Free To Lead

How does a former indie band bass player with no formal business training and zero school qualifications scale a spare-room setup into a multi-million-pound production music powerhouse? In this episode of Free to Lead, Will welcomes Scott Doran, Senior Vice President of Creative Licensing Production Music Worldwide at BMG. Scott shares his journey through London's 90s music scene, landing FIFA's 2006 World Cup music from a spare bedroom, and founding Altitude Music before selling to global giant BMG in 2016. Discover crucial leadership principles on why you should always hire people who are smarter and more talented than you, how to drop bad ideas without ego, why waiting until you feel completely ready guarantees failure, and how Scott manages situational anxiety in high-stakes boardrooms. KEY TAKEAWAYS Hire Up, Never Down: Build exceptional teams by surrounding yourself with specialists who are far more skilled than you in their respective fields. Kill Failing Ideas Rapidly: The most agile and successful companies test constantly, acknowledge mistakes without ego, and drop ineffective concepts fast. Maintain a Startup Edge at Scale: Bringing an entrepreneurial, problem-solving mindset into a massive corporate infrastructure drives industry-leading performance. Just Start Before You're Ready: Waiting for perfect preparation leads to procrastination; real growth happens when you launch and solve problems on the move. Embrace Vulnerability and Flaws: Dyslexia, non-traditional backgrounds, and imposter syndrome don't preclude global leadership—self-awareness turns them into assets. QUOTES "Have very, very impressive people around you, like, try and hire up. Don't hire down." "Most successful companies to me seem like the ones that are able to make lots of mistakes, but make them quickly and move through that." "I'm wrong a lot... you've got to be able to have the conversation and say, look, that's a bad idea... we've got to stop this now." "There's never going to be enough if you're waiting for it... you just start." "Listening to a podcast is like having a one-way relationship with the most impressive people on the planet." Scott Doran LINKS https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-doran-6a06a715/ Learn more about Scott's work https://bmgproductionmusic.com/en-us/... WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

Ever wonder what happens when the applause stops and the fight of your life begins outside the ring? Former World Boxing Champion Billy Schwer opens up about the brutal reality of elite performance, the high cost of overtraining, and the devastating crash that followed his retirement from sport. Winning titles took extreme aggression and relentless drive—traits that built a champion but ultimately shattered a marriage and led to bankruptcy. Rebuilding from rock bottom meant unlearning those very traits, mastering self-leadership, and discovering how to truly thrive. Today, those hard-earned lessons power a unique approach to coaching entrepreneurs and leaders, helping them transform their energy from a survival-mode 3/10 to a fulfilled 10/10. Packed with raw honesty and practical wisdom on energy management, health values, and the power of saying no, this conversation will challenge how you define real success. KEY TAKEAWAYS Self-Leadership Comes First: True performance starts with prioritising personal well-being, health, and mental alignment before leading others. The Power of "No": Pushing through when burnt out or overtrained isn't grit; real integrity means knowing when to pull back. Unlearning Destructive Habits: Traits required to win in hyper-competitive arenas can prove destructive in personal relationships and daily life if left unchecked. Separating Action from Identity: Who you are is distinct from how you operate; stepping away from a career requires redefining self-worth beyond past titles. Lifting the Performance Ceiling: Transforming the personal state of a business owner directly lifts the ceiling on what the entire business can achieve. QUOTES "You don't play boxing. The intention is very different. It is kill or be killed." "To succeed in life you got to take care of yourself first and foremost." "I had the tools that made me a champion in the ring, but those traits didn't work in my marriage." "I know what it feels like to be on top of the world and then on the canvas with nothing." "Transform the business owner, you transform the business. They are the lid on what's possible." Billy Schwer Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-schwer/ https://billyschwer.com/ https://www.instagram.com/billy.schwer/ WILL STEEL LINKS  🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

In the inaugural episode of Free To Lead: Journeys of Leaders Driven by Passion, Inspired by Purpose, Josh Elledge of UpMyInfluence interviews the creator and host of the show and business coach, Will Steel. Will shares his background and the podcast's mission to help leaders overcome mental constraints and lead with purpose. He discusses the isolation leaders often feel and aims to create a supportive platform for sharing experiences. Will emphasizes the importance of addressing underlying beliefs to achieve personal and professional transformation. Listeners, please subscribe, engage, and share this show with other business leaders. Learn more about Will's work HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

What happens when relentless career drive catches up with your health? In this powerful, candid episode of Free to Lead, former family court judge and seasoned trial attorney Michele Locke opens up about the real, unfiltered costs of non-stop ambition. From undergoing 15 surgeries under anaesthesia to facing a painful political loss and navigating divorce, Michele reflects on how unaddressed emotional stress physically manifested in her body. Together, they explore why the body keeps score, how childhood conditioning about fairness can shatter in the real world, and what it truly takes to dismantle defensive walls, rebuild trust, and step into unapologetic authenticity. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Body Keeps Score: Ignoring chronic stress and emotional strain eventually forces physical health consequences that demand total lifestyle reassessment. Failure Teaches More Than Success: Losses provide crucial self-reflection that victories rarely offer, shaping resilience and emotional depth. The Power of the Pivot: Growth requires adapting when plans unravel, whether in high-stakes courtroom litigation or personal life transitions. Unpack Childhood Conditioning: Realising that working hard does not always guarantee winning allows you to let go of bitterness and outdated narratives. Lead with Radical Authenticity: Dropping polished facades builds genuine credibility, relatable connections, and lasting trust with others. QUOTES "In life, you got to be willing to pivot." "Your body keeps score on everything you've done to it, and it appears... when you don't have the time for it." "In life you learn much, much more from your losses than from your wins." "The worst thing someone could tell you is no. And then you're in the exact same position that you were before." "The breakthroughs for people happen when they tell the truth, when they open up." Michele Locke Links https://www.michelelocke.com/ https://www.instagram.com/attorneymichelelocke/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/@lovelustlaw WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

When her family printing business collapsed during the 2008 recession, Rachel Minion was forced to rebuild from the ground up—initially working from a crowded beach house apartment to prove her skill set. Years later, while navigating a career at Ticketmaster, a sudden furlough during the pandemic became the exact push she needed to take her side hustle, Rock Star & Moon, full-time. In this inspiring episode of Free to Lead, Rachel shares her journey through career setbacks, overcoming a sudden cancer diagnosis, founding a chemo-care non-profit, and evolving from an order-taker to a true strategic marketing leader. We explore how small businesses can cut through marketing noise, the importance of shifting from doer to expert, and why resilience is every entrepreneur's secret weapon. KEY TAKEAWAYS Adversity Can Be a Catalyst: Sudden career shifts and crises often provide the exact push needed to step out of comfort zones and build something lasting. Impact Drives Purpose: Supporting small businesses strengthens whole communities, creating a positive ripple effect from families to local non-profits. Shift from Firefighter to Expert: True leadership means setting expectations, guiding strategy, and delivering genuine results rather than simply saying yes to every request. Listen to the Market: Business is a continuous test—if the market isn't responding, adapt the offer, refine the message, and pivot. Turn Personal Trials into Action: Channeling personal health battles into actionable support led to creating chemo care kits for others in need. QUOTES "I believe in the power of small business." "The goal in the end is make the biggest impact that we can while we're here." "There is no manual on how to do this." "This is all a test... if you keep hearing no, change the offer, pivot and let's get something better." "I was so tired of being a firefighter... let me go actually get you the results." Rachel Minion Links https://www.instagram.com/rachminion/ https://rockstarrandmoon.com/ https://beyondbasicneeds.org/ WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

What does it take to transition from a government employee to building and successfully exiting two multi-million dollar tech distribution companies? In this episode, seasoned sales expert and author Glenn Poulos shares the raw, unfiltered truth about scaling a business, learning from failed acquisitions, and avoiding the trap of "shiny object syndrome". Discover why most companies fail at customer experience despite claiming otherwise, and how adopting a simple, relentless policy of being a pleasure to work with transforms customer retention. Plus, learn why putting your top revenue producer into a management role could be destroying your sales pipeline, and how to structure your team for sustainable, scalable success using accountability charts. KEY TAKEAWAYS Always be a pleasure to do business with: Exceptional customer service comes down to basic details like answering calls with real humans and responding to inquiries with care. Beware the "Reverse Midas Touch": Success in one core business doesn't mean you can launch a side venture without investing the exact same focus and energy. Structure your business before placing people: Using an accountability chart helps prevent putting high-performing producers into roles they aren't suited to manage. Top salespeople rarely make great sales managers: Promoting your highest producer to manager deprives the business of their core strength while misaligning team leadership. Focus on your core strengths to maximise valuation: Cutting unaligned business divisions allows you to double down on core operations and scale toward record exit valuations. QUOTES "The salesmen could only leverage themselves one to one, whereas the owner can leverage themselves one to many." "Get, act, and stay in front of your customers and be a pleasure to do business with always." "The reverse Midas touch is where everything you touch, other than your core business, turns to shit." "Don't think just because you can sell products, you can climb a tower and put them up." "Structure first, people second. Look at your business holistically and figure out what you need." Glenn Poulos Links https://glennpoulos.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennpoulos/ https://www.instagram.com/glenn.poulos/?hl=en WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

Glancing at screens all day leaves most eyes feeling dry, fatigued, and completely drained. Over two decades in optometry reveal how smartphones and laptops trigger high-energy blue light damage and drastically slow down natural blink rates, leading to long-term macular degradation and persistent dry eye. Beyond standard advice like taking frequent breaks or using basic eye drops, targeted nutrition offers real protection. Combining AREDS 2 formulations, vegan omega-3s, and coconut water hydration creates a practical daily routine designed to nourish vision health from the inside out. Discover actionable habits to safeguard eyesight and reverse screen-induced fatigue in a world dominated by digital devices. KEY TAKEAWAYS High-energy blue light (400–450 nm) penetrates directly to the retina, degrading macular pigmentation and increasing long-term risks. Screen time reduces average blinking from 12–18 times per minute to as low as 2.5 times, causing rapid tear evaporation. Partial or "lazy" blinking prevents eyelids from closing completely, leaving the lower half of the eye vulnerable to severe drying. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) scores reflect eye protection levels, with functional damage appearing well before structural harm occurs. Bioavailable triglyceride omega-3s combined with proper hydration offer significantly higher nutrient absorption than standard daily capsules. QUOTES "Ever since the first iPhone iPad start coming out, oh my God, all the numbers are going through the roof." "Your blink rate could go down as low as 2.5 times per minute." "You get this high energy blue light that can potentially penetrate all the way to the back of the eye." "Your upper eyelid only come down half or two thirds... causing the bottom half of the eye to get completely dried out." "In 90 days we see some tremendous some crazy numbers. The number was so good we had to repeat the test." Dr Roger L Wu Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-roger-wu-321a3710/ https://theeyedrink.com/investors/ https://www.drwuod.com/our-team.html WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

What kind of man steals another man's salad dressing—and how does that lead to starting a clean food revolution? In this episode of Free to Lead, host Palm sits down with Greg Vetter, innovator, clean food pioneer, and author of Undressed: The Unfiltered Story of My Failed American Dream and How It Led to Success. Greg details his journey from selling insurance over a bodega to building Tessemae's into the nation's top organic salad dressing brand. He candidly shares how a missing two-litre bottle of his mom's homemade dressing sparked a multi-million dollar company, how he pitched grocery buyers using wet lettuce out of Tupperware, and how clean manufacturing was born. Greg reveals the harsh realities on the way down: board infighting, failed $500M acquisition attempts, three legal battles, and eventually handing the company over to private equity for $4.5 million. This episode offers a masterclass on trusting your gut, maintaining voting control, and leading through crisis. KEY TAKEAWAYS Recognising True Demand: Extraordinary products create extreme reactions; a stolen bottle of homemade dressing was the spark that launched a national brand. Conviction Beats Perfection: Pitching buyers with passion and wet lettuce out of Tupperware proved that real conviction outweighs fancy packaging. Trust Your Intuition: Ignoring gut instincts when selecting advisors or investment bankers can lead to misaligned priorities and lost value. Protect Corporate Governance: Entrepreneurs must maintain voting control and proper board structures to avoid becoming employees of their own ideas. Lead by Example in Defeat: True leadership is leaving things better than you found them and turning painful business failures into lessons for future founders. QUOTES "What kind of man steals another man's salad dressing? The real question was, what salad dressing is good enough to be stolen?" "I lived the actual pursuit of the American dream on the way up, and then I experienced everything that could go wrong on the way down." "Fast forward, we're handing it over to a private equity group for $4.5 million." "You don't own it anymore, you're an employee of your own idea." "Fight as hard as you can for what your gut tells you, but also be prepared for the consequences of those actions." Gregory Vetter LINKS https://www.gregoryvetter.com/ https://www.instagram.com/glvetter/?hl=en https://open.spotify.com/show/4U4qVX5PeFUYHZ7RR0sWHT https://www.youtube.com/@gregoryvetter WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

Ever feel like the traditional path to success just wasn't built for you? Liana Zavo dropped out of college, faced rejection from five PR agencies, and was told soft skills didn't matter. Today, she runs a globally recognised agency spanning 12 countries, writes for Forbes, and empowers leaders to step into their authority. In this conversation, we dive into how Liana turned pure ambition and storytelling into an international media empire. You'll discover how to leverage proprietary frameworks to launch your book, why third-party validation makes or breaks your personal brand, and how to recruit top-tier talent using energy and charm. Plus, Liana breaks down the staggering statistics on video content and why nearly 80% of clients Google you before ever signing a contract. KEY TAKEAWAYS Soft skills like storytelling and personal branding often outweigh formal degrees in real-world business growth. Launching a book requires a repeatable, branded framework to position you as an in-demand keynote speaker. Over 80% of prospective clients research you online, making third-party media validation essential for trust. Scaling a global agency relies on hiring talent with high emotional intelligence, charm, and magnetic energy. Building category-exclusive referral networks drives consistent, high-value business opportunities. QUOTES "Your first presence, right? Your first impression is your last impression." "Nobody cares about soft skills, right? Nobody cares if you are a great storyteller... those are soft skills that are not taught in school." "89% of founders are aligned with video content. So if they don't see video content, you basically don't exist." "PR comes in where the third party helps you have that third party validate your story." "You need to also have the persona, the energy, the charm to work with people." Liana Zavo Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianazavoprpro/ https://zavomediapr.com/ https://www.instagram.com/officiallianazavo WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

Ever feel like AI is leaving you behind because you can't write code? Forget the technical jargon—the most powerful skill in modern AI isn’t computer science; it’s deep domain expertise. Serial entrepreneur Chris Daigle breaks down how non-technical founders and leaders can stop fearing AI tools and start using them as strategic thought partners. From safe ways to anonymise confidential business data to slashing proposal prep time from days to minutes, this conversation redefines what it means to build, adapt, and lead in an automated world. Plus, dive into the raw realities of start up life, overcoming operational chaos, and building bulletproof mental resilience when scaling through the storm KEY TAKEAWAYS Your existing industry experience matters more than technical prowess when prompting generative AI. Treat AI as an interactive thought partner rather than an absolute thought leader. Protect sensitive operational data by anonymising specific company details before processing. Professionals using AI will consistently outpace those who resist adopting it. Reframing major entrepreneurial roadblocks as essential learning moments strips away unnecessary anxiety. QUOTES "On the learning curve of AI, you've done the hard work already." "Use the tool as a thought partner, not as a thought leader. You're the leader." "Which employee do you hire? The one who can get more done in a day, or the one who can get less done in a day?" "Take the power away from that experience so that it's not negative... It's just a thing." "We tell people, look on the learning curve of AI. You've done the hard work already." Chris Daigle Links https://chrisdaigle.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thedoctordaigle/ https://chiefaiofficer.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctordaigle/ WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform