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Scaling Stories Unfiltered, the podcast that gets real about what it takes to scale a business. We’re not here to talk about the unicorns in the headlines or drop names you’ve already heard. Instead, we’re diving deep into the trenches with leaders who’ve been through the scale-up journey to learn from their lived experiences – and avoid their mistakes!
15 Episodes
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What if the best leaders aren’t the loudest but the ones who listen? In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, we sit down with Monica Collings, a leadership advisor and transformation expert whose career path is anything but linear. From building her own business to leading complex integrations in multi-billion-pound energy firms, Monica has navigated startups, scale-ups, and corporate giants, all while staying true to her belief in people-first leadership. She shares the unfiltered tru...
In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, we speak to Pete Cowan, founder of Westfield Insurance (now Everywhen under Ardonagh Advisory), about what it really takes to build a business when you didn’t mean to but backed yourself anyway. Pete didn’t set out to be a founder. He was happily employed for 15+ years until redundancy forced his hand. What followed wasn’t a flashy startup story, but one of steady resilience, deep client relationships, and growth only when the business was truly ...
What if kindness isn’t soft—but your most strategic business advantage? In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, we speak to Stella Smith, award-winning FinTech founder and CEO of pirkx, a platform making wellbeing benefits affordable and accessible to the workers most often left out. Stella shares the unfiltered story of leaving school at 16, rising quickly through the banking world, and building a business with heart, hustle, and a mission that got under her skin and never left. From ...
What if trusting your team, even when it feels risky, is exactly what unlocks performance? In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, we speak to Renaud Vandewalle, executive coach, AI innovator, and founder of Anti-Hero Management. Renaud shares the unfiltered story of how he led a business on the brink of collapse, not by taking control, but by letting go. His decision to trust a team he didn’t fully believe in led to a turnaround that redefined his approach to leadership. Now, through ...
What makes a founder truly scale-ready? It’s about mindset, clarity, and knowing what not to do. In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, we speak to Andrew Priestley, award-winning business coach, author, and trusted advisor to hundreds of business leaders across the UK, Australia, and beyond. Andrew brings decades of experience helping founders cut through the noise, steady the ship, and build businesses that don’t just grow, they last. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why founder m...
What does it really take to grow a business across sectors and ownership models, while staying grounded in clarity, culture, and commercial focus? From private equity to listed companies, Colin’s approach to growth is shaped by structure, listening, and putting the right people in the right seats. In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, Colin Sykes shares what he's learned from leading at the highest level across global businesses, scale-ups, and private equity-backed ventures. ...
What does it really take to build and scale a tech company? In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, Christian Nagele, founder of CentraStage and now Chief Strategy Officer at inforcer, shares the full, unfiltered journey from remortgaging his house and hiring his first team, to acquisition, merger, IPO and beyond. This one isn’t about overnight success. It’s about building value the long way, through resilience, timing, and learning as you go. What you'll learn in this episode: W...
What Drives Dan Martin: Grit, Great Partnerships and Getting It Done How do you go from 16-year-old apprentice electrician to founder of one of the UK’s fastest-growing EV infrastructure businesses? In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, Dan Martin, co-founder of Elmtronics and now Black Bee Rum, shares the real story behind his entrepreneurial journey — and it’s not your typical “start-up to exit” narrative. What you'll learn in this episode: What it means to always find a way — aro...
What does it really take to step down as a founder-CEO—on your terms? In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, I sit down with Evgeny Shadchnev, co-founder of Makers Academy and author of Startup CEO Succession, to talk about one of the biggest decisions a founder can make: handing over the reins. Evgeny built one of Europe’s first coding bootcamps, helped thousands launch tech careers, and raised venture funding, then chose to step away. This is a refreshingly honest look at what that ...
Scaling a business isn’t about glossy headlines, it’s about grit, purpose, and solving problems that matter. In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, I’m joined by Tessa Clarke, Co-Founder and CEO of Olio, the app tackling food waste by connecting neighbours & businesses to share surplus food and household items. With over 7 million users and 100 million meals saved, Olio proves you can scale and make a real-world impact. Tessa shares: The lightbulb moment that sparked OlioWhy they ...
Scaling isn’t about throwing more people at a problem—it’s about getting the right ones in the right roles, at the right time. In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, I’m joined by Jaimie Stewart, Chief of Staff at Newsflare, who’s scaled teams across some of the UK’s most recognisable brands—Tom Dixon, Whistles, and Cath Kidston included. Jaimie shares why traditional hiring models are broken, what scale-ups actually need from People leaders, and how to keep your team truly engaged as...
Scaling a consultancy isn’t about growing as fast as possible or chasing investors—it’s about building something that lasts, delivers real value, and reflects what you actually want from your business. In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, I’m joined by Phil Brown, co-founder of OneGTM, who shares the real journey behind growing a strategic consultancy from zero to a successful exit. Phil opens up about the decisions that shaped the business, the mistakes that taught him the most, an...
Episode 3: The Dark Side of Scaling – Hard Truths Every Founder Must Know with Spencer Ayres Scaling a business isn’t just about hiring fast, raising capital, or chasing exponential growth—it’s about making the right moves at the right time. When businesses get this wrong, it leads to hiring mistakes, client dependency, and even painful layoffs. In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, I sit down with Spencer Ayres, Founder & Managing Partner of Jointly, to unpack the hidden challen...
📢 Scaling Stories Unfiltered - Episode 2 Scaling a business comes with tough decisions—and one of the biggest is how to get tech leadership right. Should you hire a full-time CTO, or would a Fractional CTO be the smarter move? 💡 Making the wrong tech decisions can slow you down—or worse, break your business. In this episode, I sit down with Graham Roberts, a Fractional CTO who has helped scale businesses from early-stage startups to established organizations. With two decades of experience sp...
The Hard Truth About Scaling, Hiring, Funding & Navigating Growth 📢 Scaling Stories Unfiltered - Episode 1 Scaling a business isn’t just about glossy headlines and overnight success—it’s messy, challenging, and full of lessons no one warns you about. In this first episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, I sit down with Jon Cornwell, CEO & Co-Founder of Newsflare, one of the world's leading video marketplace platforms. Jon has spent over a decade raising VC funding, scaling a global pla...
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