Built Not Born In Business Podcast

Chris and Helen Butler
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Bimonthly

What if the difference between your business thriving and barely surviving isn't more capital, better timing, or a lucky break. Instead it’s the lessons you haven't learned yet from people who've already been exactly where you are? Every episode, we sit down with founders, investors and business leaders who've actually built something. The ones who've risked their own money, made tough calls, navigated failures and created businesses that endure and turnover millions. We talk about the decisions that kept them up at night. The pivots that worked. The mistakes that didn't. The moments when quitting looked easier than continuing. And the strategies, mindset shifts and lessons that made the difference between barely surviving and actually succeeding. If you're building a business, you'll hear stories that validate what you're going through and give you insight you can apply immediately. If you're thinking about starting, you'll get an honest view of what's actually involved and whether it's the right path for you. If you've been doing this a while, you'll find others who understand the pressure you carry and the vision that keeps you going. This is for the people building something meaningful. The ones willing to do what's difficult today for what matters tomorrow. The ones who understand that success comes from consistent execution, smart choices and pushing through when it gets uncomfortable. Built Not Born In Business Podcast. Every episode could save you years of trial and error. Subscribe now.

  1. Jun 5

    The Real Fix For Slow Business Months

    Running two businesses at once sounds like the fastest route to burnout, but it's the single reason our income stopped swinging from feast to famine. For years we lived the same cycle every business owner knows. One brilliant month, then a dead one. Work flooding in, then scrabbling around wondering where the next job was coming from. Everyone tells you to expect peaks and troughs, but nobody tells you what to actually do about them. So in this episode it's just the two of us, no guest, talking honestly about why we run two businesses instead of one, and why it's worked for us when it would be wrong for plenty of other people. We get into how having a second business smooths out the slow months, because when one company is quiet the other tends to be busy, and how that steadies the money coming through the door instead of leaving you at the mercy of one revenue line. We talk about the things people never factor in: how two closely linked businesses let you share a team, share machinery, and keep your staffing consistent across the year instead of frantically hiring and letting go around seasonal peaks. How one brand, one set of colours, and one ideal customer means you market both businesses at once instead of banging two separate drums. And how an existing customer base becomes a springboard the day you launch the second thing, you're not starting from zero, you're starting from "remember me?" We're also honest about who should not do this. A second business is not a badge of effort, and running one is hard enough. We get into why you need doers on your team rather than plodders if you're going to juggle two, and why the personality of the founder matters as much as the numbers. And we admit the bit no one says out loud, that even now, on a rough week, you still find yourself glancing at the job alerts. Running your own business is the hardest self-development there is. It can be lonely. But once you find the other people doing the same thing, it's the best work in the world.

    21 min

  2. May 22

    The Truth About Selling Grenade To Mondelez - Juliet Barratt

    Juliet Barratt co-founded Grenade and sold it to Mondelez, but the exit wasn't the win every founder thinks it is. This is the real story. Most founders building toward an exit picture the same scene: the wire hits, the celebration starts, and life finally rewards the years of grind. Juliet Barratt lived that exact moment in 2021 and what actually happened bears almost no resemblance to the fantasy. In this episode of Built Not Born in Business, Juliet sits down with Chris and Helen to tell the full Grenade story. From a failed teaching career and a chance meeting in a Birmingham bar, to building a sports nutrition brand around a plastic grenade-shaped container that no one knew where to put on a supermarket shelf. From driving a tank down Oxford Street as guerrilla marketing, to landing the protein bar product that turned a niche sports brand into a household name. From bootstrapping with no investment to taking on private equity in 2014, again in 2017, and finally selling to Mondelez in 2021. But the moment the deal closed is where the story gets honest. Juliet describes the lawyer ringing her the Monday morning after the sale to ask whether the money had hit her bank and she hadn't even looked. The sale was never about the money. It was about handing over a business she'd lived, breathed, slept, and built her entire identity around for eleven years. The week leading up to completion was, in her words, horrendous. She compares the due diligence process to someone kicking holes in your baby. And the months afterward forced her to confront something no founder plans for: who you are when the thing you built isn't yours anymore. This is a conversation every founder thinking about an exit needs to hear before they get there. Juliet covers what really matters when choosing investors, why she and her husband co-founded the business without it killing the marriage, why she now turns down most second-business opportunities, and what she wishes someone had told her about life after the sale. It is honest, unfiltered, and the kind of founder story that gets sanitised everywhere else.

    53 min

  3. May 8

    How to Run a Business With Your Partner Without Killing Each Other

    What happens when the hosts of Built Not Born in Business get put in the hot seat on their own show? In this special episode, returning guests Andrew Hulbert (founder of Pareto) and Kim Antoniou (founder of Auris Tech and Fonetti) turn the tables on Chris and Helen, the married couple behind Two Krakens and Thread & Pixel. Honest questions about how two people build two businesses, raise a family and somehow stay married through all of it. Chris and Helen open up about how they met on a drunken night out in Birmingham, the leap from side hustle to full-time entrepreneurship and the real reason they launched a video production company with Netflix-approved cameras. They talk about what frustrates them most in the film and workwear industries with the lack of trust, the "that'll do" mentality and businesses spending money on content that actively damages their brand. But the conversation goes deeper than business. Helen shares the tension between entrepreneurial ambition and mum guilt, leaving work at 2:45 every day for the school run and the resentment that can quietly build when both partners are pulled in different directions. Chris talks about the loneliness of wanting to create something meaningful in film, a documentary built around history and hope and not yet knowing what that story looks like. Andrew and Kim push them on what success really means, and the answer surprises even Chris and Helen. It's no longer about being the biggest. It's about being the best at what they do, protecting the life they've built and making film that makes people feel something. If you've ever worked with your partner, juggled parenting with entrepreneurship, or wondered what goes on behind the cameras at a podcast studio, this is the episode.

    58 min

  4. Apr 24

    The Newsreader Who Learned Trust Under Pressure Arti Halai

    What happens when someone spends fifteen years in live television, reporting on 9/11 as it unfolded, delivering the news of Princess Diana's death, navigating pressure cooker newsrooms at the BBC and ITV and then walks into the world of business? Arti Halai didn't just change careers. She carried something with her that most entrepreneurs spend years trying to build: the ability to earn trust from total strangers in seconds. In this episode of Built Not Born In Business Podcast, Chris and Helen sit down with the former BBC and ITV Central News presenter turned business communication expert, author and speaker who has co-founded and exited three companies. Arti opens up about what really goes on behind the newsroom desk when devastating global events hit, why the most powerful communication tool isn't your words. It's your pause. And the childhood roots that quietly shape who we become as leaders. From her unconventional CV that looked like a magazine to building a testimonial-led reputation in a crowded market, Arti shares her philosophy on trust, preparation and why reading children's storybooks out loud might be the single best thing you can do for your business presence. Chris and Helen dig into their own experience of handling mistakes head-on, the underrated power of psychological safety in teams and why the word "entrepreneur" might be the most overused title in business today. Arti delivers a masterclass in communication, presence and leadership that will challenge how you think about everything from team culture to public speaking. This is a conversation packed with hard-won wisdom from someone who has delivered news to millions, built and exited businesses, studied happiness at Harvard and still believes the most important thing in business is deceptively simple: say what you mean and mean what you say. Whether you run a team of two or two hundred, this episode will change how you communicate, how you lead and how you think about the trust your business is really built on. Watch now. Subscribe to Mr & Mrs In Business so you never miss an episode.

    1 hr

  5. Apr 10

    The Real Truth About Business Success (Lessons From Top Founders)

    In this episode of Built Not Born in Business, Chris and Helen reflect on one of their most powerful interviews yet with Stuart Trevor, founder of AllSaints, along with lessons from other successful founders they’ve spoken to on the podcast. This is not just about one story. It is about the patterns that keep showing up across every successful entrepreneur they have interviewed. From the reality of taking investment, to the pressure of growth, to the importance of staying true to yourself, this episode breaks down what actually matters when building a business. They discuss the risks that come with outside investment, why funding is not always the answer and how many founders end up losing control of the very thing they built. They also share their own experiences building a business, including the highs, the quiet periods and the moments of doubt that no one talks about. A key theme throughout the conversation is persistence. The idea that success is not one big moment, but the result of doing the right things over and over again, even when it feels like nothing is working. This episode is for anyone building a business, feeling stuck, or questioning whether they are on the right path. Watch now to hear the lessons that keep coming up from real founders who have been through it. Subscribe for more honest conversations with business owners and entrepreneurs.

    32 min

  6. Mar 27

    The Founder of All Saints Reveals the Truth About the Fashion Industry | Stuart Trevor

    In this episode of Built Not Born In Business, we sit down with Stuart Trevor, the founder of global fashion brand AllSaints to talk about what it really takes to build an iconic brand and why the fashion industry needs to change. Stuart is responsible for creating one of the most recognisable fashion brands in the world. But after decades inside the industry, he’s now speaking openly about the uncomfortable truth behind how fashion operates. From overproduction and waste to the broken economics of fast fashion, Stuart explains why the traditional clothing model simply isn’t sustainable and what needs to happen next. We discuss: • The real story behind founding AllSaints and building it into a global brand• What Stuart learned working at Reiss for a decade• Why the fashion industry produces far more clothing than people will ever buy• The hidden waste problem behind modern fashion• Why sustainability must now sit at the centre of every fashion business• How Stuart Trevor Collection is trying to reshape the industry This is an honest conversation about creativity, entrepreneurship and the responsibility that comes with building global brands. If you’re an entrepreneur, founder or creative building something of your own, this episode offers a rare insight into the mindset of someone who has built one of the most recognisable fashion brands in the world. Built Not Born In Business is a podcast that explores the real journeys behind successful businesses with honest conversations about what it takes to build something meaningful. Because success isn’t born.It’s built.

    1h 16m

  7. Mar 13

    Real Lessons From Millionaire Entrepreneurs Most People Ignore

    Running a business is often romanticised online, but the reality is very different. In this episode of the Built Not Born in Business podcast, Chris and Helen reflect on the biggest lessons they have learned from interviewing successful founders, including entrepreneurs behind major brands, technology companies and high growth businesses. They discuss the real challenges business owners face behind the scenes, why solving genuine problems is the foundation of successful companies, and how hiring people who are better than you can completely transform a business. The conversation also explores the “two way door” decision framework used by companies like Amazon, the power of learning from people further ahead in their journey, and why podcasting may become one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses in the coming years. If you run a business, want to start one, or are interested in how successful founders actually think, this episode shares honest insights that most people only learn the hard way. In this episode: • Why many businesses start backwards and how to fix it• The real emotional reality of running a company• Why successful founders hire people smarter than them• What “standing on the shoulders of giants” really means• The decision making framework that prevents costly mistakes• Why podcasting could be a huge opportunity for businesses Watch the full conversation and learn what building a real business actually looks like behind the scenes.

    38 min

  8. Feb 27

    She Built the Technology That Didn’t Exist (Because Waiting Wasn’t an Option)

    She shut down her business. Lost a major client. Closed the office. Thought she was done with entrepreneurship. Then one conversation changed everything. In this episode, Kim Antoniou shares how personal tragedy, business collapse and relentless belief led her to build two mission-driven tech companies, including Fonetti, a platform transforming reading confidence for children across the UK. We talk about: - Losing everything and starting again - Why most founders underestimate “how bloody hard it is” - Building technology that didn’t exist yet - Collecting voice data across the UK to train AI - Landing Amazon partnerships - Why autonomy is the most underrated skill in leadership - And what it really feels like when children’s lives change because of your product This is about  grit, instinct, trust and building something that genuinely changes lives. If you’re building something meaningful, this conversation will stay with you.

    1h 10m
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What if the difference between your business thriving and barely surviving isn't more capital, better timing, or a lucky break. Instead it’s the lessons you haven't learned yet from people who've already been exactly where you are? Every episode, we sit down with founders, investors and business leaders who've actually built something. The ones who've risked their own money, made tough calls, navigated failures and created businesses that endure and turnover millions. We talk about the decisions that kept them up at night. The pivots that worked. The mistakes that didn't. The moments when quitting looked easier than continuing. And the strategies, mindset shifts and lessons that made the difference between barely surviving and actually succeeding. If you're building a business, you'll hear stories that validate what you're going through and give you insight you can apply immediately. If you're thinking about starting, you'll get an honest view of what's actually involved and whether it's the right path for you. If you've been doing this a while, you'll find others who understand the pressure you carry and the vision that keeps you going. This is for the people building something meaningful. The ones willing to do what's difficult today for what matters tomorrow. The ones who understand that success comes from consistent execution, smart choices and pushing through when it gets uncomfortable. Built Not Born In Business Podcast. Every episode could save you years of trial and error. Subscribe now.

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