Screw It Just DO It with Alex Chisnall

Alex Chisnall
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For those who decided to Screw It... and Just DID It. Ranked #1 in Apple Podcasts. Top 1% globally. 5M+ downloads Real stories from founders who took the leap. Hosted by Alex Chisnall. Learn how today’s top entrepreneurs started, scaled, & stayed true to their vision. Official podcast of the Festival of Entrepreneurs: https://www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk Twice Weekly Show every Tuesday & Thursday. If you enjoyed listening, please rate my show. And if you're really generous with your time, please also leave a review so I can help more entrepreneurs.

  1. The Nike Story That Changed Everything for Andy Mooney

    4 天前

    The Nike Story That Changed Everything for Andy Mooney

    When Andy Mooney joined Nike at just 25, he was meant to stay behind the numbers. But within months, he realised real business success came from understanding people, not spreadsheets. In this Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It episode, Andy shares how a risky decision early in his career changed everything. He stepped outside his comfort zone, bet on consumer insights rather than corporate caution, and ended up transforming Nike’s marketing direction. That move not only defined his leadership style but also set the stage for a remarkable career spanning Disney, Quiksilver, and now Fender Musical Instruments. This is a story about trusting your gut, asking questions no one else will, and being willing to take a leap when opportunity knocks. Key Takeaways Risk can redefine your career. Andy’s transition from finance to marketing shows the power of bold decisions. Learn from the customer, not the boardroom. The best ideas often come from the people using your product. Curiosity beats experience. Andy’s willingness to ask unconventional questions led to career-changing opportunities. Back yourself. Sometimes, one confident decision can shape the rest of your professional life. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.   Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.   👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!   #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    12 分鐘
  2. What It Takes to Build and Sell a Business Before 40 with Andrew Hulbert

    6 天前

    What It Takes to Build and Sell a Business Before 40 with Andrew Hulbert

    My guest this week is Andrew Hulbert, founder of Pareto FM, who started his business from his bedroom at 27 with no name, network, or funding and grew it to a £42 million turnover before exiting less than a decade later. Andrew’s story is one of calculated risk, relentless focus, and smart scaling. From landing his first £200,000 contract with the Bulgari Hotel to winning major clients like Twitter, ASOS, and Deliveroo, his approach to business growth was simple: do what big companies get wrong, and do it exceptionally well. In this episode, we discuss the realities of starting from zero, why being “too small” can become your biggest advantage, and how creating sweet equity helped him retain every senior hire across nine years. Andrew also shares what life looks like post-exit. Family, friends, and purpose and what it truly takes to let go without losing identity. If you’re at the stage where you’re thinking of starting, scaling, or selling, this conversation will help you think more strategically about risk, people, and purpose. Key Takeaways: Start with One Win: Focus on getting your first deal, not the perfect business plan. Momentum starts with movement. People Are Everything: Hire for motivation, not CVs. Pareto’s 17 senior leaders stayed through to exit because they shared the vision and had skin in the game. Be Willing to Bet on Growth: Andrew’s decision to reinvest £1 million into overheads helped double the company’s value in two years. Know When to Step Back: The biggest challenge isn’t starting, it’s letting go. Learning to trust others is what takes a founder from operator to leader. Redefine Success After Exit: Freedom doesn’t come from a payout, it comes from presence—being there for family, friends, and yourself. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.   Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.   Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.   👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!   #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    7 分鐘
  3. How Tom Gozney Ended Up Installing a Pizza Oven for Richard Branson

    10月30日

    How Tom Gozney Ended Up Installing a Pizza Oven for Richard Branson

    Sometimes the right opportunity doesn’t come knocking, you have to send the email. In this Bite-sized episode, I speak with Tom Gozney, founder of Gozney, about the moment that took his business from a small British startup to global recognition. After entering Virgin’s Pitch to Rich competition, Tom didn’t win but he did get something far more valuable: a personal email from Sir Richard Branson. What happened next was surreal. Tom replied boldly, saying Necker Island needed a Gozney oven. Weeks later, he found himself flying out to the Caribbean to install one of his ovens on Turtle Beach. He worked in the heat, wrote his wedding speech on the sand, and realised he’d built something extraordinary from his garden project. This story captures the heart of entrepreneurship: resilience, timing, and the confidence to reach out when others might hesitate. Key Takeaways Create your own luck. Tom’s story shows how initiative opens doors that awards can’t. Be bold with opportunity. One brave message led to a career-defining collaboration. Hard work pays off—literally. Installing ovens in Caribbean heat was proof that commitment builds credibility. Success often feels surreal. From home projects to Necker Island, progress often comes quietly until you look back. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.   Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.   Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.   👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!   #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    12 分鐘
  4. Scaling a Business Without Compromising Values with LUSH's Rowena Bird

    10月28日

    Scaling a Business Without Compromising Values with LUSH's Rowena Bird

    What does it take to build one of the world’s most loved ethical brands without losing your principles? In this episode, I sit down with Rowena Bird, co-founder of Lush, to talk about the 30-year journey of growing from a small shop in Poole to a global retail brand with over 900 stores worldwide. Rowena shares how Lush has managed to scale without outside investors, why they’ve never compromised on values, and what it really takes to stay true to your ethics in business. From selling stock at car boot sales to opening flagship stores on Oxford Street and donating over £100 million to grassroots charities, Rowena’s story is proof that a business can thrive by doing good. We discuss the lessons she’s learned about scaling slowly, building a family-run business, and choosing people and partnerships based on trust rather than profit. She also opens up about Lush’s bold decision to leave social media, their commitment to fair trade and cruelty-free products, and how innovation continues to shape their future with concepts like Lush Hair Labs and safe hair dyes. This episode is a must-listen for founders, ethical entrepreneurs, and anyone questioning whether you can stay true to your principles and still build something big. Key Takeaways Grow with control. Scale step-by-step so you always understand your business before expanding. Hold your values firm. Never trade ethics for margin. Protect your principles, even when it costs more. Choose people over profit. Work with partners you like and trust. Strong relationships sustain a business. Stay innovative. Keep experimenting with products and experiences that align with your mission. Make impact part of business. Lush has donated £100 million to grassroots charities while remaining profitable. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.   Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.   Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.   👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!   #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    42 分鐘
  5. How Dan Murray-Serter Turned Burnout Into a £Multi-Million Health Brand

    10月23日

    How Dan Murray-Serter Turned Burnout Into a £Multi-Million Health Brand

    What happens when success leaves you feeling empty? In this Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It episode, I revisit my conversation with Dan Murray-Serter, co-founder of Heights and host of Secret Leaders. Dan shares the exact moment he realised his business, Gravel, was winning awards but draining his purpose. Rather than chase growth for the sake of it, Dan and his co-founder made a bold call, to shut the company down, return investor money, and start from zero. Out of that decision came Heights, a brain-care brand built on science, transparency, and genuine wellbeing. This short episode is about the courage to stop, reassess, and rebuild with intention. It’s a must-listen for founders feeling stuck, burned out, or questioning their direction. Key Takeaways Burnout can be a signal, not a setback. When your work drains you, it’s often a sign to change direction. Success without purpose feels empty. Dan learned that achievements mean little without alignment to your values. Resetting isn’t failure. Ending a company can open space for something far stronger. Build around authenticity. Heights grew from being transparent, not perfect. Courage comes from clarity. Once Dan recognised what felt wrong, the decision to start again became obvious. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.   🔥 Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs at the NEC Birmingham. What an incredible two days of ideas, connections, and real business insights. If you missed it, stay tuned, we’ll be sharing highlights and conversations from the event on the podcast.   Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.   Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.   👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!   #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    12 分鐘
  6. How DIRTEA Went Viral: Community, Content and Culture with Andrew Salter

    10月21日

    How DIRTEA Went Viral: Community, Content and Culture with Andrew Salter

    When the world shut down in 2020, most entrepreneurs hit pause. Andrew Salter hit “go.” In this episode, I speak with Andrew, Co-founder and CMO of DIRTEA, the UK-based functional mushroom brand that’s grown into a global wellness movement. What started as a pivot during the pandemic has become one of the fastest-growing lifestyle brands in health and wellness. Andrew and his brother Simon launched DIRTEA from a personal need to improve focus, recovery and energy, and turned it into a viral brand trusted by athletes, creatives and wellness enthusiasts. From their Selfridges mushroom bar activation to their viral social content, DIRTEA has built a loyal following by combining science, storytelling and community. We talk about the lessons learned from building a brand during a crisis, how to make a niche product mainstream, and the balance between boldness and belief in entrepreneurship. Andrew also shares his honest take on scaling a business, why hiring is the hardest part of growth, and how the US market represents the next big chapter for DIRTEA. If you’re building a product-led business or a brand that challenges convention, this conversation is packed with insights on how to educate a market, create a movement, and lead with purpose. Key Takeaways: Go all in when the moment feels right. Andrew’s “screw it, just do it” moment came when the pandemic hit—he doubled down instead of pulling back. Education drives adoption. DIRTEA’s early success came from demystifying functional mushrooms through social content and real-world experiences. Viral growth is built on authenticity. Their personal story and design-led approach made the brand relatable, human and shareable. Quality builds longevity. Obsession with sourcing, taste and efficacy kept customers coming back. Community over campaigns. DIRTEA’s success came from showing up in person, building a movement and empowering advocates. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.   🔥 Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs at the NEC Birmingham. What an incredible two days of ideas, connections, and real business insights. If you missed it, stay tuned, we’ll be sharing highlights and conversations from the event on the podcast.   Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.   Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.   👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!   #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    49 分鐘
  7. How Bulk Built a £100m Business with No Investment

    10月16日

    How Bulk Built a £100m Business with No Investment

    In this Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It episode, I sit down with Adam Rossiter and Elliot Dawes, co-founders of Bulk, one of the UK’s biggest sports and active nutrition brands. What started as two university friends buying supplements from the US turned into a £100 million company built without a single penny of outside investment. Adam and Elliot share how they started with £3,000 on a credit card, packed their own boxes, handled customer service themselves, and slowly built traction through word of mouth and online forums. They talk about the point when they realised they had to grow beyond being two founders doing everything, and how one competitor’s sale changed their mindset about scaling. This segment is a raw and honest look at the early grind of building a business and how discipline, persistence, and belief turned a side hustle into one of the leading names in nutrition. Key Takeaways: How £3,000 in credit card debt became the foundation for a multimillion-pound brand. Why doing every role in your business teaches lessons no MBA can. How to recognise the moment to move from startup chaos to structured growth. The power of reinvesting profit and keeping control instead of chasing funding. Why comparison can push you to level up your business vision. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs at the NEC Birmingham. What an incredible two days of ideas, connections, and real business insights. If you missed it, stay tuned, we’ll be sharing highlights and conversations from the event on the podcast. Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies. 👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    11 分鐘
  8. How Simon Woodroffe Built Yo! Sushi and Changed UK Dining Forever

    10月14日

    How Simon Woodroffe Built Yo! Sushi and Changed UK Dining Forever

    What drives someone to launch a sushi restaurant with robots, conveyor belts, and a million-pound setup when they’ve never worked in hospitality? In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, I sit down with Simon Woodroffe OBE, the visionary founder behind Yo! Sushi and YOTEL, to talk about risk, creativity, and why going bigger can sometimes be safer. Simon shares how he went from designing rock and roll stages for the likes of Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones to opening the UK’s first conveyor belt sushi bar in 1997. With no investors and limited cash, he pulled off one of the boldest brand launches in modern British food history, financing it through creative deals with Sony, Honda and All Nippon Airways. From those early days in Soho to building YOTEL and beyond, Simon’s story is one of relentless curiosity, self-belief, and calculated risk. He reflects on what drives entrepreneurs, how to balance creativity with operations, and the importance of raising money with confidence. If you’ve ever questioned whether to take the leap on your idea, this episode proves that vision backed by persistence can build an empire. Key Takeaways Raise money with conviction. Confidence sells your vision as much as the business plan itself.Spend on experience, not advertising. Word of mouth built Yo! Sushi faster than any marketing budget could.Go bigger, not safer. The larger the ambition, the more belief and accountability it attracts.Creativity and execution go hand in hand. Simon’s background in showbiz gave him the tools to design unforgettable customer experiences.Luck favours those who act. Every bold decision opens another door. 🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday, so make sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.   🔥 Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs at the NEC Birmingham. What an incredible two days of ideas, connections, and real business insights. If you missed it, stay tuned, we’ll be sharing highlights and conversations from the event on the podcast.   Stay connected at www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and follow @festivalofentrepreneurs for news, updates, and future events.   Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Real strategies.   👉 Follow the show. Keep showing up. Screw It Just DO It!   #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

    43 分鐘
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For those who decided to Screw It... and Just DID It. Ranked #1 in Apple Podcasts. Top 1% globally. 5M+ downloads Real stories from founders who took the leap. Hosted by Alex Chisnall. Learn how today’s top entrepreneurs started, scaled, & stayed true to their vision. Official podcast of the Festival of Entrepreneurs: https://www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk Twice Weekly Show every Tuesday & Thursday. If you enjoyed listening, please rate my show. And if you're really generous with your time, please also leave a review so I can help more entrepreneurs.

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