Secret Leaders with Dan Murray-Serter
This is the entrepreneurial education I wish I’d had. A few years ago, I thought I'd made it as a Founder. My app was topping the charts, I was winning awards, having drinks with the Queen at Buckingham Palace (she laughed at one of my gags, sure), but as my business started to fail, I realised I had so much more to learn. The trouble was I found most business chat too stuffy, surface level or braggy so I started Secret Leaders to get behind the mask of entrepreneurship. I speak with the best Founders and business experts to learn how great companies are built - especially the things that normally get left out, like their mistakes. We cover the most important stuff, from fundraising to hiring, habits to mindset, so you can learn how to build a successful business. And no, you don’t need to get into an ice bath at 5am either...
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Contact: hello@secretleaders.com
276
FabFitFun: Creating A Celebrity Swagbag Subscri...
Founded in 2010 in the USA by Co-CEOs brothers Dan and Michael Broukhim and Editor-in-Chief Katie Echevarria Rosen Kitchens, FabFitFun is a lifestyle membership.Key takeaways: How FabFitFun came to fruitionWhy newsletters are making a comebackExploring finance options to fund the businessThe future for FabFitFunThe self doubts and personal challenges that each founder facesWhat they’d change if they could do overWhy you should never underestimate the importance of company culture
45 min
277
Calm.com and Babylon Health: The Future of Heal...
In this live podcast episode we talk about what makes a healthy body, a healthy mind and the future of technology enabled healthcare, with Michael Acton-Smith, founder of Mind Candy, Firebox and Calm.com and Ali Parsa, founder and CEO of Babylon Health. We chat about:What healthy means to each of themWhy we don’t have a healthcare system as such, we have a sick-care systemHow technology and AI is and will enable a better healthcare systemThe obesity epidemicThe current mental health crisis
73 min
278
Starling Bank, Resi and Just Eat: Funding and F...
We invited back Anne Boden, founder and CEO of innovative challenger bank Starling Bank, Alex Depledge, co-founder of Resi and David Buttress, ex-CEO and co-founder of Just Eat to discuss their experiences of financing and funding a startup.Key takeaways:Raising money before you need itWhat it’s like in the lead up to going publicRaising money as a single founder vs being a co-founderPractical processes to set up for successful fundingLinks:Starling Bankwww.helpling.comhttps://resi.co.uk/Just Eat UK
52 min
279
Grenade: Disrupting the FMCG Industry with Alan...
Today we talk to the founders of Grenade, Alan and Juliet Barratt, who sold the company in 2018 for £72 million, having self-funded initially and getting down to just £27 in the bank at one point. Key takeawaysWhy and how Alan and Juliet set up in business togetherWhere the name Grenade came fromThe cost of setting up in business Why disruption doesn’t need to be expensiveWhy the perfect work/life balance doesn’t exist
43 min
280
Blippar and Shazam: A live chat with visionarie...
If you want to know what it takes to start and run a technology company, then you need to listen to two of our most visionary guests, Jess Butcher, co-founder of Blippar and Dhiraj Mukherjee, co-founder of Shazam. Key takeaways How the Blippar vision has evolved over timeFinding the balance between motherhood and running a tech companyThe highs and lows of being a co-founder Creating ShazamHow they got around any law infringements to get the musicGetting early adoption through smart marketingLinks:https://www.secretleaders.com/jess-butcherhttps://www.secretleaders.com/dhiraj-mukherjee
74 min
281
Huel: How to Become a Food and Drink Millionair...
Want to know what it takes to become a food and drink millionaire? Of course you do. So listen to Julian Hearn talking about his powdered food product, Huel. Key takeaways from this episode include how a failed entrepreneurial venture led Julian to found Huel, the thinking behind Huel branding, the problems with finding a food manufacturer, why he chose to hire in a CEO, why he keeps all his recruitment in-house, how Huel has been financed (and why they raised money when they didn’t need it).
42 min
282
Photobox and Moonpig: Selling to your competito...
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes when one start up buys another start up? Listen to Nick Jenkins and Graham Hobson talk about when Photobox bought Moonpig.In this episode we talk about what happened when Nick and Graham first met, selling your business to your main rival, top tips on securing an exit, the dribble and shake theory, negotiating the deal, going through M&A, what it’s like to actually buy a company, the pros and cons of being a Dragon, the art of Angel investing.
70 min
283
Slack: Cal Henderson - An Engineer’s Fairytale ...
Kicking us off is Cal Henderson, co-founder and CTO of one of this decade’s most famous tech companies, Slack. Key takeaways from this episode include how Cal met Stewart Butterfield, how he got a job through hacking the company he wanted to work for, how Slack came to fruition through the multiplayer game Glitch, the issues of new technology trends in the workplace, how Cal’s role as CTO has evolved over time, Cal’s best and worst days at Slack, and what tech changes will occur over the next 10 years.Links:www.Glitchthegame.com
42 min
284
ClassPass: How Payal Kadakia Built A Fitness Em...
Today’s guest is Payal Kadakia, founder and executive chairman of ClassPass. Payal started ClassPass in 2011 a business that was born out of her love for dance. We chat about:How learning to dance at a young age gave her a way of life and a way to think about the challenges that lay ahead.Why there were crickets when they initially launched ClassPass.How she brought her team in and the importance of passionate generalists.How to hand over the reins and move into a new role in the company.
44 min
285
Vicki Saunders: On being a SheEO extraordinaire...
Investment funds for female entrepreneurs are not exactly commonplace in the world of finance. But today’s guest, SheEO founder and Canadian entrepreneurial powerhouse, Vicki Saunders, has been on a one woman crusade to change that.We chat to Vicki about:Her favourite quote: everything's broken; what a great time to be alive.How the SheEO fund works.How they’ve achieved a 100% payback rate.What path took her to founding SheEO.Why her favourite book is Winners Take All.
44 min
286
Founders4Schools and Scale Up Institute: Meet S...
43 min
287
Lovefilm - The Subscription King You Won’t Have...
William Reeve, serial entrepreneur and angel investor, best known for creating Lovefilm and being an early investor in Secret Escapes, talks about his experience with subscription businesses. Key takeaways:What William’s best investment wasHow he sold his first business and made almost £10m in the processWhy he chose to go down the DVD subscription routeHow they handled the slow business start by buying out the competitionWhat it’s like negotiating with AmazonHow to measure user churn
43 min
288
Lastminute.com: meet Martha Lane Fox, the Baron...
Today’s guest Baroness Martha Lane Fox, the founder of lastminute.com, is so much more than just a dotcom entrepreneur.Key takeawaysBrent Toberman changed her life forever.The accident that could have been the end of her, grew her resilience, and gave her the opportunity to pursue other avenues.How Lucky Voice avoided being called Rubber Chicken.What she learned working on M&S’s board.The subliminal role San Francisco plays in tech start-ups.Why she is an avid supporter of young women in tech.
39 min
289
Saasha Celestial-One: Tackling food waste throu...
Food waste startup founder, Saasha Celestial-One, joins us today to discuss her vision for the future and how we should be doing more to stop wasting our limited planetary resources. We chat with Saasha about:Olio, what it means, and how it’s tackling the problem of food wasteHow redundancy changed her lifeWhy a leftover sweet potato and a cabbage brought her to her current pathHow far £40k will go when you start your startupHow Olio started with 12 people in a Whatsapp group
38 min
290
Founder of Stellar, Ripple and Mt Gox Jed McCal...
Mt. Gox founder Jed McCaleb is a cryptocurrency legend. Today he talks about the hardships of being an entrepreneur. We chat with Jed about:The basics of cryptocurrency (it’s mum-friendly)Why he picked the name e-donkey for his companyThe time he built a butanol lab in his girlfriend’s apartmentHow Mt. Gox was originally started as an online trading exchange for Magic: The GatheringWhy even as an incredibly successful entrepreneur he still struggled to get Stellar off the ground
39 min
291
Candy Crush: creator Riccardo Zacconi on what i...
Today we speak to Riccardo Zacconi, the guy who’s credited with creating the most addictive game ever: Candy Crush Saga. He says his success is down to hiring awesome people, then giving those people freedom to hire their own awesome people. But we think it might have something to do with the $100m marketing budget. Join us as we discuss:What it took to get King off the ground. The advice he has for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Why his watch is fifteen minutes fast.
42 min
292
Uber's first invester - Jason Calacanis the GRE...
Today’s guest is the guy who got lucky nine times: Jason Calacanis is an angel investor with a serious point to prove - his one piece of advice to his 18 year old self would be to stop mucking around, move to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area and get to work NOW. Join us as we discuss:The secret to angel investing.His obsession with wealth and power.Why the people who will change the world are not always likeable and why he likes working with them. How he rebuilt after the dot.com bust.
57 min
293
Clara Brenner: the VC investing in social entre...
Clara Brenner is investing in a better future for our cities by supporting innovative social entrepreneurs. We chat with Clara about:Tech will play a role in shaping the urban environments of the future.The Urban Innovation Fund is drawn to invest in companies with women and POC as their founders, as well as founders with self-motivation and a drive to access funds. The US have an appalling maternity and paternity leave policy, but there are disruptive companies on the horizon.
40 min
294
Tim Draper: The Jedi Master of Venture Capital
Living legend venture capital investor Tim Draper talks about his passion for Bitcoin and helping entrepreneurs make it big.We chat with Tim about:A family of venture capitalistsWhat it means to be a heroWhy he disagrees with Elon Musk about AIThe benefits of BitcoinHis book, “How to be The Startup Hero: A Guide and Textbook for Entrepreneurs and Aspiring Entrepreneurs”What Draper University is all aboutFor more go to secretleaders.com
42 min
295
Allbirds Co-Founder Tim Brown: Designing and Ma...
Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown talks about the challenges of building a sustainable footwear brand.We chat with Tim about:The difference in the attitude towards entrepreneurship between London and San FranciscoHow he saw an opportunity in making shoes out of different materialsWhy and how they became a B CorpLiving his boyhood dream of playing soccer in the A-League in AustraliaThe Allbirds funding journeyHis best piece of advice for entrepreneurs
37 min
296
Mumsnet: Justine Roberts on Saving Parents’ Lives
Mumsnet founder & CEO Justine Roberts saved many parents’ lives. Today she talks about how an unmitigated disaster became the chance of a lifetime.The disastrous holiday that started everythingGrowing the Mumsnet community organically, by word-of-mouthA very quiet start (2000) and then a very accelerated growth period from 2006 onwardsGetting sued memorably and other hard momentsAdvocating for many good causes via MumsnetWhat a typical day looks like for Justine
36 min
297
Starling Bank: Anne Boden Founder & CEO, an Inn...
Starling Bank founder & CEO Anne Boden talks about creating a new, unorthodox bank from scratch. We chat with Anne aboutQuitting her job in traditional banking, moving to London and deciding to start her own bankRaising money as a female founder for her unusual initiativeThe type of culture and ethos they are trying to buildHer ambitions with Starling in the futureA typical day for AnneHer advice to entrepreneursFor more visit secretleaders.com
35 min
298
WeTransfer: Damian Bradfield tells us about th...
WeTransfer President Damian Bradfield shares his trials and tribulations, and how they grew the disarmingly simple file sharing site into the amazingly popular service it is today.We chat with Damian about:The early days of WeTransfer: no money and huge ambition in AmsterdamHow StumbleUpon helped them launchBootstrapping and keeping their full-time jobs until 2015The two fortuitous things that happened in WeTransfer's early daysWhat Damian believes the future of the internet is going to beAnd what he’s like as a boss
51 min
299
Jo Malone: The Alchemist Devoted to Spreading t...
Our last guest this season is unanimously appreciated by everyone she meets. Meet Jo Malone, here to talk to us in depth about her journey and her love for the poetry of fragrances.- Growing up in a council house and looking after her mother and her sister- Moving to London and doing all sorts of odd jobs- Putting her astounding sense of smell into an actual business- Receiving an offer to sell to Estée Lauder- Facing the greatest challenge of her life and moving on
53 min
300
Vijay Eswaran: From Taxi Driver to Billionaire
Our guest has a truly remarkable list of accomplishments that would have turned many of us into vain, condescending creatures. Meet Vijay Eswaran, the founder of the QI Group, a deeply compassionate and thoughtful entrepreneur who steered clear of all that.Losing his scholarship and being sent to the UKTaking a year off in order to hitchhike around EuropeGoing through 33 days of silence in an Italian monasteryBuilding the QI GroupGiving back and living in the now
49 min