The Free Lunch

Eddie Ross
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The Free Lunch with Eddie Ross is a captivating podcast that delves into the essence of leadership—both the deeply personal kind you develop within yourself and the style you bring to the professional environment. Hosted by coach, author and thought leader Eddie Ross, each episode serves up a hearty helping of insight and inspiration, offering listeners a “free lunch” of ideas, strategies and personal stories. Whether he’s exploring the power of self-discipline, guiding you through the art of strategic thinking, or interviewing influential executives, Eddie connects the dots between personal

  1. 5D AGO

    Fighting for Wellbeing in an Industry that wants You Sick - Tom Bowen Wright

    We dive deep into how the "sick care" industry prioritizes symptoms over root causes, why chronic disease rates are skyrocketing despite record spending, and the perverse incentives keeping patients dependent on pills rather than cures. Tom breaks down the Ascend Medical approach to breaking this cycle and reclaiming true patient autonomy. In this episode, we discuss: The "Tapeworm" Economy: How the medical system drains resources without improving outcomes. Sick Care vs. Health Care: Why modern medicine excels at acute trauma but fails at chronic disease. The Ascend Medical Mission: How Tom Bowen Wright and his team are challenging the status quo. Reclaiming Autonomy: Practical steps to take control of your metabolic health and advocate for yourself. The Future of Wellness: How to opt out of the broken system and build true longevity. 🔍 Topics: Tom Bowen Wright, Ascend Medical, Healthcare System, Big Pharma, Metabolic Health, Chronic Disease, Patient Advocacy, Preventative Medicine, Medical Ethics.

    54 min

  2. JAN 26

    David Wheldon OBE: Lessons from Coca-Cola, Vodafone, Barclays & Life.

    In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Eddie Ross sits down with David Wheldon OBE for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, brand, and the human side of business. David’s career spans four decades at the highest levels of global advertising and marketing, with senior roles at Coca-Cola, Vodafone, and Barclays, as well as serving as President of the World Federation of Advertisers. But this episode isn’t about job titles — it’s about what experience actually teaches you over time. Together, Eddie and David explore what real leadership looks like when the pressure is on: the importance of clarity over charisma, why defining success early prevents failure later, and how leaders shape culture through the smallest everyday actions. They talk candidly about managing up, giving credit, delivering feedback, and understanding your impact on others. This is a thoughtful, honest conversation for anyone who leads people, builds brands, or wants to understand how successful organisations really work behind the scenes. 🎧 Listen to the full episode for lessons drawn from experience — not theory

    1h 13m

  3. JAN 18

    The Hidden Problem With Hourly Billing: Why You Are Undercharging

    Is the hourly rate killing the legal profession? Today on the Free Lunch Podcast, we sit down with Matthew Dashper Hughes, Director of Development at Gunnercooke, to discuss the firm that is radically disrupting the UK and international legal landscape. Matthew shares his incredible journey from a philosophy degree and selling advertising space to leading a £63.5m management buyout and becoming COO for Theo Paphitis at Ryman. Now, he’s coaching lawyers to think like business owners. We dive deep into the "Gunnercooke Model"—a fee-share structure that challenges the traditional equity partnership pyramid. We also explore the "Thinking Time" habit that saved his business during lockdown, why culture is simply "what you tolerate," and how AI is forcing lawyers to move from billing for time to billing for value. If you are interested in the future of law, leadership psychology, or business growth, this episode is packed with actionable insights. 🎧 LISTEN ON SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/show/6625dIpxNqmGjkesjN2TBk?si=9e095fa8fb42424a 📖 GET THE BOOK:Discover the leadership principles behind the podcast in Eddie's book, Where's My Free Lunch?👉 https://www.wheresmyfreelunch.com/ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro: Who is Matthew Dashper Hughes? 02:53 - From Philosophy to a £63.5m Management Buyout. 06:30 - The "Thinking Time" exercise that saved Matthew’s business during COVID. 08:11 - The problem with the traditional Law Firm "Pyramid" model. 16:14 - What is the Gunnercooke Model? (Fee share explained). 22:15 - Money Mindset: Why lawyers struggle to price their value. 32:00 - Culture is what you tolerate: The "Whiteboard Exercise." 35:48 - International culture gaps: UK vs. USA vs. Germany. 40:00 - Leadership vs. Management (The Ladder & The Wall). 48:00 - Dealing with "Wicked Problems" and Black Swan events. 51:50 - How AI will disrupt the legal industry (Efficiency vs. Effectiveness). 01:03:30 - Final advice: Put your own oxygen mask on first. 📚 BOOKS & CONCEPTS MENTIONED: The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham (Concept: Thinking Time) The Culture Map by Erin Meyer (Navigating cultural differences) No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer Show Me The Money by Matthew Dashper Hughes (Matthew’s book on value and pricing) Bloom's Taxonomy (The hierarchy of learning) The Eisenhower Matrix / Boston Box (Complexity vs. Clarity grids) 💡 KEY QUOTES: "If you think war, you get war. If you think peace, you get peace." — Darryl Cooke "Management is about efficiency and climbing the ladder of success; leadership is about making sure the ladder is leaning against the right wall." — Stephen Covey "Culture is what you tolerate and what you promote." "The most important tool in any leader's toolkit is a mirror." 🔗 CONNECT WITH US: 👤 Follow Matthew Dashper Hughes: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdashper-hughes/ Gunnercooke: https://gunnercooke.com/ 👤 Follow Me :D Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-ross-3350711/ My website: https://epr.business/ Get my Book: https://www.wheresmyfreelunch.com/ 👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more leadership conversations! #Gunnercooke #LegalInnovation #Leadership #BusinessPodcast #FutureOfLaw #ManagementBuyout #Coaching #AIinLaw #FreeLunchPodcast #MatthewDashperHughes

    1h 6m

  4. JAN 2

    Bringing Krispy Kreme to Spain, Stablecoins in LatAm, and Quitting the 9–5 to Build a Business

    As a new year begins, many people feel stuck at a crossroads. Stay safe or take a risk. Keep the job or build something of your own. Chase comfort — or responsibility. In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Carlos Ross, James Ross, and Gregory Botanes for a deep, honest conversation about what it actually takes to change direction in your 20s. Carlos shares what it’s like to help launch Krispy Kreme in Spain, stepping into leadership and building a brand from the ground up. James talks about selling stablecoins across Latin America, moving countries alone, breaking into crypto, and learning sales the hard way. Gregory explains why he quit the 9–5 to build his own business, the reality of entrepreneurship, and what freedom really costs. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a grounded discussion about discipline, risk, loneliness, ambition, and responsibility — and why there’s no such thing as a free lunch. If you’re thinking about changing careers, moving countries, starting a business, or taking your next step more seriously, this episode is for you. Topics covered: Launching global brands in new markets Breaking into crypto and stablecoins in LatAm Quitting the 9–5 to start a business Leadership, responsibility, and long-term thinking The real trade-offs behind “freedom” Listen in — and decide what kind of year you want to build.

    1h 35m

  5. 12/23/2025

    From Burnout to Building a Global Law Business

    In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Amy Bell, the founder of Teal Compliance and Chair of the Economic Crime Committee at the Law Society.Amy’s story is the ultimate example of resilience. From scraping a 2:2 degree and having her training contract cancelled days before it started, she defied the odds to become one of the most respected voices in the legal sector. She opens up about her journey from the "worst firm in Manchester" to scaling a global consultancy that now operates in the UK and Australia.But this conversation goes deeper than just business. Amy shares her vulnerable personal journey with a late-in-life diagnosis of Autism and ADHD. She reveals how this discovery transformed her leadership style, why she "fired herself" to scale her company, and why she implemented radical management rules—like banning the requirement to call in sick before 9 AM.If you are interested in entrepreneurship, scaling a service business, or navigating neurodiversity in the workplace, this episode is a must-listen.🎙️ In This Episode, We Cover:00:00 – Intro: Who is Amy Bell?04:15 – The "Failed Student": Overcoming a 2:2 degree and rejection.11:54 – Revolutionizing legal processes (and accidentally predicting AI).21:28 – Why law firms struggle with business vs. law.30:48 – The origin of "Teal Compliance" (and Eddie’s role in it!).41:14 – SCALING: How to make yourself redundant in your own business.45:35 – Expanding to Australia: Taking a niche service global.50:59 – THE REVEAL: Navigating late-diagnosis Autism & ADHD.1:05:46 – Radical Leadership: Why traditional HR rules are broken.📚 Resources Mentioned:Book: Simple, Logical, Repeatable: Systemise Your Business to Scale by Marianne Page.💡 About The Free Lunch:Hosted by Eddie Ross, The Free Lunch explores the real stories behind successful businesses and the people who build them. We dig past the polish to find the actionable insights, failures, and "free lunches" that shaped their careers.🔔 Subscribe for more episodes on business, leadership, and resilience.#AmyBell #TealCompliance #LegalTech #Neurodiversity #ADHD #AutismInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Scaling #WomenInLaw #TheFreeLunchPodcast

    1h 12m

  6. 12/15/2025

    From Corporate Life to Bookshop Owner: His 50+ Reinvention Story

    In this inspiring episode of The Free Lunch, David Price shares his incredible career reinvention story — from working in corporate banking to opening the Secret Kingdoms English language bookstore in the heart of Madrid at 50+. David talks about the challenges he faced, the risks of starting over later in life, and how he turned his passion for books into a thriving bookshop business. Whether you're considering a career change at 50+, dreaming of starting your own business, or just love entrepreneurship stories, this episode will inspire you to follow your passion and reinvent your life. David also discusses some of his favorite books: Humankind by Rutger Bregman Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky If you're thinking of making a big change or pursuing your own dream career, David’s story is proof that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

    1h 2m

  7. 12/05/2025

    +500K Downloads in 6 Months: Bootstrapping to $360K/yr

    In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Mauro Botanes, the 21-year-old co-founder and CPO of Symmetry — now Spain’s fastest-growing health and fitness app, with more than 450,000 downloads in under six months. Mauro shares how he went from being diagnostically obese to preparing for bodybuilding competitions, launching a YouTube channel, dropping out of university, and building one of the most viral fitness apps in the Spanish-speaking world. We break down: How Symmetry reached 452K+ downloads organically The UGC + AI growth engine powering their viral traction Why most fitness apps fail — and what Symmetry did differently Building a startup at 21 (leadership, co-founder dynamics, structure) Using AI to develop products faster and at lower cost The future of fitness, self-development, and AI-powered personal coaching The mindset (resilience, belief, tenacity) required to scale a company fast If you’re interested in startups, app growth, fitness, AI, entrepreneurship, content strategy, or you want a behind-the-scenes look at one of the fastest-growing health apps in Europe, this conversation is packed with insights. Watch until the end to hear Symmetry’s 10-year vision and how Mauro plans to build the “G-Suite of self-development.” — 📌 Topics Covered: 0:00 – Mauro’s story 3:00 – The YouTube launch & transformation 7:00 – How Symmetry was built 12:00 – 450K downloads with no ads 18:00 – UGC vs influencers 20:00 – AI features and growth 27:00 – Leadership at 21 33:00 – The future of fitness + AI 40:00 – Symmetry’s 10-year vision — 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, AI, entrepreneurship and the future of work.

    45 min

  8. 11/30/2025

    Inside the Mind of One of London’s Most Iconic Lawyers - Simon Olswang Lessons

    In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Eddie Ross sits down with Simon Olswang - legendary founder of the UK law firm Olswang, board adviser, entertainment lawyer, and a pioneer in the world of media & communications. We dive into leadership, culture, high-pressure decisions, talent, integrity, and how to build organisations that last. Simon shares extraordinary stories from his career: • Founding Olswang in 1980 and scaling it into one of the UK’s most influential media & entertainment law firms • Working with major film productions (including Gandhi), Monty Python, and global icons like Diana Ross • Leadership lessons from decades working at the intersection of law, media, private equity and technology • How values, integrity and culture shape teams — and what happens when they disappear • The real challenges of succession, growth, reinvention and personal resilience • AI, change, and what he believes is coming next for society This conversation is packed with wisdom, unforgettable stories, and practical leadership insights from someone who has operated at the highest levels for decades. If you're interested in leadership, entrepreneurship, law, media, or personal growth — you will love this episode. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, culture, and the hidden realities of building organisations.

    1h 25m
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About

The Free Lunch with Eddie Ross is a captivating podcast that delves into the essence of leadership—both the deeply personal kind you develop within yourself and the style you bring to the professional environment. Hosted by coach, author and thought leader Eddie Ross, each episode serves up a hearty helping of insight and inspiration, offering listeners a “free lunch” of ideas, strategies and personal stories. Whether he’s exploring the power of self-discipline, guiding you through the art of strategic thinking, or interviewing influential executives, Eddie connects the dots between personal

Information

  • Creator
    Eddie Ross
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Eddie Ross
  • Show Website
    The Free Lunch