The simple path to great strategy: Alex Smith

Millions of downloads, 400+ episodes and 7 years, it's time for a break. -------- Sign up to Wise Business banking: ⁠⁠⁠https://wise.com/uk/business/⁠⁠⁠ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: ⁠⁠⁠http://vanta.com/secretleaders

What if the secret to happiness, clarity, and success took just 5 minutes a day? In this episode, we sit down with Alex Ikonn — co-founder of the viral sensation The Five Minute Journal, used by the likes Emma Watson, Tim Ferriss, and millions of others. From being fired at a bank to building a 7-figure business and redefining personal fulfillment, Alex shares the mindset hacks, journaling techniques, and life lessons that transformed his journey. 🎙️ In this episode: Why The Five Minute Journal works (science + psychology behind it) How to build morning habits that shift your brain toward gratitude and growth From burnout to breakthrough: Alex's honest story of success and emptiness The real power of physical journaling in an AI world What happens when CEOs, creatives, and everyday people start writing things down 🔍 Topics Covered: Self-growth & Gratitude Journaling Mindset Shifts for Success How to Be Happier (Backed by Neuroscience) Mental Health & Daily Habits From Idea to Impact: Building a Movement Celebrity Endorsements and Brand Building Finding Fulfilment in Work and Life 🧠 Want to level up your mindset? Subscribe for weekly interviews with world-class thinkers, creators, and entrepreneurs. -------- Sign up to Wise Business banking: ⁠⁠https://wise.com/uk/business/⁠⁠ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: ⁠⁠http://vanta.com/secretleaders

In this episode of Secret Leaders, we sit down with Alex Kendall, co-founder & CEO of Wayve AI — the $1B+ British startup taking on Tesla in the race to build a driverless future. From raising $1.05 billion from Microsoft, SoftBank, and NVIDIA, to reimagining cities with AI-powered vehicles, Alex shares how his company is changing how we live, commute, and move goods. - Why do 1.2 million people still die on roads every year? - Why are cars asleep 96% of the time and what if they could work for us? - Could AI make driving safer than humans ever could? We dive into how Wayve’s embodied AI competes with Tesla, why public trust is still the biggest barrier, and how your car might soon become your second living room. -------- Sign up to Wise Business banking: ⁠https://wise.com/uk/business/⁠ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: ⁠http://vanta.com/secretleaders

From pouring tea to billion-dollar deals — Frank Smith's rise to CEO of Matchroom Boxing is nothing short of legendary. In this exclusive podcast, Frank opens up about building global stars like Anthony Joshua, sealing game-changing partnerships with DAZN, and navigating boxing’s Saudi-powered evolution. We dive deep into: The making of Connor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar impact on global boxing Dana White’s entry, Jake Paul’s influence & Matchroom’s future Secrets behind Matchroom’s mega-events (and their $25M darts empire) Whether you're a fight fan, entrepreneur, or sports business geek — this episode is your ringside seat to the future of boxing. -------- Sign up to Wise Business banking: https://wise.com/uk/business/ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: http://vanta.com/secretleaders

What does it take to go from thinking "I’m not the type to start a company" to building a $2.5B startup that serves over 10,000 businesses? Christina Cacioppo, founder & CEO of Vanta, shares her raw and remarkable journey in this episode of Secret Leaders In this candid interview, we dive into Christina’s path from Stanford to Silicon Valley royalty—funding startups like Twitter and Etsy, then jumping into the deep end to teach herself to code. Learn how she went from solo builder to unicorn founder, the scrappy early days of Vanta, why she waited until $10M ARR to raise funds, and the lessons she picked up alongside the founders of OpenSea and Substack at Y Combinator. Topics We Cover: Leaving a dream VC job to learn to code  Building failed side projects and what they taught her Working at Dropbox during hypergrowth The real story behind launching Vanta Why “doing things that don’t scale” worked AI at Vanta and what’s next Overcoming imposter syndrome as a young female founder _______________ Sign up to Wise Business banking: https://wise.com/uk/business/ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: http://vanta.com/secretleaders

Discover how Tom Kerridge went from washing dishes to building a £40M hospitality empire. In this episode of Secret Leaders, we dive into the raw truth behind restaurant success (and failure), why most places don’t make it, and how Tom hustled his way to the top—without any business background, investors, or MBA. Pre-order Tom’s new book: "The BBQ Book: 80 Delicious Recipes for Fire and Coals".. What You'll Learn: The real economics behind restaurant pricing and margins How Tom built the world’s first 2 Michelin-starred pub, The Hand & Flowers Secrets to turning passion into profit in the hospitality industry Leadership lessons from the heat of the kitchen Why most restaurants fail—even when the food is great Hosted by Dan Murray-Serter & Chris Donnelly, this interview breaks down the mindset, risk-taking, and raw resilience it takes to thrive in one of the toughest industries on earth. _______________ Sign up to Wise Business banking: https://wise.com/uk/business/ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: http://vanta.com/secretleaders

From the first banner ad in 1994 to programmatic mobile ads, the internet as we know it was built on one thing: advertising. In this explosive episode of Secret Leaders, we break down the untold story of how ads didn’t just fund the web—they engineered it. You will learn: The birth of banner ads with AT&T’s legendary 44% CTR Google AdWords’ rise and the search ad revolution How Facebook’s targeting reshaped elections Mobile & programmatic ads that track your every move The next frontier: Ad-powered payments Watch our full interview with Philip Belamant on our feed now. He runs Zilch - the fintech redefining payments and ad performance. With a model that's 26.5x more efficient than Google Ads, Zilch is pioneering the future of attention-based commerce. _______________ Sign up to Wise Business banking: https://wise.com/uk/business/ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: http://vanta.com/secretleaders

Is this the man who could end the global credit card crisis? In this explosive episode of Secret Leaders, we sit down with Philip Belamant, the visionary founder of Zilch — the UK fintech unicorn that’s rewriting the rules of credit, debt, and how we pay. Most people know Zilch as a "Buy Now, Pay Later" app — but it’s way more than that. It’s an interest-free payment model that flips the credit card industry on its head… all while quietly becoming 27x more effective than Google Ads What we cover: Why credit card debt is a trap — and how Zilch is helping people escape it The shocking truth: The average UK citizen takes 16 years to pay off a credit card How Zilch funds 0% interest payments without hurting consumers The new payment system that could replace traditional credit What it takes to fight against billion-dollar legacy lenders Why Zilch's advertising model funds debt relief — and beats Google in the process The UK’s role in the global fintech revolution _______________ Sign up to Wise Business banking: https://wise.com/uk/business/ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: http://vanta.com/secretleaders

You've seen them—the red-faced, power-tripping, emotionally disconnected CEOs barking orders while morale sinks. But how did we get here? And more importantly… how do we fix it? This isn't just another workplace rant—it's a deep dive into the dark psychology of leadership, the gendered traits that dominate boardrooms, and the systemic bias that keeps emotionally intelligent leaders out of power. In this video essay, we expose, why toxic traits like dominance & cold toughness get rewarded, how history, stereotypes & corporate pipelines keep weak men on top and roadmap to build better leadership—without sacrificing results. This week, we’re dropped an interview episode with Sam Conniff—serial entrepreneur and the mind behind the #HardAsNails campaign. He’s shaking up outdated norms about what it means to be a man and a leader. We unpack how to spot toxicity in yourself, your colleagues, even your friends—and how to build something better. It’s raw, real, and packed with insights. Watch Sam Conniff Interview on our profile now.. _______________ Sign up to Wise Business banking: https://wise.com/uk/business/ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: http://vanta.com/secretleaders

What does "toxic masculinity" really mean? In this powerful episode, Sam Conniff dives deep into the crisis of modern masculinity, exploring how society has shaped a generation of men caught between weakness and toxicity. Sam shares his growing concern for younger men, especially after experiencing Andrew Tate’s controversial online course first hand. With Tate’s influence surging, amplified by the recent Netflix hit Adolescence, a show that exposes the dark side of online radicalization, Sam questions how these messages are shaping vulnerable minds. Drawing from personal insight and time spent researching the topic, Sam reveals why we’re failing men and offers a bold roadmap to fix it, redefining strength, purpose, and connection for the next generation. _______________ Sign up to Wise Business banking: https://wise.com/uk/business/ Join Vanta and receive $1000 off: http://vanta.com/secretleaders