Mike McDerment on Bootstrapping FreshBooks from Zero to $1B

When I sat down with Mike McDerment, founder of FreshBooks, his story reminded me why narrowing focus is often the smartest path to growth. In this Bite-sized episode, you’ll hear how Mike turned a small design problem into a billion-dollar company by obsessing over one specific customer segment.Mike shares how he resisted the temptation to serve everyone, instead targeting only web designers for seven years. That focus built a loyal base and drove word-of-mouth growth far beyond the niche. He talks about bootstrapping from his parents’ basement, raising small angel rounds, and running lean until the first big $30m investment a decade later.If you’re stuck wondering how to get your business moving, this conversation is a blueprint: start small, serve one customer type brilliantly, and let focus fuel scale.Key Takeaways:Identify one clear customer and understand their pain better than they do.Avoid the trap of believing “everyone” is your customer. Focus creates growth.Bootstrapping forces discipline and builds resilience before raising big capital.Word of mouth is powerful when you serve a niche exceptionally well.Scaling requires patience and deliberate planning, not shortcuts.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

This October we’re bringing together the UK’s most ambitious founders, investors, and business leaders for two days of no-fluff insights, practical workshops, and high-value networking at the Festival of Entrepreneurs 2025.In this episode, I’ll walk you through what the festival is, who it’s for, and what you can expect when you join us at the NEC Birmingham. From scaling strategies to funding opportunities and stories you won’t hear anywhere else, this is your chance to learn directly from the entrepreneurs shaping the future of business.Limited free two-day passes are available now on a first-come, first-served basis. Register today at https://www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.ukDon’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight—subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts.And if you’re serious about growing your business, join us on October 8–9 at the NEC Birmingham for the Festival of Entrepreneurs. Two days packed with practical workshops, world-class speakers, and the chance to connect with the UK’s most ambitious founders.Subscribe now. Show up in October. Be part of the movement.#ScrewItJustDOIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife

In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, I sit down with Nell Daly, founder and managing partner of Revenge Capital. Nell went from a career in clinical psychology to raising a $70 million fund designed to back overlooked and underestimated founders. She explains how her experiences working with people struggling financially shaped her mission to help entrepreneurs access capital, why networking and relationships were central to her journey, and how she sees the future of inclusive investing. We also talk about the challenges she faced as a female fund manager, the importance of persistence in raising capital, and why she believes diverse teams will drive the next wave of global innovation.Key Takeaways:Why persistence and networking matter in raising capitalHow Nell transitioned from psychology to venture capitalThe three criteria she uses for investment decisionsThe importance of diversity and inclusion in building successful startups🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

In this Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It episode, I revisit my conversation with Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks, who sold the smoothie brand to Coca-Cola for over $500 million. Richard shares how Innocent started as three friends selling smoothies at festivals and grew into Europe’s leading healthy drinks company without a master plan or exit strategy. He explains why mission and friendship mattered more than chasing returns, how resilience carried them through setbacks like 2008, and why Jam Jar Investments was launched just 48 hours after selling Innocent to support the next wave of UK founders. This episode is a direct look at scaling a brand, surviving challenges, and giving back to the startup ecosystem.Key Takeaways:Growth often comes without a master plan—execution matters more than theoryMission-driven businesses outlast founder-driven onesResilience is key, even when setbacks wipe out years of progressFriendship and shared values can sustain a founding team for the long haulSupporting other entrepreneurs is as important as building your own success🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

I’m joined by Jo Dalton, a serial founder, investor, and champion of female entrepreneurs — to talk about what it really takes to build leadership teams, back founders, and scale businesses without losing your edge. Jo founded JD & CO after years in corporate, determined to create a recruitment firm that actually supports entrepreneurs instead of chasing commission. She’s helped early-stage founders grow into unicorns, invested in female-led businesses, and built a reputation on authenticity and trust rather than traditional sales tactics. In this episode, we talk about how to spot founder potential, why grit and resilience matter more than anything else, the biggest red flags she sees in leadership, and why AI is about to reshape the job market. Jo also shares why maintaining a startup mentality during scale-up is crucial, how to secure smart capital, and the cultural changes the UK needs to compete with the US on scale-ups. Key TakeawaysHiring for Scale-Ups: Why speed can hurt hiring decisions and how to balance urgency with quality.Spotting Founder Potential: The traits Jo looks for, from obsession to self-awareness.Female Founder Funding: Why smart capital and female-led funds are changing the landscape.AI and the Future of Work: The skills young people should focus on to thrive in the next decade.Maintaining Startup Mentality: How to keep your culture alive as you grow. Whether you’re a founder, an investor, or scaling your team, this conversation is packed with insight from someone who has spent years inside the real growth stories. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

In this Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It episode, I revisit my conversation with Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, as he shares the story of how he built one of the world’s most recognisable beer brands from scratch. He launched during a recession, with no credibility, no resources, and fierce competition from global giants. What he did have was resilience, determination, and the ability to turn obstacles into opportunities. From selling only big bottles of Cobra in Indian restaurants to expanding across 40 countries, Lord Bilimoria explains the lessons every founder needs to hear about starting, scaling, and sticking with it when others would give up.Key Takeaways:How to start and scale during tough economic conditionsThe role of customer feedback in building credibility and confidenceWhy resilience and guts are essential traits for foundersTurning early obstacles into long-term opportunitiesThe importance of perseverance when building a global brand🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, I speak with Maxine Laceby, founder of Absolute Collagen. Maxine launched the business at 50 from her kitchen table after raising her two daughters, turning a simple idea for bone broth into one of the UK’s fastest-growing beauty supplement brands now valued at over £50 million. She shares how her journey was never about chasing investor returns but about doing things properly, respecting her team, and staying true to her values. We discuss her screw it just do it moment, the role her family has played in the business, and why she believes authenticity and empowerment should always guide brand messaging.Key Takeaways:It’s never too late to start a businessAuthenticity creates customer loyalty and long-term growthFamily-run businesses need mutual respect for strengths and weaknessesInvestment should be about finding the right partners, not just the moneyEmpowering customers matters more than exploiting insecurities🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.ukRegister her for FREE: https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

When the world shut down, Maria Hatzistefanis doubled down. In this episode, I sat down with the founder of Rodial and Nip+Fab, who shared exactly how she pivoted during the pandemic, scaled her beauty empire to 35 countries, and leveraged both old-school trade shows and new-school DTC strategies to build a global brand.Maria gets honest about the reality of expanding into international markets, the unexpected complexity of going truly global, and what it takes to stay relevant in an industry built on constant reinvention. Whether you're selling skincare or software, the lessons here are universal: stay close to your customer, stay curious, and be ready to evolve.Key Takeaways:Trade shows were instrumental in Rodial's early global strategy.Digital marketing and DTC became essential after losing wholesale revenue.Maria’s shift to Instagram Stories helped her connect directly with customers.Success came from listening to market-specific needs (e.g. product formulations for Asia vs. the US).Hiring local teams is non-negotiable for successful international expansion.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

I’ve spoken to hundreds of founders over the years, but Melissa Snover’s story hits different. This week, I sat down with the force behind Scripted and Nourished, two businesses that are fundamentally changing the way we approach health. From reverse-engineering 3D printers to developing patent-protected technology for personalised vitamins, Melissa didn’t just “solve a problem,” she created an entirely new category. If you’re building a product, raising capital, or trying to scale without losing your startup DNA, this episode has the blueprint.Melissa breaks down how she raised a record-breaking £2.7M as a solo female founder, what it really takes to create IP-driven businesses, and how to hold onto the startup mindset while navigating serious growth, governance, and FDA audits.Whether you’re knee-deep in fundraising or just sick of generic supplements, this one is well worth a listen.Key Takeaways:You don’t need permission to disrupt. Melissa taught herself mechanical engineering and G-code after the world’s biggest 3D printing companies said “can’t be done.”Raising capital isn’t about luck. It’s about knowing the language, doing the research, and avoiding time-wasting investor meetings.Culture is a growth engine. Every member of Melissa’s team, from factory workers to C-suite, has equity, because ownership breeds commitment.The startup mindset matters. Even with 150 employees and FDA compliance, Melissa’s team rewards Friday Fails. Innovation thrives when failure is normalised.Personalised health isn’t a gimmick. It’s the future of how we’ll consume, treat, and take care of ourselves.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

From a pop-up shop to a team of over 20, Candy Kittens is the top in brand building and entrepreneurial persistence. In this bite-sized episode, I talk with Jamie Laing and Ed Williams about the first hires, building a team organically, and how they launched a sweet brand with zero background in food or drink.You’ll hear how they leveraged social media and created a nationwide “sweet team” of micro-ambassadors before even having a finished product. We also talk about the importance of staying true to your brand, resisting shortcuts, and building something that lasts.If you’re thinking about starting a product business, growing a consumer brand, or figuring out your first move as a founder, this one’s for you.Key TakeawaysBuild your team around what the business needs, not just good intentionsGrassroots ambassadors can outperform influencers when done rightSocial proof isn’t just about follower count, it’s about the right people18 months of product development was worth it to maintain brand integrityPersistence and resilience will outlast rejection🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.  https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship