S3 Ep35: The Power of People and the Pull of Culture | with Ben Saul-Garner

This episode's guest is Alex Bec - co-founder of It’s Nice That, builder of multiple creative businesses, and now the driving force behind Creative Lives in Progress, the platform reshaping how young people break into the creative industry. Alex grew It’s Nice That from a scrappy blog into a global creative community reaching 8.5 million people a month.  This episode is about what's happening right now in the creative career space the collapse in junior opportunity, the rise of AI, the moral cost of “efficiency”, and how an entire generation is being squeezed out before they even start.

Untalented's host Ollie Scott sits down with Jim Houghton from Waypoint, one of the most experienced M&A advisors in the creative industry, and someone who has seen more agencies born, scaled, bought and sold than almost anyone else. But this isn’t a finance podcast. It’s the conversation creative people never get, but absolutely need. Jim breaks down: • why UK agencies fear failure  • how creative people massively underestimate their own power • why early equity dilution ruins lives • what actually triggers agency sales  • how private equity suddenly took over the creative industry • when a business is genuinely “sellable” • and the biggest mistake founders make before talking to an advisor If you’re a creative, a founder, or someone inside a company that’s just been acquired, this episode will change the way you see the entire business side of creativity.

In this episode, we sit down with the founder of Buttermilk - a world-class creator agency. Jamie Ray digs deep into his founder journey: a story of how a bored trainee lawyer walked out of a City job, set up shop in a Krispy Kreme, and built Buttermilk into a $50m+ creator agency. We get into how influencer marketing actually works now, why TikTok and COVID changed everything, how brands are using super fans to decide what products to launch, and where AI fits into the creator economy.  It’s honest and funny - a proper look at where the creator world is heading next.

We sit down with Ben Saul-Garner, Co-Founder of Attachment, to talk about the intersection of culture, talent, and brand storytelling.

In this episode of Untalented, Kate Rush-Sheehy, Chief Strategy Officer at GSD&M, breaks down what really makes a brand cool  and why over-focusing on Gen Z might be the least strategic move of all.

Mohan Ramaswamy, Co-Founder of Work & Co, shares what it really takes to build products people love, and why staying close to the work matters more than ever. From co-creating digital experiences for the world’s biggest brands to redefining what creative leadership looks like, Mohan unpacks the value of being hands-on, choosing the right clients, and surrounding yourself with people who push you to think sharper.

In this episode of Untalented by Unknown and Canva, Daisy Morris, Founder of The Selfhood and author of Community is Your Currency, breaks down what it actually means to build community in a world drowning in noise. From prescribing rest as a growth strategy to calling out “trend fatigue,” Daisy shares how brands can move beyond vanity metrics, build human-first ecosystems, and create connection that lasts longer than a viral moment.

Koral Ibrahim, Founder of The Ready House, joins Untalented to share his philosophy on building brands with physical spaces that feel alive with community. From his father’s advice, “never reject coffee”, which opened doors early in his career, to his take on why department stores lost their way, Koral unpacks how curiosity, connection, and culture shape the future of retail spaces.

In this episode of untalented, we sit down with Cultural Strategist Josh Proctor to unpack the hidden “whys” behind culture.  From camping out for sneakers to truths behind “soft clubbing,” Josh explains why friction is essential for belonging. If you’ve ever wondered how brands can stay relevant without being performative, this one's for you. 

Got a minute? Kae, Executive Creative Director at Superside, shares the moment she realised she could lead differently, what “AI-powered” really means for creative teams, and why confidence changes everything.