Screw It Just DO It with Alex Chisnall

Alex Chisnall
  • 4.9 (142)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Screw It Just DO It is the podcast for entrepreneurs, founders and business builders who are ready to stop waiting and start building. Hosted by Alex Chisnall, the show features honest conversations with people who’ve faced uncertainty, taken risks and built businesses that matter — from kitchen-table side projects to global brands and billion-pound companies. Real stories. Real decisions. Real progress. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

  1. He Had Everything… Then His Daughter Asked One Question

    10 HR AGO

    He Had Everything… Then His Daughter Asked One Question

    Gurthro Steenkamp won a Rugby World Cup. He coached at the highest level in European rugby. He had every reason to stay in that world. Then his daughter asked him why she could never see him like the other children saw their dads. That broke him. In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, Coach G explains how he walked away from a full-time coaching role at La Rochelle at 44 and went all in on his own business, why he stopped chasing a vision and started chasing an identity, and what it actually means to be fulfilled versus just successful. We talk about the scrum of entrepreneurship, what rugby taught him that nothing else could, why authenticity is the only real growth strategy, and why vision without action just remains a dream. Key Takeaways The moment success stops feeling meaningful Why identity matters more than external achievement The cost of staying in the wrong role too long Why action creates clarity, not the other way around 🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up. As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days. 👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Screw It Just DO It 🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at NEC Birmingham 👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

    1hr 6min
  2. She Knew She’d Fail… And Did It Anyway

    5 DAYS AGO

    She Knew She’d Fail… And Did It Anyway

    She had no experience. No funding. And every reason to stay where she was. Instead, she chose a path where failure was almost guaranteed. In this Bite-Sized episode of Screw It Just DO It, Bonita Norris shares the exact morning she chose to explore Everest, what it actually felt like in the dead zone at altitude, and why the summit was nothing like she imagined. Key Takeaways: The decision that came before any proof or support Why clarity matters more than confidence What extreme pressure does to your thinking Why the outcome rarely feels how you expect This is not an adventure story. It is a lesson in choosing difficulty on purpose. 🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up. As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days. 👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit 🎧 Don't miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts. 🔥 If you're serious about growing your business, join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, 3-4 November 2026 at the NEC Birmingham. 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the movement.

    14 min
  3. I Was £24,000 In Debt… And Nobody Knew The...

    14 APR

    I Was £24,000 In Debt… And Nobody Knew The...

    He was hiding £24,000 of debt from everyone... until one question exposed everything. Sammie Ellard-King had been hiding £24,000 of debt from everyone around him. His friends. His girlfriend. His family. Then someone asked him how much he needed to retire. He didn’t have an answer. And worse, he realised how far behind he really was. In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, I sit down with Sammie, founder of Up the Gains and the new app Gains, to unpack how a personal debt crisis became a financial education brand with millions of views, and why the gap in UK financial literacy is still dangerously wide.We cover the moment he decided to stop hiding and start learning, why the online Lambo lifestyle influencers are genuinely dangerous for young people, the six things you need to understand to be ahead of 95% of this country, and what financial freedom actually means when you strip away the noise This is not motivational content. It is a real conversation about money, mindset, and the decision to build something that matters Key Takeaways The question that forced him to face £24,000 of hidden debt Why most people delay learning about money until it’s too late The simple rule that stopped his impulse spending How he turned personal debt into a business and audience 🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up. As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days.👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3-4 at NEC Birmingham👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

    1hr 5min
  4. They Had No Money Left. So They Removed the Option to Quit

    9 APR

    They Had No Money Left. So They Removed the Option to Quit

    They hit December with no money left. No salary. No backup plan. Just one decision to make: quit... or remove the option to quit completely. Simon Gardiner built Carrington West from a garage during the worst recession in decades. But the real turning point wasn’t the start. It was the moment there was no way out. In this Bite-Sized episode of Screw It Just DO It, Simon shares the moment he and his co-founder James sat in a pub at Christmas with no funds, no revenue, and a stark choice: fold the business or grind it out from scratch. They chose to grind. That decision built what is now a £100 million revenue business and the UK’s recognised best employer. We talk about why Simon wants it to take 10 years, why early struggle is not something to hide from, and why building a facade of success before you have earned it is one of the most dangerous things a founder can do. Key Takeaways • Why there is no substitute for the resilience built in the early years • What happened when they reframed the entire business at Christmas with no money left • Why Simon never wants to sell and what European founders understand that UK founders often miss • The danger of flooding your environment with luxury before you have earned it 🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up. As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days. 👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit 🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It Just DO It wherever you get your podcasts. 🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at NEC Birmingham 👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

    16 min
  5. She Sold Her Business... And Gave Away Her Identity

    7 APR

    She Sold Her Business... And Gave Away Her Identity

    She sold her business. And in the process, gave away something she should never have signed over. Calypso Rose built multiple businesses from scratch with just £2,000. One became the number one product in Selfridges. Another she scaled and sold. But the biggest lesson didn’t come from building. It came from the deal she wishes she could undo. In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, I sit down with Calypso Rose, serial entrepreneur and founder of Offscript, to talk about what three businesses built without investment have taught her, why she champions lifestyle businesses over scale-up culture, and the mistake she made at the exit table that every founder needs to hear. We talk about designing a business around your life, knowing when to walk away, and why most founders stay three years too long. Key Takeaways • Why she signed over her Instagram in a deal and immediately tried to buy it back • How she built The Institute to give her freedom, cash positivity, and flexibility from day one • The moment the boxes hit the ceiling and she knew it was time to move • Why starting with a minimal viable product will always beat building before you launch 🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up. As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days. 👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Screw It Just DO It 🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at NEC Birmingham 👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

    58 min
  6. He Was Told He Had 5 Years to Live. He Built a Movement Instead | Iain Ward

    3 APR

    He Was Told He Had 5 Years to Live. He Built a Movement Instead | Iain Ward

    Lain Ward was doing a medical trial for extra cash when an MRI scan found a stage three brain tumour in his head. He was 31. His prognosis was one to five years. His first reaction? Bollocks. His second? A plan. In this Bite-Sized episode of Screw It Just DO It, Iain explains how a brain cancer diagnosis became the clearest direction he had ever been given, why he calls himself the luckiest unlucky man in the world, and how he turned a prognosis into a pursuit of two Guinness World Records and a mission to raise millions for cancer charities. We talk about the difference between a diagnosis and a prognosis, why cancer gave him a road he did not have before, and what it looks like to build a following of over over nine million people one video at a time, without ever knowing how much time you have left. Key Takeaways • Why finding cancer accidentally in a medical trial MRI was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him • How he went from solutions mode to world record pursuit within a week of his prognosis • Why cancer was the best thing that happened to his life • What it looks like when every single daily action is connected to one goal 🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up. As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days. 👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Screw It Just DO It 🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at NEC Birmingham 👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

    9 min
  7. He Moved 26 Miles Away, Knew No One, and Built It From a Shed | Jason Graystone

    31 MAR

    He Moved 26 Miles Away, Knew No One, and Built It From a Shed | Jason Graystone

    Jason thought he had already failed at 22.He was 22 years old when he found out he was going to be a father. He was living in a flat, going out every weekend, talking about the business he was going to start one day. Then everything changed. He moved 26 miles away to a town where he knew nobody, walked away from his social life, and started an electrical engineering company in a garden shed. No fanfare. No safety net. Just a decision to stop waiting. In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, Jason and Alex talk about what financial freedom actually means, why most entrepreneurs are chasing the wrong goal, and how Jason grew a YouTube channel to half a million subscribers with zero ad spend and generated 12 million dollars through a single funnel in under a year. Key Takeaways • Why chasing financial freedom is often the wrong goal • How one week of reading YouTube analytics changed everything • The product ecosystem thinking that generated 12 million dollars in 10 months • Why most content creators fail from day one • How to know when enough is enough 🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up. As a Screw It Just DO It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days. 👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Screw It Just DO It 🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at NEC Birmingham 👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk

    1hr 11min
  8. I Accidentally Lost 20kg In Corporate Life | Darren O’Reilly

    26 MAR

    I Accidentally Lost 20kg In Corporate Life | Darren O’Reilly

    Darren O'Reilly spent his early years on the professional rugby pitch, representing giants like Leinster and Harlequins and playing in an underage World Cup for Ireland. In that world, his nutrition was meticulously managed by club staff; every meal was tailored for recovery and performance.Then he made the transition to corporate life, and the system broke.Without a team of nutritionists, Darren found himself skipping breakfast and relying on "nutritionally disastrous" meal deals, leading to an unintentional 20kg weight loss. He realized he wasn't alone; the corporate office was a breeding ground for poor nutritional habits that affected focus and energy.In this episode of ScrewItJustDoIt, Darren explains why he teamed up with senior nutrition lecturer Dr. Brian Carson to launch Wholesup, how they spent two and a half years bootstrapping the business before seeking investment, and the massive logistical hurdles they faced navigating Brexit shipping between the UK and Ireland.We also unpack the science behind functional superfoods like organic cherries and beetroot, the decision to invest in home-compostable packaging that costs two-thirds more than plastic and why being "all in" is the only way to survive the manufacturer "plug-pulling" of the startup world.This is not just about a protein shake. It is about redefining the ritual of functional food for the modern lifestyle.Key Takeaways • How to transition the discipline of a professional athlete into the startup world • The reality of bootstrapping a physical product for over two years • Navigating the "silent pandemic" of poor nutrition in the corporate environment • Why sustainability and B Corp values must be built into the brand from day one🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, specialists in international business payments. If your business pays overseas suppliers or receives payments from abroad, those transaction fees can quickly add up.As a Screw It, Just Do It listener, you can get 50 international transactions completely fee free for 60 days. 👉 Create a free account and claim the offer at worldfirst.com/screwit🎧 Don’t miss a moment of entrepreneurial insight. Subscribe to Screw It, Just Do It wherever you get your podcasts. 🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs, November 3–4 at NEC Birmingham 👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.ukConnect with Darren: Email: darren@wholesup.com Website: wholesup.com Socials: @wholesupTimestamps:00:00 Global Obesity Pandemic 00:40 WorldFirst Partner Ad 01:25 Business Origin Story 02:40 Professional Rugby Career 03:55 Flexitarian Market Trends 05:15 Scientific Formulation Process 06:40 International Expansion Strategy 07:35 New Product Development 08:35 Choosing Expert Co-founder 09:45 Manufacturing Resilience Journey 11:10 Future Company Vision 11:45 Official Podcast Outro----------------------------Connect with me:👉🏼 https://www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk👉🏼 Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/screw-it-just-do-it-with-alex-chisnall/id1236788872👉🏼 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6zGHXSlJZSzaYEvDAIVYmT👉🏼 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-chisnall/👉🏼 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alexchisnall_/👉🏼 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/alex.chisnall/👉🏼 X - https://twitter.com/alexchisnall👉🏼 Threads - https://www.threads.net/@alexchisnall_👉🏼 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@alex_chisnall?lang=en👉🏼 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@alexchisnall/

    12 min
See All (660)

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
142 Ratings

About

Screw It Just DO It is the podcast for entrepreneurs, founders and business builders who are ready to stop waiting and start building. Hosted by Alex Chisnall, the show features honest conversations with people who’ve faced uncertainty, taken risks and built businesses that matter — from kitchen-table side projects to global brands and billion-pound companies. Real stories. Real decisions. Real progress. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

Information

You Might Also Like