The Free Lunch

Welcome back to the Free Lunch podcast! In this episode, we are joined by Leandro Meneses, the visionary founder of Mandioca. Mandioca is an innovative payment solution that uses stablecoins to completely transform how international business transfers are executed. If you have ever been confused by cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, or how blockchain is actually used in the real world, this episode is...

Most leaders think they're good at making decisions. The data says almost none of us are — and we can't even explain how we do it. In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Ernesto Weissmann, founding partner and Managing Partner for Europe at Tandem, one of the world's few consulting firms built entirely around decision-making, decision analysis and decision intelli...

Manuel Zamudio arrived in Spain in 2011, in the middle of a brutal financial crisis, with a plan that almost everyone called crazy: relaunch KFC in a country obsessed with its own food culture. A decade later, KFC has surpassed Telepizza to become the third-largest QSR brand in Spain — and Manuel went on to do something even bigger. He brought Krispy Kreme to Madrid. In this conversation — recorde...

Can you build a seven-figure business without sacrificing your family? Today’s guest, Beth Mazza, argues that the "starving founder" archetype is a myth that holds back some of the world's best potential entrepreneurs. As a 4-time entrepreneur, mother of four, and co-founder of Female Mavericks, Beth has mastered the art of "Entrepreneurship Like a Mother"—a philosophy built on extreme execution,...

AI is Changing Everything: Entrepreneurship, Jobs & the Future of Work | Abraham Lopez | The Free Lunch PodcastWhat happens to your career when AI can do your job better, faster, and cheaper? In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, host Eddie Ross talks with Abraham Lopez , 26-year-old AI entrepreneur and investor , about the real impact of artificial intelligence on business, leadership, a...

He came up with the sleep service in first class at British Airways. Now he's building AI that predicts what you want to book before you even search. This conversation will change how you think about travel, technology, and leadership. Andy Owen Jones has spent 35+ years at the cutting edge of travel technology — from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to founding SmartSeer, a company using p...

Can one person build a billion-dollar company with just a handful of AI agents? Tom Capone thinks so, and he's building the tools to make it happen. In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, host Eddie Ross sits down with Tom Capone, the founder and CEO of L3NS.ai (https://www.l3ns.ai), the world's first AI product marketer designed to take disruptive products from zero to one million use...

How do you build a business that scales profitably while actually doing good in the world? In this episode of The Free Lunch , Eddie Ross sits down with LeiLani Kirai, the powerhouse founder of Be The Change HR . LeiLani’s path to entrepreneurship wasn’t a straight line—it was a survival story. After a toxic workplace pushed her to a physical breaking point, she took a soul-searching road trip tha...

We dive deep into how the "sick care" industry prioritizes symptoms over root causes, why chronic disease rates are skyrocketing despite record spending, and the perverse incentives keeping patients dependent on pills rather than cures. Tom breaks down the Ascend Medical approach to breaking this cycle and reclaiming true patient autonomy. In this episode, we discuss: The "Tapeworm&...

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast , Eddie Ross sits down with David Wheldon OBE for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, brand, and the human side of business. David’s career spans four decades at the highest levels of global advertising and marketing, with senior roles at Coca-Cola , Vodafone , and Barclays , as well as serving as President of the World Federation of Advertisers....

Is the hourly rate killing the legal profession? Today on the Free Lunch Podcast, we sit down with Matthew Dashper Hughes, Director of Development at Gunnercooke , to discuss the firm that is radically disrupting the UK and international legal landscape. Matthew shares his incredible journey from a philosophy degree and selling advertising space to leading a £63.5m management buyout and becoming C...

As a new year begins, many people feel stuck at a crossroads. Stay safe or take a risk. Keep the job or build something of your own. Chase comfort — or responsibility. In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Carlos Ross, James Ross, and Gregory Botanes for a deep, honest conversation about what it actually takes to change direction in your 20s. Carlos shares what it’s like to...

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Amy Bell, the founder of Teal Compliance and Chair of the Economic Crime Committee at the Law Society. Amy’s story is the ultimate example of resilience. From scraping a 2:2 degree and having her training contract cancelled days before it started, she defied the odds to become one of the most respected voices in the legal sector. She ope...

In this inspiring episode of The Free Lunch, David Price shares his incredible career reinvention story — from working in corporate banking to opening the Secret Kingdoms English language bookstore in the heart of Madrid at 50+. David talks about the challenges he faced, the risks of starting over later in life, and how he turned his passion for books into a thriving bookshop business. Whether you...

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Mauro Botanes, the 21-year-old co-founder and CPO of Symmetry — now Spain’s fastest-growing health and fitness app, with more than 450,000 downloads in under six months. Mauro shares how he went from being diagnostically obese to preparing for bodybuilding competitions, launching a YouTube channel, dropping out of university, and buildin...

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Eddie Ross sits down with Simon Olswang - legendary founder of the UK law firm Olswang, board adviser, entertainment lawyer, and a pioneer in the world of media & communications. We dive into leadership, culture, high-pressure decisions, talent, integrity, and how to build organisations that last. Simon shares extraordinary stories from his career: •...

How do you turn $800K into $26M in 18 months through Facebook ads—and why do most advertisers fail? In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast , Eddie Ross sits down with Depesh Mandalia , one of the most respected figures in digital marketing, to break down the real mechanics behind great advertising, business growth, and applying AI inside performance marketing. Depesh has spent 20+ years in mark...

Is AI your company’s biggest opportunity… or an expensive distraction? In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast , Eddie Ross sits down with Azahara Corrales – journalist turned marketer turned AI consultant and thought leader – to unpack what really happens when businesses try to “implement AI”. Azahara has been working with AI in marketing since before it was cool. She helps companies cut throug...

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, host Eddie Ross sits down with David Mears, founder of DMA , to discuss the highs and lows of running a creative agency for over 20 years. From the early days of building the agency on his own to scaling it through economic crises and the pandemic, David shares invaluable lessons on autonomy, leadership, and finding fulfillment in your work. David reflect...

Most entrepreneurs dream of making money in pajamas—but Michael Harty actually did it long before remote work became mainstream. In this episode, Eddie Ross sits down with Michael Harty, a serial entrepreneur who went from bartending and selling meat trucks to pioneering remote entrepreneurship in the '90s, long before "digital nomad" was a buzzword. You'll discover:✅ How Michael spotted lucrativ...

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with David Hancock, a man who’s reinvented himself not once, but twice. From serving as an Army officer in a cavalry regiment, to trading floors in the City of London, to becoming COO at a top 10 global hedge fund, David’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary. But his most radical move yet? Leaving the world of finance behind to ret...

Shaman Ahuja is the Deputy CEO of Optym, a multi-million dollar optimization software company transforming industries like airlines, railroads, and trucking. In this episode, Shaman shares hard-earned lessons on building software at scale, leading global teams, and navigating the challenges of innovation in complex industries. We talk about: ✅ The realities of leading multi-million software proje...

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with branding expert Brenna Garratt, the founder of Sustainer, to explore the crucial role branding plays in business success. With over 20 years of experience in building brands and helping companies navigate the complexities of the B2B market, Brenna shares valuable insights on how branding is much more than just a logo – it’s a strategic a...

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Roman Townsend, founder of Belvera Partners, to explore his remarkable journey from corporate redundancy to building a thriving global communications agency. After being laid off during COVID, Roman didn't just bounce back—he built a niche PR firm serving the travel tech industry, growing a remote-first team across continents and bre...

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Crystal Elam, SVP of Growth & Operations at RVO Health, to explore her unexpected rise from storm chasing to biotech and digital healthcare leadership. Crystal shares game-changing insights on leading without authority, scaling transformation, and a philosophy she calls "Pull Through bigger than Sell To" that reshaped her career in s...