Beyond the Business

What does it mean to be Conservative in modern Britain?In Part 2, Sean and Paul are joined by Conservative MP and Shadow Culture Secretary Rebecca Paul to discuss British values, immigration, political debate and the cultural challenges facing the UK.Rebecca also shares her journey from a 20-year career in finance to Parliament, the realities of building and managing her team, and why she believes hard work, leadership and trusting your instincts remain essential to success.The conversation explores everything from hiring and workplace culture to freedom of expression, social media, education and the debate around net zero.A wide-ranging discussion about business, politics and the future of British culture.

Hosted by brothers Sean and Paul from MLP Wealth, Beyond the Business explores the realities of entrepreneurship, financial planning, mindset and building long-term wealth.

Beyond the Business is brought to you by MLP Wealth.

https://www.mlwealth.co.uk/

Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanstanderwick/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mlp-wealth/posts/?feedView=all

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-standerwick-9b481b1/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mlpwealth/

Is the UK becoming one of the hardest places to run a business?With rising taxes, increasing regulation and growing pressure on small businesses, is Britain’s political system failing the very people driving its economy?In this episode of Beyond the Business, brothers Sean and Paul discuss the state of UK politics, the impact of government policy on entrepreneurs and why they believe short-term political thinking is damaging Britain’s long-term economic future.They explore the increasing tax burden on business owners, why wealthy individuals and companies are moving abroad, and the importance of supporting small businesses.But it’s not all politics.As experienced financial planners and business owners, Sean and Paul also share practical ways entrepreneurs can become more tax-efficient, including pension contributions, relevant life insurance and making better use of surplus business cash.They also discuss why patience, consistency and long-term thinking are essential to building a successful business.00:00 Is Britain's Political System Broken?00:45 Why Politics Has Become So Divided02:30 The Problem With Short-Term Governments05:30 Rising Taxes and the Pressure on Businesses08:15 Is the Government Wasting Taxpayers' Money?12:45 Why High Earners Are Leaving the UK14:15 Small Businesses Are the Lifeblood of the Economy17:30 Why Britain's Tax System Needs to Change20:45 How Business Owners Can Legally Reduce Tax22:15 Pension Contributions Explained25:30 How Much Can You Pay Into a Pension?27:45 Tax-Efficient Life Insurance for Directors30:15 Making Your Business Cash Work Harder33:30 Why Long-Term Thinking Wins in Business36:00 The Biggest Problem With Politics

Markets are dealing with war, stubborn inflation, higher interest rates, political uncertainty and an AI investment boom worth hundreds of billions. So why have they remained so resilient?

Sean and Paul are joined by portfolio manager Stuart Clark to break down what is really driving global markets right now and where investors are seeing both risk and opportunity.

They discuss why interest rates could stay higher for longer, whether markets are becoming less sensitive to geopolitical shocks, why timing the market is so difficult, and where opportunities are emerging across the UK, China and global markets.

They also look at the huge gap between UK and US valuations, what the rise of populist politics means for markets, and the growing questions surrounding AI.

Are AI stocks overpriced? Can the extraordinary earnings growth continue? And with enormous sums being committed to data centres and AI infrastructure, where could the real long-term investment opportunities emerge?

Stuart also explains why the biggest winners from AI may not necessarily be the companies building the models and chips, but the businesses that successfully use AI to transform productivity.

Beyond the Business is brought to you by MLP Wealth.

Subscribe for more conversations on business, markets, investing, wealth and the economy.

#Investing #StockMarket #AI #Markets #UKInvesting

What’s actually happening to business in Britain?

Sean and Paul sit down with Conservative MP Rebecca Paul to talk about the growing tax burden, why some of the UK’s biggest taxpayers are leaving and whether Britain is still a good place to build a business.

They get into Chris Rokos leaving the UK after paying around £330m in tax last year, inheritance tax and what it means for family businesses, VAT on private schools, welfare, National Insurance and the increasing costs facing business owners.  

The conversation also moves into work and benefits, ADHD and the way we label people, before coming back to a bigger question... are we making it harder for people to start, grow and invest in businesses in the UK?

Rebecca spent 20 years as a chartered accountant before becoming an MP, so this one gets properly into the numbers as well as the politics.  

This is part one of our conversation with Rebecca.

In one of the most personal conversations, Paul opens up about losing his wife in 2020, becoming a single father to three young children, and the unimaginable journey of rebuilding his life.He shares the reality of grief, what happened in the aftermath, the responsibility of raising three children alone, and why resilience comes from taking one step at a time. Sean and Paul also discuss life insurance, financial planning, and the practical decisions that helped provide stability during the most difficult period of Paul’s life.This is an honest conversation about grief, resilience, parenthood, financial planning and finding purpose after tragedy. 00:00 The day everything changed00:45 Welcome to Beyond the Business01:40 Paul's story03:30 Losing his wife06:15 The aftermath of tragedy09:10 Raising three children alone12:00 Living in survival mode15:10 One step at a time18:00 Coping with grief21:00 Lessons from therapy24:00 Why financial planning mattered27:00 The importance of life insurance30:15 Returning to work33:00 Rebuilding life after loss36:00 Protecting your family

Hiring the right people is one of the hardest parts of building a successful business. After interviewing more than a dozen candidates in just two weeks, Sean and Paul share the biggest hiring mistakes they’ve made, why intuition often beats CVs, what they look for in every employee and how they’ve built a high-performing team over the past decade.The conversation explores hiring, leadership, company culture, work ethic, business growth, entrepreneurship, recruitment and why the best businesses are built by people who genuinely care about the mission. Whether you’re growing a startup or leading an established company, these hiring lessons could save you years of costly mistakes.00:00 The hiring mistake most businesses make00:42 Welcome to Beyond the Business01:30 Why hiring is so difficult03:15 Interviewing 15 candidates in two weeks05:05 Why your gut instinct matters07:00 Intuition vs logic in hiring08:50 The interview mistake we used to make10:45 Should CVs really matter?12:40 Spotting red flags in interviews14:30 The three qualities we hire for16:20 Why hard work still matters18:30 Work-life balance vs career success20:40 Finding people who buy into your vision22:45 Building a startup mentality24:35 Company culture explained26:15 Why attitude beats experience28:10 Hiring future leaders30:00 Degrees vs real-world experience31:45 Why insecurity can drive success33:40 Building a high-performing team35:10 The most important lesson on hiring

In the first episode of Beyond the Business, Sean and Paul share the story of buying their family business from their father. What should have been a straightforward succession plan became a difficult business negotiation, made even more challenging during one of the hardest periods of Paul’s life.They discuss family business succession, negotiation, leadership, private equity, business acquisitions and the lessons every entrepreneur can learn from navigating high-stakes decisions with family. It’s an honest conversation about business, wealth, mindset and building a company that lasts.Subscribe for new episodes of Beyond the Business every week. 00:00 The business deal that changed everything00:45 Welcome to Beyond the Business01:30 Buying our family business03:10 Paul's personal tragedy05:30 How grief changed business forever07:45 Becoming a single parent09:50 Losing an inheritance11:50 Negotiating with our own father13:50 The first business offer15:45 Why we rejected the deal17:35 Family business succession mistakes19:15 Learning business negotiation21:00 The best business deals22:30 Private equity explained24:30 Selling a business the right way26:15 Business valuations and acquisitions28:10 Leadership in a family business29:45 What we'd do differently31:20 The biggest lesson for entrepreneurs32:35 Final thoughts

What does wealth really mean, and are we prepared for the biggest transfer of wealth in history?

Sean Standerwick sits down with Jay to discuss his journey from Bloomberg to taking over and modernising his family’s financial planning business, and what he’s learned about money, entrepreneurship and building a business along the way.

They explore the huge opportunity in buying existing businesses, the realities of succession and family business, and why both parents and their children may be underprepared for the transfer of wealth happening over the coming decades.

Plus, Sean shares his thoughts on AI, personal branding, company culture, client experience and why wealth ultimately means far more than simply having a number in the bank.

00:00 - What Does Wealth Really Mean?
05:00 - Leaving Bloomberg for the Family Business
10:00 - Starting From Scratch as a Financial Adviser
15:00 - Modernising the Family Business
20:00 - Building a Strong Company Culture
25:00 - Why Businesses Need to Keep Evolving
30:00 - Taking Over From Your Parents
35:00 - The Opportunity in Buying Existing Businesses
40:00 - Negotiating a Family Business Buyout
45:00 - Starting vs Buying a Business
50:00 - The Future of Financial Advice
54:00 - AI & the Opportunity for the Next Generation
58:00 - Why Personal Branding Matters
01:02:00 - Creating an Incredible Client Experience
01:07:00 - The Power of Marginal Gains
01:12:00 - Old-School Marketing Still Works
01:17:00 - The Biggest Wealth Transfer in History
01:22:00 - Inheritance Tax & Family Wealth
01:27:00 - Why Families Need to Talk About Money
01:32:00 - Health, Happiness & What Success Really Means
01:36:00 - The Advice That Changed Sean’s Thinking

Episode write-up

Sean Standerwick sits down with Dodge Woodall to talk money, business and the reality of building long-term wealth.

Sean breaks down how his family wealth management business grew from £20m to over £260m under management, the tax pressures facing UK business owners, and some of the simple financial habits entrepreneurs often overlook. They also get into the much more personal story behind Sean and his brother buying their father out of the family business, an 18-month process that tested both the business and their relationship.

From ISAs and pensions to management buyouts, entrepreneurship, hiring and building a team, this is a wide-ranging conversation about what happens beyond simply making money.

00:00 - Coming Up
01:34 - Growing £20m Into £260m
04:10 - What Is Wealth Management?
06:25 - Why UK Business Owners Are Being Squeezed
12:20 - Tax, Dividends & Building Personal Wealth
16:05 - What To Do With Money After Selling a Business
19:25 - ISAs, Pensions & Tax-Efficient Investing
24:15 - Building Better Wealth Habits
27:10 - Buying the Family Business
31:20 - Negotiating With Your Own Father
36:05 - The Reality of an 18-Month Management Buyout
41:15 - How Management Buyouts Actually Work
47:00 - Why Entrepreneurship Is an Extreme Sport
52:15 - Obsession, Pressure & Switching Off
56:10 - Building a Business Around the Right People
01:01:10 - Growing the Business After the Buyout
01:04:15 - How Wealth Managers Make Money
01:07:00 - The Biggest Financial Mistakes People Make
01:10:15 - Hiring Hungry People & Giving Them Responsibility
01:14:20 - What Actually Makes Someone Valuable
01:16:30 - Final Thoughts

Chapters

Sean Standerwick discusses taking over a 43-year-old family business and bringing a startup mentality to one of the UK’s most traditional industries.

From embracing failure and bringing younger talent into financial planning to using AI, building a personal brand and creating a company culture people actually want to be part of, Sean explains how MLP Wealth is trying to do things differently.

He also shares why consistency compounds far beyond investing, the challenge of finding great people and why financial planning needs to become louder, more relatable and more human.

00:00 - Taking Over a 43-Year-Old Family Business
01:45 - Bringing a Startup Mentality to Financial Planning
03:30 - Why Failure Is Just Feedback
05:00 - Bringing Young Talent Into the Industry
07:00 - Why Financial Planning Has a Huge Opportunity
08:30 - Going From Paper Files to AI
10:30 - Changing the Culture of a Legacy Business
12:15 - Why Financial Advisers Need a Personal Brand
14:30 - The Power of Consistency
16:30 - The Hardest Part of Running a Business
18:15 - Why Financial Planning Needs to Change
19:30 - Be Different and Lean Into Who You Are