Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia

stephaniemelodia
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UK Top 20 Business Show for today’s entrepreneur. Hosted by UK Top 20 Female Founder, Stephanie Melodia, Strategy & Tragedy spotlights the most authentic & interesting founder stories - featuring the good, the bad, and the ugly of building a business. With the purpose to inspire and educate entrepreneurs, guests also include subject matter experts such as top business strategists, marketers, and investors to help arm founders with the knowledge to succeed in business.

  1. 3D AGO

    We need to get off the "woke treadmill" and start *actually* moving forwards: Deborah Williams, The Women's Association

    Want Steph to mentor you? Apply for 1:1 founder coaching here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchRTqGNNhrN8xph4Gh4RuVJNU_mc31cT8bl08nXRQeM6rd8Q/viewform - - - - - - - Deborah Williams is the Founder & CEO of The Women’s Association, building a lifelong ecosystem to ensure women and girls have the support they need to reach their full potential at every stage of life. Founded in 2018 after Deborah was "awakened" by research for her dissertation exploring the stories of women in leadership across industries, The Women's Association has grown into a powerful force for gender equality. In this interview, Steph and Deborah discuss: Discovering gender inequality through Deborah's dissertation researchOvercoming self-doubt whilst building a mission-driven organisationThe burden of awareness: when you can't "un-see" injusticeBuilding a lifelong ecosystem vs short-term solutionsEarly intervention: protecting girls' confidence before it's lostThe social trap: connection with anxiety Follow The Women's Association: https://www.thewomensassociation.com/ I'd LOVE to know, what resonated most with you here? Get involved in the conversation: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ - - - - - - - About the show: Entrepreneurship is overly-glamorised, and there’s a lot to learn from the mistakes of others. Strategy & Tragedy keeps it real; sharing the highs & lows, the strategies & tragedies, of other founders who have “made it.” In addition to CEO interviews, we spotlight subject matter experts to help you on your entrepreneur journey. Available on all major streaming platforms, now in the UK Top 20 Business Charts. About Steph Melodia: As ex-CEO of an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie now hosts Strategy & Tragedy, advises MBA students with Oneday, coaches founders 1:1, and travels the world as an international keynote speaker on her signature subject of ‘Hacking Luck.’ She has delivered impactful sessions for household brand names including Qatar Airways, Soho House, WeTransfer, LinkedIn, Xero, Harvey Nash Group, Web Summit, and more - leaving audiences feeling inspired, motivated, and energised.

    1h 6m

  2. FEB 4

    The Long Haul Leader: Why you *need* to prioritise rest, recovery and PLAY | Chris Ducker

    Want Steph to mentor you? Apply for 1:1 founder coaching here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchRTqGNNhrN8xph4Gh4RuVJNU_mc31cT8bl08nXRQeM6rd8Q/viewform Chris Ducker, a leadership speaker, serial entrepreneur, and bestselling author of The Long-Haul Leader, Rise of the Youpreneur, and Virtual Freedom. Known for his straight-talking yet inspiring style, he helps leaders build successful, sustainable careers without burnout. Chris has founded and scaled multiple seven-figure businesses and mentored thousands of leaders and small business owners over a 20+ year career. His work has been featured in major outlets including Forbes, BBC, Entrepreneur, CBS, INC, and Success Magazine. - The guilt trap: why leaders feel bad for resting (and shouldn't!)- The hidden cost of success: burnout during peak performance - The physical reality of burnout: not just feeling tired - Motion vs Momentum: The "busywork" trap - Self-care as strategy, not selfishness- Burnout as warning, not a badge of honour I'd LOVE to know, what resonated most with you here? Get involved in the conversation: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ - - - - - - - - - About the show: Entrepreneurship is overly-glamorised, and there’s a lot to learn from the mistakes of others. Strategy & Tragedy keeps it real; sharing the highs & lows, the strategies & tragedies, of other founders who have “made it.” In addition to CEO interviews, we spotlight subject matter experts to help you on your entrepreneur journey. Available on all major streaming platforms, now in the UK Top 20 Business Charts. About Steph Melodia: As ex-CEO of an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie now hosts Strategy & Tragedy, advises MBA students with Oneday, coaches founders 1:1, and travels the world as an international keynote speaker on her signature subject of ‘Hacking Luck.’ She has delivered impactful sessions for household brand names including Qatar Airways, Soho House, WeTransfer, LinkedIn, Xero, Harvey Nash Group, Web Summit, and more - leaving audiences feeling inspired, motivated, and energised.

    51 min

  3. JAN 28

    "I thought I was going to d*e on live TV" | The dark side of building a personal brand with Anisha Joshi, Osteo Allies

    TW: Themes of panic attacks and anxiety disorders discussed - - - - - - - - Want Steph to mentor you? Apply for 1:1 founder coaching here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchRTqGNNhrN8xph4Gh4RuVJNU_mc31cT8bl08nXRQeM6rd8Q/viewform - - - - - - - - Anisha Joshi is an award-winning osteopath, public speaker, author of Heal Your Back, and entrepreneur who has scaled a multi-clinic healthcare business. Featured in the likes of ITV’s This Morning, Anisha has treated elite athletes, celebrities and even royalty. In this interview, Steph and Anisha discuss: - The cost of building a personal brand in 2026, including online trolls, industry backlash, panic attacks, imposter syndrome, and anxiety disorders- Goal-setting, manifesting (does it work?) and how Anisha landed multiple appearances on mainstream TV - Practical advice on leveraging social media as an entrepreneur without overwhelm - Valuable lessons from costly mistakes (including not scaling too quickly) - And more. - - - - - - - - I'd LOVE to know, what resonated most with you here? Get involved in the conversation: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ - - - - - - - - ABOUT THE SHOW: Entrepreneurship is overly-glamorised, and there’s a lot to learn from the mistakes of others. Strategy & Tragedy keeps it real; sharing the highs & lows, the strategies & tragedies, of other founders who have “made it.” In addition to CEO interviews, we spotlight subject matter experts to help you on your entrepreneur journey. Available on all major streaming platforms, now in the UK Top 20 Business Charts. ABOUT STEPH MELODIA: As ex-CEO of an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie now hosts Strategy & Tragedy, advises MBA students with Oneday, coaches founders 1:1, and travels the world as an international keynote speaker on her signature subject of ‘Hacking Luck.’ She has delivered impactful sessions for household brand names including Qatar Airways, Soho House, WeTransfer, LinkedIn, Xero, Harvey Nash Group, Web Summit, and more - leaving audiences feeling inspired, motivated, and energised.

    1 hr

  4. JAN 21

    Financial freedom through entrepreneurship: Why 98% of VC funding misses women (and what to do about it) | Emmie Faust, Female Founders Rise [REPLAY]

    Book Stephanie Melodia, international keynote speaker, to speak at your next event: https://www.stephaniemelodia.com/keynote-speaker-hacking-luck Emmie Faust is the 3X exited entrepreneur-turned-angel-investor, now Founder of Female Founders Rise - the supportive and inspiring resource for female founders to help them succeed with their businesses. In this episode, Steph and Emmie discuss: ✊ The impact of motherhood on self-confidence ✊ Female role models, including Emmie's first powerhouse boss! ✊ The power of mindset shifts in order to serve a more personally fulfilling mission ✊ How entrepreneurship can lead to financial freedom, and why women need to consider this path for empowerment ✊ Angel investing, including Emmie’s portfolio and what she looks for in a deal (hint: numerology features!!) Learn more about Female Founders Rise here: https://femalefoundersrise.com/ I'd LOVE to know, what resonated most with you here? Get involved in the conversation: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ 🎧 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend! About the show: Entrepreneurship is overly-glamorised, and there’s a lot to learn from the mistakes of others. Strategy & Tragedy keeps it real; sharing the highs & lows, the strategies & tragedies, of other founders who have “made it.” In addition to CEO interviews, we spotlight subject matter experts to help you on your entrepreneur journey. Available on all major streaming platforms, now in the UK Top 20 Business Charts. About Steph Melodia: As ex-CEO of an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie now hosts Strategy & Tragedy, advises MBA students with Oneday, coaches founders 1:1, and travels the world as an international keynote speaker on her signature subject of ‘Hacking Luck.’ She has delivered impactful sessions for household brand names including Qatar Airways, Soho House, WeTransfer, LinkedIn, Xero, Harvey Nash Group, Web Summit, and more - leaving audiences feeling inspired, motivated, and energised. Book Stephanie to speak at your next event here: https://www.stephaniemelodia.com/keynote-speaker-hacking-luck

    53 min
  5. Doctor turned founder: How entrepreneurship can cure cancer | Dr. Padman Vamadevan, Founder of Astron Health

    JAN 14

    Doctor turned founder: How entrepreneurship can cure cancer | Dr. Padman Vamadevan, Founder of Astron Health

    Ready to make one day, day one? Launch and scale your business with the support of 1:1 mentorship and a dedicated community - all while getting an MBA with Oneday: https://bit.ly/stephanie-melodia Want Steph to mentor you? Apply for 1:1 founder coaching here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchRTqGNNhrN8xph4Gh4RuVJNU_mc31cT8bl08nXRQeM6rd8Q/viewform Padman Vamadevan is the Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Astron Health, a platform for personalised cancer treatments. They use molecular insights and advanced research to develop a unique algorithmic approach to give cancer patients more targeted treatment options. This tool helps cancer patients and care teams to not only get proactive, long term cancer care but to also extend remission and stay ahead of recurrence. Learn more here: https://astron.health/ In this interview, you'll hear about: - Why Dr. Padman Vamadevan explored entrepreneurship as a better way to solve cancer than staying in the medical field - The learning & unlearning as part of the founder process - and how the Oneday MBA program helped him - Bringing in an external CEO to lead the business Padman founded - Fundraising lessons - And so much more... We'd LOVE to know, what resonated most with you here?  Join the conversation:  Follow Steph on social media: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/ About the show: Entrepreneurship is overly-glamorised, and there’s a lot to learn from the mistakes of others. Strategy & Tragedy keeps it real; sharing the highs & lows, the strategies & tragedies, of other founders who have “made it.” In addition to CEO interviews, we spotlight subject matter experts to help you on your entrepreneur journey. Available on all major streaming platforms, now in the UK Top 20 Business Charts. About Steph Melodia: As ex-CEO of an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie now hosts Strategy & Tragedy, advises MBA students with Oneday, coaches founders 1:1, and travels the world as an international keynote speaker on her signature subject of ‘Hacking Luck.’ She has delivered impactful sessions for household brand names including Qatar Airways, Soho House, WeTransfer, LinkedIn, Xero, Harvey Nash Group, Web Summit, and more - leaving audiences feeling inspired, motivated, and energised. Book Steph to speak at your next event here: https://www.stephaniemelodia.com/keynote-speaker-resilience-growth-creativity

    48 min
  6. STRATEGY & TRAGEDY EXCLUSIVE: Timothy Armoo reveals his cheat codes for success

    JAN 7

    STRATEGY & TRAGEDY EXCLUSIVE: Timothy Armoo reveals his cheat codes for success

    📕 Buy Timothy Armoo’s book, ‘What’s Stopping You?’ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheatcodes-Timothy-Armoo/dp/0241719224 🔥 RSVP to the ‘What’s Stopping You?’ online event on 10th January 2026: https://live.whatsstoppingyoubook.com/ 🎤 Book Steph to speak at your next event here: https://www.stephaniemelodia.com/keynote-speaker-resilience-growth-creativity 🤍 Want Steph to mentor you? Apply for 1:1 founder coaching here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchRTqGNNhrN8xph4Gh4RuVJNU_mc31cT8bl08nXRQeM6rd8Q/viewform - In this week's episode, Stephanie Melodia interviews Timothy Armoo, entrepreneur, investor, international speaker, and now published author with his new book, ‘What's Stopping You?’ out now. Best known for founding Fanbytes, a Gen Z–focused influencer marketing agency, which he started while at university — and within just five years, scaled it to 80 employees, raised $2M in funding, and won clients including Deliveroo, Samsung and the UK Government - before selling it in an 8-figure deal to Brainlabs in 2022. He has since brokered two more exits, earning him major recognition including being names as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, for one. He’s also committed to social impact with the Fanbytes Fund, backing influencer campaigns for Black-owned businesses. We discuss: - Normalising success through environment: Timo deliberately exposed himself to success by working in luxury hotel lobbies as a teenager, which helped him mentally rehearse and normalise achievement despite growing up on a council estate in South London. - "It's not that deep" mindset: How Timo developed a philosophy of relaxed intensity, treating setbacks (like losing a £500k investment) as manageable rather than catastrophic, which reduced stress and improved decision-making throughout his entrepreneurial journey. - Everything big starts small: His first £5 profit from a tutoring business at age 14 was more significant than his later 8-figure exit because it proved he could execute ideas and make money, establishing the foundation for all future success. - The power of self-talk and belief: Drawing from books like Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, he emphasizes being intentional about how you describe yourself, avoiding negative self-definitions and building a "chair of belief" supported by multiple evidence points of past wins. - Personal tragedy as motivation: His father's death just before launching Fanbytes became a driving force, giving him perspective that business challenges weren't truly catastrophic and fuelling his determination to make the company succeed as a promise to his late father. - Which part of this interview resonated with you the most? Get involved in the conversation: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ 🎧 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend!

    1h 3m

  7. 12/31/2025

    Top 5 of 2025 | Investors, serial entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts

    Want Steph to mentor you? Apply for 1:1 founder coaching here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchRTqGNNhrN8xph4Gh4RuVJNU_mc31cT8bl08nXRQeM6rd8Q/viewform Recap of the top 5 most streamed episodes of 2025! From investors to subject matter experts, to serial entrepreneurs and exited founders, Strategy & Tragedy is THE top show for entrepreneurs! Listen to the full interviews: Saba Yussouf - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrupDTldEsI&t=168s - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DkdIF1mxCt81I9WczFRjV?si=08767ae317c94236 Tash Rebuck - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX2Hes_VBk8&t=12s - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7n6IwRD35hp3DHHfCJt5uA?si=c3de5acd09b14e84 Lauren Currie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA0dWLy7Xvo&t=2809s - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5725dA8KDAmuGKSRtP42qc?si=4f8972a134b84e57 Jenny Quigley-Jones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdMg7OSqRdQ&t=77s - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YzmfqzhQ5tvZCoWsm3abj?si=a59a98a2cbe74251 Ben Coomber - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGeS7eaSj6U&t=2163s - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fjq6WZVRX4JhYvWPAtrac?si=fffde711aea44fce I'd LOVE to know, which episodes were your favourites of 2025?! Join the conversation: Follow Steph on social media: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/ About the show: Entrepreneurship is overly-glamorised, and there’s a lot to learn from the mistakes of others. Strategy & Tragedy keeps it real; sharing the highs & lows, the strategies & tragedies, of other founders who have “made it.” In addition to CEO interviews, we spotlight subject matter experts to help you on your entrepreneur journey. Available on all major streaming platforms, now in the UK Top 20 Business Charts. About Steph Melodia: As ex-CEO of an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie now hosts Strategy & Tragedy, advises MBA students with Oneday, coaches founders 1:1, and travels the world as an international keynote speaker on her signature subject of ‘Hacking Luck.’ She has delivered impactful sessions for household brand names including Qatar Airways, Soho House, WeTransfer, LinkedIn, Xero, Harvey Nash Group, Web Summit, and more - leaving audiences feeling inspired, motivated, and energised. Book Steph to speak at your next event here: https://www.stephaniemelodia.com/keynote-speaker-resilience-growth-creativity

    28 min
  8. Banned by Meta, rejected by VCs: How two women built a sexual health empire | Farah Kabir, Co-Founder & CEO of HANX

    12/17/2025

    Banned by Meta, rejected by VCs: How two women built a sexual health empire | Farah Kabir, Co-Founder & CEO of HANX

    Ready to make one day, day one? Launch and scale your business with the support of 1:1 mentorship and a dedicated community - all while getting an MBA with Oneday: https://bit.ly/stephanie-melodia Want Steph to mentor you? Apply for 1:1 support here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchRTqGNNhrN8xph4Gh4RuVJNU_mc31cT8bl08nXRQeM6rd8Q/viewform In this week's episode, Stephanie Melodia interviews Farah Kabir, the Co-Founder & CEO of HANX, the first condom brand marketed to women. Now encompassing a variety of sexual wellness and weight management products, HANX is connecting the major life stages of women’s health for a 100,000+ strong community. Available online and in retailers such as Sainsbury's, Tesco and Boots: https://www.hanxofficial.com/ In this episode, Steph and Farah discuss: - Identifying and validating a market gap - Overcoming *significant* barriers to entry - Customer-led expansion strategy - Fundraising challenges as female founders - Community as marketing cornerstone - Work-life balance struggles What resonated most with you from this episode? Leave a comment below or get involved in the conversation: 🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/ 🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ 🎧 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend!

    46 min
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UK Top 20 Business Show for today’s entrepreneur. Hosted by UK Top 20 Female Founder, Stephanie Melodia, Strategy & Tragedy spotlights the most authentic & interesting founder stories - featuring the good, the bad, and the ugly of building a business. With the purpose to inspire and educate entrepreneurs, guests also include subject matter experts such as top business strategists, marketers, and investors to help arm founders with the knowledge to succeed in business.

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