scale with soul

Maya Moufarek is a Full Stack meaningful marketing expert, with decades of experience from companies like Google, Amex, Not On The High Street, and then the company she was the founding CMO of, Pharmacy2U (which raised $300m and is the 3rd largest pharmacy in the UK).How do we have to evolve as the company evolves? How do we think about our business' marketing from a high level? What biases do leaders suffer from the most? Expect to learn a lot about your psychology, meaningful marketing, startups and so much more in this podcast interview. 📖 Chapters:00:53 - What got you here won't get you there04:05 - The Problem With Founder-Problem Fit09:39 - What Biases Do Founders Fall Prey To The Most?11:28 - What's A Meaningful Company To You?18:53 - How To Recognise Meaning23:58 - Hoffman Process - How To Come Back To Yourself27:20 - "I'm not good enough" vs Owning Our Differences31:25 - Finding Your People (Mentors, Advisors)35:24 - Strongest Limiting Beliefs In Female Founders39:03 - How We Get In The Way Of Timing42:29 - Maya's Evolution Of Her Relationship With Control44:00 - Control: Masculine vs Feminine48:24 - How To Give Feedback Well01:01:56 - Meaningful Marketing01:05:07 - How Should We Stay Aligned With Customers?01:14:05 - Customer Interactions Post PMF01:18:44 - The Core Of BusinessIf you enjoyed this, you'll probably love:Nick Jenkins - The Marketing Secrets Behind The $Billion Businesshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDJtTNTxvs£100m CEO Superpowers & Shadow Sides - Aron Gelbard, Bloom & Wildhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c289plCAeDA&t=76s&pp=0gcJCQgKAYcqIYzv👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Aron Gelbard is the CEO of the £100m revenue startup, Bloom & Wild, a flower delivery company operating across Europe. In this interview he shares his work styles and shadows as a entrepreneur and a look inside a unicorn startup business.📖 Chapters00:00 - What does inefficient work look like?07:45 - CEO = Upside Down Pyramid09:26 - Core Value: Care Wildly14:37 - World Class Customer Service20:45 - Biggest Feedback from Executives - Goalkeep Less25:17 - Responding to Market Trends 30:10 - Fix the System Not the Symptom31:50 - How to operationalise values34:19 - Values In Life = Embedded in Business37:19 - Balancing kindness with demanding high performance39:54 - The Most Difficult Decisions45:48 - How To Set Stretch Goals50:23 - Managing Up & Down as CEO53:32 - Knowing everyone on the team56:54 - Stages Of The Business Model01:01:35 - Merging Three Teams into One01:11:15 - Novel Annual Board Agenda01:15:21 - The Secret To Consistency01:21:42 - How Life impacts What We DoIf you enjoyed this interview, you'll likely love:WeWork's Co-Founder Breaks His 5-Year Silence (Exclusive)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62kFgnUrU0&t=1615sPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1EYLLS_0xw&t=1205s👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Karolina Pelc is the author of HerPlay, and the Founder and ex-CEO of the startup BeyondPlay, which was acquired by FanDuel. She has been through the startup storm and has come out the other side with methods for finding calm. 📖 Chapters00:00 - Karolina Pelc 01:02 - Intensity As A CEO 04:22 - "You Think You're So Tough?" 06:48 - Addiction To Doing & Parenting 15:20 - Deep Internal Wisdom vs Limiting Beliefs 21:01 - What if You Fly vs What if You Fail24:58 - Don't Try To Be Liked As The Leader 27:57 - Unexpected Challenges With Gender Diversity 31:24 - What Does Being Ruthless Mean?33:07 - How Transparent Can You Be As A Founder 38:49 - Boundaries to Transparency 46:30 - "Entrepreneurs Are Not Managers" - Sir Richard Branson49:16 - Your Relationship With Control vs Delegation 53:41 - Setting Standards of Trust and Attention to Detail 56:44 - "The Chaos Muppet Building Calmness" 01:11:27 - What Health Habits To Prioritise When You Have No Time 01:14:04 - Psychedelics: What they uncovered?01:19:00 - The Habit Of Reframing01:22:48 - A Book is Like A Startup01:29:34 - Don't Believe In Luck!01:33:02 - Her Play: The BookIf you enjoyed this interview, you might love:Work Isn't A Family...But It Can Be Human | Katy Turner (interview)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Gxz1cQstI&t=58sOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesner (interview)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558s👉 Subscribe on this channel to be the first to watch future episodes📧 Subscribe to the newsletter to get summaries of each episode: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Moonpig is valued at over a $Billion and the founder, Nick Jenkins, reveals all his marketing and business secrets in this rich and insightful interview!Nick is a marketing wizard and here he delivers a masterclass in business and marketing as well as...📖 Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:49 - What Will you Do When You Grow Up? 00:01:48 - What is next to be learnt? 00:02:28 - Lessons from living through the Russian Revolution 00:06:26 - Decisions: At Some Point Your Going To Have To Jump 00:08:55 - When Entrepreneurs Overcomplicate00:12:35 - Moonpig Marketing Marvel00:18:59 - The Most Important Discovery From A Statistics Degree00:21:50 - Growing Repeat Customers00:24:46 - Where To Start With Marketing00:27:21 - What's Your Price?00:28:54 - What's Your Product?00:30:56 - What Companies Get Wrong About Customers00:33:27 - Actors on the Phone Lines00:35:20 - Optimising Each Element of the Business00:37:18 - Forming Your Team00:40:35 - Breaking Through The Clouds into The Sunshine00:42:38 - What Would You have Done Differently?00:44:03 - How To Scale Employees00:48:43 - Changing Direction00:51:43 - Europe Vs US00:52:49 - "Don't hand in unfinished homework"00:54:21 - How To Sell A Business00:59:28 - Burn After Selling01:01:51 - Recruiting Advice01:06:20 - Work Life Balance01:08:10 - Crafting Creativity01:10:04 - The Difference Between A Good and Great Entrepreneur01:13:15 - Passion For What You Do01:14:34 - VC / Investors: Judging what to do next01:16:56 - Getting Caught Out01:17:50 - What The Entrepreneur Community Could Do Better 👇 If you liked this interview, you'll probably love these too:Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1EYLLS_0xw&t=1205sOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesnerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558s👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

Devika Wood is the CEO of the public company Brain+, who are leaders in improving dementia care. She is also one of the most honest and vulnerable founders I have ever interviewed. In this interview she not only shares her deep inner world and trauma experiences, but also an exclusive summary of a court case involving her previous startup, and a deep betrayal of trust.📖 Chapters00:00:00 - A letter to my younger self00:06:54 - How trauma can shape your impact on the world00:13:51 - Refining your 'why'00:18:48 - ROI for investors when your mission isn't money driven00:26:36 - The story of the previous startup and a betrayal of trust00:37:53 - The court case - lessons in leadership00:46:10 - Compartmentalising vs Bottling it up00:50:33 - The art of transparency in a team00:54:22 - Backing yourself in moments of crises00:56:50 - The best process to dealing with a crisis00:58:51 - The balancing of the masculinity and femininity01:11:32 - How your identity evolves as a founder01:16:52 - How to best support our partners and ourselves01:27:52 - WEALTH - Women In Health01:32:27 - What stamp do you want to leave on the world01:34:42 - How we can support DevikaIf you enjoyed this episode, you might love these:WeWork Cofounder Breaks His 5-Year Silence (Exclusive)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62kFgnUrU0&t=1615sDangerous (But Common) Startup Myths | Sho Sugiharahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8eBlgYIVDg&t=2943s👉 Subscribe on Youtube to be first to learn from world class, inspiring entrepreneurs📧 Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive content and timeless frameworks for company, culture and community building: https://scale-with-soul.kit.com/

A 15-lesson reflection on £100k spent, 18 months, over 50 interviews with some world class entrepreneurs. This is a very open and honest look under the hood into what it takes to create a podcast business. I've been focusing on founder interviews because I wanted to learn what it takes to create a great company and build an audience at the same time. I definitely learned one of them.... the hard way. 📖 Chapters 0:00:00 - Intro 0:01:13 - Pret A Manger & Itsu Founder - Get To The Truth 0:05:29 - Sharmadean Reid - Build Networks Of Power 0:12:30 - Busuu Founder - Operationalise Your Culture 0:17:19 - Count the pennies, and the millions will count themselves 0:21:49 - WeWork Cofounder - What Does It Mean To Change The World? 0:28:11 - Don't go slow to go fast... just go 0:31:10 - Know what you're selling first 0:36:44 - Distribution is 50% of the game 0:39:46 - The cost of isolation is delusion 0:41:31 - The answer isn't pushing harder 0:43:32 - Financial Breakdown (My P&L) 0:48:38 - Don't build for the wrong reasons 0:51:05 - Question your foundations 0:53:12 - The Cognitive Dissonance Spiral 0:54:43 - The art of learning from others' experiences 0:56:10 - Failure Is The Cost Of Entry 0:57:22 - The future of this channel If you enjoyed any of the clips I shared, here are the whole interviews:Pret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brandshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1EYLLS_0xw&t=1205sCreate Your Networks Of Power | Sharmadean Reid MBEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyskAAx_P90&t=3243sOne Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA3nboz9V0&t=1558s From 80 VC Rejections To Rejecting VCs | Atilana Pinon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gK5uCJscFU&t=1852s WeWork's Cofounder Breaks His 5-Year Silence (Exclusive) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62kFgnUrU0&t=1615s Please subscribe and hit the bell icon to support the channel! Much love, AJ x

WeWork's Cofounder, Miguel McKelvey, shares the most vulnerable, insightful and rounded account of WeWork in his first interview since the startup's dramatic collapse 5 years ago. 📖 Chapters - In this interview we cover... 00:00 - The Guilt Of WeWork & How To Let Go15:40 - What Does Changing The World Actually Mean?22:03 - Business And Community Tensions27:36 - What Does Community Actually Mean?32:21 - Community Ideologies vs Geographies38:20 - Wisdom & Naval Ravikant44:38 - When Does A Startup Become A Cult? "57:26 - "How do you scale culture? "01:04:03 - What culture practices to invest in as a smaller startup01:11:21- Leaning Into Conflict01:13:07 - Team Adam vs Team Miguel01:21:24 - Power Tensions01:26:27 - Rebekah Neumann's Role in WeWork01:32:23 - S-1 IPO Filing01:37:34 - The Public's Reaction To Adam01:47:19 - Miguel's Awareness Of WeWork's Finances01:54:02 - How Much To Trust Others In The Leadership Team?01:57:18 - Noticing Scrappy Scaling02:00:31 - Why It Made Sense For WeWork To Buy An Artificial Wave Startup02:02:41 - Adam & Miguel's Reality Distortion02:10:45 - What Really Destroyed WeWork02:12:40 - How To Step Outside Of Ourselves & Reflect02:18:08 - Miguel's Advice For Entrepreneurs02:27:40 - What Can We Support Miguel With🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfe (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter

When GoHenry's founder hit rock bottom, she was drowning...She realised that the single point of failure was her. At 6am every morning, that familiar sick thump of dread would hit.Here's how she built her company from the ground up, faced rejection from her own board, and emerged stronger than ever.💡 What you'll learn in this episode:▪️ How to identify and eliminate dangerous "single points of failure" in your business before they drown you▪️ Why operationalising your values through your entire team is the secret to retaining talent for over a decade▪️ How to navigate brutal board dynamics and still drive toward what's right for your company▪️ The 6-month evolution framework that prevents you from running into walls as you scale▪️ The counterintuitive approach to M&A that led to a successful £125M+ exit to Acorns📖 Chapters00:00 - What Keeps You Up At Night?01:21 - When you are the Single Point of Failure05:19 - Fixing the system when you're drowning07:36 - The little Red Handbook!13:59 - Fixing the Points of failure in practice15:39 - Realising you might not be needed in a company you built19:14 - Do they just want a yes man?23:09 - Control as a leader: When to hold on and when to let go!27:32 - Developing Finance Function... When and how to do it30:21 - The board chose someone else to be CEO35:30 - 2 Points: Identify Your Dragons and Learn The Art of Pre-Present37:41 - Working with Dragons on your board39:52 - Three biggest Board meetings, the biggest decisions43:02 - Fundraising Learning Curves: Raised £125M, Acquiring Pixpay and Being acquired by Acorns48:01 - How we Acquired Pixpay, finding a similar culture in your acquisition48:03 - Biggest learnings from 6 rounds of fundraising52:14 - Generosity within the company culture. A solidifying moment56:08 - The ROI of paying for a holiday for all the staff01:00:29 - What in the culture leads to people staying on for so long?01:03:31 - Going from CEO to Executive Chair of the Board01:07:44 - Make your passion your mission01:12:08 - How to choose and win your battles01:15:38 - What action we need to take🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:One Of Europe's Largest EdTech Exits - Busuu $436m | Bernhard Niesner (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter: 🔗 Guest Links https://www.gohenry.com/ LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/louise-hill-5197614 🔗 Affiliate Link Monk Ice Baths: discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOUL for £100 discount

Most founders think they can figure it out alone - until they crash.Sam Knight was "very, very resistant" to coaching, convinced it was just "talking about feelings." Then his friend forced him to try it...This is the story of how losing his father at 15 shaped his leadership blind spots, and why facing them transformed both his company and his life.🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ The performance management framework that separates high-growth teams from collections of individuals▪️ Why "I am because we are" (Ubuntu philosophy) transforms competitive founders into collaborative leaders▪️ The five pillars every leader must master (and why most CEOs score poorly on at least two)▪️ How childhood trauma creates invisible leadership blind spots that sabotage teams▪️ How to spot what you know is true now but will only admit in six months' time▪️ Why feeling words at work unlock deeper team connection and performance📖 Chapters00:00 - From Resistant CEO to Coaching Convert06:11 - The Yoko Ono Exhibition That Changed Everything11:24 - Pollinate: Building and Selling a B2B Platform13:52 - "I Really Just Wasn't Enjoying My Job"17:38 - The Five Pillars of Leadership Framework25:47 - Goal Setting vs Accountability: What's the Difference?32:43 - Why Most Teams Avoid Performance Management42:43 - The Question That Reveals Hidden Truths49:02 - Ubuntu: "I Am Because We Are"1:02:18 - Losing Your Father and Leading Others1:13:06 - Preparing for Fatherhood After Loss1:16:56 - The Ubuntu Philosophy That Transforms Teams🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooPret & Itsu Founder: The One Skill To Build £Billion Brands | Julian Metcalfe (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest linkSam Knight - LinkedIn🔗 Affiliate LinkHEIGHTS Brain + Gut Supplements - 15% OFF

Most founders don't realise the biggest barrier to scaling isn't capital or talent — it's learning when to let go.Carolyn Dawson built a 10,000-person founder community by understanding this one truth:The best leaders know exactly when to stop being indispensable.In this interview you’ll discover what is needed to choose between entering the US vs Europe startup sector.🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ Why European founders' "humanity" in hiring decisions might actually be holding back the ecosystem▪️ How celebrating failure accelerated growth at Supercell (and why most founders get this backwards)▪️ The curation secrets behind building the UK's most exclusive founder community▪️ Why "founder mode" becomes dangerous after Series B and when to transition▪️ The internal vs external balance that separates unicorn founders from the rest📖 Chapters00:00 - UK vs US: The Narrative Problem06:27 - When Founders Should Actually Exit Their Companies11:43 - Building a People-Driven Business at Scale22:46 - The Stories Behind Closed Funding Rounds24:15 - What Separates the Top 1% of Founders31:03 - The Quality vs Speed Trade-off in Company Building33:22 - Building Loyalty: The Team That Follows You Everywhere39:13 - From Control Freak to Strategic Leader42:05 - The External vs Internal Balance Every Founder Must Master45:21 - What Information to Share vs Keep Private47:37 - European vs US Firing Culture: The Speed vs Humanity Debate57:28 - Going Global: Boots on Ground vs Remote59:09 - The Inner Voice That Builds Resilience62:06 - Taking Yourself Too Seriously: The Success Trap🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledgehttps://youtu.be/XcBwsq-KzmI?si=-WhZcPjyXXLWZYMq👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter:https://the-aj-connection.kit.com/e2d35e66c4🔗 Affiliate LinkHEIGHTS Brain + Gut Supplements - 15% OFF https://www.heights.com/scalewithsoul

He built a company to millions, hired someone better to run it, and walked away.Why stepping down as CEO can be your greatest act of leadership.Most founders cling to their CEO titles long after they've outgrown the role.Evgeny Shadchnev did the opposite. He recognised the misalignment, planned his exit over 14 months, and handed the keys to someone who could scale what he'd built. What he soon learnt transformed both his life and the business.🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ How to recognise when you've outgrown your own company (before burnout forces the decision)▪️ The difference between founder skills and CEO skills — and why confusing them kills companies▪️ A framework for making confident leadership transitions without destroying what you've built▪️ The breathwork techniques that shift your nervous system from reactive to strategic▪️ Why starting a company for belonging can lead to profound misalignment later📖 Chapters00:00 - What A Founder Coach Does00:41 - What Founders Don't Talk About05:02 - "Predicting the Future of the Company"08:10 - The Founder's Job: Make Sure It Survives11:15 - The Skills Needed at Pre-Product Market Fit14:17 - Moving to Product Market Fit - "This Is a Very Specific Skillset"15:15 - "The Skills You Never Stop Needing - Fred Wilson's Advice"17:48 - The First Alarm Bells20:24 - CEO Transitions Take Time22:16 - Feeling Misaligned: Childhood Experiences27:59 - The One Thing That Helped Me Make the Tough Decision35:23 - Ego Wanting vs Heart Longing37:40 - Success 10 Years Ago vs Success Now40:07 - The Startup Is Not There to Make You Happy45:09 - Running Away or Braving the Wind49:26 - Working Long Hours Sustainably58:22 - Decision Making01:05:31 - What Makes You Tick?01:08:20 - Revelation on Simplification of Life01:13:12 - What Your Fiancée Said About You01:15:25 - Read Evgeny's Book!🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Why Your Outer Voice Is Your Biggest Threat | Soheil Ahmadzadeh - Coach👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter:🔗 Guest Links:Find Evgeny's Book HereFounder and Ex CEO at MakersMentioned Resources:"Let Your Life Speak" by Parker Palmer Other Sheep breathwork appFred Wilson's blog on CEO framework (Union Square Ventures)🔗 Affiliate LinkVisit Monk Ice Baths for £100 discount

If you want to help Freddie's research on founders please fill this out: https://forms.gle/jLiW7TJBniXQfDRK8Most founders obsess over their company metrics while completely ignoring their own performance metrics.What if the secret to scaling your startup isn't just building better systems, but becoming a better human?Finder coach Freddie Birley has spent years studying what separates venture-backed rockstars from the rest ... and it's not what you think.🧠 What You'll LearnCritical Founder Insights:▪️ Avoid the spiritual poverty trap that follows most successful exits▪️ Master the balance between masculine drive and feminine intuition in leadership▪️ Discover the 3 core traits that define outlier performers in venture-backed startups▪️ Understand why 50%+ of founders report wellbeing as their biggest personal challenge▪️ Learn why alignment beats intelligence when it comes to sustainable high performance▪️ Data Vs Debate: What founders at different stages (0-10, 10-20, 20-50, 50-150 team size) struggle with most📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro - Headhunting Taught Me to Coach02:50 - What Actually Makes a Venture Rockstar05:47 - The Three Pillars: Authenticity, Value Creation & Leadership11:35 - Founder Challenges by Company Stage (Research Insights)14:55 - Why First-Time vs Serial Founders Face Different Identity Crises19:50 - The Performance Paradox: Preparation vs Play25:47 - When Success Becomes a Spiritual Prison29:09 - Internal vs External Motivation: Signs of an Emotionally Rich Founder32:39 - Building High-Performance Culture Without Cracking the Whip37:33 - Founder Circles: What Makes Them Thrive vs Die43:44 - Breathwork for Founders: The Wild Modality Explained50:29 - Connecting with Yourself as the Ceiling for Leading Others52:31 - What the Startup Ecosystem Gets Wrong About Human Nature54:57 - Balancing Masculine Structure with Feminine Intuition1:05:40 - The Fundamental Principles of Being a Better Human🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooDangerous (But Common) Startup Myths | Sho Sugihara👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest Links & Resources Connect with Freddie BirleyHer Website🔗 Affiliate LinkFor a £35 Discount on a Digital Detox Cabin - UnpluggedUse Code - UPMSCALEWITHSOUL

Most founders won't talk about this…But the line between grandiose confidence and dangerous delusion is thinner than you think. James Roycroft-Davis stood on Putney Bridge, hearing voices telling him to jump, before discovering his bipolar diagnosis would become his greatest teacher.This is the unfiltered story of how ego, untreated mental health, and founder identity nearly destroyed everything - and how radical self-awareness rebuilt it all.💡 What you'll learn in this episode:▪️ How to spot the early warning signs of ego-driven decision making that destroy startups▪️ Why bipolar disorder can be both a founder's greatest asset and deadliest trap▪️ Why most founder therapy misses the mark - and what actually works▪️ How becoming a father rewired his entire relationship with success and identity▪️ A framework for making decisions based on who you want to be, not who you think others expect▪️ The difference between £100M ego goals and £500K happiness goals (and why one nearly killed him)📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:19 - The Bridge Call That Changed Everything07:28 - 20 Years of Trauma Exploding at Once09:07 - The Guilt of Surviving11:12 - Nature vs Nurture in Mental Health12:19 - When Granddad's Death Flipped the Switch15:31 - The Israeli Psychologist Who Gets Startups18:10 - "Most Founders Do Have Grandiose Sense"25:49 - Type 1 vs Type 2: Why It Matters28:58 - The £500/Hour Diagnosis Story34:13 - Ego Work: From Validation to Creation38:20 - Why "Founder" Identity Makes You Unemployable42:21 - Two Job Offers, One Ego Check44:51 - Old James vs New James46:58 - The Exit Community Vulnerability49:02 - Alex McDonald's Life-Changing Advice50:48 - Happy and Comfortable vs £100M Dreams58:32 - The CBT Technique That Rewires Your Brain01:02:15 - Dual Purposes: Father and Founder01:06:26 - Final Asks: Jobs, Dad Groups, and Baseline🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Shazam Founder Interview; Secrets of Luck, Persistence & Success (Ep. 1)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest Links & ResourcesJames Roycroft-Davis : LinkedIn🔗 Affiliate LinkVisit Monk Ice Baths - for £100 discount

What does it really takes to SCALE (not just grow...)?Neda Sahebelm was an early joiner at Multiverse, achieving 98% retention and 50% diversity in her teams, whilst delivering multiple £20M quarters. Growth is doing more with more. Scale is doing more with less. In this episode she reveals the system that transforms chaos into high-performing teams. 🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ Growth vs Scale: The difference between success and chaos▪️ "Operation Thrive": How to flip a toxic team culture in 6 months▪️ The hiring system that achieved 98% retention and radical diversity▪️ The 3-pillar framework: Org Design, Recruitment, and Retention done right▪️ How to fire people gracefully (and why most leaders get this catastrophically wrong)📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro06:14 - Growth vs Scale: Why Most Founders Get This Wrong10:11 - The "Operational Efficiency" Myth.16:32 - The SVB Crash Aftermath: Market Shifts and Human Costs24:35 - Start with Product (Not People or Process)30:34 - The Org Design Crisis: Why Founders Hire Wrong38:14 - Building Scalable Hiring Systems: The 55-Person Quarter46:04 - The Diversity Masterclass: 98% Retention Secrets58:11 - "Operation Thrive": Turning -5 NPS Into +681:08:00 - The "Train Analogy": Managing Exits with Grace1:16:23 - "Don't Bring Your Whole Self to Work" - The Leadership Reality🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Affiliate Link:For a £100 Discount discovermonk.co.uk/SCALEWITHSOUL

A Universe Class Coaching Session...This is an insight into the framework to separate your inner wisdom from the fear-based voices that keep you small. This isn't therapy. It's reconnecting with your humanity.🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ The “5 Pillars of Connection” that transform any relationship▪️ 9 Steps to identify "outer voices" Vs your authentic inner voice▪️ The visualisation technique that silences self-doubt in minutes▪️ How to turn your values into actionable "inner voice archetypes"▪️Ask "If X wasn't there, what would be different?"📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro02:01 - "I've Never Been Career-Driven" - Led by Curiosity10:13 - Meet Soheil: Founder of ReHumanity14:15 - The 5 Pillars of Connection Framework17:11 - Inner vs Outer Voices: The Foundation of Self-Awareness21:25 - 9 Signs You're in "Outer Voice Territory"25:10 - Moving from Outer Voice to Inner Voice31:38 - Creating Inner Voice Archetypes from Your Values57:18 - A Firm Foundation - "My Work Is Led by Love"59:40 - How to Connect: Building Humanity in Startups🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Google's Expert Communication Coach | Kay Munday (interview)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest Links Connect with Soheil Websitehttps://rehumanity.comInstagram: @rehumanity🔗 Affiliate Link For a £35 Discount on a Digital Detox Cabin - UnpluggedUse Code - UPMSCALEWITHSOUL

A Billionaire AND World Champion Powerlifter?Jodie Cook, after selling her agency for 7-figures, is now building Coachvox whilst training to be a world champion. And the secret isn't talent, it's systems. This discussion explains how to crack the code on any goal; why Jodie never looks at competition; and the exact framework that's taking her to the top of two completely different games.🧠 What You'll Learn:▪️ How to identify your personal success system from past wins (and apply it to anything)▪️ Why "extreme people get extreme results" and how to test your edges safely▪️ The 3-part superpower matrix: Ace Cards, Best Self, and Success Systems▪️ The spirit animal framework that instantly shifts you from reactive to zen▪️ How to build user manuals for your team that eliminate 90% of friction📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro04:21 - From Birmingham Agency to Global Ambitions07:07 - Lifetime Goals Vs Annual Targets14:19 - Cognitive Biases and the Halo Effect17:12 - The Superpower Matrix: Ace Cards, Best Self, Success Systems22:15 - Lion vs Pomeranian Puppy 28:12 - What Makes You Human in an AI World?31:44 - Your Success System (Extract It from Past Wins)40:06 - Finding People's Superpowers on Your Team52:20 - Jody 2.0 vs 3.0: The Card Exercise57:43 - Horizontal vs Vertical Relationships in Teams1:08:18 - High Standards for Yourself, No Standards for Others1:26:47 - The Content-Beliefs-Community Flywheel1:34:42 - "Don't Waste Your Potential"1:39:10 - Applying Success Systems to Becoming a Billionaire🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Mastering Leadership - Growing Teams & Growing Yourself | James Grant👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Guest LinksConnect with Jodie: LinkedInCoachvoxMentioned Resources:The Courage to Be Disliked (Book) Blue Ocean Strategy (Book) Rocket Fuel (Book) Power vs Force (Book)🔗 Affiliate LinkHEIGHTS Brain + Gut Supplements - 15% OFF

The "ruthless" business world tells us kindness is weakness – but what if that's backwards?Marcus Exall has built a reputation as one of the most respected angel investors in the world, not through aggression, but through genuine care for founders. His approach challenges everything we think we know about succeeding in startups.🧠 What You'll Learn▪️ Why treating kindness as strength (not weakness) creates better investment returns▪️ The 6-month founder evaluation process that's led to 2.5x returns across 31 investments▪️ How to build resilience through saying problems out loud instead of carrying them alone▪️ How to separate exceptional founders from good ones through focus and vulnerability▪️ Why obsessing over product features (not problems) kills most early-stage startups▪️ The storytelling framework that makes impossible visions feel inevitable📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:03 - From Tokyo Diner to 31 Angel Investments03:07 - What Japanese Culture Taught Me About Company Building13:08 - Balancing Kindness with Ruthless Business Decisions17:22 - The Swan Problem: Creating Safe Spaces for Founders to Be Real24:45 - Why Marcus Doesn't Invest Primarily for Money33:21 - How to Spot Exceptional Focus in Founders39:06 - Building Resilience: Why You Must Keep Getting Up42:03 - The £150k Mistake Most Founders Make01:02:07 - The Choice Between Health and Building Big Business01:03:28 - Marcus's Mum on Raising a Future Angel Investor🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:Shazam Founder Interview: Secrets of Luck, Persistence & Success (Ep. 1)👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletterAffiliate LinkMonk Ice Bath For a £100 discount on the world's first smart ice bath, visit - www.discovermonk.com/SCALEWITHSOUL

How to comeback from over 80 VC rejections. Atilana Pinon, CEO & Founder of Retorna, went from constant rejection to investors fighting for her, all by telling her story. 🧠 What You'll Learn In This Episode: ▪️ How to shift the power dynamic with VCs ▪️ The research framework that identifies aligned investors before you waste time ▪️ Why being profitable before fundraising is the ultimate negotiating position ▪️ Elite cash management mindsets📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:44 - "Saying No to £600K"05:31 - The Breaking Point: 80+ VC Rejections 07:47 - The Moment Everything Changed11:03 - How to Research Investors Like a Pro13:47 - The Preparation That Made All the Difference19:52 - Cash Management: "Take Care of the Pennies"27:08 - Revenue-Based Bonuses That Actually Work31:14 - Growing Double-Digit Monthly (The Secret Sauce)41:01 - From Solo Founder to Co-CEO Partnership45:08 - Building Mutual Respect and Trust52:29 - "Stop Worrying About the Future"59:05 - "I Don't Deserve to Be Successful" - Breaking Limiting Beliefs1:02:07 - Building a Zebra, Not a Unicorn🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too: My Identity Was Crippling My Company | Will Pearson - Ocean Bottle👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter🔗 Connect with Atilana: Atilana's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/atilanapinon/?locale=en_US Website - https://retorna.app, or other relevant links] Affiliate Link: For a £35 Discount on a Digital Detox Cabin - Unplugged https://unplugged.rest Use Code - UPMSCALEWITHSOUL

Why do most startups fail? Harvard's largest startup study reveals this as the #1 cause of failure, yet most founders don't realise. Orr Vinegold, CEO of Unrest, has built an entire programme around solving this hidden crisis.💡 What You'll Learn:▪️ Why interpersonal issues kill more startups than any other factor▪️ How to separate your ego from your business before it becomes toxic to your team▪️ The trauma-to-fuel framework that turns personal pain into authentic brand messaging▪️ A practical 4-pillar resilience system to "fix the roof when the sun is shining"▪️ Why most founders confuse their identity with their company (and how to break free)▪️ The neuroscience behind founder burnout and the salience network that controls motivation📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro00:44 - From Israeli Politics to Startup Psychology02:16 - The Four Dimensions of Self-Development04:10 - What Kills More Startups Than Anything Else11:22 - The Circle of Connection: Self vs Others14:13 - Creating Challenging Relationships That Push You Forward22:02 - Dangers of Building a Business to Heal Yourself26:06 - The Trinity - I Am, I Will, I Must31:45 - Four Pillars Framework39:29 - The Three Arenas: Personal, Community, or World Impact43:06 - From Aberdeen to Israel: A Founder's Origin Story58:23 - The Rooms We Haven't Entered: Unprocessed Trauma01:09:02 - The Energy Cost of Carrying Unresolved Pain🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one tooYou Find Your Edge When You BREAK | Emmie Faust - Female Founders Rise👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletter:Affiliate Link15% OFF at Heights - Brain and gut supplements use this linkOrr's LinkedInUnrest Website

After 70 rejections and six months of pain, Mai Le made one phone call that changed everything. She asked for help for the first time in her life, and raised £6.5M in seven days.This is the unfiltered story of how a hyper-independent founder learned that sometimes all it takes is one person with conviction.💡 What You'll Learn▪️ How to turn 70 rejections into a £6.5M round in one week▪️ How to handle co-founder breakups with respect and generosity▪️ The "smart but nice" hiring framework that builds unshakeable trust▪️ The three pillars of authentic leadership: respect, abundance, consistency▪️ Why masculine "giving" energy must balance with feminine "receiving" energy📖 Chapters00:00 - Intro01:03 - From Vietnam War to Entrepreneurial Mastery03:48 - "You Can Never Fail Until You Quit"09:09 - Project Bold: The £10K Learning Disaster16:05 - The "Smart but Nice" Hiring Philosophy20:20 - The Biggest Struggle as a Leader27:23 - When Logic Meets Intuition in Leadership35:24 - The Remote vs Hybrid Hiring Strategy42:14 - 70 VCs, 6 Months of Pain, Then Magic52:31 - The Practical Side of Resilience No One Talks About61:25 - Mai's Ask: Take Care of Yourself First🍿 WATCH NEXTIf you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too: Hard Startups Truths; Funding, Team Design, Skills | James Routledge👉 Subscribe for weekly interviews and deeply practical videos on how to scale with soul 📧 Get exclusive insights, timeless frameworks & founder tools in my newsletterAffiliate: Visit for a £100 discountSAPI