Taking Care of Business

Stephanie Anais

Conversations with senior operators, founders, and decision-makers on navigating growth, complexity, and high-stakes commercial environments. Episodes explore decision-making under pressure, scaling and operational challenges, leadership, and defining career moments.

  1. 4d ago

    Building a Property Investment Company, Wealth, Freedom and Security with James Gerrard

    James Gerrard is the founder of The Drawbridge Investment Partners, a UK property investment firm with over £100 million in AUM and on track to reach £1 billion by 2030. In this episode, we explore how James assesses investments, what makes a competent investor, what investors often overlook, the UK property market and why he looks for businesses operating within major macroeconomic shifts. We also discuss mentorship, the importance of knowing what you want from life, applying your life aspirations to your business aspirations, how to accumulate the knowledge you need to succeed, and positioning yourself in the strongest streams of opportunity. The full conversation covers: • Why you should decide what you want from life before deciding what business or career to pursue • The “knowledge gap” between where you are and where you want to be• How to find mentors and position yourself closer to opportunity • What James looks for before investing in a business or property • Why investors should never fall in love with an investment • The difference between an investor and capital allocator• How macroeconomic trends and money supply influence investment decisions • Why James is increasingly focused on low- to medium-income housing • The importance of consistency, systems and simplifying your life • What it means to move higher up the value chain - and ultimately make your capital and time work for you A conversation about wealth, judgement, opportunity and designing a life around the things that matter most. If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more interviews with founders, CEOs, investors and business leaders sharing practical insights on leadership, growth and decision-making. Taking Care of Business is a podcast exploring leadership, entrepreneurship and the decisions behind building exceptional businesses through conversations with founders, CEOs and industry leaders. Connect with Stephanie: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube Episode also available on: Apple Podcasts | YouTube⁠

  2. Jul 19

    How Great Leaders Build High-Growth Businesses | Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade, Board Member at Monzo and Just Eat, and One of Uber's Earliest Leaders

    In this episode of Taking Care of Business, Stephanie sits down with Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade, board member at Monzo and Just Eat, former Head of Uber and Uber Eats across EMEA, and former Partner at Omers Ventures. Drawing on decades of experience building and advising high-growth technology businesses, Jambu shares the leadership principles that have shaped his career—from scaling marketplaces and building trust to hiring exceptional teams, navigating AI, effective governance and leading through ambiguity. Jambu explains: Why great leaders are comfortable with ambiguityHow trust creates stronger marketplace businessesThe biggest mistakes companies make when scalingAI and the future of marketplacesWhat great boards do differentlyHow to hire people who perform, not just interview wellThe habits that help leaders stay connected to their teams and customersWhat "taking care of business" really means If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more interviews with founders, CEOs, investors and business leaders sharing practical insights on leadership, growth and decision-making. Taking Care of Business is a podcast exploring leadership, entrepreneurship and the decisions behind building exceptional businesses through conversations with founders, CEOs and industry leaders. Connect with Stephanie: ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | Instagram Episode also available on: YouTube | Apple Podcasts

  3. Feb 22

    What High-Performing Lawyers and Finance Professionals Get Wrong About Leadership

    In this episode, we examine what leadership growth actually demands in high-performing legal and financial environments - from confidence and enterprise thinking to the career risks of maternity leave and overreliance on AI. Guest, Emma Spitz, is an experienced executive coach and former HR and L&D specialist with a background in financial services. She supports leaders and high-potential professionals through career transitions and leadership growth, combining empathy and challenge to build confidence, clarity, and sustainable performance. A pioneer in parental transition coaching, she continues to champion inclusive, human-centered leadership development. Topics Why “reinventing yourself” is often harder than joining a new organisation when professionals step into more senior roles internally What confidence actually means in a professional setting — and why is it so often misunderstood in feedback. What shifts first when someone moves from individual contributor to leader in law or finance. The mindset shift that lawyers resist most when stepping into leadership. What breaks down in organisations when leaders avoid career conversations during maternity leave. What “benevolent bias” is and how it quietly derail progression. The things that exceptional leaders aren't doing in high-pressure environments. The reason junior professionals are at risk of outsourcing too much thinking to AI.

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Conversations with senior operators, founders, and decision-makers on navigating growth, complexity, and high-stakes commercial environments. Episodes explore decision-making under pressure, scaling and operational challenges, leadership, and defining career moments.