Marmite: beloved by some, and loathed by others. Over the past few years, Matt Gubba has solidified himself as social media Marmite. What began as outspoken talk about the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 lockdowns developed into a rallying cry about the potential for Governments around the globe to limit personal freedom. But there is much more to this business leader than many social trolls are willing to find out.

In this conversation with Matt Gubba, Founder and CEO of BizBritain, we cover the changing funding landscape, failure, creating the International Liberty Forum, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us a little bit about your early entrepreneurial journey? (00:37)
• Could you tell us about what BizBritain does and what led you to set it up? (05:55)
• Where did your drive to support SMEs come from? (08:42)
• How has the funding landscape changed since you first set up the business in 2012? (10:33)
• How did you find taking the reins as CEO of BizBritain? (15:16)
• You’ve been a CEO for over 10 years now. Many leaders say the role can be quite isolated. How do you handle this? (17:26)
• Do you experience moments of self-doubt, and if so, how do you overcome them? (21:34)
• Do you believe the general view of failure has changed in recent years? (23:24)
• Do you feel that having entrepreneurialism in the family helped get you to where you are today? (26:29)
• Could you tell us about the International Liberty Forum? (29:00)
• With being very vocal during the Covid lockdowns and setting up the International Liberty Forum, you've been very vocal on behalf of the 'little guy'. Where do you think this mentality has come from? (32:40)
• Would you say you are a happy person? (36:14)
• The Good News Postcard: Who is your inspiration in business? (39:07)
• What makes a great business leader? (41:22)

Thanks to Maria from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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