The Naked Founder

BusinessCloud
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The Naked Founder Podcast

Episodes

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Episode 5: ‘I still think about my late business partner every day.'

    As the co-founders of Pareto Law, Jonathan Fitchew and Andy Sawer were inseparable. For 26 years they shared the same office and, when away on business trips, even shared the same bed rather than book separate rooms. One look at his best friend’s empty desk after he died in 2021 was enough to convince Fitchew that he could never work there again. In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, he discusses: • The grief of losing your best friend and business partner • Going again with the launch of Apprentify • Growing Apprentify to £25m turnover and 250 staff • His regrets at selling Pareto Law to Randstad • Being kicked out of school for being rebellious • Relaxing by keeping chickens and building Lego This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle' - The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned. To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk   Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Jonathan Fitchew & Apprentify 00:28 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business 00:53 Would You Do It All Over Again? 01:39 Losing a Co-Founder: The Story of Andy Sawyer 02:25 Andy's Illness, COVID & Keeping the Business Alive 04:00 Friend First, Founder Second: How Andy & Jonathan Met 05:11 You Can't Force a Business Partnership 05:47 Risk Taking vs. Gambling: The Entrepreneurial Mindset 07:03 Borrowing 15 Grand & Pitching a Bank Manager 07:47 Why They Named It Pareto Law 09:52 Hiring Graduates Over Experienced Salespeople 10:07 Starting in a Broom Cupboard in Salford (1995) 10:51 Sharing a Room, Sharing a Business: Life with Andy 11:57 Did You and Andy Ever Disagree? 12:45 Pareto Law Grows to £40M & 400 Staff 13:25 When Randstad Came Knocking (2008) 15:02 Selling Part of the Business: The Air Was Sucked Out 16:06 Visiting Andy in Hospital While Running a Business 17:52 Do You Still Think About Andy? Every Single Day 18:27 Leaving Pareto Law & Going Again: Launching Apprentify 18:52 The Embryo of Apprentify Started Before Andy Died 20:38 Still Hungry: The Eye of the Tiger 21:18 How Apprentify Grew to £25M & 250 Staff 23:25 AI: The Biggest Opportunity Jonathan Has Ever Seen 25:27 AI Won't Replace You If You Add Value 26:23 Top Tips for Anyone Thinking of Starting a Business 27:51 Getting Kicked Out of Boarding School 28:13 The Itch That Always Needs Scratching 29:44 The Chickens: Mary, Latte & Cappuccino 30:57 Chickens as a Decompression Valve 31:21 Building Lego as a Switch-Off: 4,000-Piece Ferrari & Concorde 32:12 Whatever You Do, You're a Builder 32:43 Letter to His Younger Self

    34 min

  2. 21 APR

    Episode 4: Rubbing shoulders with De Niro and Kylie and living with OCD

    In the events industry, Holly Moore is almost as big a name as the stars she rubs shoulders with. From Robert De Niro to Kylie Minogue, and from Gary Barlow to McFly, Moore has worked with them all. However, behind the confident exterior, Moore has wrestled with crippling OCD. At one point, on New Year’s Day 2012, Moore was unable to carry on and rang the Priory to be admitted. Moore has battled back from the depths of despair to build a multi-million-pound turnover business, partly thanks to a chance call with billionaire Fred Done. Professional success has been matched by personal happiness, and she talks about falling in love with a member of her team and their fairytale wedding. This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned. To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk Chapters 0:00 Introduction – Holly Moore, founder of Make Events 0:36 Opening question: what didn't they tell you about founding a business? 1:30 Living with OCD – how it really manifests and what it feels like 4:33 Pure OCD: rumination, reassurance-seeking, and intrusive thoughts 5:20 OCD relapses – the tornado that pulls you back in 6:21 The darkest moment – calling the Priory on New Year's Day 2011 8:09 Becoming OCD-free and the new lease of life that followed 9:11 Handing in her notice at AstraZeneca and testing herself 12:26 Launching Make Events in 2012 – spotting the gap in Manchester 13:27 Pounding the pavement: giving out business cards to venues 14:26 The Fred Done call – landing a billionaire's 70th birthday party 16:35 Working with Robert De Niro, Kylie Minogue, Gary Barlow and more 19:10 Behind events and the mindset behind never cutting corners 20:15 Building the right team and trusting them to deliver 21:34 What kind of founder is Holly? Leadership style and high standards 23:56 The 5am Club – early mornings, discipline, and wine with Lily Shippen 25:09 Is she a workaholic? The constant fear of a clean slate each year 26:44 Bootstrapping to a multi-million pound business – looking back with pride 28:32 COVID and the events industry – pivoting with gift boxes and creativity 30:37 Marketing through the downturn: the 10X mindset 31:19 Social media, LinkedIn, and changing her name to Holly Bennett 32:38 Meeting Joel – falling for someone from the team 35:29 "Anything is Possible" – her personal development brand and podcast 36:22 Burnout, health scares, and an OCD relapse 37:30 Acquiring the PA Club with Joel and the vision ahead 39:56 The importance of networks and why she's saying yes to more in future 42:33 Letter to a younger Holly: work in the industry first and hire well early 43:36 Wrap-up

    44 min

  3. 13 APR

    Episode 3: Building a £100m company without the b*llocks

    James Cole is the straight-talking founder of Panache Cruises. He founded the luxury cruise retailer during Covid and believes in authenticity and honesty, and is partial to the odd swear word. A two-time founder, he’s on track to build his second £100m turnover company, but this time it won’t be at the expense of his family or by turning to drink. In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, he discusses: • How he nearly lost it all with his first startup Cruise118 • How stopping drinking on New Year’s Eve 2018 transformed his life • Launching Panache Cruises during Covid • Turning 50 by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity • Growing to £50m turnover in five years • Why his family will always come first • Meeting his hero Sir Richard Branson This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned. To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk Chapters 0:00 Introduction: James Cole & Panache Cruises 00:35 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business 02:09 Christmas Day & Drinking to Cope: The Cruise 118 Crisis 03:24 Launching Into Lehman Brothers: Nearly Going Bust 04:26 Giving Up Alcohol: New Year's Eve 2018 05:40 Building Panache on Better Foundations 06:52 How to Build a £100 Million Turnover Company 07:21 The Entrepreneur's Playbook Is Bollocks 08:21 Launching Cruise 118 With Everything on the Line 08:49 Hour to Hour Survival: The Early Years 11:17 Why Launching Panache During COVID Was the right move 11:39 Leaving Cruise 118: Was There Any Sadness? 12:59 What James Did Differently Second Time Around 14:27 Vision 2020: Colleagues, Customers, Cruise Lines 15:12 A Tour of the Panache Cruises Office 16:09 What Is a Connoisseur? The Panache Sales Model 16:46 Top 40 Customers: £8 Million in Bookings 17:05 Thriving With Your Back Against the Wall 18:20 Turning COVID Into an Opportunity: 12,000 Leads 19:21 Influencer Marketing & Richard and Helen Tallew 20:58 Anna Perra, CCO: Why Panache Is Different 21:42 Giving Customers the CEO's Mobile Number 23:18 A More Content James Cole: Family, Balance & Growth 24:14 Work-Life Balance Is Bollocks — Life Balance Isn't 25:47 Being Authentic on LinkedIn as a Founder 27:15 Turning 50 & Climbing Kilimanjaro for Rubens Retreat 28:52 Reaching the Summit: What It Meant 30:07 The Road to £100 Million & Going Global 30:40 Expanding Into the US, Australia & Canada 32:14 Meeting Richard Branson on Necker Island 33:14 The 5km Open Water Swim: Visualise It First 34:31 Staff Perks, Pensions & Doing the Right Thing 36:53 Long-Term Goal: World's Biggest Luxury Cruise Seller 38:53 Letter to His Younger Self: Look After Yourself

    39 min

  4. 7 APR

    Episode 2: I had it all and then I got divorced

    Hayley Roberts had it all. And then she didn’t. She founded cybersecurity business Distology in 2015 and has grown it to £63m turnover, 50 staff and offices in the UK, Netherlands and Germany. Roberts is one of a growing number of female founders who get divorced and has opened up on the price she paid for going it alone. In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, she discusses: • Why female founders can’t have it all • Why women and mothers always put themselves last • The shock realisation that having three amazing kids wasn’t enough to fulfil her • The cost of divorce, both financial and on the business • Launching Distology and why the business has never been in a better place • Why she’d tell her younger self not to worry and celebrate the little wins Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Hayley Roberts & Distology 00:28 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business 00:57 Childhood Dreams: Wanting to Be an Actress 01:28 Dad's Influence & the Academic Route 01:53 Divorce, Growth & Evolving Apart 03:43 Being a Mum vs. Being a Founder 05:56 Can You Have It All? 08:24 How Divorce Impacted the Business 09:57 Masking Your Emotions as a Leader 11:00 A Hard Father & Never Feeling Good Enough 12:35 Resilience: The Gift of a Tough Upbringing 14:09 Mum: The Stay-at-Home Opposite 14:36 First Jobs: From IBM to Toiletries 16:50 The Road to Founding Distology (2015) 18:29 Telling Dad She Was Starting a Business 20:11 The Founding Years: Easy Bit, Hard Reality 21:10 Building the Business from Scratch 23:04 Juggling Three Kids & Running a Company 24:11 Giving Up a Six-Figure Salary 25:00 Raising Private Equity Investment (NorthEdge, 2021) 27:03 The Investment Process: Did It Hurt the Business? 28:17 Navigating Divorce & a PE Round at the Same Time 30:34 Where Is Distology Today? 31:33 How Far Ahead Does Hayley Plan? 32:46 Setting Goals, Not Resolutions 33:18 Key Lessons for Founders 34:36 The Friday Night Review Ritual 35:47 Mindset: Stop Attracting the Negative 37:14 Letter to Her Younger Self: Don't Worry

    38 min

  5. 30 MAR

    From arch-enemies to best friends – the CONDUCTR story

    Peter Cliff and Jos van der Steen hated each other when they first met but went on to launch one of the UK’s most exciting companies. They are co-founders of CONDUCTR, which creates world-class ‘kick-ass attractions’ from its Manchester HQ. In four years, the startup has grown turnover to £26m and staff numbers to 100, with studios in the UK, US and Middle East. In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, they discuss: • Acting with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe • Going from arch-enemies to best friends and co-founders • Risking everything to deliver a £1.6m contract for Alton Towers • Launching their two latest ventures – Game Volt and Originals • Remembering to enjoy the ride This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle – The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned. To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk   Chapters 00:00 The Naked Founder On Location at CONDUCTR, Manchester 00:35 What do you wish you'd known before launching? 01:05 The reality of being a founder – relentless pivots and risk 02:12 The Alton Towers deal – a £1.6M contract with 8 staff 03:05 The Curse of Alton Manor – delivering the full show package 04:30 No service lift, no warehouse: finding a solution on the fly 06:20 Peter's backstory – trained actor, Daniel Radcliffe & drama school 07:45 Leaving acting: the agent ultimatum & joining Merlin/Alton Towers 08:31 Rising to Global Creative Director at Merlin 09:29 Meeting co-founder Jos at Holovis – friction at first 11:02 Founding CONDUCTR in 2022 with just 6 months of self-funding 13:16 Early doubts, lost contracts, and a trademark dispute 14:26 CONDUCTR today – £24–26M turnover, 100+ staff, global offices 15:28 Game Vault & Originals – why they launched two new brands 17:00 Game Face at Printworks Manchester – opening April 2026 17:36 How Peter & Jos handle co-founder disagreements 18:28 Interview with Jos Van der Steen – co-founder perspective 19:18 Friends first, founders second – the co-founder relationship 20:34 Jos' backstory – IBM consultancy, South America 22:12 Risk taker vs. cautious thinker – how they balance each other 24:06 Vision for CONDUCTR, Game Vault & Originals 26:09 Behind-the-scenes warehouse tour – arena products & interactive tech 27:41 Final question: letter to your younger self 28:28 Peter's advice – enjoy the journey 29:30 Jos' advice – prioritise company culture 30:09 Sign off

    30 min

  6. 29 MAR

    The Naked Founder - Season 1 Trailer

    The Naked Founder - Season 1 Trailer

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Naked Founder Podcast

Information

  • Creator
    BusinessCloud
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Naked Founder

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