Founders with Nick

Nick Langridge
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"Founders with Nick" is the podcast for anyone who loves stories of ambition, grit, and disruption. Join Nick as he dives deep with young entrepreneurs redefining their industries, tackling challenges head-on, and sharing what it really takes to build something extraordinary. Whether you're a startup founder, a dreamer, or just curious about the journey behind the hustle, this is where you'll find inspiration, insights, and unfiltered conversations.

  1. 29 AUG

    First-Time Founder Mistakes That Kill Growth (& How to Spot Them)

    🟣 Join The Notice Club!: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FvGUgLQbnSgJciB7yJDqxX Charles McManus took the stage at our very first Founders With Nick LIVE event to tell a different kind of startup story. After decades in traditional finance, he stepped away to build ClearBank, the UK’s first new clearing bank in over 250 years. Not a flashy app or consumer brand, but the infrastructure beneath the surface that makes modern finance work. Charles shares how he transitioned from banking exec to founder, how he built trust in an industry where credibility is everything, and what it takes to scale quietly in a world that rewards noise. 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Kicking off the live event and introducing Charles McManus 03:03 The unexpected lunch that sparked the ClearBank journey 05:21 Selling the unsexy backbone of fintech via cloud-native APIs 07:44 Navigating rulebook gaps to build the first new clearing bank 11:25 Winning early clients by rejecting legacy attitudes 13:13 The reality of hiring the wrong people early on 15:41 Graduate schemes, early churn, and what made them proud 17:40 Losing a year chasing big client revenue over product focus 19:50 Holding the culture intact through growth and global scaling 24:18 The hidden pressure of being responsible for other people’s money 26:46 Refusing to chase growth at the cost of profitability 27:59 Adapting leadership style and showing up authentically 30:24 Lessons on transparency, risk, and building no-blame culture 32:02 What real sacrifice looks like as a founder CEO 33:33 Why it was all worth it despite what was lost 36:11 The one thing holding the UK back in fintech innovation 39:37 Lack of urgency around digital payments and stablecoins 45:56 Why big banks keep failing on basic compliance 54:27 Can fintechs survive without being eaten by incumbents? → Follow Founders With Nick: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderswithnick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-with-nick The Notice Club: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FvGUgLQbnSgJciB7yJDqxX → Nick Langridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-langridge/ → Follow Charles: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-mcmanus-/

    57 min

  2. 11 AUG

    Brutal Reasons Why Most Businesses Fail (Avoid These Mistakes)

    Callum Woodcock spent seven years dreaming about starting a company while working at JP Morgan. He had zero investor connections, was searching for a perfect co-founder who didn’t exist, and kept reading entrepreneurship books instead of actually getting started. In this episode of Founders With Nick, Callum reveals how he went from corporate paralysis to building a wine investment platform that’s solving problems the entire industry has ignored for decades, why most wine businesses accidentally become Ponzi schemes, and how his deepest insecurities became the driving force behind his success. 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Building in Barcelona and what this interview aims to uncover 06:24 Bootstrapping versus venture capital and the emotional cost 08:24 Breaking in without a network and the snowball effect of one contact 12:52 Just ask for help and ditch the self-reliance myth 18:12 How Cotri’s backing changed everything for credibility 24:19 The legal structure that lets clients keep their tax perks 25:33 Who WineFi is not for and why that matters 29:04 Deep ownership, identity and how workaholism shows up 35:49 Self-doubt, overthinking and who keeps him grounded 46:55 A real misstep with a post and what he learned from it 51:33 Finding community and levelling up through founder networks → Follow Founders With Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderswithnick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-with-nick → Nick Langridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-langridge/ → Follow Callum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winefi_official/?hl=en WineFi: https://winefi.co/

    59 min

  3. 28 JUL

    EXCLUSIVE: JENKI - The Matcha Brand Taking Over London

    Otto and Claudia Boyer didn't set out to revolutionise London's café scene. What started as evening conversations over dinner became weekend pop-ups, then a bootstrap journey that would take them from making £15 at Brick Lane Market to opening permanent bars across London. In this episode of Founders With Nick, Otto and Claudia Boyer share the unglamorous reality of building from nothing, why they removed their best-selling coffee (and saw sales jump 80%), and how having twins somehow made them more ambitious, not less. 🟣 We cover: ☕ Why their first markets failed, and what this taught them 🏪 The birthday phone call that landed them in Selfridges (completely unplanned) 💰 How bootstrap pressure creates better decisions than VC money 👶 Managing rapid growth while becoming parents to twins 🤝 Working as married cofounders without destroying the relationship 📈 The brutal focus that took them to multiple revenue streams & matcha mastery For anyone building something from scratch, this is an honest look at what it takes to survive the early years, make hard decisions, and grow a business when quitting just isn't an option. 01:00 Building Jenki from scratch with no funding or fanfare 04:38 Early pop-ups, failed markets, and testing the concept 09:01 Designing the first bar to pull customers in 13:37 Creating four revenue streams beyond just the bars 21:26 Navigating conflict and building healthy co-founder dynamics 25:31 Scaling the team and defining new founder roles 31:54 Understanding customer behaviour 34:59 Getting better at saying no and trusting gut instinct 36:25 The bleakest moment after launch and pushing through 40:38 Struggling to feel successful while still chasing growth 42:08 How having twins reshaped their ambition and perspective 48:06 What makes Jenki truly different from the rest → Follow Founders With Nick: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderswithnick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-with-nick → Nick Langridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-langridge/ → Follow Jenki: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenkimatcha/?hl=en Jenki: https://www.jenki.co.uk/

    52 min

  4. 14 JUL

    How I Built a Creative Business From Scratch (With Zero Experience)

    Lucy Baird didn’t leave her job with a clear plan. She left because she knew staying was no longer an option. What followed was the slow, quiet build of Studio LGB, an interior design practice rooted in clarity, trust, and work that speaks for itself. Less than two years in, her studio is already earning attention from the likes of Architectural Digest. In this episode of Founders With Nick, Lucy shares how she navigated those uncertain early months, how she won her first major clients without a portfolio, and what it really takes to go from employee to founder in a saturated industry. 🟣 In this episode, we cover: 🏙️ Starting a design studio with no cofounder, no funding, no backup 📐 The slow, thoughtful way she landed her first big projects 🧠 The mindset shift from employee to creative entrepreneur 💬 Why client relationships are as much psychology as they are design ⚖️ How she’s defining growth on her own terms For anyone thinking of making the leap, or already mid-jump, this is a real look at what it means to create on your own terms. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Leaving your job and sending that important email 06:56 Building a network from scratch in New York 09:46 Debunking misconceptions about interior design 11:49 The brutal truth of project and client management 16:24 How to accurately charge clients for work 17:52 Signature style and what makes work stand out 19:56 Art as the starting point for every room 21:24 Struggling with numbers but learning to let support in 23:59 Facing scepticism and proving yourself in a male-dominated industry 28:31 Hot streaks, dry spells, and faking confidence online 30:58 Advice for anyone stuck in a job they’ve outgrown 33:11 Spaces as a glimpse into people’s personalities 36:09 Old buildings, charm and the soul of a space 37:14 Leaving a legacy through design and function → Follow Founders With Nick: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderswithnick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-with-nick → Nick Langridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-langridge/ LNGR: https://www.lngr.co.uk/ → Follow Lucy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucycurates/ Studio LGB: https://www.studiolgb.com/

    42 min

  5. 29 JUN

    Watch This if You’re Thinking About Quitting Your 9-5 to Start a Business | Alex Marks

    When Alex Marks left her law career, she didn’t have a clear roadmap. Just a small payout, no restaurant experience, and a hunch that something better was on the other side of risk. That hunch became Sushi Counter. 🟣 In the latest episode of Founders With Nick, we’re unpacking how she went from a law firm in Manhattan to running Sushi Counter, an Aussie-style grab-and-go sushi brand now expanding across NYC. We talk through the early chaos, the cost of people-pleasing, and the unexpected advantages of not knowing the rules. → Join us as we unpack: 🍣 Why staying niche gave Sushi Counter its edge 💼 How she walked away from law without a backup plan 🧠 Leading without experience and learning to own the role 📦 The importance of keeping operations scrappy and simple 💬 What most founders get wrong about process and leadership Messy, honest, and full of lessons for anyone building something from scratch. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Leaving law behind to start a sushi business in New York 07:33 Creating a simple spreadsheet to justify taking the leap 10:08 Why sushi and why commit to New York, not Melbourne 13:33 How being a people pleaser complicated early leadership 17:59 Learning on the job and growing into being a boss 22:53 Imposter syndrome and feeling like she got lucky 30:34 Thriving in a scrappy, unstructured environment 32:40 The Aussie-style sushi model and gap in the NYC market 36:10 Why not knowing the rules made the model work better 40:08 The long-term vision of expanding beyond New York 43:43 The one legal thing she wishes she'd done from day one 45:00 Common founder traits and what sets them apart → Follow Founders With Nick: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderswithnick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-with-nick → Nick Langridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-langridge/ LNGR: https://www.lngr.co.uk/ → Follow Alex: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sushicounternyc/?hl=en Sushi Counter: https://sushicounternyc.com/

    46 min

  6. 16 JUN

    How to Build a Profitable Personal Brand in Just 90 Days | Sam Winsbury

    Sam Winsbury, founder of Kurogo, joins the show for a sharp, tactical conversation on building a personal brand that actually drives business, especially on LinkedIn. Forget vanity metrics or recycled advice; this is about creating content that positions you as the go-to in your niche, not just another voice in the feed.Sam's unpacking the systems behind building authority at scale, how founders should approach personal content differently, and why attention without conversion is a waste of time.🟣 In this episode, we’re diving deep into:💡 Why most LinkedIn content fails to build real trust🧠 The psychology behind content that converts🔧 How to systemise your personal brand without sounding robotic📈 Balancing growth, positioning, and monetisation as a founder🛠️ Creating leverage from content that compounds over timeThis is an episode worth tuning into if you’re serious about making your online presence drive real results.Timestamps:00:00 Introductions01:00 Starting a marketing agency straight after graduation04:00 Hustling for freelance gigs and the unexpected power of LinkedIn06:28 Overcoming fear and shame when you start posting online08:32 Insecurity and building conviction as a young founder10:30 Splitting the business into agency and education models14:44 Do you actually need a personal brand to succeed?16:41 The 30-day game plan to build your brand from scratch18:52 What part of Sam still feels unseen despite all the visibility20:00 Why 10% extra effort changes everything26:48 Fear of complacency and being driven by internal standards29:57 Grief, ambition, and the emotion behind building something alone30:41 Founder vs performer, how personal branding blurs the line33:17 Hiring globally and building a high-performing remote team36:00 Growing beyond LinkedIn, adding PR, speaking, and funnels39:21 Why most of LinkedIn content feels cringey and superficial42:14 Image plus text - what actually performs best right now44:27 Sam’s no-BS approach to routines→ Follow Founders With Nick:InstagramLinkedIn→ Nick LangridgeLinkedInLNGR→ Follow Sam:LinkedInInstagramWebsite

    52 min

  7. 1 JUN

    Why a Co-founder Might Just Save Your Startup Business

    Starting a winery in a city with no vineyards is bold—but doing it as a trio of first-time founders takes a different level of trust and tension. In this episode, I’m joined by Ross McLauchlan and Matt Smith—two of the three minds behind The Austin Winery (Cooper in spirit)—to unpack what co-founding really looks like behind the scenes. From blurred roles and creative conflict to growing pains and long-haul alignment, they share how the partnership evolved, what nearly broke it, and what’s kept it strong over a decade of building. It’s a refreshingly honest look at what it takes to build something meaningful without burning out—or burning bridges. 00:00 Introduction 01:00 How wine became their cultural bridge 06:08 Launching Austin's first urban winery 08:42 The hidden challenges of wine production 13:23 Reshaping Texas wine's reputation 16:08 Making wine approachable for everyone 20:13 What they'd do differently now 23:15 Wisdom for aspiring wine entrepreneurs 25:30 Staying passionate after a full decade 27:32 The value in starting small 28:43 Navigating decisions as cofounders 33:04 Inside the winery's team culture 35:18 Finding balance in workplace dynamics 42:11 Breaking down wine business economics 46:06 When politics disrupted their global plans 50:05 The five-year vision ahead 54:23 Stories behind their signature bottles 57:50 Approaching each wine like an album release → Follow Founders With Nick: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderswithnick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-with-nick → Nick Langridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-langridge/ LNGR: https://www.lngr.co.uk/ → Follow Austin Winery: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaustinwinery/?hl=en Austin Winery: https://www.theaustinwinery.com/

    1h 3m

  8. 18 MAY

    Watch This if You're Looking to Quit Your Job & Start a Business

    Founders With Nick is on the move—this week, we're in Austin, TX with Abel Olmos, founder of The Barbashop, to break down the truth behind building a brick-and-mortar brand from scratch. Far beyond clean fades and cool interiors, Abel reveals what it really takes to scale a people-first business in a saturated space. From team dynamics and toxic hires to co-founder trust and learning how to let go, this episode explores the uncomfortable but necessary challenges of early-stage leadership. Whether you're building a barbershop or a startup, the mindset shifts and management lessons here are universal. 00:00 Introduction of Abel Olmos 01:20 Who you must become for business growth 03:50 Finding purpose through early pivots 06:26 The magic of finding your cofounder 10:05 Building safety and reframing failure 13:06 Handling conflict without toxic culture 16:42 Knowing when to walk away 19:14 How culture naturally filters out toxicity 22:38 Bronx roots and adapting to New York 26:47 Breaking free from corporate identity boxes 28:43 Escape plan for corporate workers 35:40 Expanding through hospitality and vision 40:05 Playing your own game, not theirs 44:55 The moment everything had to change 49:23 Creating space for creativity at work 52:00 Being the boss you always needed→ Follow Founders With Nick:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderswithnickLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-with-nick → Nick LangridgeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-langridge/Website: https://www.lngr.co.uk/ → Follow Abel:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abelolmos-pm/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abelolmos/The Barbashop: https://www.thebarba.shop

    56 min
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About

"Founders with Nick" is the podcast for anyone who loves stories of ambition, grit, and disruption. Join Nick as he dives deep with young entrepreneurs redefining their industries, tackling challenges head-on, and sharing what it really takes to build something extraordinary. Whether you're a startup founder, a dreamer, or just curious about the journey behind the hustle, this is where you'll find inspiration, insights, and unfiltered conversations.

Information

  • Creator
    Nick Langridge
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Nick Langridge
  • Show Website
    Founders with Nick