Advertise on podcast: We Have A Meeting

This episode of We Have A Meeting is sponsored by Funding Circle, business finance that backs you. 👉 https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/ Tonia Buxton didn’t know it was impossible. That’s how she did it. She was a primary school teacher in Tottenham with an idea for a TV show nobody was making: food and travel, just Greece and Cyprus. She posted VHS showreels to almost 200 production companies and ran out of companies in London. A company in Birmingham finally said yes. My Greek Kitchen and My Cypriot Kitchen went on to air on Discovery Channel in 37 countries. Tonia joins We Have A Meeting at Ideas Fest for a conversation about joy, tenacity and the choices that shape a life. She explains why joy is a habit you can build. She also talks about why you have to get uncomfortable to find it, and why she forces herself into hip hop classes where she’s the oldest person in the room and can’t remember the steps. She tells the story she never tells: the TV job she was offered years before her own shows. It was a presenting role that made everyone who took it famous, and she said no. She explains why, what her now-husband of 35 years said at the time, and why the man behind the show recently told her it was the best decision she ever made. Along the way: sending a production company a VHS packed with sweets and a hamper of home-cooked Greek food, the one question that changes how people remember you, manifesting with frankincense, what young people lose by never being bored, why people over 45 lose their curiosity (and their youth with it), and why generosity always comes back to you. About our sponsor: Funding Circle Tonia sent out almost 200 showreels before someone backed her idea. Funding Circle backs UK small businesses with fast, flexible finance, so you can spend less time chasing a yes and more time building. Find out more: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/ #FundingCircle #ToniaBuxton #MyGreekKitchen #IdeasFest #Manifestation #Resilience #Rejection #Joy #Ageless #TVPresenter #FounderMindset #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #Entrepreneur #PersonalBrand #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Tonia Buxton: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toniabuxton/?hl=en Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who’ve built it from the ground up.

James Smith knows a lot of people think he’s a prick. He’s fine with that. He started as a personal trainer, picked fights with every diet tribe going, and didn’t even agree to his first book deal. Today he’s a bestselling author and a co-founder of Neutonic, the productivity drink he built with Chris Williamson, Luke Betts and Shan Hanif. He says it’s now valued at over $100 million. None of the four had any experience running a drinks company. By his own admission, they’re winging it. James Smith joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson for the most honest conversation we’ve had about building a consumer brand from a following. He explains why he upsets vegans, keto people and Formula One fans on purpose, why Joe Wicks could never get away with what he does, and why he tells people to buy a can of C4 if they’re shopping on price. He breaks down what nobody tells you about drinks: Prime’s cans ending up in the bargain bin, Walmart asking for 11 SKUs per store, the $1 million bill for cardboard displays in one retailer, and the investors who called a £150,000 first-year profit stupid. He explains why the founders haven’t taken a penny, why he’s a million in the hole, and why he thinks that once Neutonic reaches the size they’re hoping for, they’ll get rid of him. Along the way: the investor who lent them his helicopter and the LinkedIn backlash that followed, 3am calls to the US, why he refunds customers personally, why most creators think their audience is thick, what’s really wrong with Chris Williamson, Matthew McConaughey, the mistake in Jordan Peterson’s most-viewed video, and why young people are psychos. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet James Smith, Founder Turning Newtonic into a Billion Pound Brand 00:01:20 The Problem We Solve: Why Productivity Could Be the New Fitness 00:03:25 The Drug-Fueled Book Writing Sessions: Modafinil, Clenbuterol, and Getting Sh*t Done 00:05:35 How Newtonic Was Born: From Hammersmith Apollo to Hiding Ghost Cans Backstage 00:12:27 Selective Polarization: Pissing Off Vegans, Keto People, and Everyone Who'll Never Buy 00:16:55 Leading with Honesty: Money Back Guarantees, Refunds, and Why It's Actually Selfish 00:24:36 The Reality of Raising Millions: Family and Friends Rounds, Helicopter Trips, and Being Called Idiots 00:32:53 Customer Service Obsession: Yeti Bottles, Refund Piss-Takers, and Waking Up Harry at 3am 00:35:42 AI Slop and Email Marketing: Why James Went Off on His Agency for Using ChatGPT 00:47:41 The James Smith vs Chris Williamson Dynamic: Who Does What and Why It Works 00:57:13 Why Email Isn't Dead: The 8Sleep Strategy and Being There on the Worst Day 01:04:25 The Three Year Vision: Billion Dollar Exits, Empty Achievements, and Just Trying to Enjoy It #JamesSmith #Neutonic #ChrisWilliamson #ModernWisdom #NotADietBook #ProductivityDrink #EnergyDrinks #ConsumerBrands #FounderMindset #StartupFunding #RetailExpansion #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #Entrepreneur #Marketing #PersonalBrand #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with James Smith: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamessmith/ Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who’ve built it from the ground up.

Spencer Matthews has run 30 marathons in 30 days in the desert. He’s done an Ironman on every continent in 21 days, Antarctica included. He says running a marathon is easy. Before you throw your trainers at the screen, hear him out. Most people can run a marathon. Running one as fast as you possibly can is something completely different. Don’t mistake distance for time. Trotting 5K with your dog is lovely. Trying to break 17 minutes for 5K is not. It sucks. Now Spencer is chasing a sub-2:45 marathon in Valencia, at 84 kilos, which is big for a runner. That’s about 3:55 per kilometre for 42.2 kilometres. He says it’s harder than anything he’s done before. On the long challenges you can pause, reframe and think your way out of trouble. On a fast marathon you can’t. It’s sustained pain, and you can’t wing it. Spencer tells Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest why going fast hurts more than going far, and why his next challenge is smaller on paper and harder in his legs. #SpencerMatthews #Marathon #MarathonTraining #Running #RunningMotivation #Sub3Marathon #ValenciaMarathon #EnduranceMindset #MentalToughness #Ironman #CleanCo #Untapped #IdeasFest #FundingCircle #BackedByFundingCircle #WeHaveAMeeting Watch the full conversation with Spencer: [LINK TO FULL EPISODE] Connect with Spencer Matthews: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermatthews CleanCo: https://clean.co Untapped podcast: https://thehighperformancepodcast.com/untapped Untapped on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1788474884 Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. Learn more at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who’ve built it from the ground up. Comment “Spencer” for the full episode Spencer Matthews has run 30 marathons in 30 days. He still thinks running a marathon is easy. Running one fast is the hard part. In this clip, Spencer explains the difference between endurance and speed. It’s the difference between finishing a marathon and racing one. He breaks down his sub-2:45 marathon goal, the training it takes, and why being a heavier runner makes it harder. He also looks at the mental game. Multi-day endurance challenges test your resilience. A fast marathon tests whether you can hold pain without a break. If you’re training for your first marathon, chasing a PB or trying to go sub-3, this one is for you. Search We Have A Meeting where you get your podcasts

How do you win new clients when every competitor is shouting the same thing? Three founders who have built businesses from nothing give you their best sales and marketing advice in one room. No theory. Just what actually brings in new business. James Martin started cutting grass as a boy, moved into tree surgery and has built, bought and sold companies ever since. He now owns Baddow Park House in Essex, runs a group of businesses and a property portfolio, hosts the Entrepreneur Conversations podcast and mentors business owners through the Baddow Park Mastermind. He joins Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson, co-founders of We Have A Meeting, the Manchester outbound sales agency that books meetings for B2B companies every day, and co-authors of the bestselling Sales Is Therapy. Between them they cover the full journey of winning a client. Where to find them. How to get the first conversation. What to say when you get it. How to price without flinching. How to keep the client once you’ve won them. In this panel you’ll learn: Why being the most expensive option can win you more clients than being the cheapest, and how to say it out loud How to find new business through outbound, referrals and your own network without feeling like a pest What makes a prospect actually want to talk to you, and why sales works best when it feels like a conversation, not a pitch How to build a marketing message that sounds like a human, not a brochure Why cutting what you sell can grow what you earn The small details that separate businesses that win work from businesses that chase it The one thing all three would tell a founder trying to land their next big client tomorrow If you run a small business, lead a sales team or you’re trying to grow a UK company in a crowded market, this is your playbook for winning new clients and building a pipeline that doesn’t dry up. Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet James Martin, Jack, and Zach on Sales and Marketing 00:02:28 Marketing Tricks No One Else Is Doing: Meet and Greet Training 00:06:38 What Your Industry Does Wrong: The LinkedIn Slop Problem 00:10:03 The Power of Intent: Using AI to Find Growth Stage Companies 00:11:44 You Can't Lose a Deal You Never Had: The Mindset of Detachment 00:14:45 Betting the Business: Credit Cards, Property Deals, and Forcing Things Into Existence 00:17:46 Going Into Business With Friends: The Trust Factor vs The Risk 00:20:21 Bad Advice You Followed: Don't Copy, The Customer's Always Right, and Wearing Too Many Hats 00:23:43 Your Business Gets One Billboard: Creating Disruptive Brand Messaging 00:26:20 Turn 500 Pounds Into 5000 in 48 Hours: Creative Sales Challenges 00:28:41 The Hardest Conversations With Employees: Shovels, Suspensions, and HR Nightmares 00:33:36 Final Takeaways: Stop Weeing on Yourself and Think of Bad Ideas This episode is backed by Funding Circle. Business finance that backs you. Winning new clients often means hiring, buying stock or taking on bigger contracts before the money lands. Funding Circle helps UK small businesses get the finance to say yes to growth. Find out more: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/ Connect with James Martin: Website: https://www.jamesmartinentrepreneur.com Baddow Park Mastermind: https://www.baddowpark.com Podcast: Entrepreneur Conversations LinkedIn: /james-martin-entrepreneur Instagram: @jamesmartinentrepreneur Hear more from the hosts: Jack: /jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: /zac-thompson-33a9a39b Subscribe to We Have A Meeting for new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who’ve built it from the ground up. #HowToWinClients #WinNewBusiness #SalesAdvice #MarketingTips #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessGrowth #LeadGeneration #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ClientAcquisition #JamesMartinEntrepreneur #SalesIsTherapy #FundingCircle #UKBusiness #WeHaveAMeeting

Madonna changed the lights, the seating and her outfit before the cameras rolled. Ben Shephard won her over with one question. That’s the skill behind 26 years in broadcasting. He’s presented This Morning and Tipping Point and done film junkets where he had four minutes to get a Hollywood star to open up. He calls himself a frustrated professional sportsman who never made the Ryder Cup, so he became a communicator instead. Now, at 51, he’s a founder. He co-founded For Skin, a men’s skincare brand, with Joel Dommett. He also helped set up Sweetspot, a venture studio that builds businesses celebrities actually own. Ben joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest. They talk about purpose, gratitude and why being interested beats being interesting every time. He explains why a quiz show still matters, and why he gets his dad to text him every night with three things he’s looking forward to tomorrow. He also explains why 80% of men’s skincare is bought by women. He breaks down how Sweetspot works. Every celebrity goes through a questionnaire on their motivations and passions, and the audience helps build the product. For Skin’s community picked the name, the price point and the packaging. He also explains why he will always ask the stupid question in a meeting about burn rates. And why a skincare brand needs a name people argue about, but products good enough to outlive the famous faces behind it. Then comes the masterclass in connection: the Simon Cowell name trick he recommends to everyone, and why he forgets most of the pitches he hears unless someone finds a way to connect with him personally. Along the way you’ll hear about Zac talking to his moisturiser, a 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder with his two sons, a six-year-old called Greg who taught him a lesson in manners, why golf teaches you that the next shot matters most, and the best advice Tim Campbell ever gave him: if it ain’t broke, break it. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Ben Shephard, TV Presenter Turned Entrepreneur 00:02:19 The Purpose Behind the Presenter: Finding Meaning in Entertainment 00:05:15 Smelling the Roses: Gratitude, Mindset, and Making Memories 00:07:56 The Skincare Secret: How Ben Ages Like Fine Wine 00:13:36 Building Foreskin: The Problem We Solve and Why the Name Works 00:16:32 From TV to Business: Learning the Ropes and Asking Stupid Questions 00:23:41 Beyond the Founders: Building a Brand That Outlives the Celebrities 00:26:23 The Tough Mudder Mindset: Achievements, Letting Go, and What Comes Next 00:27:40 The Art of Connection: What Ben Knows Now About Communication 00:31:41 The Madonna Masterclass: Finding Common Ground in Four Minutes 00:37:55 Raising Communicators: Teaching Boys to Ask How Are You 00:41:55 Quickfire Business Wisdom: Nurture the Kernel and Break What Ain't Broke #BenShephard #ForSkin #JoelDommett #Sweetspot #MensSkincare #Skincare #TippingPoint #ThisMorning #Communication #Curiosity #Connection #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #FounderMindset #Entrepreneur #IdeasFest #FundingCircle #BackedByFundingCircle #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Ben Shephard: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benshephard For Skin: https://www.for-skin.co.uk The Business Men podcast (with Joel Dommett): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-men/id1843664679 Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. Learn more at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who’ve built it from the ground up.

Your sales team has more AI tools and more data than ever. So why are they doing less with it? And what should you never, ever let an AI agent do for you? Mel Smith has a one-question test for that, and most teams fail it. She also has a rule for her SDRs: book a meeting on a cold call in under five minutes and you'll be getting a message from her. Mel is VP of Sales Development at Nooks, the AI revenue agent platform for sales teams. She started as an SDR when outbound meant email only. She was a Nooks customer before she was a Nooks employee, after a former rep of hers got laid off, joined Nooks and told her the product was crazy. She bought it for her SDR team, then talked her way into the co-founders' inbox. Two and a half years later she runs the team that sells it. She is, quite literally, her own buyer persona. Mel joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson to unpack where AI agents genuinely save sales teams time, where they quietly destroy trust, and why cold calling still beats email and LinkedIn for pipeline. This is a working masterclass in AI for sales development. Mel breaks down the automate, augment, human model, where AI agents take 80% of a task and the rep owns the last 20%. She shows how agent-led account research cuts a properly personalised email from 45 to 60 minutes down to 15 or 20, and why that saved time belongs on the stuff that doesn't scale. As a customer, Nooks took her team from an hour to make 50 cold calls down to eight minutes. Her qualified cold calls run 12 to 18 minutes, built on permission-based openers, bucket questions and three yeses, and nobody gives up before three nos. New SDRs hear 100 to 200 peer calls on the virtual sales floor in their first two weeks, and the data says the reps who spend the most time there ramp fastest. Along the way: the Tony Robbins AI agent claim that didn't survive a fact-check, how to sell a whole platform on a cold call without sounding like everyone else, the spreadsheet interview test where not reaching for AI is now a red flag, the "it was December" excuse that tells her everything about a candidate, why entry-level reps should check a company's current SDRs before applying, the theatre tickets that get unreachable leaders to take a meeting, and the inside jokes on her LinkedIn that only one prospect has ever noticed. Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Mel Smith, VP of Sales Development at Nooks 00:01:56 The AI Data Paradox: Why Sales Teams Have Everything But Do Nothing 00:03:39 The Simplest AI Win: Account Research That Actually Works 00:04:32 What AI Should Never Touch: The Trust-Bearing Moments in Sales 00:09:06 AI Agents Explained: Spider Webs of Decision-Making 00:12:36 The 45-Minute to 15-Minute Email: Real AI Use Cases That Save Time 00:16:02 Personalization That Cuts Through: Business Context Beats High School Facts 00:18:51 Selling a Platform Not a Product: Solution and Persona-Based Messaging 00:21:10 Finding the Problems That Matter: Talking to Your Target Personas 00:25:12 The 12 to 18 Minute Cold Call: Running Discovery on Every Dial 00:27:18 Hiring SDRs in the AI Era: Characteristics Over Skills Every Time 00:36:46 The Sales Floor Effect: Why Top Performers Spend the Most Time There 00:38:03 Breaking Into Sales: Do the Research Before You Prospect 00:40:09 The Future of Sales: Leaner Teams, Same Human Connections Hashtags #WeHaveAMeeting #Nooks #MelSmith #AIAgents #AIinSales #SalesDevelopment #SDR #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #PipelineGeneration #SalesLeadership #RevOps #SalesAutomation #SalesHiring #B2BSales #SalesTraining #SalesPodcast Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-smith-4118564b/ Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) Nooks: https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Nooks: the AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Spencer Matthews has changed since his Made In Chelsea Days. He was a terrible employee. Hotels, nightclubs, bars, a stint as a forward foreign exchange broker in the City. None of it stuck. Then he got sober, found nothing worth drinking between a gin and tonic and a sparkling water, and built CleanCo to fill the gap. Today he runs CleanCo and the Untapped podcast, is a three-time world record holder, and has run 30 marathons in 30 days and seven Ironmans on seven continents in 21 days. He is also, by his own admission, a little bit ashamed of Made in Chelsea. Spencer Matthews joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest for one of the most honest conversations we've had about fame, failure and quitting. He explains why he thinks Made in Chelsea makes business harder, not easier, why he doesn't like the persona, the accent, the drinking or the way he treated people on it, and why his wife assumed the worst before she met him. He breaks down the mistakes behind CleanCo: rebrands, products released before they were ready, recalls, and launching into 44 US states it couldn't afford before pulling back to five. He explains why being a naive founder is a superpower, why he gets bored when the numbers are being hit, and why he delegates everything, including the dishwasher to his children. Then the bit he didn't have to share. The 10K he bailed on. A heart rate of 140 on the start line, 3:08 pace for the first 400 metres, a big panini and a lot of vomit. He didn't stop because he had to. He stopped because he wasn't going to break 37 minutes. The man who kept going through moments in Antarctica that felt life threatening quit a park 10K, and he explains exactly why that still bothers him. Along the way: one beer a week rationed across 30 desert marathons, waking at 3:30am ready to run a 31st, sleeping 18 hours on a mess hall floor in Antarctica because his team left him there, why he thinks finishing at all costs is verging on moronic, what Mo Farah told him about effort, the 2:45 he's chasing in Valencia, why he follows exactly three accounts, his brother passing on Uber, and his contingency plan if nature calls at 30km. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Spencer Matthews, From Made in Chelsea to Clean Co Founder 00:01:30 The Problem We Solve: Sophisticated Alcohol-Free Options and Inspiring Human Potential 00:02:55 From Crap Employee to Entrepreneur: Why Spencer Had to Work for Himself 00:06:27 Don't Be Afraid to Fail: Why Reputation Damage Doesn't Scare Spencer 00:07:52 The Made in Chelsea Baggage: Being a Rich Privileged Wanker in Business 00:11:41 Building Clean Co: Mistakes, Product Recalls, and Learning the Hard Way 00:14:50 The Art of Delegation: From Business to Getting Kids to Do Chores 00:17:20 The 10K That Broke Him: Vomiting, Quitting, and Feeling Like a Bitch 00:22:30 Life-Threatening Ironmans vs Park Run Failures: The Mental Game of Endurance 00:29:24 Chasing 2:45 in Valencia: The Hardest Thing Spencer's Ever Attempted 00:34:55 Backyard Ultras and Max Effort: Why Perceived Effort Is All That Matters 00:38:34 Best Business Advice: If a Deal Is Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is 00:39:47 Winning Your First Customer: Go on Made in Chelsea or Just Be Authentic 00:40:54 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #SpencerMatthews #CleanCo #Untapped #MadeInChelsea #Sobriety #AlcoholFree #EnduranceMindset #MarathonTraining #Ironman #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #FounderMindset #Delegation #Entrepreneur #IdeasFest #FundingCircle #BackedByFundingCircle #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Spencer Matthews: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermatthews CleanCo: https://clean.co Untapped podcast: https://thehighperformancepodcast.com/untapped Untapped on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1788474884 Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. Learn more at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Sammie Ellard-King cleared £24k of debt in his twenties, then built one of the UK's biggest money education brands. He launched Up The Gains in 2021 and has racked up more than 500 million views, 510,000+ social followers and 750,000+ podcast downloads. He was named Best Money Content Creator at the 2024 British Bank Awards. In June 2026 he launched Gains App, a free personal finance app combining budgeting, cashback and AI money support, to a waiting list of over 15,000 people. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Sammie joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain how he went from £24k in debt to building a money brand millions trust, why he walked away from a six-figure job to go all in on content, and how he turned an audience into a business. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #SammieEllardKing #UpTheGains #GainsApp #IdeasFest #PersonalFinance #MoneyTips #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Sammie Ellard-King: Gains App: https://gainsapp.com Up The Gains: https://upthegains.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upthegainsmoney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammieellardking X: https://x.com/ellardking Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Luke Tobin has built and sold three businesses. The big one was Digital Ethos, which he took from launch to an eight-figure exit in under five years, making it one of the fastest agency growth-to-exit stories in UK history. He sold to Cadastra, South America's largest independent agency group, in late 2022, then ran EMEA for the combined business. He now invests and operates through Unusual Group, Tobin Capital and Succeed, and won the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2020. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Luke joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain how he built an agency buyers wanted, what actually drives an agency's valuation, and why most founders undersell their life's work when they exit. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Luke Tobin, Marketing Agency Founder Who Scaled to Exit 00:00:26 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why Managing Runway Makes or Breaks Your Business 00:00:56 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Get More Than Just Cash and Service Your Debt 00:01:40 Day One of Your Business: Check Market Fit and Talk to Real Customers 00:02:34 The Best Business Advice: Work Your Current Network Better 00:03:15 Ignore the Easy Money Hype: Entrepreneurship Is Graft, Not Rock and Roll 00:03:39 The Most Underrated Skill: Leverage Self-Doubt and Move Through Fear 00:04:20 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Take the Chance on Yourself 00:04:50 Winning Your First Customer: Solve Their Pain Points and Speak Directly to Them 00:05:15 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #LukeTobin #DigitalEthos #UnusualGroup #IdeasFest #AgencyOwner #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Luke Tobin: Website: https://www.luketobin.com Unusual Group: https://www.unusualgroup.com Tobin Capital: https://www.tobincapital.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luketobin Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Piers Linney is best known as a Dragon on BBC's Dragons' Den. These days he is building the workforce of the future. The entrepreneur and investor, with a background in law and finance, is Executive Chairman and co-founder of Implement AI, which deploys teams of AI digital workers for businesses and was named AI Start-Up of the Year (London) at the UK Startup Awards 2025. He co-hosts The Implement AI Podcast, is a LinkedIn Top AI Voice, holds an MBE and is an in-demand keynote speaker on AI, technology and the future of work. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Piers joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down how founders can put AI to work, grow their business and stay ahead of the curve. CHAPTERS #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #PiersLinney #DragonsDen #ImplementAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIForBusiness #FutureOfWork #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Piers Linney: Website: https://www.pierslinney.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierslinney/ Implement AI: https://www.implementai.io The Implement AI Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/implement-ai-podcast/id1694738741 Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Lea Turner was a tattooed, pierced school dropout who'd worked minimum wage jobs her whole life. In 2019 she was a single mum running a small transcription business and relying on government support. Then she started posting on LinkedIn as herself, and it changed everything. She grew to more than 170,000 followers, built a LinkedIn training business that turned over £500k in its first year, and trained individuals and companies around the world. In December 2024 she hung up her tiara to focus on The HoLT, her membership community for freelancers, solopreneurs and small business owners, and hosts The HoLT's Survival Guide for Small Businesses podcast. Lea joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain why being yourself is a business strategy, how she turned LinkedIn posts into a half-million-pound business, and why she walked away from it to build a community instead. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Lea Turner, Community Builder Solving Solopreneur Loneliness 00:01:09 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Pay Your Team on Time, Every Time 00:01:51 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Read the Fine Print and Know Your Limits 00:02:19 Day One of Your Business: Start With Sales Conversations and Real Research 00:03:15 The Best Business Advice: Don't Work With Anyone Who Drains Your Energy 00:04:30 Ignore the Scaling Pressure: Build a Business That Fits Your Life 00:05:37 The Most Underrated Skill: People Skills and Being Likeable 00:06:03 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Be Ruthless or Be Genuinely Kind 00:07:00 Winning Your First Customer: Listen More Than You Speak 00:07:34 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #LeaTurner #TheHoLT #LinkedIn #PersonalBrand #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Lea Turner: The HoLT: https://www.the-holt.com Website: https://www.leaturner.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Matt Elwell is the co-founder and director of Elite Closing Academy and one of the UK's most in-demand sales trainers. He's the bestselling author of Open With A Close and Cold To Sold, and used the same methods to help grow two family businesses to over £17 million in revenue. Now he teaches founders, business owners and experts how to sell without feeling like a salesperson. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Matt joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain why brilliant founders struggle to sell, what it actually means to open with a close, and how to turn a sales call into something that feels like a service. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Matt Elwell, Sales Expert and Business Owner 00:00:48 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Get Serious About Getting Paid 00:01:50 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: De-Risk with a Clear Vision 00:02:42 Day One of Your Business: Find One Customer and Get Them a Result 00:05:08 The Best Business Advice: Take More Responsibility for the Reward You Want 00:06:42 Ignore the Bad Advice: Fake It Till You Make It and People Buy from People 00:07:42 The Most Underrated Skill: Managing Your Own State and Inner Game 00:10:22 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Purpose and Guiding Principles 00:12:07 Winning Your First Customer: Solve a Real Problem or Deliver a Desired Outcome 00:13:53 Closing Thoughts: Success Brings Success, Learn or Win #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #MattElwell #EliteClosingAcademy #OpenWithAClose #IdeasFest #SalesTraining #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Matt Elwell: Elite Closing Academy: https://eliteclosingacademy.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-elwell-sales-trainer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewelwellECA Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Ella McCrystal has spent 20 years helping people rewire how they think. Now she applies the same neuroscience to running a business. The accredited psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist and EMDR practitioner is Director of The Northampton Clinic, a multi-disciplinary private health clinic in the heart of Northampton. She is also a business coach, published author, TEDx speaker, founder of The Neurolectric Method and host of The New Mind Podcast, coaching leaders across business, sport and the arts to reach their full potential. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Ella joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down what therapy can teach founders about mindset, pressure and building a business that lasts. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Ella McCrystal, Psychotherapist, Trauma Specialist, and Business Owner 00:00:51 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Think Outside the Box and Don't Fear Money 00:02:33 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Know Who You're Borrowing From and Whether You Can Pay It Back 00:03:16 Day One of Your Business: Start With What You Love, Not What Makes Money 00:04:06 The Best Business Advice: Avoid Certainty and Build Real Friendships in Your Industry 00:05:00 Ignore the Money Chase: Why Chasing Cash Makes You Narcissistic 00:05:36 The Most Underrated Skill: Communication and Transparency Win Every Time 00:06:06 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Passion and Love for What You Do 00:06:52 Winning Your First Customer: Show Up in Person and Build Real Relationships 00:07:47 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #EllaMcCrystal #Psychotherapy #Mindset #Neuroscience #FounderMindset #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Ella McCrystal: Website: https://ellamccrystal.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-mccrystal-3ab0a137/ The Northampton Clinic: https://northamptonclinic.co.uk/about-ella/ X: https://twitter.com/ellamccrystal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Donna O'Toole spent years inside the awards industry watching great businesses miss out on recognition. So she built a company to fix it. The founder of August Recognition, part of Daniel Priestley's Dent Global group, has helped hundreds of businesses from start-ups to FTSE 100s win the awards that matter, including The King's Awards for Enterprise. She is a national and international awards judge, one of the world's Top 25 Customer Experience Influencers and the bestselling author of WIN!, the ultimate guide to winning awards. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Donna joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down how founders can use awards to raise their profile, build trust and grow their business. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Donna O'Toole, the Award Queen Who Helps Businesses Get Recognition 00:00:28 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Forecast Three Months Ahead and Treat It Like Your Bible 00:00:53 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Don't Be Scared, It's a Growth Driver 00:01:19 Day One of Your Business: Productize Your Idea and Build a Sustainable Ecosystem 00:01:54 The Best Business Advice: Put Your Personal Brand Front and Center 00:02:27 Ignore the Shiny Objects: Niche Down and Stay Focused on What You're Great At 00:03:02 The Most Underrated Skill: People Development and Team Management 00:03:40 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Avoiding Distractions and Staying Niche 00:04:16 Winning Your First Customer: Build Strategic Relationships and Partnerships 00:04:54 Closing Thoughts: Quick Fire Answers and Where to Find Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #DonnaOToole #AugustAwards #BusinessAwards #PersonalBrand #Marketing #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Donna O'Toole: August Awards: https://www.augustawards.com Website: https://www.donnaotoole.com Winning Awards podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/18JwzG3TXFwOYBMaJnhqyT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaotoole/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Dan Kelsall built one of LinkedIn's loudest personal brands by refusing to sound like everyone else on LinkedIn. The Manchester creative founded and exited content agency Offended, now runs the University of Creative Idiots and TaxTickle, and wrote the marketing books F****g Good Content and This Is F****g Sh*t. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Dan joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down why brave, polarising content wins clients, and why playing it safe keeps you invisible. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Dan Kelsall, the Marketer Who Does What He Wants 00:01:16 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why Three Months Isn't Enough 00:03:26 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Know Your Terms and Don't Get F****d on Interest 00:04:38 Day One of Your Business: Test the Market Before You Spend a Penny 00:07:02 The Best Business Advice: Stop Listening to Absolutes and Don't Copy Others 00:09:15 Ignore the Authenticity Trend: Why Relatability Beats Being Your True Self 00:11:10 The Most Underrated Skill: Patience Wins Every Single Time 00:14:15 Winning Your First Customer: Outbound Sales and Getting Real Feedback Fast #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #DanKelsall #PersonalBrand #ContentMarketing #LinkedInMarketing #Copywriting #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Dan Kelsall: X: https://x.com/danjkelsall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-kelsall/ Website: https://dankelsall.com/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.