5H AGO

Episode #576 - ScaleUp Short - Two Founders. Two Paths. One Scaling Truth

The Art of Sales, Self-Awareness and Scaling Featuring Dr Muddassir Ahmed (SCM DOJO) and Rachael Jackson (WIBN Birmingham) Produced with the aid of AI In this episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt reflect on two powerful – and very different – scaling journeys. On one side, Dr Muddassir Ahmed, founder of SCM DOJO, who built a global AI-enabled learning platform from scratch. On the other, Rachael Jackson, who chose a franchise route with WIBN Birmingham to create structure, community and flexibility – while building her passion project, Array of Light. Two contrasting models. One shared truth: scaling demands self-awareness, discipline and resilience. Sales Is Not Optional Muddassir learned a hard lesson early: You can outsource HR. You can outsource accounting. You can outsource marketing. But you cannot outsource sales as a founder. Despite being highly technical and data-driven, he had to personally master enterprise sales – including sending 72 emails over 18 months to land a major global brand. The takeaway? Polite persistence wins. Enterprise sales cycles are long. And founders must own the conversation. Cash Flow Is Reality Rachael's scaling journey exposed a different challenge. Moving from corporate retail into a franchise networking model meant adjusting to the unpredictability of SME payments. Her response? Save upfront Take no salary for 12 months Prioritise reinvestment and resilience It is a disciplined approach that many founders underestimate. Self-Awareness as a Strategic Advantage Rachael openly discussed being diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD traits in adulthood. Instead of seeing this as a weakness, she built systems around it: Time-blocked email checking Turning off notifications Choosing tools designed for dyslexic thinkers Delegating dense information into top-line bullet points Self-awareness became a scaling tool. Meanwhile, Muddassir applies "lean accountability" and daily stand-ups to manage a global team across time zones, backed by documented SOPs. Different personalities. Same principle: structure enables scale. AI – Tool or Transformation? Muddassir is building agentic AI into SCM DOJO – not just generative AI that writes text, but AI agents that: Plan Analyse Execute workflows Run forecasting models Evaluate supplier responses Yet even with advanced AI, he still had to build human relationships the hard way. AI enhances. It does not replace resilience. Two Definitions of Success Muddassir wants SCM DOJO to become the industry standard for supply chain learning. Rachael defines success as happiness, impact and helping women grow in confidence. Different ambitions. Both completely valid. The One Key Thing Scaling is not about copying someone else's model. It is about knowing yourself, managing your cash carefully, building repeatable systems, and staying resilient long enough to win. Quick Heads-Up If you want more structure and accountability in your own ScaleUp journey, explore Smart90 – our proven 90-day execution system. And if you'd like to stay focused and actually deliver each week, try our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite. It's free while we're testing it – just email kevin@smart90.co.uk for access.

12 min

2D AGO

Episode #575 - Scaling B2B With AI, Content, and Persistence – With Dr. Muddassir Ahmed

On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Dr. Muddassir Ahmed, the founder of SCMDOJO, a platform revolutionising access to supply chain training and consultancy. From launching a $99/month subscription model to developing a proprietary AI consultant set to launch in March, Dr. Ahmed shares how he's turning SCMDOJO from a content platform into a cutting-edge supply chain technology business. Highlights Business Model Mastery: SCMDOJO began with low-ticket courses and evolved into a hybrid model blending community, content, and consultancy. AI Leap: SCMDOJO Sensei is an AI agent trained on proprietary content to analyse problems, deliver expert advice, and even automate sourcing. Sales Wisdom: Dr. Ahmed closed a deal with LVMH after 72 emails over 1.5 years; proof that persistence pays. Remote Execution vs Creativity: While the team excels operationally, fostering innovation in a lean, remote setup remains the next hurdle. Quick heads-up; we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals; in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. 👉 Get access by emailing: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Muddassir. Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin You can get in touch with Kevin here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up. More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/ Muddassir can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muddassirism/ https://www.scmdojo.com/ Resources: https://claude.ai/login https://gemini.google.com/ https://grok.com/ https://notebooklm.google/

55 min

4D AGO

Episode #574 - Neurodiversity, Franchising & Relentless Focus – with Rachael Jackson

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent sits down with Rachael Jackson, a dynamic entrepreneur who has turned personal challenges into entrepreneurial strengths. From launching her business through a franchise model to reframing dyslexia as a leadership asset, Rachael's story is all about strategic thinking and relentless focus. Key Highlights Franchise as a Strategic Launchpad: Rachael chose a WIBN franchise to de-risk her startup journey, gaining crucial business experience and a peer network before launching her dream venture. Relentless Focus = Results: She became Franchisee of the Year by intentionally managing her time, prioritising member value, and building financial resilience through reinvestment. Neurodiversity as Strength: Diagnosed with dyslexia at 30, she harnessed it as a leadership superpower—mastering delegation, systems, and people management. Tech for Inclusion: She uses a dyslexia-friendly CRM (POP) to boost productivity and sidestep complexity. The one key thing: A franchise can be more than a business – it can be a confidence-building launchpad for your bigger vision. Quick heads-up; we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals; in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. Get access by emailing kevin@biz-smart.co.uk. Don't forget to subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us for new episodes every week. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Rachael. Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin You can get in touch with Kevin here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk Kevin's Book Is Here! Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up. More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/ Rachael can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-jackson-507608304/ https://arayoflight.co.uk/ https://wibn.co.uk/page/Rachael_Jackson

42 min

FEB 13

Episode #573 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts: The Pivot Point: Moving from Busy to Impactful

This week on ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin and Louise unpack two fascinating recent conversations, one with Samantha Thurlow of In Collaboration, and one with Graeme Tennick of Tennick Accountants. Different sectors. Same pivotal moment. Both guests hit a point where "business as usual" stopped working, and had to rethink structure, mindset, and action to move forward. 🔎 What We Cover 1️⃣ The Associate Trap Samantha built her agency on a flexible associate model. It worked, until it didn't. Growth meant more work… but not more profit. Flexibility became a ceiling. Her pivot? Moving towards an employee model to build stability, culture, and long-term asset value. Lesson: Convenience can quietly cap your growth. 2️⃣ Strategy Over Volume Samantha also shared a key observation about marketing. AI-generated content is everywhere. But engagement is dropping when there's no strategy behind it. More posts ≠ better marketing. Clear positioning and thinking wins. 3️⃣ The Real Reason Businesses Don't Scale When Kevin asked Graeme the biggest barrier to growth, his answer wasn't cash flow. It was procrastination. We are drowning in knowledge but starved of action. His advice is simple: Identify the biggest challenge in front of you, then take one immediate action to move it forward. One action is progress. 4️⃣ 10x Requires Reinvention Graeme referenced 10x Is Easier Than 2x, the idea that small growth can come from working harder, but exponential growth requires fundamentally changing how you operate. You cannot 10x with yesterday's structure. 🎯 The One Key Thing If you feel stuck, don't just push harder. Change the structure or behaviour that's holding you back. 🎧 Want More? To hear Samantha's full transition story and Graeme's Client Impact Tree framework in detail, listen to their full episodes of ScaleUp Radio. Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. This episode was created using AI

9 min

FEB 11

Episode #572 - From Virtual Assistant to Strategic Agency: Evolving for Growth - with Samantha Thurlow

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Samantha Thurlow, founder of In Collaboration, a business support agency that's grown from offering virtual assistant services to delivering full-service strategy, admin, and marketing. As her business evolves into a two-brand model, with the launch of Creative Bean Studios, Sam shares how she's adapting to market shifts, overcoming growing pains, and preparing for the next stage of her scaleup journey. Key Takeaways Pivoting the Business Model: Sam transitioned In Collaboration from a flexible associate model to a hybrid employed team, following clear advice from her accountant. This shift was vital to improving profitability and enabling scale. New Brand, Same Vision: The launch of Creative Bean Studios allows her to expand specialist marketing services while focusing In Collaboration on strategic support for clients. Strategy Over Service: Clients are moving away from generic VA tasks to valuing strategic insight, SEO, branding, and business positioning are now in high demand. The Power of Vulnerability: Sam's standout message? Being open about challenges attracts support and builds trust, both in business relationships and team culture. AI Done Right: AI isn't a silver bullet, real results come when it's used as a tool by experienced humans, not a content factory. The One Key Thing Building a scalable business model sometimes means letting go of what's worked in the past. For Sam, it was moving beyond the associate model to unlock long-term sustainability and growth. Quick heads-up, we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing kevin@biz-smart.co.uk. Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow? For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Sam. Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin You can get in touch with Kevin here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk Kevin's Latest Book Is Available! Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up. More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/ Samantha can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthathurlow/ https://www.instagram.com/incollaboration/ https://www.facebook.com/InCollaborationAgency https://incollaboration.co.uk/ Resources: Blockworks - https://blockworks.co/ Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/atomic-habits-the-life-changing-million-copy-1-bestseller-james-clear/2458373?ean=9781847941831&next=t Dear Female Founder by Lu Li - https://amzn.eu/d/0ikvYiaG Brene Brown - https://brenebrown.com/ Asana - https://asana.com/

54 min

FEB 9

Episode #571 - ScaleUp Club - Dr. Serge Santos on Letting Go, Building Legacy, and Leading with Purpose

This episode of ScaleUp Radio is part of our Scale-Up Club spotlight series – a special format where we welcome back a previous guest to go deeper in a live Q&A session with our Scale-Up Club members. This time, we shine the spotlight on Dr. Serge Santos, also known as The Business Physicist – and for good reason. Serge brings a rare blend of financial acumen, physics-trained problem solving, and a deep passion for business legacy. From being made redundant in 2013 to raising £700 million and running three growing businesses under his Bedrock Enterprises group, Serge speaks with refreshing honesty about the real challenges of scaling – and the mindset shifts required to succeed. This engaging Q&A covers wide-ranging questions from the audience, including: How Serge transitioned from founder to multi-business leader His approach to building empowered leadership teams Why culture is the bedrock – and how to enforce a "no d******d policy" Letting go of control, and why founders often become their own bottleneck Balancing long-term investment with short-term performance His thought process for setting strategic direction across multiple businesses And why legacy matters more than ego Expect practical advice, candid reflections, and a healthy dose of inspiration. The standout message? "You can't build legacy if the business is still about you. Step back, empower others, and invest in a culture that can thrive without you." The one key thing you'll take away? If you want to scale, you have to learn to let go – and build a team and culture that doesn't rely on you. Quick heads-up, we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full Q&A session with Serge. Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin You can get in touch with Kevin here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk Kevin's Latest Book Is Available! Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up. More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/ Serge can be found here: serge.santos@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/santosserge/

24 min

FEB 6

Episode #570 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts – The Veteran vs The Challenger: Value, Grit & the Art of Scaling

In this punchy episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, hosts Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt unpack the sharpest lessons from two remarkably different guests – and the surprising connections between them. On one side: 🧠 Andrew Bloch; seasoned PR expert, co-founder of Frank PR, and now high-level "fixer" and M&A advisor. On the other: 🚀 Claudiu Cogalniceanu; scrappy startup founder of Sentrya, fighting phishing with tech while driving Uber to fund his dream. Despite being at opposite ends of the business spectrum, their journeys share deep truths about scaling, resilience, and self-awareness. 🔑 What You'll Learn: 💸 Why charging for value, not time, unlocks revenue and sanity 🚫 How saying "no" can be your most powerful growth strategy 🧪 Why building fast and testing early beats perfection every time 📣 The 70/30 rule: why marketing must outweigh product dev in a startup 🧠 How continuous learning fuels both founders; from ChatGPT to Python 💥 Standout Quote: "Marketing needs to be 70% of your focus, not 30%. You can build the best product, but if no one knows it exists, it doesn't matter." 🎯 The One Key Thing: No matter where you are on your scaleup journey; early grind or post-exit; understanding your value and protecting your time is everything. 🧠 Want to sharpen your own execution? Quick heads-up; we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals; in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. 👉 Get access by emailing kevin@biz-smart.co.uk 🎙️ Don't miss the full interviews with Andrew and Claudiu on ScaleUp Radio. Find them wherever you get your podcasts.

9 min

FEB 4

Episode #569 - Turning Procrastination Into Progress – How Graeme Tennick Is Reimagining Accountancy Through Impact, Habits and Accountability

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Graeme Tennick, the founder of Tennick Accountants – a firm that's challenging the traditional view of accountants as compliance providers by driving real strategic impact for clients and the wider community. Graeme shares how his firm has rooted itself in a compelling mission: to make lives better – for their team, their clients, and even the world. And this isn't just a tagline. From the way they set goals with clients to how they measure internal performance and reward behaviour, it's clear that purpose drives everything they do. We explore how Graeme is tackling one of the biggest scaleup blockers – procrastination – by introducing frameworks for action and accountability, both for himself and his clients. There's plenty to take away from this episode about habit formation, purpose-driven strategy, and creating a values-led team culture. Quick heads-up, we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing kevin@biz-smart.co.uk. Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Graeme. Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin You can get in touch with Kevin here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk Kevin's Latest Book Is Available! Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up. More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/ Graeme can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graeme-tennick-xero-expert-virtual-finance-director/ graeme@tennick.co.uk Resources: The Flight Of The Buffalo by James Belasco - https://www.waterstones.com/book/flight-of-the-buffalo/james-belasco/ralph-c-stayer/9780446670081 10 X is easier than 2 X by Dan Sullivan - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/10x-is-easier-than-2x-how-world-class-entrepreneurs-achieve-more-by-doing-less-dan-sullivan/7411822?ean=9781401969950&next=t

54 min

ScaleUp Radio

Episode #576 - ScaleUp Short - Two Founders. Two Paths. One Scaling Truth

Episode #575 - Scaling B2B With AI, Content, and Persistence – With Dr. Muddassir Ahmed

Episode #574 - Neurodiversity, Franchising & Relentless Focus – with Rachael Jackson

Episode #573 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts: The Pivot Point: Moving from Busy to Impactful

Episode #572 - From Virtual Assistant to Strategic Agency: Evolving for Growth - with Samantha Thurlow

Episode #571 - ScaleUp Club - Dr. Serge Santos on Letting Go, Building Legacy, and Leading with Purpose

Episode #570 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts – The Veteran vs The Challenger: Value, Grit & the Art of Scaling

Episode #569 - Turning Procrastination Into Progress – How Graeme Tennick Is Reimagining Accountancy Through Impact, Habits and Accountability

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ScaleUp Radio

Episodes

Episode #576 - ScaleUp Short - Two Founders. Two Paths. One Scaling Truth

Episode #575 - Scaling B2B With AI, Content, and Persistence – With Dr. Muddassir Ahmed

Episode #574 - Neurodiversity, Franchising & Relentless Focus – with Rachael Jackson

Episode #573 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts: The Pivot Point: Moving from Busy to Impactful

Episode #572 - From Virtual Assistant to Strategic Agency: Evolving for Growth - with Samantha Thurlow

Episode #571 - ScaleUp Club - Dr. Serge Santos on Letting Go, Building Legacy, and Leading with Purpose

Episode #570 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts – The Veteran vs The Challenger: Value, Grit & the Art of Scaling

Episode #569 - Turning Procrastination Into Progress – How Graeme Tennick Is Reimagining Accountancy Through Impact, Habits and Accountability

About

Information

More From MonkeyPants Productions