connects TikTok virality with high-intent Google searches and why understanding the psychology behind a social media trend is far more powerful than simply copying whatever is currently going viral. Plus, the changing relationship between football, creators and traditional media - including Baller League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland and the rise of live, behind-the-scenes social content at major sporting events. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Social media strategy in 2026: what brands are getting wrong 02:17 — How to turn viral social media attention into revenue 07:23 — The “road to beige” that destroys great social content 09:23 — Why 8original posts first and gets client feedback afterwards 12:25 — Why shares can matter more than likes and views 16:28 — How TikTok virality can drive high-intent Google searches 23:26 — How to spot social media trends before competitors 40:02 — From football agent to building a social media agency 46:15 — Why live sports content is changing football media 54:38 — Baller League, content distribution and the power of speed 1:03:54 — Cristiano Ronaldo vs Erling Haaland: personal brand strategy 1:13:43 — How AI will change social media marketing 1:19:22 — Using ChatGPT and Claude for content creation and marketing 1:23:43 — How Push Play uses AI to automate content repurposing 1:27:16 — Scaling a founder-led agency by learning to step back

Can AI make founders more efficient without making business less human? Recorded around a real fireside, this special episode of Building The Brand brings together Ideas Fest founders Frankie James and Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE with $100M exited founder Andrew Hulbert for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, business growth and founder loneliness in 2026. Connect with Ideas Fest: https://ideasfest.uk/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter With customers spending more carefully, operating costs remaining high and AI changing how companies work, Frankie, Dyan, Andrew and James discuss why building a successful business has become more challenging - but also why the right founders now have access to more powerful tools than ever before. They chat about why most businesses are barely scratching the surface of AI, how founders can use automation to remove repetitive administration and why simply using ChatGPT to create social media content is unlikely to provide a lasting competitive advantage. Plus Andrew shares the practical lessons behind building his business from a bedroom start-up into a business generating more than £50 million in annual revenue. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Welcome to Founders By The Fireside 01:29 — The state of UK entrepreneurship in 2026 01:52 — How the cost-of-living crisis is affecting business 03:52 — Using AI to automate business administration 05:46 — Why most businesses are barely using AI properly 06:11 — The businesses that will win in the AI era 07:04 — The danger of building a business entirely on AI 08:27 — Why AI is increasing demand for human connection 10:04 — Why community-led business events are growing 11:34 — Founder loneliness and the reality of entrepreneurship 13:24 — Using networking events to build a personal brand 16:40 — Growing Ideas Fest from 1,200 attendees 20:39 — How the first Ideas Fest was launched 22:13 — Why cancelling can sometimes be the right business decision 24:56 — Why sustainable business scaling takes experience 26:47 — The hidden costs of running a major business event 31:07 — How entrepreneur awards can build credibility 32:13 — Why founders need to escape their industry bubble 33:18 — The power of networking across different industries 35:53 — Why SMEs are critical to the UK economy 38:38 — How to scale a business from £1m to £10m 40:06 — Finding the founder skill you should go all in on 40:54 — When founders need to start hiring and delegating 41:16 — How £1m investment helped Pareto scale beyond £20m 41:42 — Delegating without losing company culture 43:54 — Using AI for finance, customer service and operations 44:38 — What 25 years of fast-growth business data reveals 45:20 — The three foundations of sustainable business growth 45:53 — Why hiring and developing great people comes first 46:08 — Managing cash and finance during business growth 46:25 — Why customer retention beats customer acquisition 48:11 — Growing your business alongside fast-growth customers 48:48 — Working with ASOS, Deliveroo and Paddy Power Betfair 52:16 — Why entrepreneurs should attend Ideas Fest 53:30 — How founder communities combat business loneliness 57:11 — Why accessibility makes Ideas Fest different 59:48 — Why great businesses often start by solving your own problem

Can a frustrated dad with no fashion experience build one of the biggest brands in women’s football? Connor Stanbridge is the founder of Footballher, a women’s football clothing and sportswear brand created specifically for women and girls. Connect with Footballher https://footballher.co.uk/ Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter The idea began during the Women’s Euro 2022, when Connor tried to buy football clothing for his young daughter and discovered that most major retailers offered little beyond boys’ kits or poorly fitting unisex products. After finding that thousands of other parents and players had experienced the same problem, he left his existing business and committed to building the solution. Using TikTok to document the journey, Connor built a community before footballher had produced a single product, gathered direct feedback from women and girls outside football stadiums and grew an email waiting list of 15,000 people before launch. In this episode, Connor explains how to validate an idea without a marketing budget, turn social media followers into customers, build products through community feedback, find manufacturers, manage stock and compete against global sportswear brands by creating a brand people genuinely want to belong to. KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Can a girl dad build the biggest brand in women’s football? 01:04 — The Oxford Street shopping trip that inspired footballher 03:22 — Turning a frustrating customer experience into a business idea 05:13 — Discovering the lack of clothing designed for women footballers 07:30 — Why naivety can be a founder’s greatest advantage 08:11 — Building an audience before creating the product 08:49 — Using TikTok when you have no marketing budget 10:38 — Why footballher became a community-led brand 11:11 — Crowdsourcing product ideas outside football stadiums 13:18 — Creating the footballher Black Card 14:28 — The moment strangers recognised Connor before the brand launched 16:11 — Listening to customers without designing by committee 18:28 — Turning social media followers into an email waiting list 19:19 — Getting locked out of TikTok one week before launch 20:48 — How long it really takes to develop a clothing product 22:34 — Why Connor refused to use print-on-demand clothing 23:55 — The first footballher sale and learning through small product drops 25:02 — Hiring an experienced sportswear designer 26:53 — Contacting up to 200 factories and manufacturers 29:26 — Why followers do not automatically become customers 30:33 — The lesson that changed footballher’s product strategy 31:21 — Why selling out can create serious business problems 32:11 — Competing with Nike, Adidas and global sportswear brands 34:12 — Building community as a competitive advantage 35:04 — Bringing more than 100 women and girls together at footballher’s first event 37:02 — Moving from founder-led storytelling to a professional brand 39:48 — The opportunity to create football kits for professional clubs 41:19 — Using TikTok, Instagram and Meta retargeting together 42:52 — Scaling the business without breaking its foundations 45:45 — Why girls need to see women playing football 48:09 — Connor’s three-to-five-year vision for footballher

Can one self-taught editor change how an entire industry promotes its content? Anthony Smith is the former Diary Of A CEO trailer editor who helped transform podcast promotion from simple social media clips into cinematic, emotionally charged miniature movies. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter After struggling to break into the film and television industry without money, contacts or formal training, Ant started his own production company and taught himself to edit because he could not afford to employ an editor. That decision eventually led him to work on major campaigns involving Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel before joining The Diary Of A CEO when the team consisted of fewer than ten people. Over the next four and a half years, Ant created or oversaw more than 450 podcast trailers, helping turn Steven Bartlett’s podcast into one of the world’s biggest media brands. His documentary-inspired storytelling, cinematic sound design and emotionally driven editing style helped redefine how podcasts, creators and brands promote long-form content. You will hear: ▪️Working on campaigns involving Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel ▪️Joining Diary Of A CEO when the team had fewer than ten people ▪️Why Steven Bartlett told Ant not to study other podcasts ▪️Turning podcast trailers into cinematic miniature documentaries ▪️The storytelling principles behind more than 450 trailers ▪️How music, sound design and editing can provoke emotion ▪️Why Diary Of A CEO’s trailers helped define the brand ▪️Why copying the Diary Of A CEO style will not work for every business ▪️The 15-point mindset checklist used to train trailer editors ▪️Why brands must create content from first principles ▪️The difference between building a brand and chasing attention ▪️Why going viral can become an addictive and destructive cycle ▪️How vanity metrics cause brands to abandon their identity ▪️Why a million views may produce no customers or meaningful community ▪️How AI and human creativity can work together 0:00 — Has Ant Smith changed the podcasting industry? 4:00 — Growing up believing success happened to other people 8:17 — Working on Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel campaigns 13:10 — Pressure, burnout and becoming addicted to difficult work 17:50 — Joining Diary Of A CEO for an “easier” creative role 19:49 — How cinematic trailers transformed the podcast 21:15 — Turning a podcast into a global media show 23:31 — Ant’s first day with Jonny Wilkinson and Wretch 32 30:01 — Why Steven Bartlett told him not to watch other podcasts 32:10 — Creating the first Diary Of A CEO trailer 34:05 — The first and final trailers that bookended Ant’s journey 37:28 — Creating and overseeing more than 450 trailers 38:25 — An estimated 1.5 billion episode views and what comes next 40:24 — Why copying successful content causes industries to stagnate 47:18 — How trailers helped define the Diary Of A CEO brand 48:50 — Why brand building should be treated as an art form 55:22 — Creating different identities for new podcast brands 59:59 — The 15-point mindset checklist behind effective trailers 1:01:32 — What brands get wrong about short-form content 1:03:27 — Why going viral can become a destructive addiction 1:05:28 — The dopamine crash that follows viral success 1:09:45 — Leaving the world’s biggest podcast 48 hours earlier 1:10:23 — Why success left Ant feeling empty and worthless 1:12:49 — The friendships behind Diary Of A CEO’s growth 1:15:10 — Leaving a powerful brand and questioning your own value 1:16:54 — What comes after Diary Of A CEO? 1:17:40 — Stepping into the unknown without another job 1:18:14 — Building a better relationship between AI and creativity 1:20:29 — Challenging the belief that employment equals safety 1:22:07 — Reflecting on a career that changed podcast promotion

Can losing your father, losing the business you built in his honour and taking a job you never expected become the foundation for your biggest opportunity? Danny Gray is an entrepreneur, commercial strategist, former Commercial Partnerships Director within Steven Bartlett’s business ecosystem and co-founder of LVLS, a wellness brand launched into 750 Boots stores from day one. After losing his father to Parkinson’s disease, Danny became driven to build businesses that improve people’s health, going on to launch an award-winning functional nutrition restaurant before joining Steven Bartlett’s early team, helping build the commercial engine around The Diary Of A CEO. Through his Venture Capital fund building, he has now co-created Hide, stocked in 1,000 Tesco stores, and launched LVLS alongside Beta Squad’s Sharky, brokering a deal to get the product into 750 Boots stores from day one. In this episode, Danny explains how Levels secured major retail distribution before launch, reduced its funding requirements through smart payment terms, built authentic creator partnerships and set out to make wellness more fun and accessible for everyday people. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Join the Building The Brand newsletter: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Key Moments: 0:00 — Losing His Dad Two Weeks After Launch 1:21 — Danny Gray: Entrepreneur and Levels Co-Founder 2:14 — How Money, Shame and Family Created His Drive 6:53 — His Father’s Battle With Parkinson’s Disease 10:58 — Opening a Restaurant Before Losing His Father 15:05 — Creating a Functional Medicine Restaurant 18:54 — Building One of London’s Breakout Restaurants 20:09 — Manifestation as Tactical Business Planning 23:38 — The Final Phone Call From His Father 27:00 — Sleeping in the Restaurant to Pay Staff 30:09 — Why Founders Cannot Outwork Grief 34:41 — Scaling Into Google, Chelsea FC and Retail 39:22 — Pivoting From Restaurants to Healthy Ready Meals 42:45 — Joining Steven Bartlett With Three Bullet Points 45:39 — Commercialising The Diary Of A CEO 48:40 — Leaving Steven Bartlett to Become a Founder 51:33 — Why Taking a Job Is Not a Step Backwards 55:58 — Launching Hide Into 1,000 Tesco Stores 57:46 — Athlete Equity Deals and Business Ownership 1:01:01 — Identifying the Mainstream Wellness Opportunity 1:03:46 — Launching Levels Into 750 Boots Stores 1:05:34 — Retail First vs Direct-to-Consumer Strategy 1:07:24 — How to Structure a Mutually Valuable Deal 1:09:40 — Partnering With Sharky From Beta Squad 1:11:33 — Why Creator Equity Beats Celebrity Endorsements 1:18:32 — Why the Wellness Industry Is Too Serious 1:21:25 — Building a Wellness Brand for Everyday People 1:23:18 — Entering the Crowded Electrolyte Market 1:28:20 — Building a Business to Make His Son Proud 1:31:15 — Funding a 750-Store Retail Launch 1:32:19 — Negotiating Payment Terms to Protect Cash Flow 1:34:16 — Taking Risks and Building Without Regret

Can a working-class entrepreneur build a £50 million revenue business from his spare bedroom, sell it for $100 million and still hold on to the things that matter most? Andrew Hulbert is the founder of Pareto Facilities Management, the bootstrapped business he grew from a laptop in his bedroom to £50 million in annual turnover, 550 employees and a $100 million business exit. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand? Connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Andrew explains how Pareto competed against multibillion-pound facilities management companies by being more agile, flexible and customer-focused. He reveals how that strategy helped the company grow organically from £18 million to £32 million in a single year. ▪️How Andrew built Pareto Facilities Management from his bedroom to £50 million in turnover ▪️The working-class upbringing that shaped his ambition and work ethic ▪️Why his original financial freedom target was only £2 million ▪️How customer-first flexibility helped Pareto grow during COVID ▪️Growing organically from £18 million to £32 million in one year ▪️How smaller businesses can compete against multi-billion pound corporations ▪️Why hiring senior leaders helped scale beyond the founder ▪️Building a powerful B2B brand in an unglamorous industry ▪️Using networking, PR, awards and major client names to create authority ▪️Winning brands including Twitter, Yahoo, Bulgari and London Zoo ▪️How Pareto won a £2.3 million contract while turning over only £1.5 million ▪️The brutal family sacrifice behind Andrew’s business success ▪️Answering 835 due diligence questions and completing a $100 million exit KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — The real sacrifice behind Andrew’s $100 million exit 2:10 — Going all-in on Pareto for 10 years 3:24 — Working-class roots and the original £2 million exit target 6:45 — Why the founder eventually becomes the bottleneck 10:36 — How COVID became the catalyst for Pareto’s growth 13:43 — Growing organically from £18 million to £32 million 16:46 — Turning a business crisis into a competitive opportunity 26:56 — PAUSE POINT: Building a B2B brand around mission 29:29 — The £104 billion facilities management opportunity 39:30 — Learning business inside a chaotic SME 43:29 — The corporate takeover that triggered Pareto 46:06 — Networking before you need something 49:17 — Using awards to build authority and credibility 54:31 — Risking his marriage, house, money and reputation 1:11:47 — Winning a £2.3 million contract at £1.5 million turnover 1:17:35 — PAUSE POINT: Choosing premium clients intentionally 1:21:10 — Putting his daughter down to answer a customer 1:33:41 — 835 due diligence questions in three and a half weeks 1:36:54 — Decompressing after the exit and rebuilding family life 1:45:17 — Andrew’s next 10-year chapter

Can a 20-year-old with no experience turn one TikTok creator into a £250,000 opportunity and build one of the UK’s most respected social-first talent agencies?Benjy Leslie is the founder and CEO of Connect Management, one of the UK’s leading creator talent management and influencer marketing agencies. In just six years, Connect has grown from a lockdown start-up into a major force in the creator economy, working with social-first talent, YouTubers, TikTok creators, brands, agencies and some of the biggest names in modern media.Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Connect with Benjy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjy-leslie-837b64144/ In this episode, Benjy explains how he made £250,000 from one creator in three months, why social media is “the free lottery” for founders, how Connect Academy generated £1m for micro-creators in its first year, why brands need to move beyond one-off influencer campaigns, and why the future belongs to creators, entrepreneurs and businesses that can build attention, adapt quickly and turn content into long-term brand value.▪️How Benjy Leslie built Connect Management during lockdown ▪️Turning one TikTok creator into £250,000 revenue ▪️Why energy, belief and naivety can beat experience ▪️How creators become salespeople, media brands and business owners ▪️How Connect Academy generated £1m for micro-creators ▪️Why brands need to move beyond one-off influencer campaigns ▪️How YouTube shows are shaping the future of branded content ▪️Why social-first creators are changing TV and media ▪️Building culture through incentives, rewards and high standards ▪️Why founder content drives clients, talent, trust and recruitment ▪️Why social media is the free lottery for entrepreneurs ▪️Launching Connect Management in America without losing culture KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — Why social media is the free lottery 1:33 — 3.3 billion views and the bedroom start-up story 3:43 — Making £250,000 from one TikTok creator 5:14 — Naivety, belief and early-stage founder energy 6:05 — What Connect Management does for creators 7:02 — Connect Academy and the creator pathway 10:06 — What makes a creator commercially valuable 13:21 — Using data and AI to track creator trends 15:05 — Scaling to 60 staff while staying bootstrapped 19:51 — PAUSE POINT: Culture as a business growth strategy 24:53 — Best boss PR, incentives and sales motivation 30:52 — Why brands get influencer marketing wrong 31:05 — YouTube shows and the future of branded content 33:08 — Why creators need patience and consistency 37:57 — Targeted sales, attention and commercial logic 40:24 — Why great salespeople listen and move on 47:17 — Why TV is not dying, it is evolving 49:39 — 360 talent management and creator brands 51:30 — PAUSE POINT: Evolution, relevance and content strategy 54:41 — Why founders should treat social media as the free lottery 58:11 — Recruitment, founder brand and social proof 1:00:14 — Launching Connect Management in America 1:02:43 — Selling Fletcher Holman to Wolves through social media 1:03:59 — PAUSE POINT: Finding million-pound ideas in unexpected places 1:06:58 — Scaling without losing company culture 1:10:30 — Ronaldo, Haaland and authentic content

Benjy Leslie is the founder and CEO of Connect Management which has grown from lockdown start-up into a social-first talent agency representing the biggest names in modern media. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE NOW

Can rebellion, enthusiasm and one strange idea change your entire life? Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL and the wider YO! brand, shares the extraordinary journey from boarding school, rebellion, prison, rock and roll stage design and TV rights to launching YO! Sushi at 45 and building one of Britain’s most recognisable modern brands. Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficial Want more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletter Get Simon’s book YO! Man: https://yo.co.uk/yoman/ ▪️Why Simon believes enthusiasm is the trait behind his success ▪️Why rebellion can become entrepreneurial fuel ▪️Going to prison and how it changed Simon’s life ▪️How Simon became a rock and roll stage designer ▪️Working around Rod Stewart, Queen, ABBA, Jethro Tull and major live shows ▪️Spotting the opportunity in music TV rights before the market existed ▪️Why the best founders can be early to a market without being reckless ▪️How a lunch meeting sparked the idea for YO! Sushi ▪️Why conveyor belt sushi, robots and Japanese culture felt like the future ▪️Launching YO! Sushi at 45 with his own money on the line ▪️How word of mouth turned YO! Sushi into an iconic British brand ▪️The story behind YOTEL and building a brand across multiple verticals ▪️Why Simon still believes in YO! Home, YO! Airships and future YO! concepts KEY MOMENTS: 0:00 — The trait behind Simon’s success 2:06 — Boarding school, authority and rebellion 7:17 — Getting arrested and going to detention 12:43 — Working on yourself as a founder 16:31 — PAUSE POINT: Work on yourself 23:31 — Intensity, enthusiasm and leadership 28:32 — Becoming a rock and roll roadie 32:06 — Band, brand and live spectacle 38:00 — Spotting the music TV rights opportunity 43:06 — Being early to new markets 45:04 — PAUSE POINT: Early or mistaken? 49:24 — The lunch that sparked YO! Sushi 52:04 — Researching and believing in the idea 55:13 — Gut instinct vs market research 56:35 — YO! Home and future living 1:02:09 — Opening YO! Sushi to an empty room 1:02:50 — The queue that lasted five years 1:05:24 — Growing YO! Sushi and YOTEL 1:08:26 — PAUSE POINT: Unrelenting enthusiasm 1:13:57 — Simon’s advice for entrepreneurs

Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL and the wider YO! brand, shares the extraordinary journey from boarding school, rebellion, prison, rock and roll stage design and TV rights to launching YO! Sushi at 45 and building one of Britain’s most recognisable modern brands. Full episode out now on APPLE | SPOTIFY | AMAZON MUSIC