Bulletproof Entrepreneur

Send us Fan Mail Darya Simanovich arrived in London 20 years ago with £300, no contacts, and barely any English. Today she runs two businesses, holds a full-time role supporting small business owners across London, mentors 400 founders a year, and has just published her first book. In this episode, Daria breaks down what 15 businesses across completely different industries actually taught her about failure, timing, and the kind of resilience nobody calls resilience to your face. She also shares the frameworks she gives every founder she meets, including one with a 72-hour deadline that she says determines whether anything actually gets done. If you have ever wondered whether the entrepreneurship path is for you, or you are already on it and wondering what separates the ones who make it, this is the conversation. Darya's book: https://amzn.eu/d/0j0KvWsr Links to other recommended resources: The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity Atomic Habits The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness This podcast is produced by Tribunista Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us Fan Mail Ian has spent 45 years in the music industry, managing Simply Red, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, and Suede. He started at 17 with a boot full of vinyl and a two-litre Cortina, driving 1,200 miles a week as a sales rep. He went on to oversee the biggest self-released album in history - Simply Red's Home, which outsold most Taylor Swift records and still holds the record today! But Ian's story isn't just about music. It's about what happens when a founder tries to exit a business built entirely on relationships, trust, and instinct. After a bruising experience selling 50% to Live Nation and rejecting a buyout offer before his plane left the runway at Heathrow, Ian found a route almost nobody in his world had heard of - and it changed everything. This is a conversation about sliding doors moments, creative courage, knowing when enough is enough, and an exit strategy that let him cash out, stay involved, and reward every person who helped him build it. This podcast is produced by Tribunista Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us Fan Mail Neil Osmond never set out to be an entrepreneur. He was a pharma executive with a steady job, a young family, and no savings when a friend showed him something on a computer that he couldn't stop thinking about. What followed was a 15-year journey - mapping the London Olympics, pivoting into healthcare, nearly running a glorified lifestyle business, and eventually selling Earthware to a global medical communications group after more than ten first-stage offers. In this episode, Neil walks through all of it: the brutal feedback that changed his direction, how he used Vivid Vision, EOS, and 8 Agencynomics benchmarks to transform the business, why knowing your number before you sell is non-negotiable - and what true wealth looks like when the chapter is finally closed. Books mentioned: Maverick – Ricardo Semler | Business Model Generation – Osterwalder & Pigneur | Agencynomics – Spencer Gallagher & Peter Hoole Connect with Neil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilmeosmond/ Subscribe to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur newsletter: https://alan-smith-bulletproofentrepreneur.kit.com/newsletter Follow Alan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alancapital/ This podcast is produced by Tribunista Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send a text He survived a bomb at four years old. Lost everything in his thirties. Then built a group of companies employing nearly 100 people and sold his media business for 32 x EBITDA. I sat down with Belfast-born entrepreneur Andrew Scott for one of the most honest conversations about failure, resilience, and reinvention you’ll hear anywhere. Andrew shares the full story - from growing up during the Troubles, to arriving in London at 18 with nothing, to the moment he sat in a clapped-out BMW on a beach and thought it was all over. And what happened next. Topics covered: surviving childhood trauma, the power of work ethic, building and losing businesses, the Purpose Plan Execute framework, creative deal-making, company culture, AI in business, and achieving a 32x EBITDA exit. Links 🔗 Connect with Andrew: https://www.andrewscott.bio/ 🔗 Subscribe to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur newsletter: https://alan-smith-bulletproofentrepreneur.kit.com/newsletter 🔗 Follow Alan on LinkedIn: CLICK HERE This podcast is produced by Tribunista Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send a text Scott Ellam started with a £13,000 basic salary, cold-called his way into closing a company acquisition at 22, and then built a thriving international executive search firm from his kitchen in 2014. Then he did something almost no UK founder has done - he put Bitcoin on his business balance sheet, and then took the whole thing public - listing it on the stock market. In this episode, Scott tells the full story: This isn’t really a Bitcoin episode. It’s an episode about what you do with the profits you’ve worked hard to build - and whether cash in the bank is actually as safe as it feels. Whether you agree with the strategy or not, this conversation will challenge how you think about incentives, capital allocation, and long-term value creation. What’s the “don’t get poor slowly strategy” for your business? Links https://uk.linkedin.com/in/scott-p-ellam-5a097449 https://www.spencer-riley.com/about-us/meet-the-team/scott-ellam https://xce.io/ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFOxNbmD38 https://bitcoincollective.co/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Principles-Bitcoin-Technology-Economics-Philosophy/dp/023122012X This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Episode Overview Rachel Murphy sold her company during lockdown. While building the national COVID-19 digital service. Without ever meeting the buyers in person. This conversation is equal parts masterclass and madness - covering everything from selling timeshare at 13, to negotiating 50% equity in a struggling business, to achieving an eight-figure exit in under three years, to why every founder her acquirer bought has since left. Rachel now runs The Grafter, helping entrepreneurs navigate exits with the playbook and emotional support that didn't exist when she needed it. Guest Bio Rachel Murphy is a multi-exited entrepreneur and founder of The Grafter, a business that helps entrepreneurs build, scale, and exit their companies. After building and selling her first company in her 20s, she spent 10-15 years as a high-level interim executive (CIO for Department of Education, leading NHS.UK digital transformation and launching the NHS app). In 2015, she negotiated 50% equity in consultancy Difference and sold it for eight figures in 2020 - during lockdown, while simultaneously building the national COVID-19 digital solution. She now leads a community of 200+ entrepreneurs and has helped facilitate 5 exits, 12 revenue doublings, and a £44M non-dilutive raise in just 38 months. Key Takeaways 1. Build Your Exit Strategy Before You Need It Rachel had a complete sell pack ready 18 months into the business. When unsolicited buyers called, she didn't scramble - she sent comprehensive documentation immediately, putting her in a position of strength. Action: Start documenting your strategy, financials, and exit roadmap now - even if exit is years away. 2. Creative Deals Beat Starting From Scratch Instead of building from zero, Rachel negotiated 50% equity in an existing struggling business by bringing her expertise, network, and turnaround strategy. One plus one equalled ten. Action: Look for businesses adjacent to your skillset that need what you have. Equity partnerships can accelerate your journey. 3. Use Objective Frameworks for Emotional Decisions Rachel used Wardley mapping to objectively assess three acquisition offers. The result: she chose the best fit for her team, not the highest bidder or her personal preference. Action: Remove emotion from major decisions with frameworks. Work backwards from outcomes. Be brutally objective. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachthegrafter/?originalSubdomain=uk The Grafter The 5 Types of Wealth: The life-changing international bestseller, a guide to building a happier, healthier, wealthier life This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text The Autumn Budget landed last week - and while the headlines were busy talking about ‘black holes,’ and ‘fairness,’ the fine print tells a very different story. Nimesh Shah, The CEO of leading tax advisers, Blick Rothenberg didn’t mince words calling it “the most damaging Budget in living memory” If you own a business, if you’re scaling your company, or if you’re even thinking about an exit in the next few years, this Budget will affect your future wealth more than you realise. And most founders have absolutely no idea. So I’ve brought back one of the sharpest tax brains in the country - Malli Kini - to unpack the traps, the opportunities, and the moves you need to make right now to stay ahead. We’re talking; • The stealth tax hikes nobody’s mentioning • The dividend and pension changes that hit founders hardest • The EOT crackdown and what it means for succession And so many other issues that didn't make the headlines. This is one of those episodes where a single insight could save you six figures - or more - over the next few years. If you’re a business owner, buckle up. If you’re planning an exit, take notes. And if you care about keeping more of what you’ve built… this one’s for you. Let’s get into it. Ladies and gentlemen, Malli Kini This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text What if your business isn’t worth what you think it is? What if it’s less than you think? What is it’s more? Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most owner-managed businesses never sell. Not because the founders are lazy or stupid…But because the business just isn’t sellable in the eyes of a buyer. So Today, we’re fixing that. I’m joined by Graham Stephen, CEO and co-founder of a company called Bizval. His team helps entrepreneurs get a proper, defensible valuation. without a £50,000 big accounting firm invoice - or 80 pages of jargon! - and then they break down the key steps you can take to improve your exit valuation. So this episode is a bit different. During our conversation, Graham screenshares a live valuation of a very typical business: It’s a £10m revenue marketing agency, decent profits, happy owners. On the surface, it all looks great. But under the hood? There are a few issues that are keeping the valuation down in the eyes of a potential buyer. He then plugs in the key numbers and data… And you’ll hear how that business comes out at a valuation of around £3.7m today. Then we apply some smart strategic moves and pull a few specific levers – nothing crazy and all highly achievable as part of a focused strategic exit plan. And suddenly the model shows a path from a £3.7m valuation to over £10m. And one other thing, Graham has kindly agreed to offer a very useful discount to the standard cost of your evaluation and strategic plan. There’s a link to the discount code below. So, if you’re an entrepreneur and your business is your pension, your exit, your family’s future – this episode will make you think very differently about your business value and how to optimise it. Let’s face it, you’re probably only going to sell once - and it’s likely to be the most significant financial transaction of your life. And so this next hour or so could make all the difference to you when that time comes. Let’s get into it. https://bizvalglobal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-stephen?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app https://bizvalglobal.com/pricing/ - code Bulletproof This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Today on The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, you’re going to hear from a man whose story is almost impossible to compress into a single sentence - because it’s part grit, part luck, part audacity… and entirely remarkable. Sir Tom Hunter grew up in the small Scottish mining village of New Cumnock, where his father ran the local grocery shop. It was there - stacking shelves, serving neighbours, and learning the value of every pound - that Tom absorbed the lessons that shaped everything that came next: look after your customers, keep your word, and work harder than anyone expects. From those beginnings, he went on to build one of the most successful retail empires the UK has ever seen. The story isn’t neat. It’s not linear. It’s full of missteps, brass-neck decisions, fake-it-till-you-make-it moments, and an unshakeable belief that the best way to learn is to do. You’ll hear how he started by selling trainers from the back of a van… how he leveraged luck by simply showing up… how a chance encounter led to selling more shell suits than anyone in Europe… and how an almost absurd coin toss sealed a £296 million deal. But you’ll also hear the parts of the journey most people never talk about. The weight of shutting shops. The backlash after the sale. The pressure of the financial crisis. Losing hundreds of millions. And the resilience required to rebuild from the inside out. It’s rare to sit with someone who has not only succeeded at the level Tom has but is also willing to speak honestly about the parts that don’t make the headlines. And today, he goes further - sharing the philosophies that now guide his work through West Coast Capital and The Hunter Foundation… why he believes entrepreneurs are the engine of the UK economy… what government consistently gets wrong… and the one piece of advice Warren Buffett gave him that changed the way he thinks about family, money, and legacy. It’s a conversation about risk, resilience, humility, generosity, and what true wealth really means. So settle in. This one is special. Links: https://www.thehunterfoundation.co.uk/ https://www.westcoastcapital.co.uk/ Shareholder Letters The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness: Amazon.co.uk Barbarians At The Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco: Amazon.co.uk This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Today on The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, I’m joined by Brian Hill — ex-soldier, endurance athlete, entrepreneur, and the founder of a business called Pathfinders. Brian’s also just published a fantastic new book called Everyone Exits, which is a step-by-step blueprint for business owners who are scaling towards a successful sale. I read it before we recorded this conversation and I took a lot from It - and I strongly recommend you put it on your own reading list! During our conversation, we unpack how smart founders scale using Brian’s eliminate, automate, delegate rule — and why true delegation, not heroics, creates profit and freedom. Brian also exposes the biggest mistakes owners make when selling - from buy-side brokers and exclusivity traps - to why you must create competitive tension to protect your price and business valuation. And finally, he shares his Exit-Ready Stay-Ready framework that every business owner should start building right now - with clean data, profitable clients, and reduced risk - because, as his book says, Everyone Exits. If a business sale’s even remotely on your horizon, this episode could change your outcome. Let’s dive in. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Brian Hill. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hill-pathfinders/ PathFinders EVERYONE EXITS: You’re either bought out, pushed out, or wheeled out : MSc MCSI, Brian Hill The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More. The Sunday Times bestseller, as heard on the Diary of a CEO podcast This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text My guest today is someone whose story is nothing short of remarkable. From a tough upbringing on a council estate in Oxford to building one of the UK’s most disruptive property management companies - and ultimately achieving an eight-figure exit before the age of 40 - Andrew Hulbert’s journey is one of grit, growth, and gratitude. Today, Andrew lives on a farm, is planting a forest, and spends most of his time with his wife and young children - although he still maintains a healthy interest in business; after all, he’s only 39! During our conversation, we discussed how he built his company, what he learned along the way, and what true wealth means after the exit. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Andrew Hulbert. Andrew's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhulbert/ This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast - reverse engineering your successful business scale, sale and life on the other side. What I’ve learned over the years is that not every founder wants to sell up and exit their business completely - some prefer to take some ‘chips off the table’ and go again to make the most of the opportunities they see. That's where today’s guest comes in. Matt Taylor is the founder and co-owner of Rockpool, a different kind of business partner for ambitious owners of SMEs - perhaps a more collaborative version of traditional private equity. As a seasoned operator in the UK SME market, he’s also got some excellent advice for Rachel Reeves ahead of the next budget - well worth listening to what he’d like to tell her! This is a great conversation with a ton of valuable advice if you’re scaling towards a successful exit but not ready to retire and sit on a beach quite yet. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Matt Taylor. Links: https://rockpool.uk.com/ Voluntary Exchange: The Simple Truth of Economics: Amazon.co.uk This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text What does it take to risk everything — your home, your family’s security, and even walk away from a million-pound payday — in pursuit of something bigger? In this episode of The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, Phil shares the raw truth behind decades of building, selling, and reinventing businesses. From sleeping on an office couch to securing one of the UK’s biggest fintech exits, his journey is a masterclass in risk, resilience, and relentless drive. We also get into the tough questions: This isn’t a story of overnight wins. It’s a story of calculated gambles, painful setbacks, and bold moves that paid off in ways few would dare imagine. Resources: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (founder of Nike)Play Nice But Win by Michael DellPhil's LinkedIn This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast We’ve got a fantastic episode, which turned out to be a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the real story of entrepreneurship. My guest today is Gary Abela. Gary grew up in a family of hoteliers, and he was serving breakfast in the family hotel in London’s King’s Cross at the age of seven. After uni, he secured a job in the City and became one of the youngest sales reps in a major US investment firm. He went on to build a highly successful career in asset management before deciding to walk away from it all to start again. Gary takes us inside his journey from Berlin property deals to building an AI startup, to navigating failure, burnout, and eventually exiting his own company. Along the way, we talk about: timeThis is an honest conversation about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to keep going when the odds are against you. Whether you’re scaling a business, preparing for an exit, or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is packed with insights on risk-taking, resilience, and building a business that lasts. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Gary Abela Links https://saturnos.com/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205 https://adviserpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ https://allin.com/ This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Welcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast where we explore what it really takes to build, grow, and successfully exit your business. The podcast is designed to be a helpful resource for business owners as they navigate the challenges of scaling their businesses. One area I’ve been spending time on recently is managing cash within your company's balance sheet. At my firm, we’ve always kept a healthy cash balance, but the interest rates we receive from our bank is pretty low—after I factored in tax and inflation, that money was melting like an ice cube. It’s probably the same for your business. That’s why I was keen to hear from today’s guest, Jordan Walker - founder of The Bitcoin Collective, host of the popular podcast by the same name, and one of the UK’s leading voices in making Bitcoin accessible and actionable for business owners. He’s on a mission to strip away the jargon, cut through the hype, and help entrepreneurs understand how Bitcoin could play a meaningful role in their financial strategy. Jordan recently launched a service specifically for business owners who are keen to explore how to allocate some of their company’s deposit funds into Bitcoin safely, strategically, and with the right education and support. In this conversation, we cover the real risks, the big opportunities, and why he believes that understanding Bitcoin is becoming essential for forward-thinking entrepreneurs. If you’ve dismissed Bitcoin as too volatile or too complicated, or if you're simply curious about where it fits into the world of business and money, this episode will challenge your assumptions in all the right ways. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Jordan Walker. https://bitcoincollective.co/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWKKRsnKBJsaPswBMHvjsAQ This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Welcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast that gives you the mindset, strategies, and tools to build a resilient business and thrive under pressure. Today, I’m joined by a true pioneer in the world of food entrepreneurship – John Stapleton. John is best known as the co-founder of The New Covent Garden Soup Company, where he didn’t just launch a product; he created an entirely new category in the UK food market. He later took that same disruptive energy to the US and then back to the UK again with Little Dish, the toddler food brand that redefined what healthy eating looks like for young children. Across multiple ventures, John has built and scaled companies from the ground up, exited successfully, and stayed right at the heart of innovation as a founder, investor, and mentor. In this conversation, we explore how to spot market gaps, stay resilient through the highs and lows, prepare for exit, and reinvent yourself after success. If you're a founder scaling towards a sale—or just trying to build something that lasts—this episode is packed with the kind of insight that only comes from the real entrepreneurial trenches. So without further delay, let’s dive into this inspiring conversation with Mr John Stapleton. https://www.johnstapleton.eu/about-john https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-b-stapleton/ This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text If you're a business owner or in a leadership role, this episode could genuinely change how you think about running and growing your company. My guest is Mike Paton, an entrepreneur and author who is one of the driving forces behind EOS—the entrepreneurial operating system We implemented EOS at my firm, Capital Partners, a few years ago, and it was truly transformative. So getting the chance to sit down with Mike was not just a privilege - it was personal. Whether you’re already familiar with Traction, or you're hearing about EOS for the first time, I promise you’ll walk away with powerful, practical insights and a few lightbulb moments! Links: Mike Paton - EOS Worldwide | LinkedIn EOS Worldwide Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business: Amazon.co.uk Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business How to Be a Great Boss: Amazon.co.uk Process!: How Discipline and Consistency Will Set You and Your Business Free (The EOS Mastery Series) This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text The pod's strapline is "reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale, exit, and life on the other side," and that's exactly what we discuss in this episode—strategically reverse engineering success. My guest today is Damian Connolly, the founder of a boutique accountancy business that focuses specifically on getting founders exit-ready and maximising their business sale value and terms. Most business owners only sell once and are often unprepared for the most significant financial transaction of their lives, so our conversation will help you understand the process and what you should consider. If you are running a business, especially if you're maybe 3-5 years out from the sale, you’re going to get a lot out of this conversation. So now ladies and gentlemen, discussing how to get exit-ready, I give you Mr Damian Connolly. This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Welcome back to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast. I’m your host Alan Smith and right from day one my goal for this pod was to provide a valuable resource for all UK founders and business owners. And therefore I’m delighted today to bring you a masterclass in tax planning from one of the UK’s leading lights in tax advice for successful business owners. Malli Kini is head of the entrepreneur team at Blick Rothenberg, a Top 10 firm having already enjoyed stints at PWC and EY. Wherever I go now and when I speak with entrepreneurs, smart tax planning seems to be top of the agenda for discussion. But getting access to the right kind of advice can be challenging and costly. So the next hour will be of huge value to you - and it’s completely free (other than for some of your time!) During our conversation, And towards the end of our conversation, Malli provides a generous offer to all listeners and viewers of this podcast so be sure to check that out - it could make all the difference for you and your business. Just before you get into the conversation, I wanted to mention that we’ve now launched the podcast on youtube as well and so if you prefer to watch the conversation do check out the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast channel - links to it and to the key discussion points are below. But now ladies and gentlemen I give you Malli Kini https://www.blickrothenberg.com/about-us/partners/malli-kini/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallikini/?originalSubdomain=uk https://www.youtube.com/@BulletproofEntrepreneurPodcast https://capital.co.uk/ This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

Send us a text Hello and welcome back to the latest episode. We took a short break, but now we’re back. We've moved into a proper recording studio and launched our own YouTube channel. So you prefer to watch the discussion, please check out the link below and subscribe to our free newsletter as well. Our guest, Graeme Godfrey, is a successful entrepreneur who sold his business, achieved complete financial security and then crashed. He found himself lacking purpose and drive in his life, feeling bored and frustrated, and so he began to help other entrepreneurs through one-to-one coaching and mentoring. Links Graeme Godfrey https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemegodfrey/?originalSubdomain=uk Resources Who Moved My Cheese The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea eBook The Inner Game of Tennis Tuesdays With Morrie Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness Bulletproof Entrepreneur Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@BulletproofEntrepreneurPodcast Capital Partners https://capital.co.uk/ Book a call with Alan https://ca This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management