The Boardroom with Richard Farleigh en Introducing My New Podcast, The Boardroom Business is often framed as numbers, decks and strategy… But the real game? People. In The Boardroom, I sit down with founders and entrepreneurs for unscripted conversations about: • owning your narrative • building something that actually fulfils you • what really happens behind the success stories No formal interviews. No polished PR answers. Just real conversations that reveal what’s usually left unsaid. If you’re building a business, a career, or your own way of thinking, this is for you. 🎙 The Boardroom - Launching 09.02.26 https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/f41503f6-0379-11f1-990d-339e9f27c0bf/image/529a3033a79de43ffd5b9c85966e43db.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress The Boardroom with Richard Farleigh episodic Richard Farleigh Introducing My New Podcast, The Boardroom Business is often framed as numbers, decks and strategy… But the real game? People. In The Boardroom, I sit down with founders and entrepreneurs for unscripted conversations about: • owning your narrative • building something that actually fulfils you • what really happens behind the success stories No formal interviews. No polished PR answers. Just real conversations that reveal what’s usually left unsaid. If you’re building a business, a career, or your own way of thinking, this is for you. 🎙 The Boardroom - Launching 09.02.26 Introducing My New Podcast, The Boardroom Business is often framed as numbers, decks and strategy… But the real game? People. In The Boardroom, I sit down with founders and entrepreneurs for unscripted conversations about: • owning your narrative • building something that actually fulfils you • what really happens behind the success stories No formal interviews. No polished PR answers. Just real conversations that reveal what’s usually left unsaid. If you’re building a business, a career, or your own way of thinking, this is for you. 🎙 The Boardroom - Launching 09.02.26

]]> Richard Farleigh richard@farleigh.com Has Dragons' Den Lost Its Edge? | Watching Dragons' Den for the First Time in 20 Years What happens when an original Dragon watches modern-day Dragons' Den for the first time in over 20 years? In this episode of The Boardroom: Dragons' Den Watchalong, I sit down with entrepreneur Jon O'Donnell to revisit the Den and analyse whether the show still reflects the reality of investing. As they watch a series of pitches unfold, I share behind-the-scenes insights from his own time on Dragons' Den and explains the questions I believe every investor should be asking. Together we discuss valuations, margins, scalability, investor psychology and why great businesses are built on more than compelling personal stories. Has Dragons' Den evolved into better entertainment at the expense of business education? Would the original Dragons have approached these deals differently? And what can entrepreneurs learn from the way investment decisions are made in the real world? A fascinating conversation about investing, entrepreneurship and how one of Britain's most iconic business shows has changed over the last two decades. #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Watching Dragons' Den with a Dragon 01:45 My first Dragons' Den viewing in 20 years 04:20 The first pitch: What would I ask? 07:15 The importance of margins and paying yourself properly 10:10 Investing in people vs investing in businesses 12:20 The deal I didn't expect 13:40 £2.5 million valuations in the Den 15:00 The £2 million question nobody asked 17:30 Behind-the-scenes Dragons' Den stories 19:45 Analysing the self-defence franchise pitch 21:30 Why are so many deals getting funded? 23:00 Has Dragons' Den become reality TV? 24:30 What entrepreneurs are no longer learning from the show 26:30 How real investors evaluate opportunities 27:05 Dragons' Den then vs now 28:20 Final verdict and what's next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:48:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What happens when an original Dragon watches modern-day Dragons' Den for the first time in over 20 years? In this episode of The Boardroom: Dragons' Den Watchalong, I sit down with entrepreneur Jon O'Donnell to revisit the Den and analyse whether the show still reflects the reality of investing. As they watch a series of pitches unfold, I share behind-the-scenes insights from his own time on Dragons' Den and explains the questions I believe every investor should be asking. Together we discuss valuations, margins, scalability, investor psychology and why great businesses are built on more than compelling personal stories. Has Dragons' Den evolved into better entertainment at the expense of business education? Would the original Dragons have approached these deals differently? And what can entrepreneurs learn from the way investment decisions are made in the real world? A fascinating conversation about investing, entrepreneurship and how one of Britain's most iconic business shows has changed over the last two decades. #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Watching Dragons' Den with a Dragon 01:45 My first Dragons' Den viewing in 20 years 04:20 The first pitch: What would I ask? 07:15 The importance of margins and paying yourself properly 10:10 Investing in people vs investing in businesses 12:20 The deal I didn't expect 13:40 £2.5 million valuations in the Den 15:00 The £2 million question nobody asked 17:30 Behind-the-scenes Dragons' Den stories 19:45 Analysing the self-defence franchise pitch 21:30 Why are so many deals getting funded? 23:00 Has Dragons' Den become reality TV? 24:30 What entrepreneurs are no longer learning from the show 26:30 How real investors evaluate opportunities 27:05 Dragons' Den then vs now 28:20 Final verdict and what's next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What happens when an original Dragon watches modern-day Dragons' Den for the first time in over 20 years?


In this episode of The Boardroom: Dragons' Den Watchalong, I sit down with entrepreneur Jon O'Donnell to revisit the Den and analyse whether the show still reflects the reality of investing.


As they watch a series of pitches unfold, I share behind-the-scenes insights from his own time on Dragons' Den and explains the questions I believe every investor should be asking. Together we discuss valuations, margins, scalability, investor psychology and why great businesses are built on more than compelling personal stories.


Has Dragons' Den evolved into better entertainment at the expense of business education? Would the original Dragons have approached these deals differently? And what can entrepreneurs learn from the way investment decisions are made in the real world?


A fascinating conversation about investing, entrepreneurship and how one of Britain's most iconic business shows has changed over the last two decades.


#theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business


I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:


https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.


📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq


🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.


Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Watching Dragons' Den with a Dragon

01:45 My first Dragons' Den viewing in 20 years

04:20 The first pitch: What would I ask?

07:15 The importance of margins and paying yourself properly

10:10 Investing in people vs investing in businesses

12:20 The deal I didn't expect

13:40 £2.5 million valuations in the Den

15:00 The £2 million question nobody asked

17:30 Behind-the-scenes Dragons' Den stories

19:45 Analysing the self-defence franchise pitch

21:30 Why are so many deals getting funded?

23:00 Has Dragons' Den become reality TV?

24:30 What entrepreneurs are no longer learning from the show

26:30 How real investors evaluate opportunities

27:05 Dragons' Den then vs now

28:20 Final verdict and what's next

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1793 Levi Roots Reveals What REALLY Happened in Dragons' Den In one of the most iconic pitches in Dragons' Den history, Levi Roots walked into the Den with a guitar, a homemade sauce and a dream. What followed became television history. In this special episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Levi Roots to revisit the Reggae Reggae Sauce pitch that changed both of their lives. Levi shares the untold story behind receiving the invitation to Dragons' Den, why he refused to watch the show before appearing, how he accidentally got his numbers completely wrong in front of the Dragons, and why I ultimately decided to back him anyway. I reveal the moment he realised that Levi himself was the real investment, not just the sauce. Together we explore what happened after the cameras stopped rolling, how a £50,000 investment turned into a national success story, and the Sainsbury's order that transformed Reggae Reggae Sauce from a family recipe into a household brand. This is the definitive behind-the-scenes story of one of Britain's most memorable entrepreneurial journeys. #TheBoardroom #LeviRoots #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 One of Dragons' Den's Greatest Comebacks 00:07 How Levi Roots Was Invited Onto The Show 01:10 Why Levi Refused To Watch Dragons' Den 02:15 Walking Into The Den With A Guitar 02:55 The Famous Reggae Reggae Sauce Pitch 03:35 The Numbers Mistake That Nearly Killed The Deal 04:08 Dragons Start Pulling Out 04:46 Richard Farleigh Makes His Move 04:58 "You Were The Product, Not The Sauce" 06:05 Levi Accepts The Investment Deal 06:50 What Happened After Dragons' Den 07:20 The Sainsbury's Order That Changed Everything 08:05 Outselling Heinz Ketchup 08:35 Richard Explains The Reality Of Co-Investing 08:55 Levi's Emotional Thank You To Richard 09:14 End Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:55:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh In one of the most iconic pitches in Dragons' Den history, Levi Roots walked into the Den with a guitar, a homemade sauce and a dream. What followed became television history. In this special episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Levi Roots to revisit the Reggae Reggae Sauce pitch that changed both of their lives. Levi shares the untold story behind receiving the invitation to Dragons' Den, why he refused to watch the show before appearing, how he accidentally got his numbers completely wrong in front of the Dragons, and why I ultimately decided to back him anyway. I reveal the moment he realised that Levi himself was the real investment, not just the sauce. Together we explore what happened after the cameras stopped rolling, how a £50,000 investment turned into a national success story, and the Sainsbury's order that transformed Reggae Reggae Sauce from a family recipe into a household brand. This is the definitive behind-the-scenes story of one of Britain's most memorable entrepreneurial journeys. #TheBoardroom #LeviRoots #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 One of Dragons' Den's Greatest Comebacks 00:07 How Levi Roots Was Invited Onto The Show 01:10 Why Levi Refused To Watch Dragons' Den 02:15 Walking Into The Den With A Guitar 02:55 The Famous Reggae Reggae Sauce Pitch 03:35 The Numbers Mistake That Nearly Killed The Deal 04:08 Dragons Start Pulling Out 04:46 Richard Farleigh Makes His Move 04:58 "You Were The Product, Not The Sauce" 06:05 Levi Accepts The Investment Deal 06:50 What Happened After Dragons' Den 07:20 The Sainsbury's Order That Changed Everything 08:05 Outselling Heinz Ketchup 08:35 Richard Explains The Reality Of Co-Investing 08:55 Levi's Emotional Thank You To Richard 09:14 End Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In one of the most iconic pitches in Dragons' Den history, Levi Roots walked into the Den with a guitar, a homemade sauce and a dream.


What followed became television history.


In this special episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Levi Roots to revisit the Reggae Reggae Sauce pitch that changed both of their lives.


Levi shares the untold story behind receiving the invitation to Dragons' Den, why he refused to watch the show before appearing, how he accidentally got his numbers completely wrong in front of the Dragons, and why I ultimately decided to back him anyway. I reveal the moment he realised that Levi himself was the real investment, not just the sauce.


Together we explore what happened after the cameras stopped rolling, how a £50,000 investment turned into a national success story, and the Sainsbury's order that transformed Reggae Reggae Sauce from a family recipe into a household brand.


This is the definitive behind-the-scenes story of one of Britain's most memorable entrepreneurial journeys.


#TheBoardroom #LeviRoots #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business


I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:


https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.


📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq


🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.


Chapters

00:00 One of Dragons' Den's Greatest Comebacks

00:07 How Levi Roots Was Invited Onto The Show

01:10 Why Levi Refused To Watch Dragons' Den

02:15 Walking Into The Den With A Guitar

02:55 The Famous Reggae Reggae Sauce Pitch

03:35 The Numbers Mistake That Nearly Killed The Deal

04:08 Dragons Start Pulling Out

04:46 Richard Farleigh Makes His Move

04:58 "You Were The Product, Not The Sauce"

06:05 Levi Accepts The Investment Deal

06:50 What Happened After Dragons' Den

07:20 The Sainsbury's Order That Changed Everything

08:05 Outselling Heinz Ketchup

08:35 Richard Explains The Reality Of Co-Investing

08:55 Levi's Emotional Thank You To Richard

09:14 End

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 553 90% of Startups Fail… Here’s Why Everyone talks about startup success. Almost nobody talks honestly about failure. I explain the uncomfortable realities behind why most businesses never make it. From survivorship bias and bad valuations to hidden costs, competition, and the psychology of founders… this is a grounded look at entrepreneurship without the fantasy. If you’re building a business — or thinking about starting one — this episode might save you years of frustration. Entrepreneurship can create extraordinary outcomes. But only when you understand the reality of the game. #entrepreneurship #startups #business #founders #startupadvice I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. 00:00 — The 90% Startup Failure Reality 00:48 — Survivorship Bias & Founder Delusion 01:22 — Why Competition Is Brutal 02:14 — How Big Companies Kill Startups 02:55 — The “Unknown Unknowns” Problem 03:46 — Why Most Ideas Aren’t Valuable 04:33 — Startup Valuations Explained 05:16 — Why Management Beats Intelligence 05:52 — The Real Problem Selling To Corporates 06:17 — Why Billionaire Advice Is Misleading 06:42 — Business Plans vs Reality 07:08 — The Hidden Costs Of Business 07:25 — Why Everything Takes Longer 07:38 — Knowing When To Quit 07:53 — Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Wed, 27 May 2026 10:39:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh Everyone talks about startup success. Almost nobody talks honestly about failure. I explain the uncomfortable realities behind why most businesses never make it. From survivorship bias and bad valuations to hidden costs, competition, and the psychology of founders… this is a grounded look at entrepreneurship without the fantasy. If you’re building a business — or thinking about starting one — this episode might save you years of frustration. Entrepreneurship can create extraordinary outcomes. But only when you understand the reality of the game. #entrepreneurship #startups #business #founders #startupadvice I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. 00:00 — The 90% Startup Failure Reality 00:48 — Survivorship Bias & Founder Delusion 01:22 — Why Competition Is Brutal 02:14 — How Big Companies Kill Startups 02:55 — The “Unknown Unknowns” Problem 03:46 — Why Most Ideas Aren’t Valuable 04:33 — Startup Valuations Explained 05:16 — Why Management Beats Intelligence 05:52 — The Real Problem Selling To Corporates 06:17 — Why Billionaire Advice Is Misleading 06:42 — Business Plans vs Reality 07:08 — The Hidden Costs Of Business 07:25 — Why Everything Takes Longer 07:38 — Knowing When To Quit 07:53 — Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Everyone talks about startup success.

Almost nobody talks honestly about failure.

I explain the uncomfortable realities behind why most businesses never make it.


From survivorship bias and bad valuations to hidden costs, competition, and the psychology of founders… this is a grounded look at entrepreneurship without the fantasy.


If you’re building a business — or thinking about starting one — this episode might save you years of frustration.


Entrepreneurship can create extraordinary outcomes.

But only when you understand the reality of the game.


#entrepreneurship #startups #business #founders #startupadvice


I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:


https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.


📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq


🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.


00:00 — The 90% Startup Failure Reality

00:48 — Survivorship Bias & Founder Delusion

01:22 — Why Competition Is Brutal

02:14 — How Big Companies Kill Startups

02:55 — The “Unknown Unknowns” Problem

03:46 — Why Most Ideas Aren’t Valuable

04:33 — Startup Valuations Explained

05:16 — Why Management Beats Intelligence

05:52 — The Real Problem Selling To Corporates

06:17 — Why Billionaire Advice Is Misleading

06:42 — Business Plans vs Reality

07:08 — The Hidden Costs Of Business

07:25 — Why Everything Takes Longer

07:38 — Knowing When To Quit

07:53 — Final Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 572 Building a Business in Simple Steps | Joanna Jensen on the Childs Farm Journey What does it really take to build a successful consumer brand from scratch? In this episode of The Boardroom, I speak with Joanna Jensen, founder of Childs Farm, to discuss the unconventional path that took her from property and investment banking to building one of the UK’s best-known family skincare brands. Joanna shares how personal necessity inspired the creation of Childs Farm after struggling to find products that helped her daughter’s eczema-prone skin. She explains the realities of scaling a consumer brand, negotiating with suppliers, getting products into major retailers, and why “no” is never the end of the conversation. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – Introducing Joanna Jensen 00:50 – Leaving School & Early Ambition 01:54 – Starting Her First Property Business 05:25 – Entrepreneurs & Adapting to New Technology 06:42 – Taking Risks Young 08:23 – Moving to Hong Kong 09:27 – Entering Finance Without a Maths Background 12:35 – Intellectual Curiosity & Career Changes 13:04 – The Importance of Speed & Attention to Detail 14:20 – Why Closing the Loop Matters in Business 15:20 – Efficiency, Meetings & Respecting Time 15:49 – Negotiation Tactics That Save Thousands 17:30 – Startup Hustle & Managing Cash Flow 18:34 – The Danger of Overspending on Ads 19:38 – Why Most Small Businesses Fail 20:23 – Free Business Research Entrepreneurs Ignore 22:05 – Returning to London & Investment Banking 24:23 – Leaving Finance to Raise Children 26:14 – Financial Crisis & Starting Again 28:14 – The Inspiration Behind Childs Farm 29:16 – Creating Products for Eczema-Prone Skin 31:20 – The Story Behind the Childs Farm Name 32:29 – Helping Children With Sensitive Skin 34:02 – Getting Childs Farm Into Retail Stores 35:12 – Why Receptionists Matter in Business 35:51 – The Viral Facebook Post That Changed Everything 36:54 – Joanna’s Books & Advice for Entrepreneurs 38:11 – Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 May 2026 11:39:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What does it really take to build a successful consumer brand from scratch? In this episode of The Boardroom, I speak with Joanna Jensen, founder of Childs Farm, to discuss the unconventional path that took her from property and investment banking to building one of the UK’s best-known family skincare brands. Joanna shares how personal necessity inspired the creation of Childs Farm after struggling to find products that helped her daughter’s eczema-prone skin. She explains the realities of scaling a consumer brand, negotiating with suppliers, getting products into major retailers, and why “no” is never the end of the conversation. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – Introducing Joanna Jensen 00:50 – Leaving School & Early Ambition 01:54 – Starting Her First Property Business 05:25 – Entrepreneurs & Adapting to New Technology 06:42 – Taking Risks Young 08:23 – Moving to Hong Kong 09:27 – Entering Finance Without a Maths Background 12:35 – Intellectual Curiosity & Career Changes 13:04 – The Importance of Speed & Attention to Detail 14:20 – Why Closing the Loop Matters in Business 15:20 – Efficiency, Meetings & Respecting Time 15:49 – Negotiation Tactics That Save Thousands 17:30 – Startup Hustle & Managing Cash Flow 18:34 – The Danger of Overspending on Ads 19:38 – Why Most Small Businesses Fail 20:23 – Free Business Research Entrepreneurs Ignore 22:05 – Returning to London & Investment Banking 24:23 – Leaving Finance to Raise Children 26:14 – Financial Crisis & Starting Again 28:14 – The Inspiration Behind Childs Farm 29:16 – Creating Products for Eczema-Prone Skin 31:20 – The Story Behind the Childs Farm Name 32:29 – Helping Children With Sensitive Skin 34:02 – Getting Childs Farm Into Retail Stores 35:12 – Why Receptionists Matter in Business 35:51 – The Viral Facebook Post That Changed Everything 36:54 – Joanna’s Books & Advice for Entrepreneurs 38:11 – Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What does it really take to build a successful consumer brand from scratch?


In this episode of The Boardroom, I speak with Joanna Jensen, founder of Childs Farm, to discuss the unconventional path that took her from property and investment banking to building one of the UK’s best-known family skincare brands.


Joanna shares how personal necessity inspired the creation of Childs Farm after struggling to find products that helped her daughter’s eczema-prone skin. She explains the realities of scaling a consumer brand, negotiating with suppliers, getting products into major retailers, and why “no” is never the end of the conversation.


I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:


https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.


📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq


🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.


Chapters

00:00 – Introducing Joanna Jensen

00:50 – Leaving School & Early Ambition

01:54 – Starting Her First Property Business

05:25 – Entrepreneurs & Adapting to New Technology

06:42 – Taking Risks Young

08:23 – Moving to Hong Kong

09:27 – Entering Finance Without a Maths Background

12:35 – Intellectual Curiosity & Career Changes

13:04 – The Importance of Speed & Attention to Detail

14:20 – Why Closing the Loop Matters in Business

15:20 – Efficiency, Meetings & Respecting Time

15:49 – Negotiation Tactics That Save Thousands

17:30 – Startup Hustle & Managing Cash Flow

18:34 – The Danger of Overspending on Ads

19:38 – Why Most Small Businesses Fail

20:23 – Free Business Research Entrepreneurs Ignore

22:05 – Returning to London & Investment Banking

24:23 – Leaving Finance to Raise Children

26:14 – Financial Crisis & Starting Again

28:14 – The Inspiration Behind Childs Farm

29:16 – Creating Products for Eczema-Prone Skin

31:20 – The Story Behind the Childs Farm Name

32:29 – Helping Children With Sensitive Skin

34:02 – Getting Childs Farm Into Retail Stores

35:12 – Why Receptionists Matter in Business

35:51 – The Viral Facebook Post That Changed Everything

36:54 – Joanna’s Books & Advice for Entrepreneurs

38:11 – Final Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2401 From Reselling Trainers to Serving Footballers, Founders & Millionaires | Ed Somner Bogard What starts with selling trainers during COVID can eventually lead to private jets, luxury watches and ultra-high-net-worth clients. In this episode, I sit down with Ed Somner Bogard, founder and director of EMJ Exclusive, to unpack the remarkable journey from sneaker reselling to building a fast-growing luxury concierge business. Ed explains how he scaled a shoe reselling operation buying thousands of pairs each week, pivoted into PlayStations during the global chip shortage, and eventually built relationships with footballers, YouTubers and successful entrepreneurs. The conversation explores entrepreneurship, sales, networking, luxury markets, hiring, AI, trust, customer relationships and why most people overthink starting a business. Ed also shares behind-the-scenes stories from the world of private aviation, sourcing rare watches, luxury travel and managing requests for high-profile clients around the world. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 From Shoes to Planes 00:27 What EMJ Exclusive Actually Does 01:02 Starting a Business During COVID 02:02 Buying 1,000 Pairs of Shoes a Week 02:53 From PlayStations to Footballers 04:35 The Ethics of Sneaker Reselling 06:33 Building a Business With No Money 09:08 Drifting Into Entrepreneurship 10:17 How PlayStations Opened New Doors 11:40 Flying Rare Cats to Ibiza on a Private Jet 13:04 The Reality of Private Aviation 14:43 Building Relationships With Wealthy Clients 17:26 How EMJ Exclusive Makes Money 19:15 Why Customer Relationships Matter More Than Margins 20:18 Scaling the Team & Business Growth 21:43 Hiring Great People Early 22:33 Trust vs Sales Skills 23:17 Relationship-Based Selling 24:41 Building Through Word of Mouth 25:19 Learning to Manage People 28:26 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs 29:08 Why Most Founders Overthink Starting 30:43 Proving a Business Before Raising Money 31:33 AI, CRM Systems & Luxury Concierge Tech 32:40 Handling Online Criticism & UK Business Culture 35:02 Why the UK Needs More Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 May 2026 10:42:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What starts with selling trainers during COVID can eventually lead to private jets, luxury watches and ultra-high-net-worth clients. In this episode, I sit down with Ed Somner Bogard, founder and director of EMJ Exclusive, to unpack the remarkable journey from sneaker reselling to building a fast-growing luxury concierge business. Ed explains how he scaled a shoe reselling operation buying thousands of pairs each week, pivoted into PlayStations during the global chip shortage, and eventually built relationships with footballers, YouTubers and successful entrepreneurs. The conversation explores entrepreneurship, sales, networking, luxury markets, hiring, AI, trust, customer relationships and why most people overthink starting a business. Ed also shares behind-the-scenes stories from the world of private aviation, sourcing rare watches, luxury travel and managing requests for high-profile clients around the world. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 From Shoes to Planes 00:27 What EMJ Exclusive Actually Does 01:02 Starting a Business During COVID 02:02 Buying 1,000 Pairs of Shoes a Week 02:53 From PlayStations to Footballers 04:35 The Ethics of Sneaker Reselling 06:33 Building a Business With No Money 09:08 Drifting Into Entrepreneurship 10:17 How PlayStations Opened New Doors 11:40 Flying Rare Cats to Ibiza on a Private Jet 13:04 The Reality of Private Aviation 14:43 Building Relationships With Wealthy Clients 17:26 How EMJ Exclusive Makes Money 19:15 Why Customer Relationships Matter More Than Margins 20:18 Scaling the Team & Business Growth 21:43 Hiring Great People Early 22:33 Trust vs Sales Skills 23:17 Relationship-Based Selling 24:41 Building Through Word of Mouth 25:19 Learning to Manage People 28:26 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs 29:08 Why Most Founders Overthink Starting 30:43 Proving a Business Before Raising Money 31:33 AI, CRM Systems & Luxury Concierge Tech 32:40 Handling Online Criticism & UK Business Culture 35:02 Why the UK Needs More Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What starts with selling trainers during COVID can eventually lead to private jets, luxury watches and ultra-high-net-worth clients.


In this episode, I sit down with Ed Somner Bogard, founder and director of EMJ Exclusive, to unpack the remarkable journey from sneaker reselling to building a fast-growing luxury concierge business.

Ed explains how he scaled a shoe reselling operation buying thousands of pairs each week, pivoted into PlayStations during the global chip shortage, and eventually built relationships with footballers, YouTubers and successful entrepreneurs.


The conversation explores entrepreneurship, sales, networking, luxury markets, hiring, AI, trust, customer relationships and why most people overthink starting a business.


Ed also shares behind-the-scenes stories from the world of private aviation, sourcing rare watches, luxury travel and managing requests for high-profile clients around the world.


I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:


https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.


📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq


🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.


Chapters

00:00 From Shoes to Planes

00:27 What EMJ Exclusive Actually Does

01:02 Starting a Business During COVID

02:02 Buying 1,000 Pairs of Shoes a Week

02:53 From PlayStations to Footballers

04:35 The Ethics of Sneaker Reselling

06:33 Building a Business With No Money

09:08 Drifting Into Entrepreneurship

10:17 How PlayStations Opened New Doors

11:40 Flying Rare Cats to Ibiza on a Private Jet

13:04 The Reality of Private Aviation

14:43 Building Relationships With Wealthy Clients

17:26 How EMJ Exclusive Makes Money

19:15 Why Customer Relationships Matter More Than Margins

20:18 Scaling the Team & Business Growth

21:43 Hiring Great People Early

22:33 Trust vs Sales Skills

23:17 Relationship-Based Selling

24:41 Building Through Word of Mouth

25:19 Learning to Manage People

28:26 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

29:08 Why Most Founders Overthink Starting

30:43 Proving a Business Before Raising Money

31:33 AI, CRM Systems & Luxury Concierge Tech

32:40 Handling Online Criticism & UK Business Culture

35:02 Why the UK Needs More Entrepreneurs

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2269 From Apprentice Winner to 8-Figure Business | Lee McQueen on People & Hiring Beyond CVs What if the way you hire people is fundamentally broken? In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Lee McQueen, winner of The Apprentice UK, who went on to build multiple seven and eight-figure businesses. We break down what actually drives growth in business today: Why hiring based on CVs is outdated What to look for instead (behaviour, mindset, performance) Why most businesses struggle with sales The importance of environment, standards, and execution Lee shares lessons from scaling companies, hiring top talent, and building high-performance teams along with the hard truths most founders avoid. If you’re a business owner, leader, or operator, this is a practical conversation on what it really takes to grow. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – “No Revenue = No Business” 00:36 – Winning The Apprentice & Early Career 01:57 – Raising Money & Market Timing 03:28 – The CV Controversy Explained 07:26 – Why Hiring Based on CVs Is Broken 09:32 – How to Actually Assess Talent 11:01 – Standing Out in Job Applications 12:22 – Why Most Candidates Fail 14:17 – From No Money to First House at 18 16:42 – Getting Into Sales & Recruitment 18:20 – Environment & Who You Surround Yourself With 20:07 – Education vs Real-World Performance 22:51 – What Do You Actually Want? 24:24 – Why People Ignore Advice 25:00 – Sales: The Real Business Problem 27:00 – Reframing Sales (Not What You Think) 28:27 – Value vs Price 30:33 – Business as Experimentation 32:26 – Life After The Apprentice 35:03 – Final Advice for Founders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 May 2026 09:27:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What if the way you hire people is fundamentally broken? In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Lee McQueen, winner of The Apprentice UK, who went on to build multiple seven and eight-figure businesses. We break down what actually drives growth in business today: Why hiring based on CVs is outdated What to look for instead (behaviour, mindset, performance) Why most businesses struggle with sales The importance of environment, standards, and execution Lee shares lessons from scaling companies, hiring top talent, and building high-performance teams along with the hard truths most founders avoid. If you’re a business owner, leader, or operator, this is a practical conversation on what it really takes to grow. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – “No Revenue = No Business” 00:36 – Winning The Apprentice & Early Career 01:57 – Raising Money & Market Timing 03:28 – The CV Controversy Explained 07:26 – Why Hiring Based on CVs Is Broken 09:32 – How to Actually Assess Talent 11:01 – Standing Out in Job Applications 12:22 – Why Most Candidates Fail 14:17 – From No Money to First House at 18 16:42 – Getting Into Sales & Recruitment 18:20 – Environment & Who You Surround Yourself With 20:07 – Education vs Real-World Performance 22:51 – What Do You Actually Want? 24:24 – Why People Ignore Advice 25:00 – Sales: The Real Business Problem 27:00 – Reframing Sales (Not What You Think) 28:27 – Value vs Price 30:33 – Business as Experimentation 32:26 – Life After The Apprentice 35:03 – Final Advice for Founders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What if the way you hire people is fundamentally broken?


In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Lee McQueen, winner of The Apprentice UK, who went on to build multiple seven and eight-figure businesses.


We break down what actually drives growth in business today:

Why hiring based on CVs is outdated

What to look for instead (behaviour, mindset, performance)

Why most businesses struggle with sales

The importance of environment, standards, and execution


Lee shares lessons from scaling companies, hiring top talent, and building high-performance teams along with the hard truths most founders avoid.


If you’re a business owner, leader, or operator, this is a practical conversation on what it really takes to grow.


I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:


https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.


📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq


🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.


Chapters

00:00 – “No Revenue = No Business”

00:36 – Winning The Apprentice & Early Career

01:57 – Raising Money & Market Timing

03:28 – The CV Controversy Explained

07:26 – Why Hiring Based on CVs Is Broken

09:32 – How to Actually Assess Talent

11:01 – Standing Out in Job Applications

12:22 – Why Most Candidates Fail

14:17 – From No Money to First House at 18

16:42 – Getting Into Sales & Recruitment

18:20 – Environment & Who You Surround Yourself With

20:07 – Education vs Real-World Performance

22:51 – What Do You Actually Want?

24:24 – Why People Ignore Advice

25:00 – Sales: The Real Business Problem

27:00 – Reframing Sales (Not What You Think)

28:27 – Value vs Price

30:33 – Business as Experimentation

32:26 – Life After The Apprentice

35:03 – Final Advice for Founders

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2159 AI Will Replace Entire Companies? | The Boardroom Artificial intelligence is no longer just hype, it’s reshaping economies, industries, and even national sovereignty. In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with AI pioneer and founder of founder of BenevolentAI, Kenneth Mulvany to explore the real impact of AI on jobs, business, and global power. From the rise of one-person billion-dollar companies to the prospect of nations losing control over their own “cognitive infrastructure,” this conversation dives deep into what’s coming next. Ken also shares how BenevolentAI became the first company to develop an FDA-approved drug using AI, and why the future of business may not include humans at all. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro: AI, Power & the Future 00:40 – Why AI Could Threaten National Sovereignty 03:10 – The Energy Crisis Behind AI Growth 05:20 – How Fast AI Has Really Advanced 07:10 – AI vs Jobs: Who Wins, Who Loses? 10:15 – Why Only 5% of Companies Benefit from AI 13:00 – The Coming Productivity Boom (or Not?) 16:10 – One-Person & “No-Person” Companies Explained 20:30 – AI Running Businesses Without Humans 23:30 – Can AI Replace Innovation & Creativity? 26:00 – Are Fully Autonomous Companies Already Here? 28:30 – BenevolentAI: The First AI-Discovered Drug 31:00 – From Pharma to AI Decision-Making Systems 33:30 – Who Will Win: Big Tech or Startups? 35:00 – Final Advice for Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:46:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh Artificial intelligence is no longer just hype, it’s reshaping economies, industries, and even national sovereignty. In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with AI pioneer and founder of founder of BenevolentAI, Kenneth Mulvany to explore the real impact of AI on jobs, business, and global power. From the rise of one-person billion-dollar companies to the prospect of nations losing control over their own “cognitive infrastructure,” this conversation dives deep into what’s coming next. Ken also shares how BenevolentAI became the first company to develop an FDA-approved drug using AI, and why the future of business may not include humans at all. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro: AI, Power & the Future 00:40 – Why AI Could Threaten National Sovereignty 03:10 – The Energy Crisis Behind AI Growth 05:20 – How Fast AI Has Really Advanced 07:10 – AI vs Jobs: Who Wins, Who Loses? 10:15 – Why Only 5% of Companies Benefit from AI 13:00 – The Coming Productivity Boom (or Not?) 16:10 – One-Person & “No-Person” Companies Explained 20:30 – AI Running Businesses Without Humans 23:30 – Can AI Replace Innovation & Creativity? 26:00 – Are Fully Autonomous Companies Already Here? 28:30 – BenevolentAI: The First AI-Discovered Drug 31:00 – From Pharma to AI Decision-Making Systems 33:30 – Who Will Win: Big Tech or Startups? 35:00 – Final Advice for Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Artificial intelligence is no longer just hype, it’s reshaping economies, industries, and even national sovereignty.


In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with AI pioneer and founder of founder of BenevolentAI, Kenneth Mulvany to explore the real impact of AI on jobs, business, and global power.


From the rise of one-person billion-dollar companies to the prospect of nations losing control over their own “cognitive infrastructure,” this conversation dives deep into what’s coming next.


Ken also shares how BenevolentAI became the first company to develop an FDA-approved drug using AI, and why the future of business may not include humans at all.


I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:


https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.


📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq


🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.


CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro: AI, Power & the Future

00:40 – Why AI Could Threaten National Sovereignty

03:10 – The Energy Crisis Behind AI Growth

05:20 – How Fast AI Has Really Advanced

07:10 – AI vs Jobs: Who Wins, Who Loses?

10:15 – Why Only 5% of Companies Benefit from AI

13:00 – The Coming Productivity Boom (or Not?)

16:10 – One-Person & “No-Person” Companies Explained

20:30 – AI Running Businesses Without Humans

23:30 – Can AI Replace Innovation & Creativity?

26:00 – Are Fully Autonomous Companies Already Here?

28:30 – BenevolentAI: The First AI-Discovered Drug

31:00 – From Pharma to AI Decision-Making Systems

33:30 – Who Will Win: Big Tech or Startups?

35:00 – Final Advice for Entrepreneurs

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2232 How Stephen Ingham Built a Billion Pound Recruitment Empire! | The Boardroom In the latest episode of "The Boardroom", I sit down with former PageGroup CEO Stephen Ingham to unpack what it really takes to build a global company and survive life-changing adversity. Stephen shares how he scaled a recruitment firm into a global powerhouse with nearly 10,000 employees, why company culture beats commission-driven models, and how to think long-term when investors demand short-term results. But this episode goes far beyond business. After a devastating skiing accident left him paralysed, Stephen opens up about survival, leadership under pressure, and how the experience made him a more empathetic and effective CEO. This is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone navigating challenges in business or life. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Stephen Ingham’s Story 00:51 – From Metallurgy to Recruitment CEO 01:50 – Building a Global Business to 10,000 Employees 02:00 – Why People & Culture Matter More Than Commission 04:54 – Creating a Winning Company Culture 06:48 – Do Companies Undervalue Their People? 08:11 – Expanding Internationally (India, China Lessons) 11:07 – Profit vs Long-Term Growth Strategy 14:03 – Europe vs US vs China: Funding & Growth Differences 15:36 – Standing Up to Shareholders 19:04 – Leading Through Crisis (COVID & Tough Decisions) 21:10 – Job Market Advice & Standing Out as a Candidate 24:34 – Business Thinking: Chess Player or Gambler? 25:53 – Luck vs Strategy in Business 26:38 – The Ski Accident That Changed Everything 31:24 – Survival, Hypothermia & Rescue Story 32:41 – Recovery & Returning to Work 32:58 – Becoming a Better Leader After Trauma 35:53 – Vulnerability & Leadership 36:12 – Final Advice: “Get the People Right & Work Hard” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:00:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh In the latest episode of "The Boardroom", I sit down with former PageGroup CEO Stephen Ingham to unpack what it really takes to build a global company and survive life-changing adversity. Stephen shares how he scaled a recruitment firm into a global powerhouse with nearly 10,000 employees, why company culture beats commission-driven models, and how to think long-term when investors demand short-term results. But this episode goes far beyond business. After a devastating skiing accident left him paralysed, Stephen opens up about survival, leadership under pressure, and how the experience made him a more empathetic and effective CEO. This is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone navigating challenges in business or life. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Stephen Ingham’s Story 00:51 – From Metallurgy to Recruitment CEO 01:50 – Building a Global Business to 10,000 Employees 02:00 – Why People & Culture Matter More Than Commission 04:54 – Creating a Winning Company Culture 06:48 – Do Companies Undervalue Their People? 08:11 – Expanding Internationally (India, China Lessons) 11:07 – Profit vs Long-Term Growth Strategy 14:03 – Europe vs US vs China: Funding & Growth Differences 15:36 – Standing Up to Shareholders 19:04 – Leading Through Crisis (COVID & Tough Decisions) 21:10 – Job Market Advice & Standing Out as a Candidate 24:34 – Business Thinking: Chess Player or Gambler? 25:53 – Luck vs Strategy in Business 26:38 – The Ski Accident That Changed Everything 31:24 – Survival, Hypothermia & Rescue Story 32:41 – Recovery & Returning to Work 32:58 – Becoming a Better Leader After Trauma 35:53 – Vulnerability & Leadership 36:12 – Final Advice: “Get the People Right & Work Hard” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the latest episode of "The Boardroom", I sit down with former PageGroup CEO Stephen Ingham to unpack what it really takes to build a global company and survive life-changing adversity. Stephen shares how he scaled a recruitment firm into a global powerhouse with nearly 10,000 employees, why company culture beats commission-driven models, and how to think long-term when investors demand short-term results. But this episode goes far beyond business. After a devastating skiing accident left him paralysed, Stephen opens up about survival, leadership under pressure, and how the experience made him a more empathetic and effective CEO. This is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone navigating challenges in business or life. I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Stephen Ingham’s Story 00:51 – From Metallurgy to Recruitment CEO 01:50 – Building a Global Business to 10,000 Employees 02:00 – Why People & Culture Matter More Than Commission 04:54 – Creating a Winning Company Culture 06:48 – Do Companies Undervalue Their People? 08:11 – Expanding Internationally (India, China Lessons) 11:07 – Profit vs Long-Term Growth Strategy 14:03 – Europe vs US vs China: Funding & Growth Differences 15:36 – Standing Up to Shareholders 19:04 – Leading Through Crisis (COVID & Tough Decisions) 21:10 – Job Market Advice & Standing Out as a Candidate 24:34 – Business Thinking: Chess Player or Gambler? 25:53 – Luck vs Strategy in Business 26:38 – The Ski Accident That Changed Everything 31:24 – Survival, Hypothermia & Rescue Story 32:41 – Recovery & Returning to Work 32:58 – Becoming a Better Leader After Trauma 35:53 – Vulnerability & Leadership 36:12 – Final Advice: “Get the People Right & Work Hard”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2220 Why Most Entrepreneurs Never Feel Free (Even After Success) | The Boardroom What if everything you’ve been told about financial freedom is wrong? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Jason Graystone to unpack the uncomfortable truth behind success, money, and the illusion of freedom. From meeting ultra-wealthy entrepreneurs on Richard Branson’s private island to building businesses designed for lifestyle over income, this conversation challenges everything you’ve been told about financial freedom. From car washes to contentment, delegation to identity, this is a masterclass in redefining success on your own terms. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – What Freedom REALLY Means 00:28 – Why People Chase the Wrong Goal 01:16 – The Trap of Escapism Spending 02:13 – How to Find a Winning Business Idea 03:01 – “Always Free” Explained 04:29 – Lessons from Richard Branson’s Island 05:41 – Why Money Doesn’t Make You Happy 07:12 – The Power of “Enough” 08:33 – The Wealth Hamster Wheel 09:53 – 3 Types of Freedom 12:00 – Designing Your Ideal Life 13:49 – Why Entrepreneurs Feel Trapped 14:00 – Delegation = True Freedom 16:54 – The Car Wash Business Lesson 18:15 – How to Scale Without Burning Out 20:40 – Why Most Startups Fail 21:56 – What Investors REALLY Look For 25:33 – Lessons from Top Entrepreneurs 27:25 – The Dangerous Drive for More Money 29:19 – Purpose vs Pleasure 30:00 – Building a YouTube Business 32:38 – Learning Confidence & Public Speaking 34:52 – Why Discomfort Is Necessary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:53:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What if everything you’ve been told about financial freedom is wrong? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Jason Graystone to unpack the uncomfortable truth behind success, money, and the illusion of freedom. From meeting ultra-wealthy entrepreneurs on Richard Branson’s private island to building businesses designed for lifestyle over income, this conversation challenges everything you’ve been told about financial freedom. From car washes to contentment, delegation to identity, this is a masterclass in redefining success on your own terms. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – What Freedom REALLY Means 00:28 – Why People Chase the Wrong Goal 01:16 – The Trap of Escapism Spending 02:13 – How to Find a Winning Business Idea 03:01 – “Always Free” Explained 04:29 – Lessons from Richard Branson’s Island 05:41 – Why Money Doesn’t Make You Happy 07:12 – The Power of “Enough” 08:33 – The Wealth Hamster Wheel 09:53 – 3 Types of Freedom 12:00 – Designing Your Ideal Life 13:49 – Why Entrepreneurs Feel Trapped 14:00 – Delegation = True Freedom 16:54 – The Car Wash Business Lesson 18:15 – How to Scale Without Burning Out 20:40 – Why Most Startups Fail 21:56 – What Investors REALLY Look For 25:33 – Lessons from Top Entrepreneurs 27:25 – The Dangerous Drive for More Money 29:19 – Purpose vs Pleasure 30:00 – Building a YouTube Business 32:38 – Learning Confidence & Public Speaking 34:52 – Why Discomfort Is Necessary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What if everything you’ve been told about financial freedom is wrong? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Jason Graystone to unpack the uncomfortable truth behind success, money, and the illusion of freedom. From meeting ultra-wealthy entrepreneurs on Richard Branson’s private island to building businesses designed for lifestyle over income, this conversation challenges everything you’ve been told about financial freedom. From car washes to contentment, delegation to identity, this is a masterclass in redefining success on your own terms. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – What Freedom REALLY Means 00:28 – Why People Chase the Wrong Goal 01:16 – The Trap of Escapism Spending 02:13 – How to Find a Winning Business Idea 03:01 – “Always Free” Explained 04:29 – Lessons from Richard Branson’s Island 05:41 – Why Money Doesn’t Make You Happy 07:12 – The Power of “Enough” 08:33 – The Wealth Hamster Wheel 09:53 – 3 Types of Freedom 12:00 – Designing Your Ideal Life 13:49 – Why Entrepreneurs Feel Trapped 14:00 – Delegation = True Freedom 16:54 – The Car Wash Business Lesson 18:15 – How to Scale Without Burning Out 20:40 – Why Most Startups Fail 21:56 – What Investors REALLY Look For 25:33 – Lessons from Top Entrepreneurs 27:25 – The Dangerous Drive for More Money 29:19 – Purpose vs Pleasure 30:00 – Building a YouTube Business 32:38 – Learning Confidence & Public Speaking 34:52 – Why Discomfort Is Necessary

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2237 How Porsche Was Saved (After Losing 90% of Sales) | The Boardroom What would you do if you walked into a meeting expecting to be fired… and walked out as Managing Director? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Kevin Gaskell, the man who turned around Porsche after the company lost 90% of its sales and hit rock bottom in customer satisfaction. From cutting half the workforce to rebuilding culture, reinventing strategy, and personally calling journalists every day for 3 years — this is a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and bold decision-making. This is one of the most powerful business turnaround stories you’ll ever hear. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Becoming Porsche CEO at 32 (by accident) 02:30 – The turnaround plan: simple but powerful 03:00 – Cutting 50% of staff (and the emotional cost) 04:30 – Rebuilding culture and leadership mindset 06:00 – Winning back dealers and the press 08:30 – The genius behind the Porsche 968 Club Sport 10:40 – From worst to #1 in customer satisfaction 12:00 – Culture vs strategy: what really matters 14:00 – Handling resistance and removing leadership 16:00 – Moving fast and making bold decisions 18:30 – BMW: growing a successful business by 80% 21:00 – The power of listening to employees 23:00 – Why small ideas create big cultural change 25:00 – Leadership style: humility vs authority 27:00 – Startup lessons and financial blind spots 29:00 – The danger of unrealistic forecasts 31:00 – Money vs passion: what really drives success 32:30 – Extreme challenges: rowing oceans & climbing poles 34:00 – Business lessons from endurance adventures 37:30 – Why Kevin loves tough challenges Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:45:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What would you do if you walked into a meeting expecting to be fired… and walked out as Managing Director? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Kevin Gaskell, the man who turned around Porsche after the company lost 90% of its sales and hit rock bottom in customer satisfaction. From cutting half the workforce to rebuilding culture, reinventing strategy, and personally calling journalists every day for 3 years — this is a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and bold decision-making. This is one of the most powerful business turnaround stories you’ll ever hear. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Becoming Porsche CEO at 32 (by accident) 02:30 – The turnaround plan: simple but powerful 03:00 – Cutting 50% of staff (and the emotional cost) 04:30 – Rebuilding culture and leadership mindset 06:00 – Winning back dealers and the press 08:30 – The genius behind the Porsche 968 Club Sport 10:40 – From worst to #1 in customer satisfaction 12:00 – Culture vs strategy: what really matters 14:00 – Handling resistance and removing leadership 16:00 – Moving fast and making bold decisions 18:30 – BMW: growing a successful business by 80% 21:00 – The power of listening to employees 23:00 – Why small ideas create big cultural change 25:00 – Leadership style: humility vs authority 27:00 – Startup lessons and financial blind spots 29:00 – The danger of unrealistic forecasts 31:00 – Money vs passion: what really drives success 32:30 – Extreme challenges: rowing oceans & climbing poles 34:00 – Business lessons from endurance adventures 37:30 – Why Kevin loves tough challenges Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What would you do if you walked into a meeting expecting to be fired… and walked out as Managing Director? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Kevin Gaskell, the man who turned around Porsche after the company lost 90% of its sales and hit rock bottom in customer satisfaction. From cutting half the workforce to rebuilding culture, reinventing strategy, and personally calling journalists every day for 3 years — this is a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and bold decision-making. This is one of the most powerful business turnaround stories you’ll ever hear. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Becoming Porsche CEO at 32 (by accident) 02:30 – The turnaround plan: simple but powerful 03:00 – Cutting 50% of staff (and the emotional cost) 04:30 – Rebuilding culture and leadership mindset 06:00 – Winning back dealers and the press 08:30 – The genius behind the Porsche 968 Club Sport 10:40 – From worst to #1 in customer satisfaction 12:00 – Culture vs strategy: what really matters 14:00 – Handling resistance and removing leadership 16:00 – Moving fast and making bold decisions 18:30 – BMW: growing a successful business by 80% 21:00 – The power of listening to employees 23:00 – Why small ideas create big cultural change 25:00 – Leadership style: humility vs authority 27:00 – Startup lessons and financial blind spots 29:00 – The danger of unrealistic forecasts 31:00 – Money vs passion: what really drives success 32:30 – Extreme challenges: rowing oceans & climbing poles 34:00 – Business lessons from endurance adventures 37:30 – Why Kevin loves tough challenges

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2406 How to Inspire Children to Love Learning Again | The Boardroom What happens when the traditional education system fails a child? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Stephen Simpson, founder of Forest Schooling UK — a radically different approach to education designed for children who’ve been excluded, misunderstood, or left behind. Instead of rigid classrooms and strict curriculums, Stephen’s schools focus on trust, emotional regulation, and child-led learning — all set in nature. From adopting a child with behavioural challenges to building a full-time school backed by the Department for Education, Stephen’s journey is as powerful as the results he’s seeing. This is more than education... it’s transformation. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 00:20 – Meet Stephen Simpson & Forest Schooling UK 01:30 – What Is a Forest School? 03:00 – The Children Traditional Schools Can’t Help 03:45 – A Typical Day: Trust Before Teaching 05:20 – Why Their “3 Rs” Are Different 05:45 – The Personal Story That Started It All 08:20 – Turning a Small Club Into a School 10:10 – Opening a Full-Time Forest School 11:10 – Ofsted, Paperwork & Legitimacy 12:00 – Non-Profit Model & Business Reality 13:00 – The Hidden Challenge of Growth 14:20 – Funding, Land & Building the School 15:25 – Measuring Success Without Exams 16:20 – Why GCSEs Aren’t the Priority 17:30 – The Problem With Memorisation in Schools 18:30 – Why Imagination Matters More Than Ever 19:00 – Kids Who Don’t Know How to Play 20:00 – Confidence, Personality & Social Skills 21:20 – Trauma, Care System & Childhood Impact 24:15 – The Power of One Teacher 26:00 – Why This Work Matters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:28:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What happens when the traditional education system fails a child? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Stephen Simpson, founder of Forest Schooling UK — a radically different approach to education designed for children who’ve been excluded, misunderstood, or left behind. Instead of rigid classrooms and strict curriculums, Stephen’s schools focus on trust, emotional regulation, and child-led learning — all set in nature. From adopting a child with behavioural challenges to building a full-time school backed by the Department for Education, Stephen’s journey is as powerful as the results he’s seeing. This is more than education... it’s transformation. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 00:20 – Meet Stephen Simpson & Forest Schooling UK 01:30 – What Is a Forest School? 03:00 – The Children Traditional Schools Can’t Help 03:45 – A Typical Day: Trust Before Teaching 05:20 – Why Their “3 Rs” Are Different 05:45 – The Personal Story That Started It All 08:20 – Turning a Small Club Into a School 10:10 – Opening a Full-Time Forest School 11:10 – Ofsted, Paperwork & Legitimacy 12:00 – Non-Profit Model & Business Reality 13:00 – The Hidden Challenge of Growth 14:20 – Funding, Land & Building the School 15:25 – Measuring Success Without Exams 16:20 – Why GCSEs Aren’t the Priority 17:30 – The Problem With Memorisation in Schools 18:30 – Why Imagination Matters More Than Ever 19:00 – Kids Who Don’t Know How to Play 20:00 – Confidence, Personality & Social Skills 21:20 – Trauma, Care System & Childhood Impact 24:15 – The Power of One Teacher 26:00 – Why This Work Matters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What happens when the traditional education system fails a child? In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Stephen Simpson, founder of Forest Schooling UK — a radically different approach to education designed for children who’ve been excluded, misunderstood, or left behind. Instead of rigid classrooms and strict curriculums, Stephen’s schools focus on trust, emotional regulation, and child-led learning — all set in nature. From adopting a child with behavioural challenges to building a full-time school backed by the Department for Education, Stephen’s journey is as powerful as the results he’s seeing. This is more than education... it’s transformation. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 00:20 – Meet Stephen Simpson & Forest Schooling UK 01:30 – What Is a Forest School? 03:00 – The Children Traditional Schools Can’t Help 03:45 – A Typical Day: Trust Before Teaching 05:20 – Why Their “3 Rs” Are Different 05:45 – The Personal Story That Started It All 08:20 – Turning a Small Club Into a School 10:10 – Opening a Full-Time Forest School 11:10 – Ofsted, Paperwork & Legitimacy 12:00 – Non-Profit Model & Business Reality 13:00 – The Hidden Challenge of Growth 14:20 – Funding, Land & Building the School 15:25 – Measuring Success Without Exams 16:20 – Why GCSEs Aren’t the Priority 17:30 – The Problem With Memorisation in Schools 18:30 – Why Imagination Matters More Than Ever 19:00 – Kids Who Don’t Know How to Play 20:00 – Confidence, Personality & Social Skills 21:20 – Trauma, Care System & Childhood Impact 24:15 – The Power of One Teacher 26:00 – Why This Work Matters

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1769 The Money Mistakes Keeping You Broke (And How to Fix Them) |The Boardroom In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with financial educator and entrepreneur Sammie Elled-King, founder of Up The Gains. Sammie shares his powerful journey from spiralling credit card debt and impulsive spending to building a fast-growing financial literacy brand and fintech app designed to help people track spending, save money and earn cashback. The conversation explores UK cost-of-living pressures, wealth inequality, housing affordability, investing psychology and the rise of social media consumption culture. Richard also reveals insights from his career in hedge funds, trading psychology and why optimism can be dangerous in investing. If you want to improve your money habits, understand modern wealth challenges, or learn what it takes to build a fintech startup, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-life lessons. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters: 00:00 – Debt, Money Obsession & The Wake-Up Moment 01:00 – Chess, Discipline & Mindset 02:30 – Spending Beyond Means & Escaping Debt Fast 05:10 – Turning Financial Mistakes into a Business Idea 06:20 – Building “Up The Gains” & Teaching Financial Literacy 07:45 – The #1 Money Mistake People Make 09:10 – Impulse Spending & Smart Buying Hacks 10:30 – Cashback Strategy & How the Gains App Works 13:15 – Cost of Living Crisis & Helping Consumers Save 14:10 – Housing Affordability & Wealth Inequality Debate 19:50 – Investing vs Owning Property 20:30 – Hedge Funds, Markets & Trading Psychology 25:40 – Personal Finance Advice Everyone Needs 26:40 – Social Media, Status & Conspicuous Consumption 27:30 – Final Lessons & Future of Gains Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:48:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with financial educator and entrepreneur Sammie Elled-King, founder of Up The Gains. Sammie shares his powerful journey from spiralling credit card debt and impulsive spending to building a fast-growing financial literacy brand and fintech app designed to help people track spending, save money and earn cashback. The conversation explores UK cost-of-living pressures, wealth inequality, housing affordability, investing psychology and the rise of social media consumption culture. Richard also reveals insights from his career in hedge funds, trading psychology and why optimism can be dangerous in investing. If you want to improve your money habits, understand modern wealth challenges, or learn what it takes to build a fintech startup, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-life lessons. Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters: 00:00 – Debt, Money Obsession & The Wake-Up Moment 01:00 – Chess, Discipline & Mindset 02:30 – Spending Beyond Means & Escaping Debt Fast 05:10 – Turning Financial Mistakes into a Business Idea 06:20 – Building “Up The Gains” & Teaching Financial Literacy 07:45 – The #1 Money Mistake People Make 09:10 – Impulse Spending & Smart Buying Hacks 10:30 – Cashback Strategy & How the Gains App Works 13:15 – Cost of Living Crisis & Helping Consumers Save 14:10 – Housing Affordability & Wealth Inequality Debate 19:50 – Investing vs Owning Property 20:30 – Hedge Funds, Markets & Trading Psychology 25:40 – Personal Finance Advice Everyone Needs 26:40 – Social Media, Status & Conspicuous Consumption 27:30 – Final Lessons & Future of Gains Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with financial educator and entrepreneur Sammie Elled-King, founder of Up The Gains.

Sammie shares his powerful journey from spiralling credit card debt and impulsive spending to building a fast-growing financial literacy brand and fintech app designed to help people track spending, save money and earn cashback.

The conversation explores UK cost-of-living pressures, wealth inequality, housing affordability, investing psychology and the rise of social media consumption culture. Richard also reveals insights from his career in hedge funds, trading psychology and why optimism can be dangerous in investing.

If you want to improve your money habits, understand modern wealth challenges, or learn what it takes to build a fintech startup, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-life lessons.

Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq

🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters:

00:00 – Debt, Money Obsession & The Wake-Up Moment 01:00 – Chess, Discipline & Mindset 02:30 – Spending Beyond Means & Escaping Debt Fast 05:10 – Turning Financial Mistakes into a Business Idea 06:20 – Building “Up The Gains” & Teaching Financial Literacy 07:45 – The #1 Money Mistake People Make 09:10 – Impulse Spending & Smart Buying Hacks 10:30 – Cashback Strategy & How the Gains App Works 13:15 – Cost of Living Crisis & Helping Consumers Save 14:10 – Housing Affordability & Wealth Inequality Debate 19:50 – Investing vs Owning Property 20:30 – Hedge Funds, Markets & Trading Psychology 25:40 – Personal Finance Advice Everyone Needs 26:40 – Social Media, Status & Conspicuous Consumption 27:30 – Final Lessons & Future of Gains

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1775 Stand-Up Comedian: Why Most Creators Fail, Social Media Rewards Anger & Talent Isn’t Enough What does stand-up comedy teach us about business, risk, and success? In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with comedian Andrew Maxwell to explore the surprising overlap between comedy, entrepreneurship, and performance psychology. With 35 years in stand-up, Andrew reveals how comedians develop “gold” material, read audiences instantly, and climb the comedy circuit from unpaid five-minute sets to headlining shows. The conversation also dives into how the internet, podcasts, YouTube, and TikTok have completely transformed the comedy industry. If you’re an entrepreneur, creator, or performer, this episode reveals the mindset behind success on stage and in business. 🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY- 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Meeting Andrew Maxwell 01:25 Why comedians must stay intellectually curious 03:00 The “alchemy” of what makes someone funny 04:30 Nerves and performing on stage 05:10 What comedians call “gold” material 06:00 Reading the room before a performance 08:00 Climbing the comedy circuit 09:10 Andrew Maxwell’s early career 11:20 The truth about cancel culture in comedy 12:30 Social media algorithms and outrage 14:00 How technology changed the comedy industry 15:40 From comedy circuit to creator economy 17:00 The personal cost of pursuing comedy 19:10 The “sad clown” myth 20:40 Why execution beats ideas in business 22:30 What makes a great comedian 23:50 American vs British comedy styles 25:40 Where to see Andrew Maxwell live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:14:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What does stand-up comedy teach us about business, risk, and success? In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with comedian Andrew Maxwell to explore the surprising overlap between comedy, entrepreneurship, and performance psychology. With 35 years in stand-up, Andrew reveals how comedians develop “gold” material, read audiences instantly, and climb the comedy circuit from unpaid five-minute sets to headlining shows. The conversation also dives into how the internet, podcasts, YouTube, and TikTok have completely transformed the comedy industry. If you’re an entrepreneur, creator, or performer, this episode reveals the mindset behind success on stage and in business. 🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY- 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Meeting Andrew Maxwell 01:25 Why comedians must stay intellectually curious 03:00 The “alchemy” of what makes someone funny 04:30 Nerves and performing on stage 05:10 What comedians call “gold” material 06:00 Reading the room before a performance 08:00 Climbing the comedy circuit 09:10 Andrew Maxwell’s early career 11:20 The truth about cancel culture in comedy 12:30 Social media algorithms and outrage 14:00 How technology changed the comedy industry 15:40 From comedy circuit to creator economy 17:00 The personal cost of pursuing comedy 19:10 The “sad clown” myth 20:40 Why execution beats ideas in business 22:30 What makes a great comedian 23:50 American vs British comedy styles 25:40 Where to see Andrew Maxwell live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What does stand-up comedy teach us about business, risk, and success?

In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with comedian Andrew Maxwell to explore the surprising overlap between comedy, entrepreneurship, and performance psychology. With 35 years in stand-up, Andrew reveals how comedians develop “gold” material, read audiences instantly, and climb the comedy circuit from unpaid five-minute sets to headlining shows. The conversation also dives into how the internet, podcasts, YouTube, and TikTok have completely transformed the comedy industry. If you’re an entrepreneur, creator, or performer, this episode reveals the mindset behind success on stage and in business. 🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY- 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Meeting Andrew Maxwell 01:25 Why comedians must stay intellectually curious 03:00 The “alchemy” of what makes someone funny 04:30 Nerves and performing on stage 05:10 What comedians call “gold” material 06:00 Reading the room before a performance 08:00 Climbing the comedy circuit 09:10 Andrew Maxwell’s early career 11:20 The truth about cancel culture in comedy 12:30 Social media algorithms and outrage 14:00 How technology changed the comedy industry 15:40 From comedy circuit to creator economy 17:00 The personal cost of pursuing comedy 19:10 The “sad clown” myth 20:40 Why execution beats ideas in business 22:30 What makes a great comedian 23:50 American vs British comedy styles 25:40 Where to see Andrew Maxwell live

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1712 The Brutal Truth About Entrepreneurship & Business Success | Sabrina Chevannes-Denman Entrepreneurship is often glamorised, but the reality is far tougher. In this episode of "The Boardroom", I sit down with portfolio entrepreneur and founder of No Bullshit (NOBS), Sabrina Shivanes-Denman, to break down what it really takes to succeed in business. We cut through startup myths, fake gurus, and hustle culture to explore the real drivers of long-term business success, from risk management and hard work to positioning, marketing fundamentals, and why there are no lazy successful entrepreneurs. We discuss why most entrepreneurs fail, the truth about first-mover advantage, why marketing can’t fix bad positioning, how email marketing still outperforms social media, and what actually builds sustainable businesses. This episode is essential listening for founders, business owners, investors, and anyone thinking about starting a business. 🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY- 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Entrepreneurship Has Been Romanticised 01:10 There Are No Lazy Successful Entrepreneurs 02:55 First Mover Advantage vs Second Mover Advantage 04:45 Business Lessons from Chess & Strategy 06:00 Why Marketing Can’t Fix Bad Positioning 07:30 How Marketing Has Changed Over Time 09:05 Why Email Marketing Beats Social Media 10:40 Building an Email List That Actually Converts 12:10 Event Marketing & Hidden Growth Opportunities 14:15 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs 15:30 The Dark Reality of Startup Life 17:55 Intuition vs Calculation in Business 18:45 Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made? 20:00 Risk, Failure & Learning the Hard Way 22:30 Portfolio Entrepreneurship Explained 24:15 Productivity, Systems & Saying No 25:00 The Biggest Lies in Entrepreneurship Culture 26:35 Final Thoughts & Lessons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:15:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh Entrepreneurship is often glamorised, but the reality is far tougher. In this episode of "The Boardroom", I sit down with portfolio entrepreneur and founder of No Bullshit (NOBS), Sabrina Shivanes-Denman, to break down what it really takes to succeed in business. We cut through startup myths, fake gurus, and hustle culture to explore the real drivers of long-term business success, from risk management and hard work to positioning, marketing fundamentals, and why there are no lazy successful entrepreneurs. We discuss why most entrepreneurs fail, the truth about first-mover advantage, why marketing can’t fix bad positioning, how email marketing still outperforms social media, and what actually builds sustainable businesses. This episode is essential listening for founders, business owners, investors, and anyone thinking about starting a business. 🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY- 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Entrepreneurship Has Been Romanticised 01:10 There Are No Lazy Successful Entrepreneurs 02:55 First Mover Advantage vs Second Mover Advantage 04:45 Business Lessons from Chess & Strategy 06:00 Why Marketing Can’t Fix Bad Positioning 07:30 How Marketing Has Changed Over Time 09:05 Why Email Marketing Beats Social Media 10:40 Building an Email List That Actually Converts 12:10 Event Marketing & Hidden Growth Opportunities 14:15 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs 15:30 The Dark Reality of Startup Life 17:55 Intuition vs Calculation in Business 18:45 Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made? 20:00 Risk, Failure & Learning the Hard Way 22:30 Portfolio Entrepreneurship Explained 24:15 Productivity, Systems & Saying No 25:00 The Biggest Lies in Entrepreneurship Culture 26:35 Final Thoughts & Lessons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Entrepreneurship is often glamorised, but the reality is far tougher.

In this episode of "The Boardroom", I sit down with portfolio entrepreneur and founder of No Bullshit (NOBS), Sabrina Shivanes-Denman, to break down what it really takes to succeed in business.

We cut through startup myths, fake gurus, and hustle culture to explore the real drivers of long-term business success, from risk management and hard work to positioning, marketing fundamentals, and why there are no lazy successful entrepreneurs.

We discuss why most entrepreneurs fail, the truth about first-mover advantage, why marketing can’t fix bad positioning, how email marketing still outperforms social media, and what actually builds sustainable businesses.


This episode is essential listening for founders, business owners, investors, and anyone thinking about starting a business. 🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY- 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Entrepreneurship Has Been Romanticised
  • 01:10 There Are No Lazy Successful Entrepreneurs
  • 02:55 First Mover Advantage vs Second Mover Advantage
  • 04:45 Business Lessons from Chess & Strategy
  • 06:00 Why Marketing Can’t Fix Bad Positioning
  • 07:30 How Marketing Has Changed Over Time
  • 09:05 Why Email Marketing Beats Social Media
  • 10:40 Building an Email List That Actually Converts
  • 12:10 Event Marketing & Hidden Growth Opportunities
  • 14:15 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
  • 15:30 The Dark Reality of Startup Life
  • 17:55 Intuition vs Calculation in Business
  • 18:45 Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made?
  • 20:00 Risk, Failure & Learning the Hard Way
  • 22:30 Portfolio Entrepreneurship Explained
  • 24:15 Productivity, Systems & Saying No
  • 25:00 The Biggest Lies in Entrepreneurship Culture
  • 26:35 Final Thoughts & Lessons

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]]> 1699 From Dragons' Den To The UK's Most Downloaded Finance App | Jinesh Vohra In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Jinesh Vohra, co-founder and CEO of Sprive, the app helping homeowners pay off their mortgages faster, just by doing their everyday shopping. Jinesh shares the full story behind his recent Dragons’ Den appearance, including how he handled tough questioning from the Dragons' Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville and why trust and branding matter more than aggressive growth. We also explore: • Leaving Goldman Sachs to build a fintech startup • How Sprive reached 20,000 users before appearing on TV • Why the Dragons' missed key questions around defence and scalability • The real economics of customer acquisition in fintech • What it takes to raise capital in today’s tougher funding environment If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or investor, or simply curious about what it really takes to build a financial services business, this conversation is for you. 00:00 – Introduction 01:25 – What Sprive does (simply explained) 03:30 – Breaking down the Dragons’ Den pitch 05:10 – Cost per customer & tough questioning 06:40 – Why some Dragons walked away 08:15 – Handling nerves on national TV 10:05 – The answer that didn’t make the edit 12:00 – Infinite startups vs UK founders 14:55 – Leaving Goldman Sachs to build Sprive 17:10 – Growing to 20,000 users pre-TV 19:30 – Can big fintechs copy the model? 21:50 – Burn rate, team size & scalability 22:55 – Fundraising advice for founders 24:00 – Why trust and brand matter most 28:00 – Final reflections on Dragons’ Den Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:17:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Jinesh Vohra, co-founder and CEO of Sprive, the app helping homeowners pay off their mortgages faster, just by doing their everyday shopping. Jinesh shares the full story behind his recent Dragons’ Den appearance, including how he handled tough questioning from the Dragons' Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville and why trust and branding matter more than aggressive growth. We also explore: • Leaving Goldman Sachs to build a fintech startup • How Sprive reached 20,000 users before appearing on TV • Why the Dragons' missed key questions around defence and scalability • The real economics of customer acquisition in fintech • What it takes to raise capital in today’s tougher funding environment If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or investor, or simply curious about what it really takes to build a financial services business, this conversation is for you. 00:00 – Introduction 01:25 – What Sprive does (simply explained) 03:30 – Breaking down the Dragons’ Den pitch 05:10 – Cost per customer & tough questioning 06:40 – Why some Dragons walked away 08:15 – Handling nerves on national TV 10:05 – The answer that didn’t make the edit 12:00 – Infinite startups vs UK founders 14:55 – Leaving Goldman Sachs to build Sprive 17:10 – Growing to 20,000 users pre-TV 19:30 – Can big fintechs copy the model? 21:50 – Burn rate, team size & scalability 22:55 – Fundraising advice for founders 24:00 – Why trust and brand matter most 28:00 – Final reflections on Dragons’ Den Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Jinesh Vohra, co-founder and CEO of Sprive, the app helping homeowners pay off their mortgages faster, just by doing their everyday shopping.


Jinesh shares the full story behind his recent Dragons’ Den appearance, including how he handled tough questioning from the Dragons' Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville and why trust and branding matter more than aggressive growth.


We also explore:

• Leaving Goldman Sachs to build a fintech startup

• How Sprive reached 20,000 users before appearing on TV

• Why the Dragons' missed key questions around defence and scalability

• The real economics of customer acquisition in fintech

• What it takes to raise capital in today’s tougher funding environment


If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or investor, or simply curious about what it really takes to build a financial services business, this conversation is for you.


00:00 – Introduction

01:25 – What Sprive does (simply explained)

03:30 – Breaking down the Dragons’ Den pitch

05:10 – Cost per customer & tough questioning

06:40 – Why some Dragons walked away

08:15 – Handling nerves on national TV

10:05 – The answer that didn’t make the edit

12:00 – Infinite startups vs UK founders

14:55 – Leaving Goldman Sachs to build Sprive

17:10 – Growing to 20,000 users pre-TV

19:30 – Can big fintechs copy the model?

21:50 – Burn rate, team size & scalability

22:55 – Fundraising advice for founders

24:00 – Why trust and brand matter most

28:00 – Final reflections on Dragons’ Den

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1829 From Dragons’ Den Rejection to Multi-Million Brand | How Rob Law Built Trunki What happens after you get rejected on Dragons' Den? In this episode of The Boardroom, we sit down with Rob Law, the creator of Trunki, the iconic children’s ride-on suitcase now seen in airports around the world. Rob shares the real story behind his 2006 Dragons' Den rejection, including the infamous moment his prototype was ripped apart on TV, and how he went on to build one of the UK’s most recognisable children’s brands. Rob also opens up about living with cystic fibrosis, losing his twin sister, and how perspective, gratitude, and grit shaped his approach to business and life. If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, designer, or startup operator, this episode is packed with practical lessons you won’t hear in pitch decks. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:44 – Pitching Trunki with no retailers 02:40 – The infamous strap-ripping moment 03:36 – Why brand matters more than product 04:08 – Valuation mistakes early founders make 05:11 – Seeing Trunki explode worldwide 05:50 – Creating a brand-new product category 07:14 – Retail pricing & the “x5 rule” 08:09 – Manufacturing in China vs the UK 09:45 – Cashflow, stock, and scaling pain 11:12 – UK manufacturing & the Olympics effect 12:35 – Selling Trunki after COVID 13:32 – Legacy, exits & founder identity 13:34 – Starting Zeepy: lessons second time round 14:31 – Fixing children’s sleep with science 16:21 – Do you still need a business plan? 17:47 – Resilience & what all entrepreneurs share 19:40 – When luck nearly kills your business 20:26 – Pivoting through impossible challenges 20:32 – Living with cystic fibrosis 22:39 – Why setbacks become superpowers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:28:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh What happens after you get rejected on Dragons' Den? In this episode of The Boardroom, we sit down with Rob Law, the creator of Trunki, the iconic children’s ride-on suitcase now seen in airports around the world. Rob shares the real story behind his 2006 Dragons' Den rejection, including the infamous moment his prototype was ripped apart on TV, and how he went on to build one of the UK’s most recognisable children’s brands. Rob also opens up about living with cystic fibrosis, losing his twin sister, and how perspective, gratitude, and grit shaped his approach to business and life. If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, designer, or startup operator, this episode is packed with practical lessons you won’t hear in pitch decks. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:44 – Pitching Trunki with no retailers 02:40 – The infamous strap-ripping moment 03:36 – Why brand matters more than product 04:08 – Valuation mistakes early founders make 05:11 – Seeing Trunki explode worldwide 05:50 – Creating a brand-new product category 07:14 – Retail pricing & the “x5 rule” 08:09 – Manufacturing in China vs the UK 09:45 – Cashflow, stock, and scaling pain 11:12 – UK manufacturing & the Olympics effect 12:35 – Selling Trunki after COVID 13:32 – Legacy, exits & founder identity 13:34 – Starting Zeepy: lessons second time round 14:31 – Fixing children’s sleep with science 16:21 – Do you still need a business plan? 17:47 – Resilience & what all entrepreneurs share 19:40 – When luck nearly kills your business 20:26 – Pivoting through impossible challenges 20:32 – Living with cystic fibrosis 22:39 – Why setbacks become superpowers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What happens after you get rejected on Dragons' Den?


In this episode of The Boardroom, we sit down with Rob Law, the creator of Trunki, the iconic children’s ride-on suitcase now seen in airports around the world.


Rob shares the real story behind his 2006 Dragons' Den rejection, including the infamous moment his prototype was ripped apart on TV, and how he went on to build one of the UK’s most recognisable children’s brands.


Rob also opens up about living with cystic fibrosis, losing his twin sister, and how perspective, gratitude, and grit shaped his approach to business and life.


If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, designer, or startup operator, this episode is packed with practical lessons you won’t hear in pitch decks.


Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

01:44 – Pitching Trunki with no retailers

02:40 – The infamous strap-ripping moment

03:36 – Why brand matters more than product

04:08 – Valuation mistakes early founders make

05:11 – Seeing Trunki explode worldwide

05:50 – Creating a brand-new product category

07:14 – Retail pricing & the “x5 rule”

08:09 – Manufacturing in China vs the UK

09:45 – Cashflow, stock, and scaling pain

11:12 – UK manufacturing & the Olympics effect

12:35 – Selling Trunki after COVID

13:32 – Legacy, exits & founder identity

13:34 – Starting Zeepy: lessons second time round

14:31 – Fixing children’s sleep with science

16:21 – Do you still need a business plan?

17:47 – Resilience & what all entrepreneurs share

19:40 – When luck nearly kills your business

20:26 – Pivoting through impossible challenges

20:32 – Living with cystic fibrosis

22:39 – Why setbacks become superpowers

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1420 Building a Global Beauty Brand from Zero: How Akash Mehta Built Fable & Mane & a $100M Impact Vision Welcome to "The Boardroom" In this episode we sit down with Akash Mehta, British entrepreneur, CEO & Co-Founder of Fable & Mane, and founder of the Fable Fund. Akash shares his unconventional journey from engineering at Imperial College to becoming the youngest-ever manager at Estée Lauder, before launching an hair wellness brand that went viral at Sephora. We explore: How a viral singing career led to mastery in digital marketing Pitching Sephora via LinkedIn with zero sales Why Akash committed to deploying $100M into wildlife conservation by 2030 Chapters 00:00 Introduction01:20 Chess, Strategy & Business Principles02:25 Failing Engineering at Imperial & Life Lessons03:50 Busking, Singing & Going Viral on Social Media05:20 Learning Digital Marketing Before It Was Cool06:30 Becoming Estée Lauder’s Youngest Manager at 2108:10 Data, Creativity & Measuring Marketing ROI09:45 Why Planning Beats Luck in Business11:15 Leaving Dior & The Birth of Fable & Mane12:45 Ayurveda vs Science — Building Trust in Beauty13:35 Pitching Sephora on LinkedIn (No Sales, No Funding)16:10 Going Viral at Sephora During COVID17:10 Global Expansion & Retail Strategy18:45 Launching the Fable Fund & Conservation Mission20:30 How to Measure Real Impact in Business22:10 Leadership, Jobs & Changing Lives23:10 Final Chess Checkmate & Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:59:00 -0000 full Richard Farleigh Welcome to "The Boardroom" In this episode we sit down with Akash Mehta, British entrepreneur, CEO & Co-Founder of Fable & Mane, and founder of the Fable Fund. Akash shares his unconventional journey from engineering at Imperial College to becoming the youngest-ever manager at Estée Lauder, before launching an hair wellness brand that went viral at Sephora. We explore: How a viral singing career led to mastery in digital marketing Pitching Sephora via LinkedIn with zero sales Why Akash committed to deploying $100M into wildlife conservation by 2030 Chapters 00:00 Introduction01:20 Chess, Strategy & Business Principles02:25 Failing Engineering at Imperial & Life Lessons03:50 Busking, Singing & Going Viral on Social Media05:20 Learning Digital Marketing Before It Was Cool06:30 Becoming Estée Lauder’s Youngest Manager at 2108:10 Data, Creativity & Measuring Marketing ROI09:45 Why Planning Beats Luck in Business11:15 Leaving Dior & The Birth of Fable & Mane12:45 Ayurveda vs Science — Building Trust in Beauty13:35 Pitching Sephora on LinkedIn (No Sales, No Funding)16:10 Going Viral at Sephora During COVID17:10 Global Expansion & Retail Strategy18:45 Launching the Fable Fund & Conservation Mission20:30 How to Measure Real Impact in Business22:10 Leadership, Jobs & Changing Lives23:10 Final Chess Checkmate & Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Welcome to "The Boardroom"

In this episode we sit down with Akash Mehta, British entrepreneur, CEO & Co-Founder of Fable & Mane, and founder of the Fable Fund.

Akash shares his unconventional journey from engineering at Imperial College to becoming the youngest-ever manager at Estée Lauder, before launching an hair wellness brand that went viral at Sephora.


We explore:

  • How a viral singing career led to mastery in digital marketing
  • Pitching Sephora via LinkedIn with zero sales
  • Why Akash committed to deploying $100M into wildlife conservation by 2030


Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:20 Chess, Strategy & Business Principles
02:25 Failing Engineering at Imperial & Life Lessons
03:50 Busking, Singing & Going Viral on Social Media
05:20 Learning Digital Marketing Before It Was Cool
06:30 Becoming Estée Lauder’s Youngest Manager at 21
08:10 Data, Creativity & Measuring Marketing ROI
09:45 Why Planning Beats Luck in Business
11:15 Leaving Dior & The Birth of Fable & Mane
12:45 Ayurveda vs Science — Building Trust in Beauty
13:35 Pitching Sephora on LinkedIn (No Sales, No Funding)
16:10 Going Viral at Sephora During COVID
17:10 Global Expansion & Retail Strategy
18:45 Launching the Fable Fund & Conservation Mission
20:30 How to Measure Real Impact in Business
22:10 Leadership, Jobs & Changing Lives
23:10 Final Chess Checkmate & Closing Thoughts

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]]> 1584 Introducing My New Podcast, The Boardroom Business is often framed as numbers, decks and strategy… But the real game? People. In The Boardroom, I sit down with founders and entrepreneurs for unscripted conversations about: • owning your narrative • building something that actually fulfils you • what really happens behind the success stories No formal interviews. No polished PR answers. Just real conversations that reveal what’s usually left unsaid. If you’re building a business, a career, or your own way of thinking, this is for you. 🎙 The Boardroom - Launching 09.02.26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:42:00 -0000 trailer Richard Farleigh Business is often framed as numbers, decks and strategy… But the real game? People. In The Boardroom, I sit down with founders and entrepreneurs for unscripted conversations about: • owning your narrative • building something that actually fulfils you • what really happens behind the success stories No formal interviews. No polished PR answers. Just real conversations that reveal what’s usually left unsaid. If you’re building a business, a career, or your own way of thinking, this is for you. 🎙 The Boardroom - Launching 09.02.26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Business is often framed as numbers, decks and strategy… But the real game? People. In The Boardroom, I sit down with founders and entrepreneurs for unscripted conversations about: • owning your narrative • building something that actually fulfils you • what really happens behind the success stories No formal interviews. No polished PR answers. Just real conversations that reveal what’s usually left unsaid. If you’re building a business, a career, or your own way of thinking, this is for you. 🎙 The Boardroom - Launching 09.02.26

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