Evolve to Succeed

Cas Paton, founder and CEO of OnBuy.com, on competing with Amazon and eBay and the experience of seeing his company grow by 600% year-on-year for the past three years.

Show Notes:

(3:34) Founding OnBuy

(6:01) Taking a different approach to the likes of Amazon and eBay

(8:07) Transitioning the business

(10:00) A leap of faith

(13:26) The see-saw analogy

(16:40) Managing growth

(18:51) Challenges and advantages of phenomenal growth

(21:04) Self-belief

(23:09) Structuring OnBuy while retaining the original vision

(23:43) The investment journey

(27:48) Managing the distraction of investment

(31:41) Having the right backers

(33:28) Cas's business model approach

(35:21) Why Cas chose Poole as OnBuy's base

(37:02) Affect of the pandemic on Cas's approach to hybrid working

(39:05) Recruitment challenges and how to overcome them

(41:33) Staying connected to the team while growing and recruiting so rapidly

(44:09) Affect on entrepreneurialism on personal life & maintaining equilibrium within the team

(50:00) OnBuy's five-year plan

(53:04) Personal definition of success

Skye Robertson is COO of Escape the City, a company whose mission is to help 1 million people do work that matters to them and the world. She talks entrepreneurialism, the future of work and finding meaning in what you do.

Show Notes:

(3:52) The story behind Escape the City

(6:02) Biggest challenges people face when desiring a career change

(8:02) Generational attitudes to work and career

(9:53) Common reasons for people to make career change

(11:40) How to find meaning in work

(16:01) Can you learn to be an entrepreneur, or is it something innate?

(17:35) The differing attitudes to work between British and Americans & doing what makes you happy

(22:19) The present and future of remote working

(29:33) Trends towards career changes post-pandemic

(32:19) Trends towards working for and buying from B-Corps

(34:43) The effect of social media on perceptions of entrepreneurialism

(38:06) The importance of being part of a business community

(39:52) On being brave

(44:54) Skye's definition of success

Sue Campbell, founder of Kind2 - an award-winning solid shampoo and conditioner - talks about leaving many years of secure corporate life behind in the pursuit of creating a sustainable product, as well as a brand that lives its values of kindness and good business practice.

Show Notes:

(00:14) Growing up in Australia, working in New Zealand, Hong Kong and the UK

(2:33) Settling in the UK

(3:25) More demand in the UK for sustainable products

(3:38) What is Kind2?

(5:02) The effect of awards on the business

(6:32) What made you start your own business?

(8:14) Leaving the security of the corporate world

(10:50) Why shampoo bars?

(13:23) Developing the product

(15:32) Tips on being persistent and dealing with rejection

(17:32) Creating a competitive brand

(21:24) Outsourcing expertise that shares the same values

(23:33) Convincing people to convert from 'normal shampoo' to shampoo bars

(26:10) Dealing with the challenges of Covid

(28:13) Subscription-based sales vs. through retailers

(30:10) Sustainability as a marketing gimmick vs. sustainability as a true value

(32:53) Five-year plan for Kind2

(34:30) 10-year plan for Kind2

(37:52) The importance of like-minded people

(38:58) Everyday tips on for a more sustainable lifestyle

Andy Aitken, co-founder of Honest Mobile, on disrupting the mobile phone sector, bold funding techniques and his plans to create the world's first global mobile network.

Show Notes:

(00:44) Leaving the corporate world to co-found Honest Mobile

(4:11) Co-founding a business with an old school friend

(7:21) Changing the mobile industry status quo

(9:51) Challenges faced in founding Honest Mobile

(13:22) Transforming from a telecoms business to a tech business

(14:06) Scaling customer support

(16:22) Reaction from the big mobile companies

(17:45) Becoming sustainable and fair from the start

(21:48) Honest Mobile's sustainability credentials drawing interest and jealousy

(23:22) Benefits of being a B-Corp

(26:49) Seeking funding for Honest Mobile

(33:12) Looking back, is there anything you'd change/Learning to apologise

(35:55) What I learned from the corporate environment

(37:14) Winning the World Congress Award for Best Startup

(38:07) Balancing work and home life

(40:25) Future plans for Honest Mobile

(43:42) My definition of success

Chris Palmer, managing director of AnyTech Solutions on mentorship, community, and how his childhood drove him to become an entrepreneur.

Show notes:

(3:08) – From art and design to advertising and IT

(14:45) – Starting my first business

(16:41) – Being a minority in business

(21:10) – Seizing and opportunity vs. strategic planning

(23:20) – Lessons learned and challenges overcome

(25:30) – Doing good

(28:28) – Mentoring the next generation

(31:58) – My definition of success

(33:51) – Maintaining energy and optimism

(36:31) – Launching Ping Pong Social

(40:08) – The importance of personal development

(42:34) – The best advice I've ever received

(49:29) – The hard thing I'm not doing enough of

In this episode, we look back at three articles from the Evolve blog, covering themes of leadership and change management to work-life balance and the importance of prioritising your wellbeing.

Show notes:

(2:11) Intro to article '10 insights and trends for business leadership in 2021'

(2:43) There are no perfect leaders

(4:27) A leader must demonstrate what it means to be a good follower

(5:01) Manage expectations around risk and innovations

(6:11) Understanding different motivations

(7:42) Good leaders should be present

(8:59) Change management

(9:57) Nurturing the social capital of your organisation

(10:56) Transparency and the importance of communication

(12:15) Leadership won't change, it will evolve

(13:11) Intro to article 'An alternative solution to the work-life balance problem'

(14:04) The Four Burners theory

(17:30) Prioritise your health

(18:55) Intro to article '6 challenges of leadership, and how to overcome them'

(19:27) Impostor syndrome

(20:54) Fear of vulnerability

(21:43) Fear of letting go

Kate Chastey took over The Passionate PA in 2010, barely two weeks after its founder passed away. By 2015 Kate was turning over more than £60,000 a year. She discusses the challenges and joys of taking over the reins and how running her own business has transformed her life.

Pip Hare talks about her incredible experience sailing in the Vendée Globe round the world yacht race. She's only the eighth woman in history to finish the race and was the first British skipper to finish this year's edition.

Dan Smith, founder of Fireworx, discusses the nuances of 21st century marketing, the true nature of disruption, and how to raise your brand above the digital chatter.

Over the past 30 years, serial entrepreneur Lyndon Stickley has invested in, grown and eventually sold six companies in a wide range of sectors. He talks company purpose, talent, and finding meaning in work and life.