Screw It Just DO It with Alex Chisnall

Welcome to Saturday Solo Episode #341. During this episode, Stop Procrastinating & Fight The Fear, I talk about how today marks the 4th Year Anniversary of Screw It, Just Do It. When I started this podcast, I didn't know or I didn't plan it would lead from episode 1 to now, episode 340! I literally just screw it and just do it clearly. But for all the success the show has now, I did procrastinate and had fears at the very start. And this episode will show you my mistakes and hopefully you will learn from and stop procrastinating and just move forward! Here's some highlights: We fear the unknown, the future but we need to embrace that fear and stop procrastinating. It's 100% mental. If you know it's what you want to do, it's your passion, go for it and just screw it, just do it. In partnership with Pure Sport CBD. Relieve. Relax. Perform. CBD For Active Lifestyles. Use the code 'justdoit20' to get 20% off on your purchase. Learn more about the contents discussed in this episode: Connect with me via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Welcome to Episode #324: with Farah Nanji, known by her artist alias as NINJA, a highly accomplished public speaker and is one of the few DJs in the world to deliver a TEDx talk. Farah is also the host of the podcast show Mission Makers. During this episode, Living a Limitless Life, we talk about: It's important to stay to in your core in building your business. Being passionate in what you do is the first step in ensuring to being successful. Having difficulties in any aspects of your life shouldn't hinder you in achieving whatever goals you set. On the contrary, it should motivates you and elevates you to a better mindset to be able to conquer it. As humans, music as art and as an entertainment is important in being able to express ourselves specially in these times where we are socially distanced from another. - Always look for a silver lining in a difficult situation. Having a positive mindset helps you transform something negative into something good and successful in the long run. Learn more about the contents discussed in this episode: Connect with Farah via LinkedIn, Instagram, and her Website. Listen to Mission Makers Podcast.

Matt Richards MBE is a two time Olympic champion who understands pressure at the highest level. In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, Matt shares how self belief was built early, tested at the 2024 Olympics, and later applied to building a business while still competing at an elite level.We talk about dealing with doubt, staying consistent when outcomes are uncertain, and why feedback and focus matter when you are building something new.Key TakeawaysHow Matt rebuilt belief under Olympic pressureWhy consistency beats confidence during uncertain momentsWhat elite sport teaches you about execution and focusHow feedback shaped Matt’s move into business🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments.If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up.As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days.👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.🔥 Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at the NEC Birmingham.👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

Simon Alexander Ong is a speaker, coach, and author of Energize. In this Bite-Sized episode of Screw It Just DO It, Simon explains why energy sits at the centre of fulfilment, performance, and progress.We talk about acting before the timing feels perfect, building relationships without expectation, and learning to filter feedback properly. Simon shares the moment he realised that waiting creates regret and why fulfilment starts with decisions made in the present.Key TakeawaysWhy waiting for the right moment often leads to regretHow energy is shaped by people, environments, and internal storiesWhy relationships grow stronger without expectations attachedHow to filter feedback into signal and ignore the noiseThis episode is for founders and leaders who feel drained, distracted, or stuck waiting for clarity.🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at the NEC Birmingham.

This Festival of Entrepreneurs panel brings together founders who experienced The Apprentice from the inside and lived with the consequences after the cameras stopped rolling.Tre Lowe, Sabrina Stocker, and Daniel Elahi share why they chose visibility, what the show really gave them, and where it genuinely helped or hindered their businesses. We talk about personal brand, resilience, teamwork under pressure, and the difference between short-term attention and long-term value.This episode, hosted by James Burtt, founder of Phonic Content, is not about reality TV. It is about making deliberate decisions when exposure, risk, and reputation are on the line.Key TakeawaysWhy visibility accelerates opportunity when values are clearHow resilience is built under pressure, not comfortWhen personal brand helps and when it becomes noiseWhy certainty and teamwork matter more than tactics🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at the NEC Birmingham.👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

Adam Kamani has scaled businesses by focusing on the one area founders struggle with most. People.In this Bite-sized episode of Screw It Just DO It, Adam explains why hiring decisions shape everything that follows, how strong teams compensate for leadership gaps, and why personality matters more than skill when a business starts to grow.What You’ll LearnWhy managing people becomes harder as businesses scaleHow hiring for personality protects culture long termWhy strong teams fill leadership and capability gapsWhat founders often get wrong about people decisionsThis episode is for founders and leaders who want to scale without losing trust, accountability, or momentum.🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.🔥 If you’re serious about growing your business, join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on 3-4 November at the NEC Birmingham.👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

Henry Firth and Ian Theasby are the founders of BOSH!, one of the UK’s most influential plant-based food brands. What started as frustration with corporate life became a deliberate decision to build an audience before building products.What You’ll LearnWhy starting with content de-risked their entire businessHow £20k funded the first critical leapThe discipline behind focusing on the UK before global expansionWhat founders misunderstand about slow, steady scaleThis is a practical conversation about focus, restraint, and building something meaningful without rushing scale.🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.🔥 If you’re serious about growing your business, join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, 3–4 November 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.👉 Subscribe now and be part of the movement.

Growing on TikTok becomes easier when you understand how the platform thinks. Timothy Armoo explains the system with complete clarity.Most founders post on TikTok without understanding how the platform decides who sees what. In this Bite sized Screw It Just DO It episode, Timothy Armoo strips away the guesswork. He explains why niche dominance matters, how to warm the algorithm, and why video level performance beats follower count every time. His approach is built from running campaigns for global brands and seeing what actually drives reach. These insights apply to any founder trying to grow an audience, test messaging or build trust online. His view of TikTok as a behaviour engine rather than a social network gives you a clearer way to work with the platform instead of fighting it.Guest Note:Timothy Armoo is the co founder of Fanbytes, one of Europe’s largest Gen Z marketing agencies.Key TakeawaysWarm the algorithm before posting to improve distribution.Build content for one niche to help TikTok identify your audience.Create episodic content to increase watch time and return visits.Use trends to give the algorithm a shortcut for matching your videos to intent.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Sandra Byrne never set out to be an entrepreneur. She left school at fifteen, had no qualifications, and started in retail to get by. What followed was a twenty-one-year journey that led her to build the biggest Lush store in the world on Liverpool’s high street.What You’ll LearnWhy acting like an owner matters even when the business is not yoursHow community and experience replaced marketing budgetsWhat it takes to scale without losing cultureHow to stay entrepreneurial inside a large organisationThis episode is a practical lesson in leadership, ownership, and building something meaningful without waiting for permission.🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.🔥 If you’re serious about growing your business, join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, 3–4 November 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.👉 Subscribe now and be part of the movement.

This episode features Richard Harpin MBE, founder of HomeServe and one of the UK’s most experienced scale up operators. Recorded before his recent MBE award, this conversation shows exactly why his contribution to British business has been recognised.Richard shares how he grew a simple plumbing insurance idea into a global business valued at over £4 billion. He breaks down his nine step framework for building and scaling companies, from copying and pivoting early, to securing the right investor, replacing yourself as founder, and choosing steady evolution over dramatic change.We also cover international expansion, backing yourself when capital is tight, and why mentorship has played a defining role throughout his career. Today Richard is focused on helping the next generation of founders through Growth Partner and Business Leader, with a clear ambition to support a significant share of the UK’s mid sized businesses.Key takeawaysFollow a clear framework and focus on execution not ideasSecure the right mentor early and listen to themEvolve constantly to avoid becoming irrelevantExpand internationally with local leadership in placeStrip your business back to its core value and commit fully🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Scaling a startup into a national or international brand is rarely clean, predictable, or glamorous.Recorded live at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, this panel brings together founders who have scaled in very different industries but faced the same uncomfortable decisions along the way. From compliance and capital to branding, product reality, and investor relationships, this conversation focuses on what actually holds when growth accelerates.Guests:Mark Rushmore, Co-founder of SURI Laura Fullerton, Founder of monk Claire Warner, Co-founder of Aecorn Melissa Snover, Founder of Remedy Health & Nourished Jeannette Linfoot, Host of Brave Bold Brilliant (moderator)In this episode, you’ll learn:Why compliance and financial clarity cannot be delayedWhen rebuilding is the real growth decisionHow to think about scale before demand explodesWhat raising capital really looks like in tougher marketsIf you are building something you want to last, this episode will help you see scale more clearly.🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.🔥 If you’re serious about growing your business, join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, 3–4 November 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.👉 Subscribe now and be part of the movement.00:00 Welcome to the Festival of Entrepreneurs  00:12 What It Really Takes to Scale a Startup  01:25 Meet the Founders  04:17 Early Scaling Lessons  05:48 Strategic Bets vs Rushing to Scale  07:04 Building Compliance Before Growth  08:18 Choosing a Market That Can Scale  10:25 Lessons From Before This Business  13:20 When Customers Reject the Product  16:40 Branding Before the Product Exists  18:14 Understanding the Numbers  20:57 The Reality of Raising Capital  21:55 The Screw It Just DO It Moment  24:35 Handling Rejection as a Founder  27:51 Choosing the Right Investors  29:58 Scaling With the Right Partners  32:17 Building a Brand in a New Category  34:43 Final Thoughts From the Panel 

Piers Linney MBE has spent years operating at the sharp end of business, investment, and technology. In this episode, recorded before his recent MBE award, Piers lays out a clear view of where AI is taking founders and why waiting is the biggest risk.He explains how AI already outperforms humans in speed, cost, and consistency across many cognitive tasks. The advantage now comes from knowing where humans still matter and where machines should take over. Founders who treat AI as a daily operating layer will move faster, build leaner teams, and make better decisions. Those who delay will struggle to catch up.This conversation is practical, grounded, and focused on action. It reflects why Piers was recognised with an MBE for services to business and entrepreneurship.Key Takeaways:• AI increases capacity without extra cost• Personalised content and voice agents boost revenue• AI uncovers insights hidden in everyday conversations• Founders who act early gain a long term advantage🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

What happens when you stop chasing money and start building around who you are. This episode breaks down mindset, performance, and discipline for founders who feel stuck and want control back.Leaving the Special Forces should have been a clean transition. It was not. Simon Jeffries walked away from military life into a corporate role that felt wrong, chased online business ideas that failed, and ended up broke and back at his parents’ home.That low point forced a reset. Simon stopped chasing money and built around what he understood best. Mindset, performance, and discipline under pressure. In this conversation, we break down how founders train mindset as a skill, why small consistent changes beat radical overhauls, and how leadership fundamentals still matter in an AI driven world.This episode is for founders who feel overwhelmed, reactive, or stuck in their own heads and want a practical way forward.Guest: Simon Jeffries is a former Special Forces operator and co founder of The Natural Edge, where he works with founders and leaders on mindset and performance under pressure. Key takeawaysDiscipline is a trained skill and beats raw talent over timeMindset works when treated like physical training with structureSmall consistent changes create lasting performance shiftsLeadership basics matter more than tools or technology🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

James Haskell shares the realities of leaving a structured career for entrepreneurship and the discipline needed to build something on your own terms.Stepping out of professional sport and into business forces you to confront how you work, who you trust and what you want your life to look like. In this bite sized episode, I speak with James Haskell as he breaks down the shift from a highly structured rugby environment to the chaos that often defines the corporate world. He talks about the importance of boundaries, the trap of pointless meetings and the need to value your time as much as you value your effort. His honesty cuts through the noise that surrounds entrepreneurship and highlights a simple truth. You either take responsibility for your next chapter or someone else writes it for you.Guest note: James Haskell is a former England rugby international and entrepreneur.Key Takeaways:Discipline replaces structure when you leave a fixed careerBoundaries stop you wasting time on meetings that add nothingFocus on fewer ventures to reduce burnout and increase clarityA clear exchange of value builds better business relationships🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Every year, I take one episode to step back and reflect. This is the countdown of the 10 Screw It Just DO It episodes you listened to most in 2025.This episode is a reflection on what really resonated with you in 2025. From founders starting in kitchens to building global brands, these conversations cut through the noise. We revisit lessons on resilience, timing, discipline, leadership, brand, AI, and long term thinking. Each guest earned their place by sharing honest stories about risk, doubt, growth, and momentum. This countdown is not about hype. It is about substance. If you want real insight into what it takes to build something meaningful, this episode brings together the voices that defined the year. It also marks a personal moment of reflection on a challenging year and a clear focus on what comes next.Guest note: This episode features highlights from ten previous guests including Pippa Murray, Aaron Gelbard, Julian Hearn, Richard Harpin, Piers Linney, Nell Daly, Richard Reed, Boris Diakonov, Juliet Barratt, and Al Barratt.Key TakeawaysYou do not need permission to startLong term thinking beats short term winsBrand and culture shape scaleResilience compounds over time🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Rebranding a company is rarely neat, and James Clark makes that clear in this conversation. He talks through the pressure of changing a long established name, the internal tension that came with it and the need to build something that reflects future ambition rather than past comfort. His breakdown of stakeholder alignment, intellectual coherence and disciplined decision making gives founders a practical view of how to manage identity change at scale. It is a calm and honest look at the work behind a brand that now represents a fast growing venture capital firm with global reach.Guest note:James Clark is the Marketing Director at Molten Ventures, known for leading one of the most complex rebrands in European venture capital.Key TakeawaysA rebrand must reflect where the organisation is going, not where it has been.Stakeholder alignment matters more than visual design.Intellectual coherence gives a brand long term strength.Risk is part of the process but it must be managed with structure and clarity.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Recorded live at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, this panel brings together founders who are actively implementing AI in real businesses. We cover what AI first actually means in practice, how to start small without breaking existing operations, and why governance and visibility matter more than speed alone. The conversation moves beyond theory into workflows, automation, data, compliance, and personal brand growth. We also explore where AI is already creating new revenue models and how founders can future proof visibility as AI search replaces traditional discovery. This is a grounded discussion for operators who want clarity, not noise, and results that show up on the balance sheet.Guest panel: Piers Linney, James Smith, Dominic Kos, Sabrina Stocker. Hosted by Rob Hanna.Key takeawaysStart AI adoption with clear workflows and measurable ROIGovernance and visibility create confidence and safe scaleAI works best when paired with human judgementFounders must adapt content and branding for AI search🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

In this Bite-Sized episode, I revisit my conversation with George Kruis, former England international rugby player and co-founder of fourfive. George explains how he and Dom began building their wellness brand while recovering from operations, sitting on physio beds and asking themselves how to take control of their recovery. This clip focuses on the early execution stage. He talks openly about setting up the company, learning how to operate outside the structure of professional sport, and why delegation, speed, and clarity are essential when you move into business. His honesty about the transition and the steep learning curve will resonate with anyone starting something new.Guest: George Kruis, co-founder of fourfive and former England rugby player.Key Takeaways:The first version of any business requires fast learning and deliberate action.Delegation is a skill founders must develop early.Your network is an asset only if you use it intentionally.Co-founders need different strengths to build momentum.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

A powerful five minute segment where David Yarrow reveals the moment he pivoted from sports photography to fine art and built a global brand.In this Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It session, I sit down with world leading fine art photographer David Yarrow to unpack the moment that changed his entire career. David explains how he went from struggling in finance to creating some of the most valuable photographic works in the world. He breaks down the thought process behind reinvention, why your subject choices define your relevance and how insecurity can fuel growth when channelled properly. This is an honest look at pivoting, risk taking and rebuilding from the ground up.Guest note: David Yarrow is one of the highest selling fine art photographers today, known for his cinematic wildlife and celebrity images.Key Takeaways:Reinvention demands a clear break from old identity and a willingness to start again.Creative success comes from choosing subjects that hold weight and meaning.Strong research separates average work from standout work.Insecurity is useful when it drives higher standards and sharper decisions.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.FOE returns to NEC Birmingham on November 3-4, 2026. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship