Episódios
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This week’s Millennial Master is Joshua Dziabiak, founder and CEO of Perigon.
Joshua started building businesses at 14, growing up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. What began as teaching himself how to design websites turned into a real company, which he sold before most people finish school.
He didn’t stop there. He went on to build companies across media, ticketing, insurance, and data, learning firsthand what it takes to start from nothing and what changes once a business is established, scaled, and no longer fragile.
One of his businesses passed $100 million in revenue. Another reached unicorn scale, a valuation over a billion dollars. Along the way, Joshua saw how roles shift, and how different the work feels once you move beyond the early building phase.
This episode looks at those transitions and what it means to keep building when the stakes, expectations, and tools keep changing.
Takeaways from Joshua’s episode
1️⃣ Product does not sell itself
Joshua said he still falls into the trap of wanting to perfect the product and the messaging, then assuming people will show up. His point was simple: you can build something great and still lose if you do not have a real plan to tell people about it. If you are early, pick one channel you can repeat weekly, run direct outreach every day, and treat distribution as part of the build.
2️⃣ Distribution is your defence
Spend more time on distribution than on “latest and greatest” features because the noise can distract you and mess with your confidence. You win by getting embedded where people already work, so they set it up once and do not need to live in your dashboard. If you are building a tool, make the setup sticky, make it easy to plug into what they already use, and aim for usage that keeps running without you asking for attention.
3️⃣ Build so one AI update can’t wipe you
There are two risks in this space: a big player ships your feature, or the market solves the same problem in a new way you did not see coming. The move is to lean into distribution, so you are not relying on a single shiny feature to protect the business. For founders, that means getting your product wired into how customers already work, owning the relationship with the customer, and charging for outcomes people keep needing even when the tools change.
4️⃣ Choose investors like you choose a spouse
Joshua learned the hard way that investors do not all want the same outcome, even when they say they do. Some want a smaller win on a shorter timeline. If you do not ask, you end up confused when they push you in a direction that does not match your own plan. His fix was to align early on the size of outcome, timeline, and how much capital the journey really needs, then only take money from people who can back that path.
5️⃣ Slow down on co-founders and early hires
Your first hires and co-founders can make or break the business and your own motivation, so you cannot rush it. They should complement you, not mirror you. If you are picking a co-founder or first key hire, test working together under pressure, agree on how decisions get made, agree on what “good” looks like, and look for someone strong where you are weak.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Joshua Dziabiak
02:09 Starting a business at 14 on a Pennsylvania farm
06:25 How early success reshaped risk and money
08:48 The failed record label that led to a $100m company
11:23 Building ShowClix before platforms made it easy
13:58 The moment building stopped being the job
16:39 What scaling past $100m actually feels like
19:14 Picking investors without breaking the business
21:30 Walking away when everything looks fine
23:56 Why he chose insurance to build a consumer brand
31:38 How marketing incentives broke trust online
33:43 Building Gawk to fight misinformation
38:37 Why Perigon moved from consumer to enterprise
43:12 Building products while AI keeps changing the rules
50:56 Where founders quietly slow their own companies
55:40 The hiring decision founders regret most
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This week’s Millennial Master is Anjeanette Carter, who has built and lost more than one career.
She began as an actor, moved into YouTube, then into writing. At one point, she was earning serious money online, before that income disappeared and forced her to rethink everything she was doing.
Today, she runs Stratis Media, a copywriting and LinkedIn personal branding business for founders and CEOs. From the outside, it looks like a straightforward pivot. In reality, it came from a period of pressure, uncertainty, and a market that shifted faster than her business model could keep up with.
What makes Anjeanette’s story worth paying attention to is how she responds when a model stops working. When AI began reshaping her industry, she did not wait for reassurance or permission. She restructured the business around herself and AI, letting go of her team in order to keep the company viable.
That decision reshaped how she works and how she thinks about leverage, visibility, and resilience. It also changed where she puts her time, her energy, and her attention.
This episode looks at what actually keeps a business alive when tools change, platforms shift, and familiar paths disappear. It is about adapting and the skills that continue to matter even as everything around them moves.
🔗 Find Anjeanette on LinkedIn, Instagram & Substack
Takeaways from Anjeanette’s episode
1️⃣ Sales is what keeps the lights on
When work dries up, the ability to sell is what buys you time. Founders who can find clients, have conversations, and close deals stay in control when everything else shifts. Relying on platforms, referrals, or luck leaves you exposed the moment demand slows.
2️⃣ Personal branding gives you options
People trust people, not companies. When your name carries weight, it becomes easier to attract clients, test new offers, and move direction without starting from zero. This matters most when your business model needs to change.
3️⃣ AI only helps if you know what good looks like
Faster tools don’t fix weak thinking. Results improve when you already understand quality, structure, and outcomes. Without that foundation, AI speed just produces more work that doesn’t land.
4️⃣ Building on someone else’s platform is always risky
Income tied to a single platform can disappear without warning. Rules change, reach drops and payments stop. Businesses that own their client relationships recover faster and adapt with less damage.
5️⃣ Pivoting early saves energy and money
Waiting rarely makes things better. The longer a broken model is protected, the more time and cash it burns. Moving sooner creates space to adjust, learn, and rebuild while you still have momentum.
More resources from Anjeanette:
* Her 10 Minute LinkedIn Fix
* Her workshop, How to Land Clients on LinkedIn
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Anjeanette Carter
03:01 “Half a million… then zero” (the YouTube wipeout)
07:53 The copywriting edge most founders don’t have
11:24 When ChatGPT hit: panic, denial, then reality
14:11 Why she laid off 7 writers (the part people dodge)
19:27 The moment AI beat her team’s work
21:56 “I don’t need anybody” (becoming a one-person agency)
24:52 You’re not their mummy (hard lessons on leadership)
29:33 How she hacked LinkedIn from zero
31:38 AI won’t save you if you don’t know the game
33:36 The one thing AI still lacks: judgment
36:44 AI agents: promising, not ready
39:13 3 LinkedIn profile fixes that pull clients in
40:35 The LinkedIn lie that keeps you invisible
42:12 “Lurkers are buyers” (the real conversion pattern)
43:58 Viral posts vs paid posts: what actually makes money
45:13 Her dad’s rule: follow the bank account
47:40 Money noise (why “enough” never feels enough)
48:44 The moving goalposts problem
49:54 Timers, not willpower (how she moves fast)
53:20 Her controversial take: SEO gets wiped first
54:49 “Pivot early. Hope is a four-letter word.”
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This week’s Millennial Master is Yota Trom, executive coach and promotion strategist.
Yota has worked inside some of the biggest tech companies in the world. She did the long hours at Yahoo and Amazon, played the grateful employee, and stayed quiet when it came to money. And like a lot of people, she paid for it with burnout.
Today, she helps founders, leaders, and high performers fix the exact problem she once had. Not by telling them to “work harder”, but by teaching them how to ask properly, position their value, use personal branding as leverage, and build a business case the company can’t ignore.
She’s helped clients 3x and 4x their salaries, move from manager to VP, and stop blaming the system when the real issue was never knowing their worth.
This conversation is about money, promotions, and self-belief. And why most people stay underpaid not because they’re bad at their job, but because they never learned how the game actually works.
🔗 Find Yota on LinkedIn and Instagram
Takeaways from Yota’s episode
1️⃣ Most people are underpaid because they’ve never done the maths
A huge number of high performers have no idea what their role is worth in the market. They benchmark against friends, old salaries, or what feels “good enough,” not against data. Until you understand the real value of your skills, level, and impact, every pay conversation starts from the wrong number.
2️⃣ Promotions are business decisions, not rewards for effort
Companies don’t promote people because they work hard or feel loyal. They promote when there’s a clear return. The strongest cases show how a bigger role changes outcomes for clients, revenue, team performance, or decision-making. If you can’t articulate that clearly, the answer will drift or stall.
3️⃣ You’re probably already doing part of the next role
When people map out what they do today versus what the next level actually requires, the gap is usually smaller than they think. Many are already operating at 30-60% of the role above them without realising it. Writing this down is often the first moment they see their own leverage.
4️⃣ Managers aren’t your only decision-makers
Most promotions are discussed in rooms you’re not in. Senior leaders form opinions long before anything is announced. Building visibility and trust across the wider leadership group massively increases your chances, especially when managers aren’t strong advocates on their own.
5️⃣ Positioning yourself is a leadership skill
As you get more senior, how you communicate your value becomes part of the job. Being clear about your strengths, impact, and direction helps others place you correctly when opportunities come up. This applies internally with leadership teams and externally through personal branding and visibility.
More resources from Yota Trom:
* 1:1 coaching to fast-track your next promotion
* Build a standout personal brand as a founder
* Download the free workbook to uncover your real value
📚 Yota’s book recommendation
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck — Yota comes back to this one because it explains why so many capable people stay stuck. If you don’t believe you’re allowed to grow, ask, or take up space, no negotiation tactic will save you. This book helps you fix that at the root.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Yota Trom
02:14 Stop asking for a raise, build a business case
10:24 From Yahoo and Amazon to coaching full time
15:40 The unsexy reason people stay underpaid
16:41 The six-step promotion plan (in plain English)
23:35 Your manager is not your only advocate
27:31 Founders: Why your best people drift off
31:17 What motivates people when money is capped
35:26 Self-worth, scarcity, and founder pay guilt
38:59 “Fairness” and why positioning gets rewarded
44:48 Personal branding as a promotion weapon
51:03 Find your “superpower” and make it obvious
57:51 AI adoption: mindset is the real blocker
01:02:04 Scaling yourself without burning out
01:06:54 Fear, doubt, and the push that changes everything
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This week’s Millennial Master is Simon Jenner, co-founder of Million Labs.
Simon has spent the last two decades building, breaking, and rebuilding startups. He sold his first business in his mid-twenties, shaped the UK accelerator scene before it was fashionable, and has since helped launch more than 1,900 startups.
What makes this conversation timely is what he’s seeing now.
AI can build your product faster than ever. Vibe coding has collapsed the cost and time of execution. Non-technical founders can ship things that used to take teams and six-figure budgets. But that hasn’t made startups easier.
In this episode, Simon explains why sales and distribution are now the real bottleneck, why most founders still quit at the same stage, and why the economics of startups have changed without changing the hardest part of the job.
We also get into side hustles versus all-in bets, why niche ideas suddenly work, what breaks when everyone can build, and the uncomfortable truth about launching before you feel ready.
If you’re building with AI, or thinking about it, this episode will change how you think about effort, risk, and what actually moves the needle.
🔗 Find Simon on LinkedIn
Takeaways from Simon’s episode
1️⃣ Building is no longer the hard part
AI and vibe coding have collapsed the cost and time required to ship an MVP. What once demanded £100k and a year of development can now be achieved for a few thousand pounds in a matter of weeks. That shift changes who gets to start, how quickly ideas move, and how much personal risk founders need to take at the beginning.
2️⃣ Sales and distribution now decide who survives
As execution becomes cheaper, attention becomes the constraint. Many startups struggle because founders underestimate how difficult it is to reach customers beyond their immediate network and how quickly acquisition costs stack up once paid channels enter the picture.
3️⃣ Starting small is a strategic advantage
Million Labs sees the same pattern play out again and again. Founders who focus on one customer, then ten, then a hundred, build momentum faster than those chasing scale too early. AI has made narrow markets commercially viable because serving a focused audience no longer requires heavy upfront spend.
4️⃣ Side hustles create better environments
A large share of successful startups Simon works with began alongside paid work. That financial breathing room reduces pressure, extends the learning window, and allows founders to respond to customer feedback without making rushed decisions driven by cash burn.
5️⃣ Delaying launch causes more damage than weak ideas
Many founders hesitate because they want their product to feel finished before anyone sees it. That moment rarely arrives. Progress accelerates once real users interact with something imperfect, because direct feedback exposes what matters far faster than internal refinement ever can.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Simon Jenner
01:24 Selling a business at 25 (and what he got wrong)
04:26 Building a startup scene before it existed
06:36 Why most accelerators don’t actually work
09:13 What separates builders from wannabe founders
10:50 The one-million startup ambition
14:47 No-code, vibe coding, and the collapse of build costs
23:00 How startups should really go to market
28:17 Why marketing costs kill more startups than tech
32:37 Founders must sell or stall
35:50 How Million Labs uses AI internally
38:27 The traits Simon sees in winners
42:00 The ideas that still excite him
44:40 What off-road driving teaches about startups
45:48 Protecting life outside the business
49:03 Launch before you feel ready
54:13 The myths founders need to let go of
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This week’s Millennial Master is Dr Anmol Kapoor, cardiologist, founder, and the man on a mission to help you become the CEO of your own health.
Anmol started as a heart doctor in Canada and quickly realised the system is built to manage disease late, not protect people early. His patients were doing “everything right” and still ending up with heart failure, repeat heart attacks, and no real answers.
That frustration pushed him out of the clinic and into building: genomics companies, AI diagnostics, triage tools, longevity products, and even military-grade performance testing for “superhuman” endurance.
In this episode, we get into what most people get wrong about prevention, why owning your genetic data could become a real financial asset, how AI is already transforming diagnostics behind the scenes, and the uncomfortable reality that modern healthcare is still mostly “disease care”.
If you’re a founder who wants to perform at a high level for decades, not just through the next funding round, this one will probably change how you think about your body, your data, and your future.
🔗 Find Anmol on LinkedIn
Hit subscribe if you want sharper thinking and stronger habits in your corner every week.
Takeaways from Anmol’s episode
1️⃣ You have more control over your health than you think
Most people enter the healthcare system too late. Anmol’s core message is simple: prevention only works if you take ownership early. Data puts you in the driving seat before symptoms show up.
2️⃣ Your DNA is an asset, not a file
Genetic data holds financial, medical and generational value. Anmol explains why individuals should hold their own genome, decide how it’s used and control who profits from it.
3️⃣ Early sequencing changes entire lifetimes
Whole-genome sequencing at birth can detect risks, guide treatment and avoid years of trial-and-error medicine. The earlier you test, the more leverage you have over future decisions.
4️⃣ AI is fixing the blind spots in healthcare
Doctors are drowning in data. AI cuts through noise, surfaces what matters and reduces time-to-diagnosis from months to minutes. It won’t replace clinicians but it upgrades their judgment.
5️⃣ Founders need to treat health like runway
Seven hours of sleep, circadian rhythm, diet, biomarkers. High performers burn out because they optimise work, not their biology. Anmol’s blunt advice: longevity is a strategy, not a luxury.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Anmol Kapoor
08:35 Transitioning from Doctor to Innovator
12:33 Owning Your Genetic Data
17:53 The Process of Genetic Testing
23:13 Building Specialized AI Models
37:33 Responsibility in AI and Healthcare
44:47 Genetics and Performance: Understanding Our Limits
52:58 Ethics in Genetic Selection
54:54 Don’t Make These Health Mistakes
01:01:24 Why You Should Never Give Up
Share this with someone who’s overdue for taking their health seriously.
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This week’s Millennial Master is Nick Holzherr, founder and CEO of GitLaw.
Nick turned his appearance on The Apprentice in 2012 into a real tech career. He built food AI company Whisk, that Samsung later acquired, spent six intense years running a global product, then walked away from all of it to build again.
GitLaw is his latest move: an AI legal platform built for founders, not law firms, backed by a fresh $3 million pre-seed round.
Nick is direct about how AI will reshape work and honest about the inefficiencies buried inside traditional legal services. His journey spans TV exposure, scaling teams across continents, navigating corporate buyouts and now building at full speed in one of the most regulated industries.
This episode is all about how to build with AI, how to survive high-pressure growth, and how to stay sharp when the rules change overnight.
🔗 Find Nick on LinkedIn
Takeaways from Nick’s episode
1️⃣ AI isn’t replacing lawyers, it’s replacing bad habits
Founders already paste legal questions into ChatGPT. Nick’s point is simple: most legal work starts from templates, so the real threat isn’t to lawyers, but to slow, bloated process.
2️⃣ Hiring the wrong people is the fastest way to slow a company down
Nick’s biggest hard-won lesson is that weak hires kill momentum. He shares how structured interviews, case studies and short trials became his safeguard in every company he’s built.
3️⃣ Best practice will carry most of your legal needs
If you’re building standard NDAs, employment agreements, or terms, you don’t need custom clauses. You need market norms, properly structured. That’s where tools like GitLaw shine.
4️⃣ Raising prices starts with knowing your real value
Nick went from £3k contracts to six-figure deals by understanding what enterprise buyers were already paying. Pricing only changes when you see the game from their side.
5️⃣ Distributed teams win by documenting everything
Async habits weren’t a COVID invention for Nick. Writing things down, codifying decisions, and keeping clean specs is what allowed his teams to scale across 16 time zones.
Subscribe for more real talk on AI, jobs, and the future of work. 🔍
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Nick Holzherr
02:08 Turning The Apprentice into startup leverage
06:59 Early funding, pivots and finding traction with Whisk
10:47 When big tech came calling and choosing Samsung
13:52 Hiring 100 people in nine months
20:35 How to actually run a remote, async global team
24:50 Leaving Samsung and working out what to do next
28:24 Spotting the AI moment and the first ideas for GitLaw
31:48 AI, job displacement and who gets hit first
37:39 Why legal costs are broken for founders and SMEs
42:55 Backlash, cease and desist letters and staying resilient
48:25 Building GitLaw differently with AI-native workflows
51:19 Building from Birmingham and hiring globally
55:19 Quickfire: best decision, hiring mistakes, Sam Altman, books and sacrifice
Send this to anyone trying to navigate legal work without burning cash. ⚖️
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This week’s Millennial Master is Josh Payne, founder and CEO of Coframe.
Josh didn’t follow the safe path. He never even took a full-time job. He went straight from Stanford into building things, and somehow turned a pandemic project into a telemedicine company that Tata Group later acquired.
Then he co-founded Autograph and helped turn the NFT craze it into a unicorn with some of the biggest investors in the world behind it.
But the most interesting thing about Josh isn’t the headlines. It’s the way he works. He builds like someone who can’t look away from the hard problems.
He created GPT-Migrate, the first major autonomous AI agent for code transformation, and he’s now running Coframe, one of the strongest AI optimisation engines on the market. Their work has driven millions in extra revenue for brands like OpenAI and The Economist.
🔗 Find Josh on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X
Takeaways from Josh’s episode
1️⃣ AI is moving fast, but not as fast as people think
Josh expected fully autonomous agents by now. The reality is different. Models still drift, lose context and need guardrails. Progress is wild, but it isn’t magic. Founders who understand the limits build smarter.
2️⃣ Human plus AI still wins
Josh has tested every LLM model under the sun. The pattern is clear: The strongest results come from pairing humans with AI rather than letting the model run unchecked. If you want reliability and quality, you need a human in the loop.
3️⃣ Momentum matters more than model choice
CoFrame didn’t start as a grand thesis. Josh shipped small experiments, watched what users did and let results pull him forward. Everyone obsesses over the perfect model. Josh obsesses over the next 48 hours.
4️⃣ Focus is a strategic advantage in the AI era
Josh builds deep instead of wide. No chasing shiny features, no running after the latest hype cycle. The teams that stay locked on a single customer outcome are the ones who survive the next model release.
5️⃣ Good AI companies bake improvement into the product
Coframe works because the system keeps learning across every interaction. Not in a sci-fi way, but in a measurable, statistical way. The businesses that win with AI won’t bolt it on. They’ll make self-improvement the core engine.
Subscribe for more founder stories on mindset, momentum and modern AI ⚙️
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Josh Payne
02:35 Skipping the safe 9–5 path
04:23 From jazz gigs to building products
07:01 AxisBell: launching a COVID telemedicine startup
09:45 How one client became a buyer (Tata Group story)
12:50 What selling your first startup actually feels like
14:48 Autograph, NFTs and the celebrity-backed rocket ship
20:06 What LA taught Josh that Silicon Valley couldn’t
23:23 NFT hangover: bubbles, greed and timing your exit
27:16 GPT-Migrate and the spark that became Coframe
31:33 Coframe’s model: real AI value vs AI theatre
34:46 Why human + AI beats AI alone (for now)
38:31 AI’s limits today and near-term risks
42:21 Alignment, jailbreaks and who really controls AGI
45:53 Which models Josh trusts and why
49:50 The thread connecting healthtech, NFTs and AI
52:42 Sleeping in his car, grit and what sacrifice means
56:22 Hiring people who run as hard as you
58:51 Why Coframe is in-person and how Josh is changing as a CEO
1:00:26 What Josh would teach his younger founder self
1:01:19 Life, startups and the bicycle race analogy
1:02:42 Trade-offs, money and staying aligned with your purpose
1:05:46 Cold swims, float tanks, fasting and staying sharp
Pass this on to the smartest builder you know 🔁
Don’t miss these AI insiders episodes:
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📺 Watch now on Substack or YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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Carly Meyers has one of those stories that doesn’t sound real on paper.
She started out on London’s West End, performing in hit shows like Wicked and even sharing the stage with Monty Python at the O2. Then one bad landing in an audition, and overnight, that life was gone.
What followed was a wild reinvention: waitressing, sewing custom clothes, working at the Apple Store, becoming one of the UK’s top network marketing leaders, burning out, rebuilding, and eventually finding her way into tech, automation and AI.
Today, Carly runs Made for More, a lean AI-powered business, coaches entrepreneurs, and proudly calls herself a “team of a few humans and a lot of AI agents,” all while being a mum of two and fiercely protective of her time and energy.
This episode is all about reinvention, resilience, and the rise of AI-driven entrepreneurship: how to build smarter, stay curious, and protect your time in a world that never stops moving.
🔗 Find Carly on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube
Takeaways from Carly’s episode
1️⃣ Curiosity beats resistance
The people thriving with AI are explorers. Carly says the most powerful question in this new era is: “I wonder if AI can do this?” That mindset keeps you learning while everyone else hesitates.
2️⃣ Build lean, not large
Carly runs a six-figure business with a tiny team and a stack of trained AI agents, from finance and legal to marketing and ops. Her rule: simplify first, automate second, then scale.
3️⃣ Automate before you optimise
Too many founders jump straight into AI tools before fixing broken systems. Carly calls it “automation intelligence before artificial intelligence.” Get your foundations right or you’ll just amplify chaos.
4️⃣ Fail faster, bounce quicker
Rejection shaped Carly early as a West End performer. Now, she treats failure as data. Her bounce-back rate went from weeks to minutes, because resilience is a muscle you build through repetition.
5️⃣ Protect your time, not just your business
Carly blocks mornings and Fridays for creativity and learning. Hustle isn’t the goal anymore, freedom is. Her rule: design your days, not just your five-year plan.
Subscribe for more founder stories on mindset, momentum and modern AI ⚙️
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Carly Meyers
02:35 From West End To AI: Reinventing After Injury
05:39 Finding Purpose After Losing Identity
08:21 Network Marketing Lessons: Building Resilience & Grit
13:58 From Burnout To Breakthrough: Fitness, Focus & Mindset
16:05 First Steps With AI: Content Creation & Curiosity
18:25 How AI Helped Build A Business Without A Big Team
21:48 The “I Wonder” Mindset: Curiosity Beats Fear
22:45 Building Custom GPTs: Your First Virtual Team
28:07 AI Agents Trained On Hormozi & Martel
30:52 Claude vs ChatGPT: The Future Of Lean Productivity
33:52 Creating AI Financial Advisors & Legal Agents
36:33 Virtual Assistants, Automation & N8n
45:43 AI Agents vs Employees: What’s The Difference?
50:00 Inside Carly’s AI Audit Framework
56:01 Why Clean Data Is The Real AI Advantage
59:16 How To Fail Fast And Build Resilience
01:02:49 Protecting Time And Mental Freedom
01:06:39 The Lesson She’d Tell Her Younger Self
01:08:00 What Ambition & Kindness Really Mean For Her Kids
Share this with a founder who needs their time back ⏳
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— Millennial Masters is sponsored by Jolt ⚡️ Reliable hosting for modern builders
Everyone wants to build fast, but Harry Sanders had to build just to survive.
At 17, he faced something no one should: sleeping under a bridge in Melbourne with nothing but a backpack and a laptop. A social worker gave him a plan. He took it, learned fast, and built StudioHawk to one of the world’s top SEO agencies from scratch.
Today, Harry runs a 140-person team across three continents, hiring what he calls “wholesome nerds”: people with low ego and high potential. His rule is simple: ideas don’t build companies. Discipline does.
This episode’s about patience, pressure, and the kind of mindset it takes to build when the world writes you off.
🔗 Find Harry on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube
Takeaways from Harry’s episode
1️⃣ Sit on every new idea for a week
Founders love ideas, but too many ideas kill execution. Harry writes them down, waits seven days, then only shares the ones that still matter. Discipline protects your team from chaos.
2️⃣ Hire for hunger, not CVs
Harry doesn’t chase perfect CVs. He hires “wholesome nerds” — people with curiosity, humility, and something to prove. Skill can be taught, but attitude can’t.
3️⃣ Simplicity scales faster than scope
StudioHawk only does SEO. No ads. No websites. That focus turned a solo hustle into a global agency. Clarity beats diversification every time.
4️⃣ If you can’t leave, you don’t own it
Harry learned the hard way that being across everything makes you the bottleneck. The business only became scalable when it stopped depending on him.
5️⃣ Confidence is built, not gifted
He wasn’t born confident, but he earned it through small reps and public failures. Every time you step outside your comfort zone, you strengthen the muscle that makes the next leap easier.
Also mentioned in this episode:
Hawk Academy — Harry’s free SEO training platform
How to see the fan-out queries ChatGPT runs — The video on Harry’s Insta
Hit subscribe for more conversations that move you forward 🔔
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Harry Sanders
02:25 How Harry went from homeless teen to founder
07:48 How StudioHawk grew into a $20M global SEO agency
11:02 How to hire ‘wholesome nerds’ and spot raw talent early
13:12 Why your early team can hold back your next stage of growth
21:52 Why focus scales faster than ideas
26:49 How to shift from survival mode to CEO mindset
32:53 Why Harry gives back to fight youth homelessness
35:46 Will AI kill SEO? Here’s what’s really happening
42:00 How new brands can get seen in AI search
50:12 Why most founders aren’t ready for SEO yet
54:25 How education became StudioHawk’s growth engine
57:05 What it really costs to build something that lasts
Pass this on to a builder stuck in idea chaos 📤
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James Fleming had everything you’re meant to want: a senior exec role in oil and gas, the house in Dubai, the pool, the salary, the status. But he realised he wasn’t happy.
Then life stepped in. A corporate reshuffle made him redundant, and overnight his three-year plan to start a business became a three-month deadline to survive.
He and his wife launched The Power Within from their living room, selling watches to fund marketing and building their first leadership programme from scratch.
Today, James trains leaders around the world on what he calls motivational intelligence: the mindset shift that turns self-doubt into self-leadership. It’s practical, human, and built on hard-earned lessons.
We talk about what it really takes to rebuild after losing everything, why confidence comes before competence, how to balance empathy with standards, and why your vision is the anchor for every decision you make.
If you’ve ever wondered whether mindset really makes the difference, this episode will leave you with no doubt.
🔗 Find James on LinkedIn
Takeaways from James’ episode
1️⃣ Before you can have, you must become
James doesn’t believe in “fake it till you make it.” He believes in acting like the person you’re trying to grow into. Show up like an owner before you technically are one. Your behaviour sets your ceiling.
2️⃣ Confidence comes before competence
People wait until they “know enough” to lead. That’s backwards. You only get competent by doing reps, getting it wrong, adjusting and going again. If you’re waiting to feel ready, you’ll never ship.
3️⃣ Excuses are just mislabelled priorities
“I don’t have time” usually means “it’s not important enough to me.” James draws a hard line between a reason and an excuse. A reason comes with learning and ownership. An excuse comes with nothing.
4️⃣ Vision is not optional
Every client he coaches has to answer one question: in 12 months, if everything went right, what would you be telling a friend in the pub about your business? If you can’t picture it, you can’t build it. Your brain can’t execute on a blank page.
5️⃣ Success is not money
James had the cash, title and status. He still felt empty. His definition now: aligned expectations and reality. When what you’re doing matches who you believe you are, that’s when you get peace. Everything else is noise.
📘 Check out James Fleming’s book
* You Can Have Success or You Can Have Excuses — You Cannot Have Both
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to James Fleming
02:11 Walking away from comfort (and a big salary)
07:50 Redundant on Friday, founder on Monday
12:34 The first two years nearly broke him
18:58 How James actually coaches leaders
24:19 Why mindset beats tactics
29:03 Act like the person you’re trying to become
34:04 The four-day work week experiment (what really happened)
38:17 Success vs excuses
40:51 Getting called out by your own team
48:18 Building a company (and a marriage) together
52:09 Your vision is the operating system
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Most people complain about the office, but Joe Averill built a business by rethinking it.
He launched Level in the middle of a so-called office apocalypse: no co-founder, no funding and a young family depending on him. But Joe saw what others didn’t: companies still want space, they just don’t want old-school leases, hidden costs or landlord games.
Before Level, Joe cut his teeth in Manchester’s tech scene, learned sales the hard way and built a network the old-fashioned way: by showing up. Today, Level is one of the fastest-growing tenant-only advisory firms in the UK, built on one principle: trust scales faster than hype.
If you’re an entrepreneur debating your next office move (or scaling without a safety net) this is your episode.
🔗 Find Joe on LinkedIn
Takeaways from Joe’s episode
1️⃣ Self-belief is a business strategy
Joe launched Level with no co-founder, no funding and no safety net. The first resource he built with was conviction.
2️⃣ Sales is still the engine
Joe grew Level through pipeline and process. Prospecting, follow-up and conversion are still what move revenue.
3️⃣ Networks compound when you give first
Joe built relationships by adding value, making introductions and understanding people, not by pitching them.
4️⃣ The office isn’t dead, lazy thinking is
Hybrid changed how teams use space, not whether they need it. Smart founders now prioritise flexibility, amenities and cost transparency over long leases.
5️⃣ Confidence follows action
Joe still gets nervous before panels and big rooms. He just does it anyway. Reps build confidence, not theory.
Subscribe for more real founder stories 🎙️
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Joe Averill
02:03 The “offices are dead” bet
05:52 What tech taught him about pipeline, product & pitch
10:08 Networking that adds value (not noise)
12:50 Personal brand, minus the cringe
17:33 Shy to on-stage: reps over fear
20:55 Tenant-side only: flipping the model
23:24 The office brief most founders miss
30:22 When revenue tanks: steady hands, smart moves
33:12 Mentors, models & the lessons to ignore
35:37 From notebooks to playbooks: systems > heroics
39:00 Scaling with fractionals: CFOs, COOs & more
42:23 Founder energy: avoiding burnout (for real)
45:38 Activity breeds confidence: getting unstuck
47:31 The best risk he ever took
Share this with a founder making office decisions blind 💡
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Most people talk about connection, but this week’s Millennial Master builds it. Lara Varjabedian is the founder of UBQT, a platform reconnecting people in real life.
Before launching her startup, Lara spent 13 years inside the global corporate machine. Then she moved into the startup world, helping VC-backed companies scale at speed... until she realised she was ready to build something of her own.
She bootstrapped UBQT from Dubai during lockdown, turned an MVP into a real product, and raised a $750k pre-seed round to go global. Today, she’s building a social platform with no feeds, no likes and no ego, just real-world connection.
This conversation is about what it actually takes to build when there’s no safety net, and how to stay sane while doing it.
Takeaways from Lara’s episode
1️⃣ Momentum beats perfection
You don’t need a full product to start. Lara bootstrapped UBQT with a simple MVP and used momentum as a growth strategy long before investment arrived.
2️⃣ Fundraising is not validation
Money in the bank doesn’t mean product-market fit. Lara raised $750k pre-seed but kept building like she had nothing, staying close to users and pushing for traction over hype.
3️⃣ Build for behaviour, not vanity metrics
UBQT has no likes and no feeds on purpose. Lara designed the product around real-world behaviour: catching up, travelling and meeting face-to-face.
4️⃣ Female founders face a bias tax, do it anyway
Lara shares how women are judged harder and pitch with more self-doubt. Her antidote: evidence, conviction and relentless resilience.
5️⃣ Your runway mindset matters more than your runway
The highs and lows don’t slow down, they compress. Lara protects her mental energy and reframes setbacks as signals instead of failures.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Lara Varjabedian
02:17 Lara’s Journey Through Corporate and Startups
05:08 Transitioning to Entrepreneurship and Consultancy
07:29 The Birth of UBQT: A New Social Experience
09:42 UBQT’s Unique Approach to Real-Life Connections
12:42 Building Communities in a Hybrid Work Environment
21:15 Navigating the Startup Ecosystem in Dubai
24:26 Dubai: A Launchpad for Global Entrepreneurs
28:25 Building UBQT: Lessons from the Startup Journey
33:19 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Entrepreneurship
38:22 Coping Mechanisms: Balancing Stress and Productivity
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Most people chase money. Jason Graystone chases freedom.
He’s not your typical wealth guru. Jason quit a safe career when his first child was born, blew £40k learning the hard way in the markets, and then built digital assets that went on to make millions. His philosophy is simple: buy time, not things.
In this episode, Jason shares why financial freedom starts with mental freedom, what losing big early really teaches you, and how to reverse engineer your life so you’re not stuck living by someone else’s rules.
🔗 Find Jason on LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube
Takeaways from Jason’s episode
1️⃣ Freedom starts in your head
Money doesn’t solve everything if your mindset is trapped. Jason argues financial freedom only comes after mental freedom, knowing who you are and what you want.
2️⃣ Losing money is tuition
Jason blew £40k in the markets early on, but he didn’t treat it as failure. He calls it an education that taught him discipline, patience, and resilience.
3️⃣ Give it all away
His multi-millionYouTube funnel was built on one principle: share everything for free. The more value you give, the more people trust you, and the more they’ll pay to work with you.
4️⃣ Repeat yourself without fear
Jason’s message hasn’t changed in nine years. Repetition builds trust, and entrepreneurs shouldn’t be afraid of sounding boring. Consistency is what compounds.
5️⃣ Buy time, not things
Financial freedom isn’t about Lambos or Rolexes. It’s having enough assets to cover your lifestyle and free up your calendar so you can choose how to spend your days.
📖 Jason’s book recommendations
The Values Factor by Dr. John Demartini — Jason credits this book with helping him align his choices to his real purpose. It’s about understanding your core values so you can build a life and business that feel true to who you are. Dr. Demartini also wrote the foreword to Jason’s own book.
Always Free by Jason Graystone — Jason’s blueprint for financial, mental, and time freedom. He shares the lessons that took him from trading losses and early business struggles to building digital assets and investments that let him design life on his own terms.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Jason Graystone
02:29 From Struggles to Security: Jason’s Early Life
07:45 Taking the Leap: Quitting for Freedom
12:07 Building Wealth: Lessons from Early Ventures
14:56 The Power of Content Creation
19:47 You Never Really Lose, It Just Changes Form
22:46 Mental Freedom: Defining True Wealth
27:23 Reverse Engineering Your Life: Finding Fulfillment
29:33 Discovering Your Purpose and Teaching Others
33:09 Understanding Financial Freedom
37:39 The Importance of Resilience and Authenticity
40:31 Overcoming Social Norms and Building Confidence
43:03 Changing Your Environment for Growth
44:42 Handling Negativity and Building Thick Skin
47:45 Defining True Freedom
49:13 Guiding the Next Generation
51:59 Sacrifices on the Journey to Freedom
54:30 The Power of Internal Dialogue
55:56 Influential Books and Philosophies
56:56 Advice to My Younger Self
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Simon Penson went from journalist to exited entrepreneur, building one of the UK’s fastest-growing digital agencies and selling it in a £20m deal to one of the world’s biggest advertising groups.
In this episode, he opens up about the hidden costs of scaling, from early hires who become blockers, to the harsh reality of earn-outs that can make or break your outcome.
Now through Scaled, Simon helps B2B companies and scale-ups navigate the same challenges, bringing the perspective of someone who has lived the highs and lows of growth.
This one’s all about what really happens when growth hurts, and what it takes to get to the other side.
🔗 Find Simon on LinkedIn
Takeaways from Simon’s episode
1️⃣ Early hires won’t always scale with you
The people who got you off the ground can become blockers later. Spot it early, have a plan, and know when to move them into the right role… or off the bus.
2️⃣ Culture isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s survival
Scaling breaks things fast. Without clear values and accountability, you’ll carry people you shouldn’t. The hard calls on culture usually come too late.
3️⃣ Earn-outs are a trap if you’re not prepared
Don’t separate price from terms. Structure interim payments, get specialist advice, and back yourself only if you control the levers that drive growth.
4️⃣ Know your growth plateaus
Businesses don’t scale in straight lines. Each stage brings a ceiling, breaking through means building specialist “generals” in ops, sales, finance, and strategy.
5️⃣ Bootstrap vs raise is a life decision
Don’t raise money for the sake of it. Sometimes a bootstrapped £20m exit is better than chasing £100m with heavy dilution. Define what success looks like for you.
📖 Simon’s book recommendations
On Strategy by Boston Consulting Group — Simon credits this old-school classic with shaping how he thought about scaling in a structured way. It gave him a framework for understanding growth stages and building with intent, lessons he still draws on today even if the examples feel dated.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Simon Penson
02:03 From Journalism to Digital Entrepreneurship
05:00 Building and Scaling Zazzle
08:01 Navigating Growth Challenges
10:06 The Importance of Culture in Business
12:14 Merging for Success
15:33 Understanding Earn-Outs
18:46 Key Metrics for Business Valuation
21:05 Coaching and Investing in Startups
23:06 AI's Impact on Marketing
26:47 Rapid Fire Insights
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Confidence isn’t free. As Lauren Currie puts it, “as your confidence increases, you will lose people.” She’s built Upfront into a global movement helping thousands of women step onto stages, into boardrooms, and into leadership roles that were never designed for them.
In this episode, Lauren shares the reality of building confidence as a muscle, not a finish line. We explore tall poppy syndrome, the myth of imposter syndrome, and why visibility has financial consequences for founders and leaders.
With six ventures behind her, Lauren has learned how to turn discomfort into growth, and how to keep ambition alive in systems that try to punish it. Her work shows that ambition is not a dirty word, but an engine for change.
🔗 Find Lauren on LinkedIn and Instagram
Takeaways from Lauren’s episode
1️⃣ Confidence is costly
Confidence comes with trade-offs. As Lauren says, the more confident you become, the more some people will push back. Your growth exposes their stagnation. Recognising that this resistance is about them, not you, helps you keep moving forward.
2️⃣ Imposter syndrome is a system, not a flaw
Lauren rejects the idea that imposter syndrome is a personal failing. She sees it as a rational response to being the “only” in the room: the only woman, the only young person, the only outsider. It’s a signal you’re challenging the status quo, not proof you don’t belong.
3️⃣ Ambition isn’t something to apologise for
Ambition in men is celebrated, in women it’s often criticised. Lauren argues that ambition should be embraced as a force for change. You don’t have to dial it down or package it in humility to make others comfortable.
4️⃣ Visibility is financial
Good work doesn’t speak for itself. Leaders who stay invisible risk missing out on promotions, opportunities, and income. Visibility isn’t about ego, but about learning in public and advocating for your work before you feel ready.
5️⃣ Design your trade-offs with intention
Lauren avoids the trap of chasing “work–life balance.” Instead, she makes intentional choices about trade-offs, guided by her values. Whether it’s work on a Saturday or time with family, the decision is conscious, not default.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Lauren Currie
02:05 Building Confidence as a Muscle
04:36 The Journey of Upfront
12:29 Entrepreneurial Pathways and Lessons Learned
18:46 Understanding Imposter Syndrome
24:43 Practical Steps to Build Confidence
27:17 The Cost of Confidence
29:21 Navigating Ambition and Gender Dynamics
35:08 Embracing Life's Seasons
35:57 Intentional Living and Values
40:33 Effective Remote Team Management
44:28 Visibility and Personal Branding
48:31 Building Confidence and Overcoming Fear
50:26 Reflections on Sacrifice and Legacy
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Petr Kozyakov didn’t set out to build a crypto company. He set out to solve a problem. After struggling to make a simple cross-border payment, he realised the gap in how money moves, and turned that frustration into Mercuryo, a 300+ person fintech bridging crypto and traditional finance.
He talks candidly about building a culture that survives hypergrowth, learning where not to waste energy, and the habits that keep him grounded as both a founder and a father. This is the human side of fintech leadership, told by someone scaling at global level.
🔗 Find Petr on LinkedIn
Takeaways from Petr’s episode
1️⃣ Energy is better spent building
Petr learned that proving a point or winning an argument drains momentum. Direct that energy into collaboration and creation instead.
2️⃣ Culture can’t be compromised
Even in hypergrowth, Mercuryo cut loose “A-players” who didn’t fit the culture. Skills don’t outweigh behaviour, because misalignment poisons the team.
3️⃣ Growth requires constant adjustment
Every stage of Mercuryo demanded a shift in focus, from landing the first customer, to building new products, to hiring leaders and keeping hundreds of people aligned. What worked at 20 people no longer worked at 300.
4️⃣ Create their own experts
In crypto, there were no ready-made compliance veterans. Petr hired open-minded people from traditional finance and helped them grow into crypto specialists, turning a gap into an edge.
5️⃣ Founders need real recovery
For Petr, daily workouts, strict sleep routines, and quality time with family are non-negotiables. Burnout kills judgement, and no fintech playbook will save you from it.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Petr Kozyakov
02:34 The Transaction That Started A Business
04:17 Bridging Crypto and Fiat: Making Transactions Easy
07:16 The Evolution of Crypto: From Niche to Mainstream
09:36 Use Cases for Crypto: Beyond Just Investment
14:19 Building a Team: Culture and Hiring Principles
17:17 Scaling Challenges: Lessons from Growth
23:05 Navigating Compliance: The Regulatory Landscape
28:38 Control, Focus and Delegation
32:24 Systems to Manage Remote Teams
35:02 Finding Balance: Personal Sacrifices and Well-being
43:35 Advice for Future Founders: Learning from Experience
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Kevin de Patoul walked away from a secure consulting career to build Keyrock, a digital asset firm that’s now raised over $80 million and employs nearly 200 people worldwide. His mission is to create the infrastructure that will power the next generation of financial markets.
In this episode, Kevin breaks down the lessons from scaling a startup at hyper-speed, navigating volatile crypto cycles, and keeping a team aligned while the ground shifts under your feet.
From capital raises and culture challenges to separating hype from true innovation, this is an inside look at what it takes to build in one of the most unpredictable industries in the world.q2
🔗 Find Kevin on LinkedIn
Takeaways from Kevin’s episode
1️⃣ The real prize is infrastructure
Kevin argues that real innovation in crypto isn’t the latest meme coin, but the infrastructure that allows value to move securely and at scale. Founders should focus on solving fundamental problems, not chasing trends.
2️⃣ Growth puts culture under strain
Keyrock jumped from 3 to 160 people in a year. Processes collapsed and culture bent. Only clear values kept things intact.
3️⃣ Crypto is 24/7. You can’t be
The market never switches off. Founders have to. Kevin enforces boundaries and trusts systems to carry the load.
4️⃣ Big raises raise the stakes
Raising $80 million didn’t ease the journey. It made every choice heavier. Kevin stresses discipline and investor alignment over chasing growth at any cost.
5️⃣ Volatility rewards the steady
Most fear chaos. Kevin looks for openings. If you can adapt quickly, stay grounded, and keep delivering value, the market cycles can actually accelerate growth.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Kevin de Patoul
01:58 From Consulting to Crypto: A Career Shift
04:53 Understanding Keyrock: The Investment Bank for Digital Assets
07:33 Debunking Misconceptions: Crypto vs. Digital Assets
10:33 The Real Innovation of Tokenization
13:28 The Future of Asset Ownership: Tokenization Explained
16:16 Disruption or Replication? Crypto's Impact on Traditional Finance
19:02 The Future of Crypto: Accessibility for All
21:45 The Long-Term Viability of Crypto
24:04 Building Keyrock: Lessons from Rapid Scaling
29:07 Hiring for Mindset Over Skills
34:53 Managing a Remote Team
40:11 Building Team Cohesion
41:22 Lessons from Fundraising
50:20 Balancing Work and Life
54:17 Sacrifices on the Entrepreneurial Journey
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This week’s Millennial Master is Emma Mills, founder of MiPA.
Emma started out answering calls and managing inboxes. Seventeen years later, she built MiPA into a seven-figure executive assistant business serving more than 500 clients. Along the way, she’s learned how to protect her own time, escape the bottlenecks, and build a culture that scales.
In this episode, Emma shares the systems, mindset shifts, and non-negotiables that help founders focus on the work they actually enjoy. From default diaries and “winning the week” to delegating outcomes instead of tasks, she’s all about reclaiming your calendar and growing without burning out.
🔗 Find Emma on LinkedIn and YouTube
Takeaways from Emma’s episode
1️⃣ Delegate outcomes, not just tasks
An executive assistant isn’t there to tick boxes, they should drive results. Give them ownership of outcomes, whether that’s launching a project, chasing overdue actions, or clearing bottlenecks, and free yourself to focus on high-value work.
2️⃣ Design your default diary
Map out your ideal week in advance and protect it. Emma keeps three days completely meeting-free, with set slots for calls and internal meetings, so she can focus on creative, strategic work that actually moves the business forward.
3️⃣ Your inbox is the best place to start
For most founders, the inbox is a time sink and a window into their priorities. Hand it over early, with a clear system, so someone else can triage, respond, and keep the important things moving while you’re doing higher-value work.
4️⃣ Clarity kills distraction
The biggest “time thief” (no, not social media) is not knowing exactly what you’re trying to achieve. Set quarterly goals, break them down into weekly priorities, and make sure they’re visible to your team so everyone’s aligned.
5️⃣ Protect your energy with boundaries
Emma builds in recharging rituals throughout the day, keeps personal time in her calendar, and routes most requests through her EA. Boundaries are about ensuring the work you do is energising and sustainable.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction To Emma Mills
01:55 From Assistant to Entrepreneur
07:24 The Importance of Delegation
12:33 Mastering Time Management
18:04 The Art of Effective Delegation
23:36 Learning from Delegation Mistakes
32:29 Radical Honesty & The Cost of Mistakes
37:27 Hiring: Spotting Red Flags
41:58 AI's Role in Business Efficiency
46:45 Balancing Business & Personal Life
53:07 Lessons from Leadership: Insights from Ralph
54:58 Sacrifices For Success
01:00:06 Advice To Younger Self
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This week’s Millennial Master is Brad Mac, co-founder of Unreasonable.
Most brands are burning cash on lazy ads and chasing the wrong metrics. Bradley McDonald (aka Brad Mac) thinks it’s time to do the opposite: cut the noise, go deep on what actually moves people, and treat creativity as a profit centre, not a gamble.
He’s scaled Unreasonable into the marketing agency everyone’s watching, proving you can build a brand that lasts and still win on performance.
🔗 Find Brad on LinkedIn
Takeaways from Brad’s episode
1️⃣ Stop wasting your ad budget
Most brands throw 80% of their spend at branded search. Brad calls it a tax for being average. Put your money where it actually grows the business, not where you’re just protecting your logo.
2️⃣ One killer campaign beats a thousand forgettable ones
Forget running endless ads. Brad’s strategy? Run a single, creative-led campaign that earns attention and compounds results over time.
3️⃣ Chase goosebumps, not algorithms
Great content gets remembered and shared. If your ads aren’t sparking a real reaction, you’re just adding to the noise.
4️⃣ Hiring is everything
Brad only brings in “killers”, people who add value from day one. No long interview chains, just proof you can deliver.
5️⃣ Brand is still king
Performance tactics will only get you so far. The brands that last are the ones that stand for something and back it up with bold creative.
📚 Brad’s book recommendations
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy — Brad’s go-to classic for anyone serious about brand and creative. He keeps coming back to Ogilvy’s principles on copywriting, positioning, and making ads that actually sell.
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland — This one’s Brad’s cheat code for creative thinking. He loves how Sutherland breaks the rules and shows why the best marketing ideas never come from pure logic.
Deep Work by Cal Newport — Brad rates this as essential reading for founders and creatives. He credits Deep Work with helping him carve out real focus time, even when agency life gets chaotic.
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport — A new favourite, Brad’s been testing out Newport’s approach to getting more done by slowing down, working deeper, and ignoring the usual busywork.
Poor Charlie’s Almanack by Charlie Munger — Brad swears by Munger’s mental models for sharper decision-making. He’s picked up plenty of counterintuitive lessons on how to scale, invest, and stay rational.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Brad Mac
02:06 The Unreasonable Origin Story
08:01 Transitioning to Unreasonable
10:12 The State of Performance Marketing
13:34 Measuring Success in Marketing
17:04 Creating Lasting Brands
23:29 The Role of AI in Marketing
29:55 The Future of Growth Marketing
33:45 Traditional Media's Place in Marketing
36:22 Building a Brand in the Digital Age
39:58 Underrated Marketing Channels
45:55 The Power of Personal Branding
48:14 Growing Unreasonable: Hiring and Culture
57:17 Navigating Client Relationships
01:00:45 Creating a Productive Work Environment
01:02:16 Maintaining Sanity in a Fast-Paced World
01:08:01 Quickfire Questions: Insights and Advice
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Augustin ‘Gus’ van Rijckevorsel has built his career on bold bets and stubborn ambition.
By his 30s, he’d launched seven companies: some collapsed in spectacular fashion, others scaled fast enough to put him on the radar of Europe’s top investors.
Gus is the kind of founder who hacks the system, takes bets most would avoid, and believes the only real risk is standing still.
Now, as CEO at Ultra, he’s aiming to build the “Netflix of gaming” out of Europe.
In this episode, Gus shares the unfiltered reality behind the founder journey.
🔗 Find Gus on LinkedIn and X
Takeaways from Gus’ episode
1️⃣ Vision is a distortion and reality keeps you in business
Founders survive on a healthy dose of delusion, but long-term success demands you confront the facts, not just your ambitions.
2️⃣ If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
Cut corners on hiring and you’ll regret it. Quality people are the only thing that matters.
3️⃣ Layoffs and failure never get easier, only more public
You’ll go from hero to villain overnight, and sometimes you’ll have to make impossible calls. Learning to live with the emotional fallout is part of the founder’s job description.
4️⃣ Entrepreneurs take bets, business owners play it safe
Real entrepreneurs chase scale and put everything at risk to get there. If you’re clinging to ownership, you’re not growing, you’re just maintaining.
5️⃣ The biggest risk is standing still
Speed is the new survival skill. You don’t have a decade to prove yourself. If you’re not moving fast, you’re moving backwards.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction To Gus van Rijckevorsel
02:10 From Success To Failure And Back At It
07:48 Learning from Failures
11:15 The Importance of Mindset and Support
16:22 Identifying Opportunities in Business
25:33 The All-or-Nothing Approach
30:54 Ultra: The Neflix of Gaming
37:38 Navigating Gatekeepers in Technology
39:55 Scaling And Fundraising
44:30 Managing Remote Teams Effectively
46:59 The Future of Europe's Tech Startup Scene
51:22 AI's Impact on Game Development and Business
59:09 Europe's Protectionism As An Advantage
01:01:29 Lessons from Experience: Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
01:05:37 Taking Bold Risks in Business
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