Behind the SME

Behind the SME with Niama El Bassunie, Managing Partner of Baobab Network In this episode, we sit down with Niama El Bassunie , a trailblazing entrepreneur who built and exited a successful B2B marketplace in Africa and is now backing the next generation of founders at Baobab Network . Niama shares her journey — from starting WaystoCap , navigating the challenges of scaling a cross-border trade pl...

Behind the SME with Jordan Relfe, Co-founder of Lifeproven In this episode of Behind the SME , Adam Kene sits down with Jordan Relfe, Co-founder of Lifeproven , to explore the challenges and rewards of building a purpose-driven business in the real estate sector. From navigating the early days of entrepreneurship to embedding ESG principles in the property industry, Jordan shares candid lessons on...

Behind the SME with Sage Lakhani, COO of Kene In this episode of Behind the SME , Adam Kene is joined by Sage Lakhani, COO of Kene , whose career journey has taken her from working at PwC to leading high-performing teams in the SME space. As a Chartered Tax Adviser, Sage brings deep expertise in tax solutions, process optimisation, and team management, paired with a passion for building strong cl...

Behind the SME with John Wyer, Founder and Co-owner of Bowles & Wyer In this episode, Adam Kene speaks with John Wyer, Founder and Co-owner of Bowles & Wyer, about his 30+ years of experience leading a successful landscape design and build business. John reflects on navigating crises, redefining business identity, and the powerful role of culture in driving growth. From battling financial...

Behind the SME with Hugo & Rupert, Co-founders of Pockla In this episode, Hugo and Rupert, co-founders of the AI-powered marketing tech platform Pockla, share their entrepreneurial journey. They dive into the importance of deeply understanding customer needs through discovery calls, rather than focusing solely on product-building. They also discuss simplifying business hypotheses and objective...

In this timely bonus episode, Adam Kene and Catalina Lohmeier dive into the Autumn Statement and discuss its implications for SMEs. From increased National Insurance contributions to adjustments in R&D tax incentives, we examine the ripple effects on payroll, productivity, and overall growth for small and medium-sized businesses. Join us as we unpack these economic shifts and share practical i...

Behind the SME with Roei, Founder of Connectd In this episode, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Roei, who founded his first successful tech company at just 15 years old, scaling it to 6-million monthly users before being acquired in 2018. Roei shares valuable lessons from his experience, including the critical role of timing in business decisions and the impact of burnout post-acqu...

Welcome to Behind the SME Our host, Adam Kene, introduces Behind the SME , a podcast designed to provide real, actionable insights for small and medium-sized businesses. Unlike the typical focus on big corporations, this show gets into the nitty-gritty of how SMEs operate on a daily basis. Adam shares his passion for learning from the experiences of his guests and passing on valuable lessons to he...