The Room Where It Happened

In this week's notebook, I talk about the invisible force that quietly decides the quality of every relationship, the surprising link between doing the hard things you’d rather avoid and living a longer, calmer life, and the truth about time — how we use it, and how it completely changed my view on discipline and what’s truly important. If any part of you feels stuck, stretched, or short on motiva...

As founder of Nails Inc., Thea Green built one of the UK’s most successful beauty brands by combining creativity with integrity, and knowing when to pivot. In this episode, Thea shares the defining moment she decided to close the last nail bar and shift fully to retail, the lessons learned from turning down early acquisition offers, and the challenge of letting go after selling the business to fin...

This week, I open my notebook to share how walking away from TV changed my life — and why ego nearly cost me purpose. I break down what’s really driving the future of podcasting, and the one thing that matters more than audience size: trust. Plus, a reminder that who you choose to walk with will define how far you go. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As founder and CEO of WHOOP, Will Ahmed turned a college dorm room idea into one of the most influential performance technology companies in the world. In this episode, Will shares the leap of faith that started it all, the early rejections that tested his resolve, and the pivotal decision to pivot WHOOP from a hardware company to a subscription model, transforming its future.  He also reveal...

This week in my notebook, I’ve been thinking about time — how quickly it moves, and how much of life we spend rushing to catch up with it. In this episode, I talk about rediscovering patience, the difference between recreation and re-creation , and the reminder that anything above zero compounds. If you’ve ever felt like life is moving too fast, like you’re running out of time, or like chaos has b...

As a digital pioneer across companies like Amazon, McDonald’s, and Volvo, Atif Raffiq has built a career turning legacy brands into innovation powerhouses. In this episode, Atif shares how his first month at McDonald’s led to a billion-dollar digital transformation, the culture shock of bringing a Silicon Valley mindset into a 60-year-old global icon, and the behind-the-scenes moments that reshape...

This week in my notebook, I’ve been thinking about what it really means to live well — not just to achieve, but to feel okay while doing it. Somewhere along the way, it’s easy to confuse progress with pressure, and ambition with never feeling enough. In this episode, I unpack a few lessons that stopped me in my tracks this week — about how we measure success, what we give up in the chase for it, a...

Rapper, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Nala’s Baby, Krept has built his success on more than music, it’s been about discipline, ownership, and learning from failure. In this episode, Krept opens up about the make-or-break decision to turn down a major private equity deal and focus on building his brand at home before going global, the setbacks that nearly derailed product launches, and the lesson...

This week I open my notebook on three lessons that hit hard; Why the people you surround yourself with are the invisible architects of your life How every success story begins with being bad at something Why holding steady in the messy middle is where most people give up but the real growth begins. I share what I learned from sitting down with the founders of Whoop and EasyJet (episodes coming soo...

Emily Frazer’s path to becoming a leading force in live sports events was anything but traditional. Without a university degree and after jobs ranging from gymnastics coach to estate agent, she found herself at Matchroom, where a sudden promotion into event direction pushed her to grow fast and take on big responsibilities. In this episode, Emily shares candid reflections on battling imposter synd...

This week I share the lessons that have stayed with me — from Mudita , the joy of celebrating others’ success, to what I learned from Eddie Jordan about being the spark of light in the room. I open up about walking away from BT Sport and the identity shift that came with it, and reflect on Hector Bellerín’s idea of living like a candle — staying steady no matter what’s happening around you. Hosted...

As co-founder and former CEO of Deciem, Nicola Kilner helped build one of the most disruptive beauty companies of the last decade, but the journey was far from straightforward. In this episode, Nicola shares the career-defining advice she received from Estée Lauder’s Leonard Lauder, the bold decision to boycott Black Friday in favor of values over sales, and the unexpected rise of The Ordinary, a...

This week Jake explores how failure is an instrument for success, how to reframe those who doubted you as a collaborator and why writing a "To Don't" list is just as important as a "To Do" list. He also answers a question from a listener, struggling with a new promotion at work and offers a candid exploration of times that Jake has struggled to show how they can shift their mindset around imposter...

What will the future really look like—and how can we prepare for it? In this episode, Nick Foster, ex-Head of Design at Google X, takes us behind the scenes of moonshot projects and shares how to think rigorously about the future, from everyday life to big industries. He explains why AI is just one piece of the puzzle, and why understanding the trends, behaviors, and possibilities shaping tomorrow...

This week, Jake opens his notebook to reflect on missed opportunities, ego, and the stories we tell ourselves about "what might have been." From turning down Top Gear to starting Whisper with no plan, he shares raw lessons on regret, success, and why the final 5% matters most. Plus: a powerful tribute during Suicide Awareness Month, and a reminder that life gives more than it takes. Hosted on Acas...

What does it take to guide companies through billion-dollar transformations, and then walk away in search of something new? Jeff Dodds has done just that. From leading Virgin Media through a $44 billion merger in the middle of lockdown, to stepping into the fast-paced world of motorsport, Jeff’s career is defined by bold pivots, unexpected opportunities, and the courage to admit when it’s time for...

Since he was a teenager, Jake has kept notebooks and diaries, now for the first time he opens them up to discuss his thoughts on business and life in real-time. He reads candid notes he's made from recent interviews, events from his life and interactions with friends, colleagues and business leaders to help unpack the moments of inspiration and thought provoking advice that happen everyday. IFS -...

What happens when a teenager takes control of her own brand? For JoJo Siwa, it meant signing a deal that wasn’t perfect, betting on herself anyway, and later realizing the power of knowing her worth. In this episode, JoJo shares how a simple bow became a global phenomenon, the challenges of rebranding from child star to seasoned entertainer, and the behind-the-scenes lessons of navigating major pa...

Journalist Karen Hao has spent years exposing the realities of the world’s most powerful AI labs. Her 2019 embed at OpenAI was a turning point, what she saw behind closed doors didn’t always match the public mission, and the lack of clear answers from leadership sparked a deeper skepticism that would shape her reporting. In this episode, Karen unpacks the unexpected story of how a nonprofit AI lab...

Ben Askins didn’t expect his next big chapter to come from LinkedIn posts, but it did. After selling his first business in 2021 and being locked out of new ventures during his earnout, he turned his focus to storytelling online. One post about a bad recruitment experience went viral, sparking a flood of stories from employees around the world and revealing a universal truth: bad bosses are everywh...

Alex Packham knows what it’s like to have everything change in a single day, and nothing changes at all. From selling ContentCal to Adobe from his spare bedroom in the middle of lockdown to waking up the next morning wondering who he was without the business, Alex’s journey blends adrenaline highs with the quieter, harder work of rebuilding identity. In this episode, he opens up about the reality...

TS Anil’s journey through the world of banking has been anything but conventional. From boardrooms in Tokyo to the fast-moving culture of Silicon Valley, each step taught him that real change doesn't come from preserving the past, it comes from building something new. In this episode, TS reflects on his decision to leave the safety of big banks, the career-defining leap into tech at Visa, and how...

Gary Stevenson didn’t follow a traditional path, he challenged it at every turn. Expelled from school at 16 and later pushed out of Citibank for speaking up, Gary’s journey has been shaped by resilience, rebellion, and a refusal to stay silent. In this episode, Gary opens up about the high-stakes world of trading, the psychological toll of chasing success, and the personal battles that came with c...

George Heaton’s journey with Represent wasn’t a straight line, it was a series of hard pivots, gut checks, and quiet rebuilds. What started as a passion project in streetwear hit a breaking point, forcing George to confront what wasn’t working and make the kind of decisions most founders avoid. In this episode, George takes us through the moment everything stalled, the warehouse bathroom where rea...

Paul Clement never set out to build a flashy startup, he set out to build something that mattered. Born from genuine passion and a deep connection to the community he served, his business grew not by chasing trends, but by staying grounded in purpose. In this episode, Paul talks about the power of building slowly and sustainably, why loving the process matters more than chasing quick wins, and how...