The Room Where It Happened

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Step inside the moments that shaped the world’s biggest brands in The Room Where It Happened, a brand-new podcast hosted by Jake Humphrey. Each episode sees the guest take us back inside a room and a moment that changed the course of their careers. With unprecedented insight on the pivotal decisions, unexpected turns, and behind-the-scenes moments that propelled companies to global recognition - and the lessons learned along the way from the people who were right in the middle of it all. The Room Where It Happened is your front-row seat to the conversations that shaped history, offering a rare glimpse into the defining moments of top entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Is University a Scam? | Kurt Geiger CEO Explains

    23H AGO

    Is University a Scam? | Kurt Geiger CEO Explains

    CEO of Kurt Geiger Neil Clifford reflects on the moments and challenges that shaped his journey from a department store floor to leading a global fashion brand. He shares how early setbacks, including the loss of his father and living with dyslexia, influenced his leadership style, turning perceived limitations into creative strengths. Neil also discusses the lessons learned through private equity and the importance of surrounding himself with people who think differently. Beyond commercial success, Neil explains how Kurt Geiger’s Business by Design Academy became a way to create wider impact, opening doors for young creatives who might otherwise be overlooked. This episode explores creativity, leadership, and why human skills, not just technical ones, will matter most in the future. Launched by the Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation in 2024, Business by Design is an award-winning, fully funded, career incubator programme designed to open doors into the creative industry for young people. For the first time, and beginning in Spring 2026, Business by Design will become available to young people across the UK, through a newly digitalised programme. The Business by Design Academy page: https://www.kurtgeiger.com/business-by-design IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software 👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/ifs-au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min
  2. Why Are Billionaires Rushing to Own Space?

    FEB 10

    Why Are Billionaires Rushing to Own Space?

    How does a personal space flight spark a mission to reshape humanity’s future? For Dylan Taylor, it started with a transcendent experience in orbit, which led him to found Space for Humanity, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to space travel. His vision grew from a desire to unlock space’s transformative potential for solving Earth’s most pressing issues, and today, he’s helping to shape a future where space is accessible to all. In this episode, Dylan Taylor takes us through his unexpected journey, from his life-changing space flight to the creation of Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG), a global leader in national security and space solutions. As founder, Chairman, and CEO, Dylan is also leading a joint venture to develop Starlab, a next-generation commercial space station with partners like Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA Space, and Palantir.  He shares how his work in space technology is already impacting Earth, from breakthroughs in cancer treatment to innovations in microgravity. Dylan also discusses the high-stakes decisions, partnerships, and bold moves that are accelerating humanity’s progress through space.  This conversation is about vision, purpose, and the power of expanding human potential through exploration. Dylan's story reveals how space isn’t just about discovery, it’s about solving real-world problems and creating a future where anyone can reach for the stars. IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software  👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/rwih-ifs-yt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  3. What AI Will Look Like in 2030 | IFS CEO

    FEB 3

    What AI Will Look Like in 2030 | IFS CEO

    From washing dishes in a chaotic hotel kitchen at 13 to leading a global software company, Mark Moffat traces a leadership journey shaped by humility, curiosity, and learning from the ground up.. Mark opens up about his evolving relationship with AI, from early scepticism to using it practically in everyday life and high-stakes business decisions, and why industrial AI represents one of the biggest untapped opportunities of the next decade. From robots inspecting underground tunnels to helping frontline workers do safer, better work, he outlines a future where curiosity beats fear and people who learn to use AI outperform those who don’t. This is a conversation about first-principles leadership, staying close to customers as you scale, and why the mindset that took someone from kitchen porter to CEO might be the same one needed to build the next $100bn business. IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software  👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/ifs-au  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min
  4. Inside the $10 Billion Cybercrime Industry: Are We Safe?

    JAN 28

    Inside the $10 Billion Cybercrime Industry: Are We Safe?

    Long before cybersecurity became a daily concern for businesses, Danny Jenkins encountered a moment that changed his entire trajectory. A ransomware attack on a small company didn’t just expose a technical failure, it revealed how easily a lifetime of work could vanish overnight. In this episode, Danny unpacks the unlikely experiences that shaped his worldview, from a childhood where learning to code became a way to regain control, to a formative business fallout that taught him why founders must guard their vision fiercely. He takes us behind the curtain of modern cybercrime, an industry run with structure, scale, and now AI, and explains why old security models are no longer enough. This is a conversation about seeing the problem before everyone else does, questioning accepted norms, and building a company designed not to react to threats, but to stop them before they ever begin. IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software  👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/ifs-au  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min
  5. How To Become a Billionaire | From Zero to £4.1B Sale

    JAN 20

    How To Become a Billionaire | From Zero to £4.1B Sale

    From a childhood helicopter dream to building and selling a £4.1bn company, Richard Harpin shares the moments that nearly ended, and ultimately defined,his journey as a founder. In this episode, Richard takes us inside the make-or-break decisions behind HomeServe, including the last-ditch mail shot that saved the business when they had just £10,000 left in the bank, and the devastating moment a partner told him it was over and to return to corporate life. He reveals how copying what already worked, then pivoting fast, became a survival strategy, and why hiring people to cover your weaknesses is one of the most underestimated leadership skills. Richard also reflects on the bold moves that unlocked global growth, from trusting local leaders to scale internationally, to the bittersweet decision to sell the company after decades of building.  This is a candid conversation about staying grounded, enduring setbacks, and the long journey from near-failure to lasting success, and why childhood dreams still matter at the finish line. IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software  👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/ifs-au  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  6. The Drink Startup Taking On Coca-Cola & Red Bull

    JAN 13

    The Drink Startup Taking On Coca-Cola & Red Bull

    What begins as a personal crisis quickly turns into a leap of faith. For Olivia Ferdi, everything changed seven weeks before her wedding, when a serious ACL injury forced her to confront her health, and her future, head on. In this episode, Olivia shares how that moment sparked an immediate decision to walk away from a career in law and commit fully to building something of her own. She takes us behind the scenes of the early days of TRIP, from a chance meeting with a Selfridges PA at a vegan market to stacking cans floor-to-ceiling in her living room, and even launching the first-ever Deliveroo store from home during COVID. Olivia also reflects on the realities of starting with no safety net, why having “skin in the game” matters, and the importance of not letting so-called best practice talk you out of your own instincts.  It’s a story about trust, navigating uncertainty, and what can happen when you back yourself fully and unapologetically, even when the path ahead isn’t clear. IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software  👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/ifs-au  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min
  7. From Flatlining to £25M: Layoffs, Marketing Genius & Product Messaging

    JAN 6

    From Flatlining to £25M: Layoffs, Marketing Genius & Product Messaging

    When Heights hit a wall after rapid early growth, founder Dan Murray faced a brutal truth: the product wasn’t the problem, the story was.  In this episode, Dan takes us inside the moment everything changed, explaining how a simple rebrand unlocked a new phase of growth, and why founders often look for answers in the wrong places when momentum stalls. Dan is candid about the decisions that nearly broke him, including letting go of over half the team in a single day to keep the company alive, and walking away from high-profile influencer partnerships just before controversy hit. He opens up about the tension between ego and data, how his own love of science blinded him to what customers actually wanted, and why every brand needs an “edit button” when growth tactics start to carry reputational risk. This is a clear-eyed look at the real cost of entrepreneurship: years of low pay, emotional strain, and hard calls made without certainty. IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software  👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/ifs-au  Heights 👉 Join Jake in maintaining your energy, with Vitals. Get 20% off with code Room20: Youtube Link: https://highpfrmc.com/room-yt-vitals Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  8. How Did Deliveroo Become Worth £2.9Bn?

    12/29/2025

    How Did Deliveroo Become Worth £2.9Bn?

    What starts as a side idea quickly becomes a full-scale obsession. For Will Shu, that obsession turned into Deliveroo, and it began with him delivering meals himself, learning the business from the pavement up. In this episode, Will takes us inside the early days of building a food delivery company from scratch, including the mistakes no one sees, the moments that tested his resolve, and the realities of scaling at speed under intense scrutiny. He also reflects on everything from riding orders across London to navigating a major antitrust investigation, and the pressure that comes with building a category-defining business in public. This is a story about founder grit, learning by doing, and why staying relentlessly focused on the customer, even when the stakes are highest, can be the difference between building a product people use and a brand people trust. IFS - award-winning Asset & Service Management software 👉 Reimagine your operations at: https://highpfrmc.com/ifs-au  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
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About

Step inside the moments that shaped the world’s biggest brands in The Room Where It Happened, a brand-new podcast hosted by Jake Humphrey. Each episode sees the guest take us back inside a room and a moment that changed the course of their careers. With unprecedented insight on the pivotal decisions, unexpected turns, and behind-the-scenes moments that propelled companies to global recognition - and the lessons learned along the way from the people who were right in the middle of it all. The Room Where It Happened is your front-row seat to the conversations that shaped history, offering a rare glimpse into the defining moments of top entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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