Founded & Grounded

The incredible journey of Hexa Finance is not just a tale of success; it's a true story of how being bold and true to yourself can pay dividends.   From a simple idea in 2016 to launching amidst the global lockdown, co-founders Ben Davies and Stu Mason have navigated it all. They dive deep into their journey, sharing the sacrifices made, the critical role of timing, and the essence of trust and un...

As an early-stage founder, the decision to bootstrap or raise capital can make or break your business. But don't worry, serial entrepreneur Dominic Mills has been there and has the answers you need to succeed. We uncover the power of community, localism, and entrepreneurship as we follow Dominic's journey from exit to founding his latest startup, Yuup -  a marketplace that connects people with loc...

Unlock the secrets to overcoming fear, addressing burnout, and finding happiness with the power of coaching. Meet Ashleigh Tennent , founder of More Happi - a platform making coaching affordable for all. Discover how she conquered her fears, recognised burnout, and built a successful coaching business that's changing lives. Key Takeaways   - Overcoming Fears and Limiting Beliefs: Learn how Ashleig...

Depression affects 1 in 6 adults in the UK, with medication being the most common treatment. But what if there was a drug-free approach that actually works? The CEO of Flow Neuroscience , Erin Lee, reveals how their innovative headset is changing the game in mental health treatment. Key Takeaways - Embracing uncertainty is part of the startup journey, and as your knowledge grows, the awareness of...

Twin brothers. A unique vision. And a determination to create a global nature brand against all odds. This is the remarkable story of Unyoked : hear from co-founder Cam about his unstoppable startup that has overcome bushfires, floods, and a pandemic to bring sustainable off-grid cabins to the world. Key Takeaways - Creating a category is a bold move that differentiates your startup from competito...

Join us on board a real Boeing 727 as we dive deep into the mind of a passionate business leader, entrepreneur, and activist, Johnny Palmer . From software to hospitality to renewable energy, he has built multiple successful ventures and now shares his blueprint for success with you.  Are you ready to join the ride? We discuss his core values of disruption, growth, and sustainability, the importan...

Imagine seeing all your fitness progress in a Magic mirror, powered by AI.  That's exactly what entrepreneur Varun has created with his tech-first personal training solution after his personal battles with unhealthy habits.  Discover how he overcame investor rejection and built an MVP, plus the sacrifices he made along the way. Key Takeaways - How to fund and build an MVP - Having a co-founder wit...

How one entrepreneur turned his struggles into a thriving business. We speak with serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Heights and host of the Secret Leaders podcast , Dan Murray-Serter .  Hear how Dan went from struggling with insomnia and anxiety to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the world of nutrition and wellbeing. Discover Dan's insights on resilience, building a unique brand, and creati...

Do you dream of being an angel investor but don't know where to begin? Learn from the co-founder of The Angel Investing School , Andy Ayim , about how he is democratising the world of angel investing and why being a non-conformist can lead to great leaps in learning. Find out how Andy's backpacking trip at 21 sparked personal and professional growth and led him on the path to entrepreneurship and...

Get an inside look at the mind of a successful serial entrepreneur and investor. Former Dragon, Piers Linney shares his upbringing, mistakes, and what really drives him in business.  In this interview, he shares his personal story and key insights on starting and growing businesses that will fascinate and motivate any founder or aspiring entrepreneur. Key Takeaways - Pursue what you enjoy and coll...

Some say the best ideas come over a drink, and for these lifelong friends, tequila sparked their entrepreneurial journey. But there’s more to tequila than 3am shooters, sucking a lemon and licking salt. They went all in, quit their day jobs, and went on a wild Mexican adventure. Here's the inspiring story of how they turned a simple idea into a successful startup  El Rayo .  It’s bonkers and brill...

From tragedy to triumph.  How a sister's life-saving transplant led to the creation of a natural skincare business. By Sarah London , stands for something much larger, their deeply personal story has sparked a strong sense of mission and purpose when it comes to business - which shines through in this conversation. Key Takeaways - Learn how to shake off imposter syndrome and reframe failure   - Ho...

From losing millions to founding a sustainable fashion brand, Responsible . Hear from Mark Dowds about how to bounce back and find success. Mark is a serial founder and super angel investor who knows the entrepreneurial rollercoaster like the back of his hand. Mark shares his insights on investing in early-stage startups, overcoming entrepreneurial challenges, and the significance of an abundant m...

Discover the secret to business success straight from a former intelligence expert. Meet Steve Mason , former Technical Director at GCHQ. Having defended the UK from cyber attacks, he now runs Nova Blue , helping businesses stay safe.   But this isn’t a tech conversation - in this episode, Steve shares the key ingredients that help him make business decisions and how he attracts clients and deals...

Unlocking the future of work: How Tally Workspace is revolutionising the way we work. Since Covid, hybrid working has become the norm and workplaces have evolved Laura Beales and her co-founder Jules Robertson , saw the potential to create a platform that makes finding a workspace easy, wherever, whenever.  Laura also delves into her biggest failures, lessons learned and the importance of a suppor...

Rum entrepreneur Edmund Wood quit his job to pursue his dream of starting his own business. He didn’t have a clue what it would be, but he decided he had to ‘leap and look’ for an idea he was passionate about— rum. Belgrove was born.  It’s a story about being bold, quick to adapt when plans go pear-shaped and learning you have to be kind to yourself.  If you have ever dreamt of quitting your day-t...

Rupal Patel , former agent, now serial entrepreneur, shares her honest and personal journey of the challenges she faced and how she kept going in high stakes, high-pressurised environments in the field and in the boardroom.  Rupal reveals how the CIA mindset teaches you to be resilient and persistent to achieve your goals. She also shares some great advice on ‘tactical ignorance’ and how it can he...

Hear from Mark Panay - Co-founder and MD of one of Bristol’s most prolific software agencies , Simpleweb . Learn Mark's highs and lows of running a business, and how his natural curiosity and fascination for learning has shaped his career.  Discover what Mark thinks makes a good start-up investment, and what he sees as the biggest challenges of being the boss. Presented by Laura Rawlings, with ana...

Meet Simon Squibb , serial entrepreneur, investor and founder of The Purposeful Project .  Simon’s mission is to help and inspire 10,000,000 people to startup and scale a business for free. He believes there should be a Start Up Centre to replace the Job Centre - and as an angel investor and entrepreneur, Simon’s got the credentials to make this a reality. In this insightful conversation with Foun...

Meet Kelli Fairbrother , co-founder and CEO of xigxag . She has the vision to make audiobooks more engaging. xigxgag has taken on a big global player and forged ahead developing a listen-and-read book, called the x-book. Kelli started in the US army, a place she credits with teaching her the grit and determination required to be an entrepreneur and where she first realised she could be a leader. S...

In an age where we have a constant stream of personal data on our wrists, and home testing has become second nature, one UK company is nicely poised to ride the crest of a wellbeing wave. Forth is a digital health business pioneering personalised biomarker profiling. Its founder and CEO, Sarah Bolt, caught up with Founded & Grounded to talk about how Forth are on a mission to improve health and we...

“If you do what you don't love, that's stress. If you do what you love, that's passion.” Author, Podcaster, Motivational Speaker...and for good reason. Jeff Dewing has a story to tell. He's seen it all in the world of Facilities Management - good and bad. Restless, and far from content with maintaining the status quo, Jeff founded Cloudfm to disrupt the industry for the better.  Over 10 years late...

They started out in 2018 with no business qualifications, marketing experience, or entrepreneurial background - simply a shared passion and a big idea. 4 years on, they're the pioneering start-up taking drinks bottles to a new and truly sustainable level. Through their company S'wheat , Jake Elliott-Hook and Amee Ritchie have created the world's first reusable bottle made from plant-based material...

What are Venture Capitalists? How do they operate? And what can founders learn from them in the pursuit of backing for their big idea? In this episode, we enter the real dragons' den and put a human face to this influential but little-understood world - in this case, Rob Moffat from Balderton . In a revealing conversation with Ollie, Rob gives us the perspective from the other side of the desk, wh...

" You can't buy culture ". In this episode, Founded & Grounded visit the Lost & Grounded brewery and their co-founder Alex Troncoso , as we return to the world of craft beer. With new breweries and their tap rooms popping up on virtually every street corner, it's impossible to ignore the rise in popularity of craft beer.  Equally apparent has been the hit taken by the hospitality industry during t...