Brad sits down with James Ashford, founder of GoProposal, who built and sold a proposal software business to Sage for millions. From navigating business failures and personal guarantees to building a world class culture and creating a moat around his business, James shares the raw truth about what it takes to grow fast, exit big, and do it all without losing yourself in the process. Discover why selling is the highest skill you can develop, how to kill the founder in your business so it can grow without you, and why the best entrepreneurs focus on the space above the bar instead of just clearing it. This is a masterclass in building a business worth buying, creating assets that multiply your impact, and living a life where fitness, family, and fulfilment come first. KEY TAKEAWAYS Selling Is Service, Not Manipulation: Selling is helping someone make the right decision for them. It's an exchange of energy, enthusiasm, and passion. If you can't sell your service now, you won't be able to sell your business later. Master this skill above all others. Kill The Founder To Maximise Value: You don't want a business that runs without you. You want one that grows, solves problems, hires, fires, and innovates without you. The less the business depends on you, the more valuable it becomes to a buyer. Build A Moat Around Your Business: Make your business defensible by creating assets competitors can't replicate. James built a community, wrote books, produced video content, and created IP that could scale into new markets using AI. The harder it is to copy, the more it's worth. Shorten The Buyer's Roadmap: Don't just sell revenue or profit. Sell speed. If you can help a buyer achieve their goals faster than doing it themselves, you become infinitely more valuable. Show them the leverage, not just the numbers. Core Values Must Guide Behaviour: Culture isn't pool tables or pizza Fridays. It's firing your top performer if they violate your core values. James learned from the All Blacks: always do what you say you're going to do. Make your values clear, measurable, and non negotiable. BEST MOMENTS "When people say, I can't afford this, it's too expensive, it's rarely anything to do with money. It's normally to do with certainty." "You don't want a business that runs without you. You want a business that grows without you, that can solve problems without you, that can hire without you, fire without you." "The culture is not a pool table in the staff room, it's not pizzas on a Friday. You are going to be fired if you do not stick to our core values." "Where is the gift in this? If I can find the gift in that situation, I'm much more able to find the benefit of it." "No one's coming to save you. But that also means no one's coming to stop you either." "We don't experience life. We experience what we focus on and the meaning we give it." HOST BIO Brad Staines is a founder in the thick of it, but by design, not by default. As the face of Aquamark Cleaning, he's built a multi million pound operation with 30+ team members, strong systems, and a culture that gives people space to grow. He's still involved in the business a couple of days a week, but only doing the parts he genuinely enjoys: building relationships, growing the brand, spending time with the team, and spotting new opportunities. The day to day grind? That's been handed over to a structure that runs without constant firefighting. Brad's also found his rhythm outside of business, with a deep commitment to physical and mental training. Whether it's strength work, early morning runs, or cold plunges, he's a believer that how you show up for yourself shapes how you show up as a leader. Working On It is where he brings it all together: growth, grit, and getting better every week.
