311 episodes

This is the entrepreneurial education I wish I’d had. A few years ago, I thought I'd made it as a Founder. My app was topping the charts, I was winning awards, having drinks with the Queen at Buckingham Palace (she laughed at one of my gags, sure), but as my business started to fail, I realised I had so much more to learn. The trouble was I found most business chat too stuffy, surface level or braggy so I started Secret Leaders to get behind the mask of entrepreneurship. I speak with the best Founders and business experts to learn how great companies are built - especially the things that normally get left out, like their mistakes. We cover the most important stuff, from fundraising to hiring, habits to mindset, so you can learn how to build a successful business. And no, you don’t need to get into an ice bath at 5am either...
https://www.instagram.com/danmurrayserter
https://twitter.com/danmurrayserter
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/danmurrayserter
Contact: hello@secretleaders.com

Secret Leaders with Dan Murray-Serter Kindling Media

    • Business
    • 4.5 • 273 Ratings

This is the entrepreneurial education I wish I’d had. A few years ago, I thought I'd made it as a Founder. My app was topping the charts, I was winning awards, having drinks with the Queen at Buckingham Palace (she laughed at one of my gags, sure), but as my business started to fail, I realised I had so much more to learn. The trouble was I found most business chat too stuffy, surface level or braggy so I started Secret Leaders to get behind the mask of entrepreneurship. I speak with the best Founders and business experts to learn how great companies are built - especially the things that normally get left out, like their mistakes. We cover the most important stuff, from fundraising to hiring, habits to mindset, so you can learn how to build a successful business. And no, you don’t need to get into an ice bath at 5am either...
https://www.instagram.com/danmurrayserter
https://twitter.com/danmurrayserter
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/danmurrayserter
Contact: hello@secretleaders.com

    My Favourite Failure:I made a big bet on the wrong product -Mussayab Ehtesham

    My Favourite Failure:I made a big bet on the wrong product -Mussayab Ehtesham

    Mussayab Ehtesham sunk $30,000 of his savings into an e-commerce product that completely flopped. Instead of quitting, his obsession with entrepreneurial freedom drove him to learn from that costly failure and iterate relentlessly until he cracked the code and built a $1M private label business.
    --
    Check out Personio - the all in one HR platform: https://personio.com/secretleaders

    • 13 min
    My Favourite Failure: I didn't know my limitations - Mike Connolly

    My Favourite Failure: I didn't know my limitations - Mike Connolly

    Mike Connelly was a top telecoms salesman who decided to strike out on his own. His new venture, Simple Cloud Communications, quickly landed clients thanks to Mike's sales prowess. But he struggled immensely to service those customers without strong technical operations skills.
    Mike learned first-hand that even star employees can falter as solo Founders if their skillsets are too one-dimensional, but by embracing the right partner to fill knowledge gaps, a business can finally find its footing.
    --
    Check out Personio - the all in one HR platform: https://personio.com/secretleaders

    • 10 min
    My Favourite Failure: From The Apprentice, to the teacher - Joseph Valente

    My Favourite Failure: From The Apprentice, to the teacher - Joseph Valente

    After winning The Apprentice, Joseph Valente expanded his plumbing and gas business to a national scale. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the markets changes and Joseph had to rebuild his new business from the ground up.
    He followed in the footsteps of his mentor, became his apprentice, and has gone on to teach others how to avoid his failures and replicate his successes.
    --
    Check out Personio - the all in one HR platform: https://personio.com/secretleaders

    • 17 min
    The Pillars of Peak Performance - Lara Menke

    The Pillars of Peak Performance - Lara Menke

    Leading a team to peak performance begins within.
    In this episode, Lara Menke; business Psychologist, CEO and Co-Founder of leadership coaching firm CAIA, gives us the keys to unlock our self-awareness and reach peak performance. 
    From feedback and coaching techniques, to the confidence conundrum, to striking the ideal inclusive yet decisive leadership balance - expect practical models you can instantly apply paired with thoughtful reflection on leading people amidst the pressures and stresses of entrepreneurship.

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    Vertice - save on your SaaS or cloud spend ($5k off or a free benchmark) using the code secretleaders: https://www.vertice.one/l/secretleaders
    --
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    Sign up here: https://secretleaders.email/.
    You can find our historic newsletters here: https://www.secretleaders.com/episodes.

    • 56 min
    My Favourite Failure: Do what is meaningful - Tom Foxley

    My Favourite Failure: Do what is meaningful - Tom Foxley

    Tom Foxley, Founder of the Adventurepreneur Collective, spent years building his lifestyle and coaching business. He had reliable clients, a team he loved and the business was bring in six-figures. All of this felt like "success", until a breakdown on his honeymoon revealed the deep misalignment between his work and his passion for adventure.
    This is when he fully realised that; If you don't do what is meaningful, you won't regret it for the rest of your life.
    --
    To get a better handle on your security, check out https://npsa.gov.uk/innovation and download their free Quick Start Guide.

    • 17 min
    £100M Exit - How Human Psychology Built Ella's Kitchen- Paul Lindley

    £100M Exit - How Human Psychology Built Ella's Kitchen- Paul Lindley

    Building a thriving business takes more than just getting the economics right - it requires truly understanding human psychology and what motivates people. 
    In this episode, Paul Lindley, Founder of kids' healthy food brand Ella's Kitchen, provides a rare glimpse into the human dynamics, vision and motivation at the heart of one of the biggest success stories in the UK startup space. 

    Paul reveals his secrets for:

    - Mastering company culture and the psychology behind hiring and leadership
    - Building an iconic national brand on a startup budget 
    - Staying rooted in deeper values and mission even amid huge success

    --

    Sponsors
    Vorboss - get better internet: https://vorboss.com/secretleaders
    Personio - all in one HR platform: https://personio.com/secretleaders
    Vanta - get 20% off security certifications like ISO27001 and SOC2: https://vanta.com/secretleaders
    Vertice - save on your SaaS or cloud spend ($5k off or a free benchmark) using the code secretleaders: https://www.vertice.one/l/secretleaders
    --
    Newsletter
    Sign up here: https://secretleaders.email/.
    You can find our historic newsletters here: https://www.secretleaders.com/episodes.

    • 1 hr 24 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
273 Ratings

273 Ratings

Michael J Christian ,

Just found my new fav

I stumbled across Dan on Twitter/X and listened to the episode with Paul “Ella’s Kitchen” Lindley. Loved the insights and format - my new fav entrepreneur-focused podcast!

EloiseS123 ,

Great podcast!

I’m a big fan of this podcast - awesome guests and some really valuable business insights!

RJCW101 ,

Savvy interviewer, ill-informed opinionator

Although the host is unable to keep his ill-informed political opinions to himself, the interviews are worth listening to. If one can sidestep this man's confused (woke meets neocon!) cliches and grating personality, it can be worth the effort.

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