10 episodes

5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders.

We believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't.

Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages. With whom we hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world.

We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night. Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.

5 Star Founder Say Hello To Audio

    • Business
    • 5.0 • 1 Rating

5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders.

We believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't.

Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages. With whom we hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world.

We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night. Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.

    S01E10: "One Hundred Pounds" with Victoria Lee

    S01E10: "One Hundred Pounds" with Victoria Lee

    5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders.

    I believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't.

    Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages. With whom I hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world.

    We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night.

    Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.



    Unlike most of the people we have featured in this series, our guest took a highly unusual path to her entrepreneurial journey and that was one of the main reasons I wanted her to be on the podcast.

    Now, I must admit I took way longer than I normally do preparing for this episode. To be honest, I am feeling a bit nervous.

    Most of the interviewees we have had on so far have been your run of the mill founder whereas today our guest, Victoria Lee not only trained as a journalist, but get this, she used to work for a couple of major newspapers in the UK. Imagine if you will an out of shape bloke having a kick about with a premier league player. One good, the other not as much. That is literally what you are about to witness.

    I’m kidding of course, I spoke with Victoria pre show and she is lovely, but I hope she will forgive me and go easy on me, if my interview technique is all over the place.

    Victoria is the co-founder of 100 Pound Social, a company that was founded in 2017.

    Anyone who knows me knows how much I love businesses that say exactly what they do on the tin. 100 pound social, literally helps business owners achieve a positive social media presence, generate new business leads and helps keep companies top of mind via their social channels.

    Prices literally start at 100 pounds a month.

    I am not yet a customer but from what I have seen, I would have no qualms recommending the service to others!

    Welcome to the show Victoria!

    • 45 min
    S01E09: "Emerging Communications" with Domenica Di Lieto

    S01E09: "Emerging Communications" with Domenica Di Lieto

    5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders.

    I believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't.

    Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages. With whom I hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world.

    We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night.

    Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.



    Like me, Domenica started her illustrious career in sales, where all the best founders start obviously.

    Domenica has held a number of roles with a variety of industries from print, display as well as communications and advertising too. She set up Emerging Communications 5 years ago, before that she ran and sold a digital marketing agency. Which I hope we can find out more about.

    Emerging Communications provides consultancy and strategic advice on entering and marketing to the Chinese market which comes with it’s own challenges I’m sure.

    Aside from leading the growth of her company across Europe, Domenica also works for a number of global organisations at board level, providing advice on their China market entry and subsequent digital strategy. Which I’m sure is keeping her and her team super busy!

    When not working, you will find Domenica enjoying time with her daughter or practising yoga.

    Welcome to the show Domenica!

    • 1 hr 5 min
    S01E08: "OG Snacker" with Sara Trechman

    S01E08: "OG Snacker" with Sara Trechman

    5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders. 

    We believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't. 

    Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages. With whom I hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world. 

    We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night. Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.



    Today we are joined by an OG snacker, and foodie Sara Trechman the co-founder & director of Well & Truly.

    She co-founded her company with her sister in law, simply to solve their own problem!

    They loved snacking but didn't want to pig out on junk ingredients, the idea for the business came about when they were having a drink after work at a bar in soho (often where I get my best brain waves too).

    Not only is Well & Truly stocked everywhere; Tesco, Sainsbury's, Amazon, Ocado, underneath the distinctive packaging the snack is on the right side of tasty and the wrong side on unhealthy!

    Sarah lives in London studied business studies at Leeds and worked for corporates companies. Like many of us before finally taking the plunge together with Maria. Outside of the office, Sarah can be found climbing mountains, I don't mean that metaphorically I mean actual mountains where she met her husband with whom she has a 2 daughters with!

    We hope to find out more about her and also about her brand Well & Truly.

    Welcome to the show Sara!

    • 40 min
    S01E07: “Feel güd energy” with Philip Udeh

    S01E07: “Feel güd energy” with Philip Udeh

    5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders.

    I believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't.

    Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages.

    With whom I hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world.

    We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night. Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.



    Our guest today is Philip Udeh, founder of Brain Füd.

    He founded Füd after struggling for many years with chronic fatigue due to Sickle Cell Anaemia. (Sickle Cell means: that your red blood cells are sickle shaped rather than smooth and round. This leads to blockages that deprive organs and tissues of vital oxygen-carrying blood). Disillusioned by high sugar and artificially sweetened energy drinks, he decided to create something better.

    What started as a search on google for “food technologists in London” back in 2015..Has now ended up being a fully funded brand that is in supermarket shelves and widely available! During this did I mention he appeared on BBC’s Dragons Den and also ran a successful Crowd Funding campaign!

    The company mission is to provide the world with some “Feel güd energy”.

    We actually met when we shared the same office space a few years ago.

    The first impression I had of Phil was of a well dressed dapper don. As I got to know him and his team I have been super impressed with what he has built so far and am curious to see where he will take this company!

    Welcome to the show Phil!

    • 53 min
    S01E06: "Above and Beyond" with Nick Rogers

    S01E06: "Above and Beyond" with Nick Rogers

    5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders.

    I believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't.

    Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages.

    With whom I hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world.

    We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night. Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.



    Our guest today, Nick Rogers is the most “experienced” Founder we have had on this series so far. He started his career in tech sales (like all the best people obvs). I say experienced in air quotes not to suggest age, something my team tells me you should stay away from saying. In the woke day and age we are living in.

    He is the first founder we have had on the series, who not only sells actual hardware that you can touch and feel but does so successfully all around the world!

    The company itself is based out of Bristol. It exists to satisfy an unmet need for the computing performance that powers horsepower hungry industries such as high frequency trading and cutting edge scientific research. They take the view that there's enough risks in business without making the hardware you use, one of them.

    I’m hoping to learn from the many ups and downs he has faced in the last 20 years and stories which we hope we can all learn from!

    He joins us from Bristol.

    Welcome to the show Nick!

    • 43 min
    S01E05: “One Take Conrad!” with Conrad Ford

    S01E05: “One Take Conrad!” with Conrad Ford

    5 Star Founder is a podcast created by Founders for Founders.

    I believe everyone you will ever meet, knows something you don't.

    Each episode features a founder, from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and entrepreneurial stages.

    With whom I hope to learn, celebrate, understand and get a deeper insight into their world.

    We will cover everything from what drove our founders to start their company, to what keeps them awake at night. Biggest regret to date, as well as their career highs and lows in their journey so far.



    So far in this series we have only had founders of marketing, advertising as well people who have set up some uber cool FMCG brands.

    In the interest of fairness and to balance the “5 star founder podcast universe”. We thought it would only be right to have someone who is a serious numbers man!

    Our guest today, Conrad Ford, has not only worked for major financial institutions but also built one, from the ground up too!

    I actually first met Conrad, when he hired me to make some videos for the company he had founded, Funding Options! I’ll never forget, when we went to pitch him, he mentioned they called him “One Take Conrad!” And to be fair to him, on the shoot day, he lived up to his name!

    You can really tell, when someone knows their subject matter well, when they are able to take even the most complex ideas and articulate it in jargon free, simple to understand language.

    I was on the shoot and I can honestly say I learnt more about finance and funding, in one day than I did with all the time I spent with my accountant!

    Welcome to the show Conrad!

    • 51 min

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Love the lovely founders on this show!

Highly recommend this series!

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