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Best way to scale? Your peers have the answers.
This is the podcast for scaleup founders looking for insightful, actionable wisdom from some of the best operators around. Each week we’ll explore one secret that other founders and experts are using right now and how to implement it.
It’s practical wisdom to build the company AND life you want. Hosted by renowned founder coach and advisor James Johnson.
You’ve survived to £1m, now let’s scale to £10m+.
153 Episodes
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"The realisation that I wasn't the best person for the job anymore was a big one." Kate Sikora hit the 8–10 person tipping point in her business and realised everything had to change, including herself. What followed was a three-year journey from Kate 1.0 to Kate 3.0, transforming not just how she led, but the entire trajectory of Noble Performance. In today's episode, I'm joined by Kate Sikora, Managing Director of Noble Performance, a Bristol-based SEO and search agency. After growing the b...
"What got you here won't get you there." James Johnson and Freddie Birley tackle the question: How do you scale yourself as a leader without losing what made you effective in the first place? In this Post Bag episode, James and Freddie explore the tension between staying authentic and evolving as your company grows. They unpack why some founders thrive in the scaling phase while others feel completely drained, how to design your role around what energises you (not what you "should" do), and w...
"I don't want to live a stressed out human experience. Mental health isn't a luxury – it's survival." Asim Amin built Plumm, a Series A HR platform with 40+ team members, after standing on his balcony three nights in a row contemplating suicide. His journey from that dark place to building the future of work reveals a truth most founders won't admit: the mental health crisis is real, it's hidden, and it's getting worse. But there's a path forward that combines AI innovation with genuine care ...
"I'm struggling to let go of control as we grow. How do I trust my team without everything falling apart?" Elizabeth's question exposes the founder's dilemma: you can't scale by doing everything yourself, but delegation feels terrifying. James Johnson and Freddie Birley tackle the pendulum swing from idealistic trust to micromanagement - and how to find equilibrium. In this Post Bag episode, James and Freddie explore why founders feel out of control, why that drives destructive behaviors, and...
"I don't want to live a stressed out human experience. And that I think can be a choice." Libby Swan has run Axioned, a global design consultancy, for 25 years without burning out. Her biggest insight? Staying calm isn't just good for your wellbeing - it's a competitive advantage that makes you a better leader, creates better team dynamics, and leads to smarter decisions. In today's episode, I'm joined by Libby Swan, CEO and Co-founder of Axioned, a design consultancy with teams across the wo...
"I hit my revenue goals but feel empty and unmotivated. Is this normal?" Ryan's question hits different - because post-success depression is real, and most founders don't talk about it. James Johnson and Freddie Birley unpack why achieving your goals can leave you feeling deflated instead of euphoric. In this Post Bag episode, James and Freddie explore the four energy levers that determine how you feel after a big win: purpose, people, progress, and pausing. They dive into why founders consta...
"If I had taken investment in the early years, it would've wrecked me. I wouldn't have been able to deal with investors breathing down my neck." George Sullivan turned his obsession with trainers into The Sole Supplier, a business driving £50 million GMV annually - without a single investor. His biggest insight? Bootstrapping isn't just about keeping control; it's about growing at a pace that matches your capacity as a founder. In today's episode, I'm joined by George Sullivan, founder and CE...
"Everyone finds networking awkward - you're not alone." James Johnson and Freddie Birley tackle your real founder questions in the Peer Effect Post Bag. No guests, no case studies - just honest answers to the stuff keeping you up at 2AM. In this episode, James and Freddie answer the question every founder dreads: "I'm terrible at networking with clients. It feels forced and awkward. How do I actually get good at building genuine relationships?" Their answer? Stop performing and start being cu...
"Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Networking isn't transactional, it's about building genuine connections." Mark Shepherd turned a LinkedIn post about mental health and meeting for drinks into Gathr, a 10,000-member community of VCs, founders, and PE investors. His biggest insight? Authentic relationships beat business card collecting every time. In today's episode, I'm joined by Mark Shepherd, founder and CEO of Gathr, Europe's leading community for founders and investors. After starting hi...
"Don't waste your chips on bad hands." Dimitar Stanimiroff has been through multiple exits, some successful, some painful shutdowns. He co-founded WePow(acquired) and Heresy (shut down after 3.5 years). His biggest financial return came from joining Stack Overflow, not founding his own company. In today's episode, I'm joined by Dimitar Stanimiroff, a seasoned SaaS founder, operator, and investor who's experienced both sides of the exit coin. After co-founding WePow and seeing it acquired, he ...
"I had to let everyone go and run the entire business myself." Tara Button's Buy Me Once had raised £3 million and grown to 14 staff. They were burning through cash faster than they could raise it. The choice: close the business completely or go solo with AI automation. The result? Q4 2024 revenue exceeded Q4 2023 (with the full team) and they made their first profit ever. In today's episode, I'm joined by Tara Button, bestselling author and founder of Buy Me Once, a mission-driven e-commerce...
Why You Can't Sustain What You Don't Enjoy Nick Baker left his successful consultancy after 25 years, burnt out from always being "on." He became a non-exec, convinced he'd never return to operational leadership. Then UK Padel came along, and he became CEO because he genuinely loved what they were building. The lesson? You can endure anything temporarily, but you can't sustain what you don't enjoy. About Nick Baker: Nick is the CEO of UK Padel and former co-founder of Alpha FMC, which he took...
The CEO who takes all the meeting notes isn't leading. They're sabotaging their own team. They feel comfortable doing what they're good at rather than tackling new parts of their role. But what if the founder-to-CEO shift wasn't about doing different things? What if it was about fundamentally seeing your role differently? In today's episode, I'm joined by Jennifer Clamp, a founder coach who specialises in supporting founders through the founder-to-CEO transition. Jennifer works within t...
Your best marketing content creators probably aren't who you think they are. Most founders assume it has to be them. They overlook the thought leaders already inside their team. They default to safe, scripted content that feels awkward and inauthentic. But what if the future of marketing wasn’t about personal branding at all… What if it was about empowering your entire team? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Katie Street, founder and MD of Street Agency and host of the chart-topping podcast ...
Most founders wait too long to think about partnerships. They wait until sales hit a ceiling. Until delivery starts to buckle. Until the team is stretched too thin. But what if partnerships weren’t a backup plan? What if they were the foundation of scale? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Stefan Ross, a go-to-market operator who’s built revenue and partnership functions from seed to pre-IPO. Together we unpack: The right way to scale your delivery model without building an inflated team...
What if having more fun was the key to being a better founder? Seriously. Not just to feel good, but to actually unlock better decisions, more creativity, and a business that’s built to last. In this episode, I sit down with Freddie, founder of POP and one of the most insightful coaches I know. We talk about something that doesn’t get spoken about enough in founder circles: how to reconnect with yourself as you scale. Not in a fluffy way. But in a practical, energising, real kind of ...
What if the key to unlocking better leadership isn’t strategy or scale but something far more personal? In this episode of The Peer Effect podcast, I sit down with Emma Serlin, Founder and CEO of London Speech Workshop, to explore the unexpected ways authenticity can shape your leadership and business. As both a communication expert and a founder who’s navigated burnout, Emma shares lessons that are as practical as they are profound. Together, we unpack: • Why your personal values might...
What does it take to scale a startup without losing sight of your vision? In this episode of the Peer Effect podcast, Jonathan Cornelias, shares the lessons learned from building four companies, including Elevent Inc, a marketplace connecting experience providers and companies to deliver unique, memorable virtual and physical experiences. Jon opens up about the mindset and strategies that have helped him navigate the challenges of scaling a business while staying true to his vision. Together ...
What if work-life balance isn’t the answer? As founders, the pressure to keep moving forward can feel relentless. But what if the secret to success isn’t sprinting harder, but intentionally slowing down? In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Ryan Bailey, a serial entrepreneur who’s launched 15 startups, one of which sold for $300m, to explore the power of pausing. Kelly has mastered the art of aligning personal and professional success, turning moments of reflection into a framework for sust...
Has your identity become wrapped up in your business? Setting boundaries and separating your identity from your business could be the first step to building a successful business sustainably. Sean Campbell, Co-Founder & CEO at Cascade Insights, has navigated this very issue for the past 25 years and has learned through the ups and downs of running two businesses. Together we unpack: How to separate your identity from your work.The importance of delegating and creating space for your...
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