How to be a CEO

Levi Roots: “My business journey’s end is very close now”


Listen Later

Levi Roots' success on Dragon’s Den is legendary, and he speaks about it like it’s a tale from mythical times. When he got home that night, he says he held the guitar he’d used in his pitch aloft and told his mum “I slayed the dragon". He's been on a real 'hero’s journey'; his breakthrough coming at 48 years old, when he had to borrow money just to get to the BBC’s studios. Now he's the head of a multi-million food empire, but for how much longer does he want to stay at the top?


In this episode we talk about:

  • How fear is the biggest driver for him 
  • His responsibility as a powerful brand in the Caribbean community 
  • The origin of Reggae Reggae sauce 
  • Why the music was so important to the brand’s success 
  • Why he’s thinking of selling his company 
  • The difficulties of balancing business and family 
  • Why he ignored advice not to take his guitar in the Dragon's Den
  • What does a Dragon really do with a business once the cameras stop running?
  • The challenge of sustaining public interest in your brand after TV success 
  • Levis Roots: The Movie – the Hollywood A-listers being lined up to play him in the biopic 


Levi will be appearing at the Evening Standard's SME XPO in April where he’ll be talking about the power of a great brand – you can get free tickets by popping over to smeexpo.co.uk 



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

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

How to be a CEOBy Evening Standard

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

2 ratings


More shows like How to be a CEO

View all
This is Money Podcast by This is Money

This is Money Podcast

43 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

658 Listeners

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

8,717 Listeners

FT News Briefing by Financial Times

FT News Briefing

676 Listeners

Behind the Money by Financial Times

Behind the Money

228 Listeners

Women Tech Charge by The Evening Standard

Women Tech Charge

1 Listeners

The Standard by The Evening Standard

The Standard

20 Listeners

The Story by The Times

The Story

265 Listeners

Money Maze Podcast by Money Maze Podcast

Money Maze Podcast

38 Listeners

Tech and Science Daily | The Standard by The Evening Standard

Tech and Science Daily | The Standard

5 Listeners

Evening Standard Rugby Podcast with Lawrence Dallaglio by Evening Standard

Evening Standard Rugby Podcast with Lawrence Dallaglio

0 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,082 Listeners

ZOE Science & Nutrition by ZOE

ZOE Science & Nutrition

2,062 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

1,041 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics: Leading by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

840 Listeners

The Rest Is Entertainment by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Entertainment

950 Listeners

Unhedged by Financial Times & Pushkin Industries

Unhedged

169 Listeners

Political Currency by Persephonica

Political Currency

114 Listeners

Talking Politics by ITV News

Talking Politics

23 Listeners

London Love Stories with Katie Strick by Evening Standard

London Love Stories with Katie Strick

0 Listeners

Brave New World by Evening Standard

Brave New World

7 Listeners

The Standard Theatre Podcast by Evening Standard

The Standard Theatre Podcast

3 Listeners