Bulletproof Entrepreneur

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Welcome back to the Bulletproof  Entrepreneur podcast - reverse engineering your successful business scale, sale and life on the other side.

What I’ve learned over the years is that not every founder wants to sell up and exit their business completely - some prefer to take some ‘chips off the table’ and go again to make the most of the opportunities they see.

That's where today’s guest comes in.

Matt Taylor is the founder and co-owner of Rockpool, a different kind of business partner for ambitious owners of SMEs - perhaps a more collaborative version of traditional private equity.

• During our conversation, he breaks down the secrets to unlocking the real value in your business through recruiting specific people and improving key processes.
• Matt explained the support and resources his company offers to founders and entrepreneurs, helping them achieve their full potential.
• We also talk about incentives, employee ownership, and why trust, not regulation, is the real engine of productivity.

As a seasoned operator in the UK SME market, he’s also got some excellent advice for Rachel Reeves ahead of the next budget - well worth listening to what he’d like to tell her!

This is a great conversation with a ton of valuable advice if you’re scaling towards a successful exit but not ready to retire and sit on a beach quite yet.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Matt Taylor.

Links:

https://rockpool.uk.com/

Voluntary Exchange: The Simple Truth of Economics: Amazon.co.uk

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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What does it take to risk everything — your home, your family’s security, and even walk away from a million-pound payday — in pursuit of something bigger?

In this episode of The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, Phil shares the raw truth behind decades of building, selling, and reinventing businesses. From sleeping on an office couch to securing one of the UK’s biggest fintech exits, his journey is a masterclass in risk, resilience, and relentless drive.

We also get into the tough questions:

• Why most startups never make it — and what separates those that do.
• How policy decisions can shape the future of entrepreneurship in Britain.
• The one skill that underpins every business success.

This isn’t a story of overnight wins. It’s a story of calculated gambles, painful setbacks, and bold moves that paid off in ways few would dare imagine.

Resources:

• Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (founder of Nike)
• Play Nice But Win by Michael Dell
• Phil's LinkedIn

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast

We’ve got a fantastic episode, which turned out to be a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the real story of entrepreneurship.

My guest today is Gary Abela. 

Gary grew up in a family of hoteliers, and he was serving breakfast in the family hotel in London’s King’s Cross at the age of seven. 

After uni, he secured a job in the City and became one of the youngest sales reps in a major US investment firm.

He went on to build a highly successful career in asset management before deciding to walk away from it all to start again.

Gary takes us inside his journey from Berlin property deals to building an AI startup, to navigating failure, burnout, and eventually exiting his own company. 

Along the way, we talk about:

• Why sales is the most underrated entrepreneurial skill.
• What failure really teaches you that success never will.
• The importance of co-founders with complementary values.
• And why true wealth is measured in time, not money.

This is an honest conversation about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to keep going when the odds are against you.

Whether you’re scaling a business, preparing for an exit, or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is packed with insights on risk-taking, resilience, and building a business that lasts.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Gary Abela

Links

https://saturnos.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

https://adviserpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

https://allin.com/

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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Welcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast where we explore what it really takes to build, grow, and successfully exit your business.

The podcast is designed to be a helpful resource for business owners as they navigate the challenges of scaling their businesses. One area I’ve been spending time on recently is managing cash within your company's balance sheet.

At my firm, we’ve always kept a healthy cash balance, but the interest rates we receive from our bank is pretty low—after I factored in tax and inflation, that money was melting like an ice cube. It’s probably the same for your business.

That’s why I was keen to hear from today’s guest, Jordan Walker - founder of The Bitcoin Collective, host of the popular podcast by the same name, and one of the UK’s leading voices in making Bitcoin accessible and actionable for business owners. 

He’s on a mission to strip away the jargon, cut through the hype, and help entrepreneurs understand how Bitcoin could play a meaningful role in their financial strategy.

Jordan recently launched a service specifically for business owners who are keen to explore how to allocate some of their company’s deposit funds into Bitcoin safely, strategically, and with the right education and support. 

In this conversation, we cover the real risks, the big opportunities, and why he believes that understanding Bitcoin is becoming essential for forward-thinking entrepreneurs.

If you’ve dismissed Bitcoin as too volatile or too complicated, or if you're simply curious about where it fits into the world of business and money, this episode will challenge your assumptions in all the right ways.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Jordan Walker.

https://bitcoincollective.co/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWKKRsnKBJsaPswBMHvjsAQ

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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Welcome back to The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, the podcast that gives you the mindset, strategies, and tools to build a resilient business and thrive under pressure.

Today, I’m joined by a true pioneer in the world of food entrepreneurship – John Stapleton.

John is best known as the co-founder of The New Covent Garden Soup Company, where he didn’t just launch a product; he created an entirely new category in the UK food market. 

He later took that same disruptive energy to the US and then back to the UK again with Little Dish, the toddler food brand that redefined what healthy eating looks like for young children.

Across multiple ventures, John has built and scaled companies from the ground up, exited successfully, and stayed right at the heart of innovation as a founder, investor, and mentor.

In this conversation, we explore how to spot market gaps, stay resilient through the highs and lows, prepare for exit, and reinvent yourself after success. 

If you're a founder scaling towards a sale—or just trying to build something that lasts—this episode is packed with the kind of insight that only comes from the real entrepreneurial trenches.

So without further delay, let’s dive into this inspiring conversation with Mr John Stapleton.

https://www.johnstapleton.eu/about-john

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-b-stapleton/

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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If you're a business owner or in a leadership role, this episode could genuinely change how you think about running and growing your company.

My guest is Mike Paton, an entrepreneur and author who is one of the driving forces behind EOS—the entrepreneurial operating system

We implemented EOS at my firm, Capital Partners, a few years ago, and it was truly transformative. So getting the chance to sit down with Mike was not just a privilege - it was personal.

• Mike explains EOS and walks us through the six key components every business must master to become more focused, accountable, and scalable.
• We also explore the vital roles of the Visionary and the Integrator and how getting that relationship right can be a game-changer.
• And if you're thinking about selling your business one day, listen closely—Mike explains how fully embedding EOS can significantly boost the value and readiness of your company for exit.

Whether you’re already familiar with Traction, or you're hearing about EOS for the first time, I promise you’ll walk away with powerful, practical insights and a few lightbulb moments!

Links:

Mike Paton - EOS Worldwide | LinkedIn

EOS Worldwide

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business: Amazon.co.uk

Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business

How to Be a Great Boss: Amazon.co.uk

Process!: How Discipline and Consistency Will Set You and Your Business Free (The EOS Mastery Series)

The EOS Life: How to Live Your Ideal Entrepreneurial Life eBook

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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The pod's strapline is "reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale, exit, and life on the other side," and that's exactly what we discuss in this episode—strategically reverse engineering success. 

My guest today is Damian Connolly, the founder of a boutique accountancy business that focuses specifically on getting founders exit-ready and maximising their business sale value and terms.

Most business owners only sell once and are often unprepared for the most significant financial transaction of their lives, so our conversation will help you understand the process and what you should consider.

• During the discussion, Damian shares the 5 key issues to focus on several years out from your potential exit—and the one thing that will crush any value if you don’t fix it. And it affects most SME business owners.
• He shares a wild story about a founder he worked with who turned down an offer of £80m, believing his business was worth more, and came to regret that decision - an important lesson in timing and knowing how much is enough.
• He also explains the optimal time to begin your pre-exit journey and the 3-step process he uses when working with entrepreneurs. 

If you are running a business, especially if you're maybe 3-5 years out from the sale, you’re going to get a lot out of this conversation.  

So now ladies and gentlemen, discussing how to get exit-ready, I give you Mr Damian Connolly.

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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Welcome back to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast. I’m your host Alan Smith and right from day one my goal for this pod was to provide a valuable resource for all UK founders and business owners.

And therefore I’m delighted today to bring you a masterclass in tax planning from one of the UK’s leading lights in tax advice for successful business owners.

Malli Kini is head of the entrepreneur team at Blick Rothenberg, a Top 10 firm having already enjoyed stints at PWC and EY.

Wherever I go now and when I speak with entrepreneurs, smart tax planning seems to be top of the agenda for discussion.

But getting access to the right kind of advice can be challenging and costly. So the next hour will be of huge value to you -  and it’s completely free (other than for some of your time!)

During our conversation, 

• We discussed some of the important areas to tackle if you’re 2 or 3 years away from a sale of your business - and why seeking advice early will be a huge benefit for you.
• We unpacked  a unique tax planning structure known as a Family Investment Company and why many entrepreneurs are setting these up now.
• We also talked about the current exodus of business owners to other countries, what countries are popular and what the benefits can be.

And towards the end of our conversation, Malli provides a generous offer to all listeners and viewers of this podcast so be sure to check that out - it could make all the difference for you and your business.

Just before you get into the conversation, I wanted to mention that we’ve now launched the podcast on youtube as well and so if you prefer to watch the conversation do check out the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast channel - links to it and to the key discussion points are below.

But now ladies and gentlemen I give you Malli Kini

https://www.blickrothenberg.com/about-us/partners/malli-kini/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallikini/?originalSubdomain=uk

https://www.youtube.com/@BulletproofEntrepreneurPodcast

https://capital.co.uk/

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

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Hello and welcome back to the latest episode.

We took a short break, but now we’re back. We've moved into a proper recording studio and launched our own YouTube channel. 

So you prefer to watch the discussion, please check out the link below and subscribe to our free newsletter as well.

Our guest, Graeme Godfrey, is a successful entrepreneur who sold his business, achieved complete financial security and then crashed. 

He found himself lacking purpose and drive in his life, feeling bored and frustrated, and so he began to help other entrepreneurs through one-to-one coaching and mentoring.

Links

Graeme Godfrey

https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemegodfrey/?originalSubdomain=uk

Resources

Who Moved My Cheese

The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea eBook 

The Inner Game of Tennis

Tuesdays With Morrie

Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness

Bulletproof Entrepreneur Youtube channel  https://www.youtube.com/@BulletproofEntrepreneurPodcast

Capital Partners https://capital.co.uk/

Book a call with Alan https://calendly.com/alancapital/free-consultation 

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur  - a podcast for founders, owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.

As anyone in business knows, things are tough out there. Inflation is driving up the costs of everything, including staff wages, rent, and supplies. 

Tax is at its highest level in 70 years and is about to rise further. The money in your company's bank account is receiving a very modest return—and even that’s subject to tax!

I don’t know about you, but as a business owner myself, things feel a bit off—not quite right—and I wanted to learn more.

That took me to a short video called What's The Problem?, which is currently going viral online. 

The video explains in easy-to-understand terms the problems the economy faces and the challenges for everyone, especially those trying to grow a company.

So, I was delighted when Joe Bryan, the film's creator, agreed to appear on the podcast, share the story, and explain why understanding it is essential.

Joe explains that our current monetary system is broken. We all experience this through constantly rising costs, which are a form of hidden tax when the pound in your pocket buys you less every year. 

He outlines some of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs as they try to build a business and succeed  in an increasingly difficult economic environment.

He clearly outlines the solution and the precise steps you should take to protect your interests.

This is not a conversation about Bitcoin - it’s an invitation to learn more about the current economic model we all live in and decide how you want to protect yourself and your business.

It was a truly fascinating conversation and I know you're going to take a lot from it.

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter, where I take a deeper dive into all things business, wealth building and entrepreneurship - available at www.bulletproofentrepreneur.net 

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFOxNbmD38 

SatsVsFiat

Joe Bryan - Educator & Speaker - What's The Problem? | LinkedIn

X - @satmojoe

This podcast is produced by Tribunista

Sponsored by Capital Partners