In this episode of Behind the SME, host Adam Kene sits down with Evgeny Shadchnev, founder of Makers and one of the UK’s most respected voices on founder-to-CEO transitions, to unpack the real journey of building, scaling and ultimately stepping away from a high-growth startup.

Evgeny shares how his background in computer science and early career as a software developer led him to spot a major gap between academia and industry - sparking the creation of Makers, a pioneering coding bootcamp that helped thousands of career switchers break into tech. He talks candidly about finding product-market fit, evolving the business model, and scaling from a scrappy startup to a 60+ person organisation working with major corporates like Deloitte.

The conversation goes deep into the realities of leadership: chaotic early culture, self-set salaries, hiring mistakes, and the difficult moment when early team members stop being the right fit. Evgeny unpacks why the skills that make you a great founder don’t always make you a great CEO, and how to recognise when you might be becoming the bottleneck in your own business.

We also explore CEO transitions, stepping aside with intention, emotional maturity in leadership, and why self-awareness is a non-negotiable skill for founders. Finally, Evgeny shares his perspective on AI-first businesses, zero-based thinking, and why the Netflix vs Blockbuster story is a warning every leader should take seriously.

💡 Highlights include:

• Building Makers and finding product-market fit in the bootcamp space
• Scaling from 0 to 65 people and navigating the chaos-to-structure journey
• When early team members outgrow their roles (and how to handle it well)
• Founder vs CEO: why the skill sets are often very different
• How to have difficult conversations with empathy, not ego
• Recognising when it might be time to step aside as CEO
• The emotional impact of leadership and why self-awareness is critical
• AI-first vs AI-supported businesses: lessons from Netflix and Blockbuster
• Zero-based thinking and preparing your business for an AI-driven future

If you’re a founder, CEO, or leader wrestling with growth, culture, strategy, or the question “am I still the right person for this job?” this episode will challenge, reassure and inspire you in equal measure.

🎙️ Behind the SME is hosted by Adam Kene, CEO of Kene, exploring the real stories and lessons from the entrepreneurs and leaders powering the UK’s SME economy.

Like what you hear? We’d love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 More platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Behind the SME, host Adam Kene speaks with Leanne Maskell - author, coach, and Director at ADHD Works - about her remarkable journey from international modelling and severe mental health struggles to becoming a global voice for neurodivergent empowerment and workplace inclusion.

Leanne shares how receiving an ADHD diagnosis transformed her life and career, leading her to build the UK’s first CPD-certified ADHD coaching qualification and train more than 600 ADHD and autism coaches worldwide. She opens up about living with a brain that never switches off, writing five books by the age of 33 (all best-sellers), and redefining success by embracing, rather than fighting, her neurodivergence.

💡 Highlights include:

• The lived experience of ADHD: hyper-focus, overwhelm & the “interest-based nervous system”
• Turning personal crisis into purpose and global impact
• How leaders can better manage and support neurodivergent talent
• Creating structure and systems to unlock the zone of genius
• Why understanding ADHD, not correcting it, unlocks performance

If you’re a leader, founder, manager or parent wanting to better understand neurodiversity or harness ADHD as a superpower, this episode is for you.

🎙️ Behind the SME is hosted by Adam Kene, CEO of Kene, exploring the real stories and lessons from the entrepreneurs and leaders powering the UK’s SME economy.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 More platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if public safety could be crowdsourced and improved with the power of AI?

In this episode of Behind the SME, host Adam Kene speaks with Michael Houghton - entrepreneur and co-founder of Community Wolf - about his journey from corporate engineering to building a mission-led startup tackling public safety challenges in South Africa.

They discuss the lessons learned from navigating early career pivots, embracing naivety while building expertise, and creating a platform that empowers communities to participate in safety reporting through WhatsApp and AI tools.

💡 Highlights include:

• How curiosity, obsession, and “happy buckets” guide entrepreneurial decisions
• The journey from corporate engineering to mission-led entrepreneurship
• Building trust at scale while crowdsourcing sensitive public safety data
• Turning mission-first thinking into a sustainable business model
• Lessons in leadership, risk-taking, and learning through discomfort

If you’re a founder, leader, or innovator looking to solve real-world problems and build a mission-driven business, this one’s for you.

🎙️ Behind the SME is hosted by Adam Kene, CEO of Kene, exploring the real stories, insights, and lessons from the entrepreneurs and leaders powering the UK’s SME economy.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you could see disruption coming and turn it into opportunity?

In this episode of Behind the SME, host Adam Kene, speaks with Athena Peppes — futurist, economist, and former Accenture strategist — about how small and medium-sized businesses can use foresight to anticipate change, build resilience, and stay ahead in a world of constant disruption.

They break down practical ways to “look to the horizon” without losing sight of today’s priorities, from horizon-scanning and team signal alerts to scenario planning and AI readiness.

💡 Highlights include:

• What “foresight” really means and how to apply it inside an SME
• How to run horizon-scanning sessions with your team
• Turning future risks into opportunities
• Building AI literacy and avoiding common leadership blind spots
• Why continuous learning (not prediction) is the real competitive edge

If you’re a founder, leader, or strategist who’s too busy fighting fires to think long-term, this one’s for you.

🎙️ Behind the SME is hosted by Adam Kene, CEO of Kene, exploring the real stories, insights, and lessons from the entrepreneurs and leaders powering the UK’s SME economy.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From turning a £5 million turnaround story into a £2.2 billion exit to steering a travel brand through the chaos of COVID, Mike Jones has built a career on turning complexity into clarity through technology, leadership and curiosity.

In this episode of Behind the SME, Mike shares 30 years of lessons in scaling fast-moving businesses, rebuilding teams under pressure and creating cultures where innovation thrives.

He talks about why growth doesn’t come from control but from empowering experts, how he rebuilt a company from the inside out during lockdown, and why “weaponising your weirdness” might just be the key to thriving in the age of AI.

🔎 You’ll learn:

• How a failing business became a multi-billion-pound success story
• What it takes to lead through crisis and change
• How to turn a traditional company into a technology-driven one
• Why autonomy and curiosity drive real growth
• How AI can become your thinking partner, not your replacement

Whether you’re leading a team, scaling a business, or exploring how AI can sharpen your edge, this episode is full of practical wisdom and candid stories from a technologist who’s built, rebuilt, and reimagined success more than once.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the SME with Nicole Spencer, MD of RMC & Board Member at FESPA UK

From navigating self-doubt at breakfast in a room full of technical jargon, to earning respect and building trust as a new face in the factory, Nicole shares how humility, curiosity, and grit have shaped her leadership journey.

In this episode of Behind the SME, Nicole unpacks how “knowing nothing” became her secret weapon, why the act of asking “why?” matters more than knowing the answer, and how she’s championing change across both her business and the global print industry.

🔎 We cover:

• How starting as an outsider became a surprising leadership advantage
• Lessons from the hardest moments: admitting ignorance and embracing vulnerability
• Why curiosity (and the Ted Lasso credo: be curious, not judgmental) is a leadership superpower
• Changing perceptions: how print shapes daily life more than we realise
• Creating opportunities when none exist, and stepping into them

Whether you’re leading a team, trying to be more authentic at work, or just looking for ways to turn uncertainty into strength, this episode is full of real stories, honesty, and leadership wisdom from someone who’s learned it all the hard way.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the SME with Steve Peralta, Co-Founder of Unmind, cultural advisor, and leadership coach.

From redefining psychological safety as a strategic advantage, to exposing why leader well-being is the single biggest predictor of business performance, Steve brings a refreshingly human perspective to the future of work.

In this episode of Behind the SME, we dive into why culture can’t be fixed with a “10-step plan,” how managers “set the weather” inside organisations, and why recovery, rest, and authenticity matter more than ever in high-performing teams.

🔎 We cover:

• The science of psychological safety and how it fuels creativity and collaboration
• Why leader burnout quietly destroys performance across entire organisations
• The overlooked power of managers and why they impact mental health more than therapists
• Why rest and recovery are not luxuries, but the foundation of sustainable performance
• How embracing authenticity transforms leaders and teams

Whether you’re scaling a startup, leading a team, or rethinking your own role at work, this episode is full of practical insights, hard truths, and inspiration for building cultures where people truly thrive.

📌 Useful links from this episode

🌐 Steve's website: https://www.steveperalta.co/

💡 Unmind: https://unmind.com/

🔗 Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peraltasteve/

✍️ Read his Substack: https://substack.com/@steveperalta

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the SME with Steve Morris, Senior Leader at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

From helping startups transform Tupperware-box prototypes into world-ready products, to guiding 800+ SMEs a year through automation, funding, and growth - the MTC is quietly powering some of the UK’s most exciting manufacturing success stories.

In this episode of Behind the SME, we go inside the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to explore how the MTC is helping close the UK’s productivity gap. Steve shares what SMEs get wrong about innovation, why adoption beats invention, and how they’re making advanced tech like robotics and 3D printing more accessible than ever before.

🔎 We cover:

• Why the UK lags in automation - and what to do about it
• The funding, tools, and partnerships most SMEs don’t know exist
• Real stories of transformation, from heritage equipment to high-tech lines

Whether you’re a founder, a manufacturer, or just curious about the future of UK industry, this episode is packed with insight, energy and practical advice.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the SME with Erika Robinson, UK General Manager at Constant Contact and Founder of PICNIC.

From building a thriving soft play business while raising two small children, to leading the UK arm of a digital marketing company, Erika Robinson’s career has been shaped by curiosity, grit and a love for small business.

In this episode of Behind the SME, Erika shares how she balanced entrepreneurship with motherhood, what she's learned from scaling two very different ventures, and how she’s building Constant Contact’s UK presence from the ground up - with a strategy rooted in product-market fit, data, and unwavering support for SMEs.

🔎 We cover:

• What it really takes to grow a new market inside a global brand
• How AI is transforming opportunities for small businesses
• The mindset shift that helped Erika thrive in both roles

Whether you're scaling a startup or navigating a new leadership challenge, Erika’s story is a masterclass in trusting your instincts and backing yourself.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the SME with Alex Merry, Founder of TEDxClapham and Public Speaking Coach at MicDrop

From knocking on doors as a sales rep to helping leaders own global stages, Alex Merry’s journey is rooted in storytelling, tenacity and a mission to make ideas worth sharing truly heard.

In this episode of Behind the SME, Alex reunites with host Adam Kene – his former door-to-door sales partner – to unpack how those early sales days laid the groundwork for his career in public speaking, what it really takes to move people with words, and how he's helping business leaders uncover their message and deliver it with impact.

🔎 We cover:

• The humble beginnings that shaped Alex’s confidence and resilience
• Building TEDxClapham from scratch – and why he fought so hard to do it
• Why public speaking is about change, not ego
• The art of finding your “why" including a live coaching demo with our host, Adam
• Growing a standout presence on LinkedIn through authentic content and bold strategy
• How AI is reshaping thought leadership (and what to do about it)

Whether you’re a founder, leader, or simply someone with a story to tell, this episode will get you thinking about your message – and how to make it matter.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/behind-the-sme

🌐 Find us on other platforms: https://linktr.ee/behindthesme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.