The Naked Founder

Tim Knowles is the ultimate rags-to-riches story. He left school aged 16 unable to read or write and without a single qualification to his name. Knowles  started his working life washing cars before buying a fishmonger's shop in Chorley at the age of 17, which became the springboard for his property empire, FI Property Group (previously FI Real Estate Management). After a lot of ‘hard graft’, he has built a property empire with assets totalling more than £1.4bn, taking the business from one of the industry's ‘best-kept secrets’ to a major player in the office, retail and industrial property sectors. Key talking points include: Turning old cotton mills into millions; Building a billion-pound property business on just three or four hours' sleep a night; Refusing to panic after taking a £400m hit during the 2008 global financial crash; How he'll never forget a helicopter crash that nearly claimed his pilot's life; Why he has no idea how much his personal fortune is worth; Why he's donated millions to charities and good causes without seeking publicity. The Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast produced by Dan Brown at Renowned.

James Batchelor knows more than most about the highs and lows of building a business. Before launching Alertacall, he'd already started 11 businesses. But nothing prepared him for the challenges of building a technology company designed to improve the lives of older and vulnerable people. Inspired by his grandmother Eveline, Batchelor sold his first home to fund Alertacall and spent years battling to make the business work. He admits he expected 10,000 customers after the first year. The reality? Just 10. More than two decades later, Alertacall employs 110 people, has been acquired by Canadian technology giant Volaris Group and Batchelor has received an MBE for services to technology for older people. In this revealing episode of The Naked Founder, Batchelor discusses failure, resilience, social impact, selling his business and why he believes the time is right to hand over the CEO role. Key talking points include: Why Batchelor believes his 11 previous businesses and countless setbacks taught him the most valuable lessons. How his wildly optimistic first-year forecast became a reality check. Why Alertacall proved 10 times harder to build than his previous ventures. How his grandmother Eveline inspired him to develop technology to help older and vulnerable people feel less isolated. Why Batchelor finally accepted an acquisition offer after years of approaches from potential buyers. Why he believes even successful founders develop blind spots and businesses can benefit from fresh leadership. The Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast produced by Dan Brown at Renowned.

What does it take to build a £15m global fashion brand with your childhood sweetheart?   In the opening episode of season two of The Naked Founder, host Chris Maguire meets Ross Menghini, who co-founded bridal fashion brand Six Stories with his wife Lucy.   The couple met at nursery, started dating at 16 and went on to work for Manchester businesses Social Chain and Apadmi before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship.   But when Covid brought the wedding industry to a standstill, their fledgling business faced an existential crisis.   Their response? Give away 15,000 free T-shirts to brides whose weddings had been cancelled. The campaign went viral and helped transform Six Stories into a global brand with £15m turnover.   In this episode, we discuss:   How Ross and Lucy went from childhood sweethearts to business partners.   Why a honeymoon in Bali inspired them to quit their jobs and launch a business   The secrets of building a £15m global fashion brand without outside investment.   What it's really like running a business with your husband or wife.   Why listening to customers has been central to Six Stories' success   The importance of following your gut rather than blindly follow advice.   The Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast produced by Dan Brown at Renowned.

Ahead of the launch of season two of The Naked Founder podcast, BusinessCloud has produced two special bonus episodes featuring highlights from the first season. Each episode brings together 12 compelling stories and valuable lessons from the entrepreneurs who appeared on the podcast. Their insights cover everything from securing a celebrity investor, the importance of being paranoid in business, dealing with the menopause and knowing your lift pitch. The 12 founders featured in the second bonus episode are: Mark Stuart, Stuart Energy Tom Dunlop, Summize Simon Swan, uthful Sean Brown, Versori Clare Roberts, Kids Planet Jennie Johnson, Vets at Home Adam Ward, Airtime Rewards Ruth Percival, Contollo Suzanne Waring, The Helping Hands Group Craig Smith, Mazuma Mobile and ICT Reverse Dez Derry, exited founder Daniel Burton, Wondrwall The Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast produced by Dan Brown at Renowned.

Ahead of the launch of season two of the Naked Founder podcast, we’ve produced two short bonus episodes featuring highlights from season one. Each episode contains 12 founder stories from the entrepreneurs we interviewed. The advice touches on a range of issues, including raising investment, mental health, seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the impact of AI. The 12 founder stories featured in the first bonus episode are: Peter Cliff and Jos van der Steen, CONDUCTR Hayley Roberts, Distology James Cole, Panache Cruises Holly Bennett (née Moore), Make Events Jonathan Fitchew, Apprentify Michelle and James Laithwaite, FuelHub Russell Teale, Vivify Matthew Scullion, Matillion Jen Atkinson, Travel Seen Laura Earnshaw, MyHappyMind Derry Green, The Secret Garden Glamping Sam White, Stella Insurance Naked Founder is a BusinessCloud podcast produced by Dan Brown at Renowned.

When Daniel Burton’s nine-year-old daughter Ella asked for a £300 hairdryer, his response was simple: ‘Build your own.’ Burton is the guest on the season one finale of The Naked Founder podcast, where he explains why it’s vital that children understand the value of money. That conversation with his daughter ultimately led to the launch of IONI, an independent British technology business created to design and manufacture high-end consumer electronics that are affordable and accessible to all. In this episode of The Naked Founder, Burton also talks about: His mission to change the world of smart home technology; Living in his own sustainable smart home; Why he’ll never quit; and The loneliness of being a sole founder. The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle – The Home of Money for Women – and produced by Dan Brown at Renowned.   Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Meet Daniel Burton 00:50 – The Question We Always Ask 01:29 – Ella's Story: Build Your Own Hairdryer 03:22 – Tough Love & Kids Standing on Their Own 04:00 – Leaving School at 16 05:04 – Are Schools Built for Entrepreneurs? 06:20 – The Idea Behind Wondrwall 07:24 – Where the Name Wondrwall came From 08:13 – The Original Vision: An Intelligent Home 09:22 – Heating Only the Room You're In 10:32 – Building Net Zero Homes 11:33 – Inside Daniel's Own Smart Home 13:22 – How Much Customers Save 13:48 – The Gas Boiler Ban That Never Came 15:10 – The Pivot: Energy as a Service 16:51 – How the Subscription Model Works 18:05 – Funding, Revenue & Headcount 18:45 – The Hardest Part of Being a Founder 19:47 – Doubt, Difficult Times & Staying the Course 20:06 – A Backup Job 22:36 – Final Advice to Founders  

Dez Derry’s story is one of resilience, ambition and the power of dreaming big.   Born into a traditional Indian family in Walsall in 1982, Derry suffered years of physical abuse before he and his two younger brothers were adopted together by a loving white family.   Derry went on to become a successful entrepreneur, launching the digital marketing consultancy that evolved into customer acquisition specialist Blume and grew to £30m turnover.   But selling the business and being retired at 40 brought an unexpected challenge.   Despite dismissing warnings that he would lose his sense of purpose and identity after exiting, Derry admits that was exactly what happened.   What changed was drawing on his own experiences in the care system and becoming an ambassador for Adoption Matters and Foster Care Matters.   In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, he also talks about:   ·      Why, regardless of where you come from, you should never be afraid to dream;   ·      Giving a car to Afghan refugee, Adnan Miakhel, to help him pursue his cricketing ambitions;   ·      How his white adoptive parents showed him what true love was;   ·      How selling nail varnish changed the direction of his career;   ·      Retiring at 40 and losing his identify; and   ·      Why he’s determined to use his experiences of the care system to help others.   The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle – The Home of Money for Women – and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.   Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 01:08 – The Question We Always Ask 02:06 – Vision Boards & Dreaming Big 02:33 – A Difficult Childhood 03:49 – Adopted 05:16 – Trauma, Resilience & Work Ethic 06:11 – Breaking In: Selling Nail Varnish 08:10 – Building MMA Digital 09:38 – Bootstrapping With No Money 10:10 – Scaling Blume to £30M 10:47 – Why He Sold Blume 11:42 – Life After the Exit 12:30 – Finding a New Purpose 15:20 – His Message on Fostering & Adoption 17:13 – Adnan's Story & Field of Dreams 19:41 – Angel Investing Since Blume 21:12 – What He Looks For in Founders 21:52 – Launching Escapism (Music Venture) 23:12 – Contact With Biological Parents 24:06 – Losing Dad & Family Reflections 26:33 – Final Advice to Founders  

As group managing director of Mazuma Mobile and data erasure specialist ICT Reverse, Craig Smith oversees businesses with combined turnover of more than £50m – but it wasn’t always like that. At the start of his career, he took a 70 per cent pay cut to become an office junior because he believed it would broaden his business horizons. After spending more than 30 years in the industry, Smith has earned the nickname ‘Mr Mobile’ – but he insists his work has only just begun. Every day, up to 1,000 mobile phones – including broken ones – arrive at Mazuma Mobile’s Morecambe offices, with an average payment of £250 per phone. In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, he also talks about: Being a schoolboy wheeler-dealer Why his dad will always be his hero Spotting the opportunity in second-hand phones Securing former Director General of the CBI Lord Digby Jones as an adviser for FREE Why splitting with your co-founder can be amicable How Mazuma became stadium sponsor of Morecambe FC’s ground The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned

Suzanne Waring is arguably Britain’s most straight-talking boss. She’s the managing director of The Helping Hands Group in Lancashire and says honesty and trust are her absolute non-negotiables. It’s the reason why she’ll never employ ex-prisoners or agency staff. “I don’t want anyone who has dropped out the back of a prison van working for me,” she said. “Let someone else give them a second chance.” She tells The Naked Founder podcast that recruitment is hard because people don’t want to work. “They all want the handfuls of cash but they don’t want the graft,” said Waring. The mum of twin boys was working for the police when she decided in 1999 to launch her own cleaning business. Twenty-seven years later, The Helping Hands Group has four divisions, employs 40 people and has a turnover of more than £1m. In this episode of The Naked Founder podcast, she also talks about: How a member of staff tried to take her business Why she’s not interested in succession planning How she rolled up her sleeves during Covid to get cleaning Being OCD when it comes to her own house being tidy Why AI will never replace a personal service The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.   Chapters: 00:00 – 27 Years, a Mop & a Peugeot 106: Meet Suzanne Waring 01:01 – What She Wishes She'd Known: Not Everyone is Like You 01:45 – The OCD That Started a Business 02:33 – Gave Birth and Changed Her Mind About Work on the Table 03:52 – Down the School Gates: "I'm Starting a Cleaning Business." 04:23 – What Makes Helping Hands Different: Teams, Not Solo Cleaners 05:24 – Why Trust Is the Real Product 06:14 – The Four Arms of the Business Today 07:17 – Hoarders, Clearances & What You Find in People's Houses 08:16 – The Retired NHS Nurse Who Knocked on Her Door and Changed Everything 09:26 – Full Home Care: Clients She's Had for 25 Years, Now in Their 90s 10:47 – Her Non-Negotiables: DBS Checks, Rigorous Training, My Way or the Highway 12:16 – The Staff Member Who Tried to Steal Her Clients While She Was Away 13:38 – COVID: She Furloughed Everyone, Then Picked Up the Mop Herself 14:47 – Why She Couldn't Let Someone Else Step In When She Didn't 15:21 – Grandma Lena, Fred & Where Her Work Ethic Actually Comes From 17:31 – Her Golden Rules: Honesty, Trust & Not Taking Prisoners 18:34 – Why She'll Never Use Agency Staff 19:03 – What Recruitment Really Looks Like 20:07 – Has She Used AI?  21:39 – Turned 60, Not Thinking About Selling, Not Done Yet 22:37 – Her Dad Retired at 77 and Said It Was the Worst Thing He Ever Did 23:48 – Letter to a Founder  

After a successful corporate career, Ruth Percival became a founder in her 50s and has grown Contollo Group into a £37m business in just two years. Ruth Percival had seen the highs and lows of corporate life before becoming a first-time founder in her 50s – and she’s been making up for lost time ever since. Just two years after launching built environment consultancy Contollo Group, she’s made five acquisitions and grown the business to £37m turnover and 230 staff – with ambitious plans to double in size. In the latest episode of The Naked Founder podcast, Percival reveals why she’s finally found her dream job. “It’s my favourite (job) so far,” she said of being a founder. “I’ve absolutely loved this role. I feel like I’m thriving in it. I’m a deeply curious person and I’m stretched all the time but in a good way. It’s forced me to stretch myself.” In this episode of The Naked Founder, Percival also talks about: Tackling misogyny in the male-dominated world of corporate finance The importance of choosing the right investor Why she regrets not raising more money at the start Being married to legendary dealmaker Jonathan Boyers The Naked Founder is sponsored by Financielle and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.   Chapters: 00:00 – First-Time Founder at 51 00:58 – What She Wishes She'd Known 02:03 – Why Women Say What They've Done, Men Say What They're Capable Of 03:24 – Built £38M in Two Years and Apologising for Going Too Slow 04:04 – Made Redundant at Fishawack 04:17 – The Silver Lining 06:09 – Why She Chose Northedge 06:39 – The No D*ckheads Rule 07:33 – "It's My Favourite Job So Far" 08:14 – How Stress Shows Up 09:53 – Studying Genetics, Breaking the Electron Microscope & Being Told It Wasn't for Her 10:25 – Going Wild at University After a Strict Upbringing 11:22 – Her Dad Was an Accountant. So She Became One. Then She Hated It. 13:15 – The Epiphany Outside Smithfield Market 15:33 – Into Corporate Finance 16:02 – "Dial It Down": The Advice a Senior Partner Gave Her That Still Bothers Her 21:30 – Working Twice as Hard Just to Compete With an Average Male Counterpart 22:07 – Why She Named It Contollo 23:28 – Jonathan Boyers : Mr. Corporate Finance, Four-Time Deal Maker of the Year - and Her Husband 25:00 – Two Years, No Income & an Investment Club That Never Happened Before Contollo Did 27:37 – Meeting Every Single Member of Staff Who Joins the Business 28:01 – Buy and Build Means They Didn't Choose to Join Contollo 29:48 – The Icebreaker She Uses Every Quarter 31:38 – The Memory That Sticks 32:08 – Talking About the Menopause 32:38 – Finding the Right Investor Is the Difference Between Loving the Job and Misery 33:55 – 160 Targets, AI-Powered Deal Origination & 12 New Businesses Met This Month Alone 36:42 – The Plan 37:54 – No Regrets 38:34 – Letter to Her Younger Self