ScaleUp Radio

This week on ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin and Granger dive into two powerful conversations from recent episodes, with leaders who've scaled very different businesses, but who share strikingly similar philosophies.

👉 Hugh Taylor took Roadnight Taylor from burnout to brilliance by radically niching down, cutting 80% of his client base and doubling fees through a bold auction model. 👉 Michael Yorke of Prime dcm discovered the sweet spot in not trying to grow too big, instead focusing on lean, trust-led delivery with full transparency and hands-on leadership.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

🔹 Why less is more when it comes to scaling 🔹 The surprising power of value-based pricing (even in construction!) 🔹 How radical transparency builds deeper client trust 🔹 The importance of culture in creating self-managing teams 🔹 Why continuous learning (and tech like AI) can set you apart

Key takeaway: The one key thing: "Scaling up isn't about doing more, it's about doing better. Extreme focus, transparency and learning create true growth."

Standout moment: Hugh Taylor on pricing: "We ran an auction. The bids got so high, we actually had to bring them back down."

Want to go deeper? You can catch the full conversations with Hugh and Michael on the main ScaleUp Radio podcast feed.

🚀 Quick heads-up, we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. 👉 Just email [email protected] to get early access.

I'm Granger Forson and you'll find me at www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk or on LinkedIn. In this inspiring episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Hugh Taylor, CEO of Roadnight Taylor. His story is a masterclass in transformation, determination, and the power of experimentation.

Hugh shares the remarkable journey behind Roadnight Taylor's shift from a struggling generalist consultancy to a globally respected Independent Specialist Grid Consultancy, now recognised in the top 0.1 percent worldwide for client value perception and enjoying 100 percent team retention over six years.

What stands out is the extraordinary turnaround that began with a change in mindset. Hugh talks openly about the early years of intense struggle, working hand-to-mouth and facing burnout before discovering key ideas in books such as Good to Great by Jim Collins and Bounce by Matthew Syed. Those insights triggered bold decisions, including letting go of 80 percent of clients, doubling fees through an auction model, and going deeply niche to become world-leading experts.

Today, Hugh leads a thriving, joyful, four-day-week, self-managing team, working with major global names such as Amazon and Octopus Energy, helping eliminate barriers to the grid connections needed to decarbonise society and support the growth of renewable energy infrastructure.

If you're scaling a business, this conversation is packed with wisdom around focus, courage, culture, generating cash, and the joy that comes from building a business that works beautifully for everyone involved.

To ensure you don't miss any inspirational future episodes do subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.

So, let's now dive into the inspiring journey of focus, joy and transformation with Hugh Taylor.

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

Book a call with Granger - 30 minutes value add conversation for Business owners with Staff. https://api.goexela.com/widget/bookings/catchupgrangerugx7zl

You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

Hugh can be found here:

https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hugh-taylor_roadnightocracy-activity-7255263155122049024-_lUc/

Resources:

Good to Great by Jim Collins - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/good-to-great-collins-jim/5255326?ean=9780712676090&next=t

Seth Godin podcasts - https://seths.blog/podcasts/

Rory Sutherland podcasts - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4DKv6WcFK61l32wXf1S0zv

Humanocracy by Gary Hamel - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/humanocracy-revised-and-updated-creating-organizations-as-amazing-as-the-people-inside-them-gary-hamel/7557026?ean=9781647826376&next=t

Bounce by Matthew Syed - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/bounce-the-myth-of-talent-and-the-power-of-practice-matthew-syed/3584775?ean=9780007350544&next=t

Turning The Flywheel by Jim Collins - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/turning-the-flywheel-a-monograph-to-accompany-good-to-great-jim-collins/c94b83eccba67932?ean=9781847942555&next=t

Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned by Joel Lehman - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/why-greatness-cannot-be-planned-the-myth-of-the-objective-joel-lehman/323aa2a67c9e23e3?ean=9783319155234&next=t

Welcome to another episode of ScaleUp Radio with me, Granger Forson. You can connect with me at www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk or find me on LinkedIn anytime.

Today I'm joined by Michael Yorke, co founder of Prime DCM, a construction and development business based just outside Gloucester. Michael's journey is a powerful example of what happens when you challenge industry norms and build a company rooted in openness, respect and genuine partnership with clients.

Starting just one month before the 2020 lockdown, Michael and his business partner James shaped Prime DCM around an open book financial model, completely removing the traditional conflict between builder and client. Instead of guarding information or chasing margin, they guide clients every step of the way, giving full transparency, daily communication and real accountability over cost, time and quality. It's the foundation that has created deep trust and consistent word of mouth referrals.

From delivering a complex seven story development of 38 apartments in Gloucester Docks to high end residential projects for private clients, Prime DCM focus not on being the biggest, but on being truly efficient and consistent. They choose to run only two or three sites at a time and invest in developing the next generation, training apprentices through degree pathways and passing forward the expertise and values that shaped their own careers.

If you're interested in building a business that values trust, lean thinking, long term relationships and the courage to grow people alongside results, this one is packed full of inspiration.

To ensure you don't miss any inspirational future episodes do subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.

So, let's now dive into the inspiring journey of open book transparency, efficiency over growth, and building trust through honesty with Michael.

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

Book a call with Granger - 30 minutes value add conversation for Business owners with Staff. https://api.goexela.com/widget/bookings/catchupgrangerugx7zl

You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

Michael can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-yorke-aa60342b/

https://primedcm.co.uk/

Resources:

ChatGPT - https://chatgpt.com/

WhatsApp - https://www.whatsapp.com/

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, hosts Kevin Brent and Granger Forson dive into the powerful contrast and surprising common ground between two visionary founders: Lilia Stoyanov, CFO and Founder of HR-tech and fintech platform TFY, and Virtyt Pula, Creative Lead of boutique creative collective TOML.

Though their sectors, business models, and goals couldn't be more different, both leaders share an innovative approach to building remote-first, talent-led organisations that challenge conventional ideas about scaling.

🔑 In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Lilia scaled TFY to manage 350,000 contractors across 184 countries with a core team of just 25
• Why Virtyt rejected the idea of a physical agency HQ and built a fully remote creative collective serving top-tier clients
• The importance of clarity of vision, and how it shapes everything from team structure to decision-making
• How both founders are redefining leadership, from managing your ego to embracing "business therapy"
• The very different but equally compelling growth philosophies: automation for scale vs. curation for quality

🎯 The one key thing: Clarity of vision is everything. Whether you're building a unicorn or crafting a lifestyle business, your growth strategy must match your purpose.

🎁 Try Smart90 Lite, free during testing! We're looking for a few founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app, designed to help you stay accountable and execute your goals in just minutes a day. It's free while we're testing, and your feedback will help shape the final version. 📩 Email [email protected] for early access.

📲 Subscribe to ScaleUp Radio so you never miss an episode – and why not give us a follow?

This episode is created with AI

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Andrew Bloch – one of the UK's most influential voices in the PR and marketing space. Best known as the co-founder of Frank PR and now the founder of a boutique consultancy, Andrew shares the story of building, scaling, exiting, and reinventing a business around his strengths and values.

We explore his fascinating career arc – from growing Frank into one of the UK's leading agencies, to selling it, buying it back, and eventually transitioning it to employee ownership. Andrew now operates a portfolio career that combines M&A advisory, pitch consultancy, high-profile PR, and mentoring.

This conversation is split into three parts: 1️⃣ We start by digging into Andrew's business journey – including Frank PR's scaling strategy, its multiple exits, and the evolution of his current solo consultancy. 2️⃣ Then, we explore his perspective on the biggest challenges to scaling a business – and why culture and value-based pricing are non-negotiables. 3️⃣ Finally, we wrap up with some quickfire questions to get a glimpse into his mindset and daily habits.

In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Why charging by value not time unlocks higher growth and better client outcomes ✅ How Andrew transitioned to a portfolio career that's lean, high-impact and personally fulfilling ✅ What makes a good M&A deal – and why cultural fit matters more than financials ✅ The importance of legacy – and how culture can be your most enduring achievement ✅ Why staying curious and embracing AI is crucial for long-term relevance

The one key thing: 👉 Value-based pricing can completely transform how you grow and scale – by aligning your work with the results you deliver, not the hours you put in.

Quick heads-up: We're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals — in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. 🎯 Get access by emailing [email protected]

Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow.

For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Andrew.

Andrew can be found here:

andrewbloch.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbloch/

Resources:

Chat GPT - https://chatgpt.com/

On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Claudiu Cogalniceanu, the solo founder behind Sentrya, a revolutionary new approach to email protection.

What makes Claudiu's story so remarkable isn't just the tech, though that's impressive, but the journey. He built the first version of Sentrya in under a month while working as an Uber driver, launched it on Product Hunt, and grew to over 450 users in 25+ countries using organic Reddit marketing alone.

Sentrya flips the traditional spam filter model: instead of trying to detect spam, it creates a clean list of approved senders and deletes everything else by default. This privacy-first approach has blocked over 200,000 scam emails so far, and it's just the beginning.

We break down the conversation into three core parts:

1. The Business & Business Model: How Sentrya works, its current traction, and Claudiu's vision to compete with Gmail and Outlook by building a fully encrypted email service.
2. Challenges of Scaling Up: From bootstrapping to a viral setback when an influencer falsely accused the platform of being a scam, Claudiu shares how he overcame it.
3. Quickfire Questions: Insight into Claudiu's mindset, strategies, and how his psychology background shapes his approach to building a tech startup.

💡 The one key thing: You don't need massive funding to build something impactful, clarity of purpose and strategic simplicity can take you far.

🚀 Quick heads-up: We're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals, in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing [email protected].

Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow.

For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Claudiu.

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

Claudiu can be found here

https://sentrya.net/

Resources:

Alex Hormuz on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AlexHormozi

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Lilia Stoyanov, the CEO and cofounder of TFY (Transformify Ltd), a bootstrapped, AI-powered global workforce management platform.

TFY enables businesses to hire, onboard and pay contractors in 184+ countries – all from one platform. And it's not just another HR tool — it's a human-centred, AI-powered engine that automates compliance and payments, so finance and HR teams can focus on strategic growth.

In this episode, we cover:

• How TFY achieved 90% profit growth in 2024 with zero external investment
• The three-phase scaling strategy that took them from niche to global player
• Why they require a full business case for every new hire – and how that drives a near-zero attrition culture
• The systems behind managing 350,000 contractors with just 25 people
• Lilia's leadership approach – and why TFY avoids inflated job titles in favour of responsibility and results

We also explore how Lilia and her team avoided the "fake stability" of VC funding, and how they built a high-trust, global network by partnering with local legal and financial experts.

The one key thing? Scaling globally doesn't require massive headcount or funding — it demands laser focus, financial discipline, and relentless clarity on ROI.

Quick heads-up — we're also looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's designed to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will help shape the final version. Interested? Just email me at [email protected].

Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts — and why not give us a follow.

For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Lilia.

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

Lilia can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilia-stoyanov-tfy/

https://www.transformify.org/

https://www.instagram.com/ls_transformify/

Resources:

Blitzscaling by Chris Yeh - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/blitzscaling-the-lightning-fast-path-to-building-massively-valuable-companies-reid-hoffman/3593117?ean=9780008303631&next=t

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson unpack the remarkable ScaleUp journey of Dr. Mark Kotter, a neurosurgeon, stem cell biologist, and founder of Bit Bio, a deep-tech biotech company that's raised over $200 million and scaled to 200+ people.

It's a story that starts with clinical frustration and leads to a cutting-edge company using AI to literally reprogram cells.

But beyond the science lies a business story that any entrepreneur can learn from, full of lessons on leadership, values, team alignment, and the bumpy road of scale.

💡 Episode Highlights

• From Surgeon to ScaleUp CEO: Mark didn't set out to start a company, he was driven by necessity. After realising he couldn't cure spinal damage with surgery alone, he went searching for answers in research, ultimately spinning out Bit Bio after university support fell short.
• A Painful Co-Founder Conflict: Mark's first attempt at scaling ended in near disaster. Misalignment in values and vision led to a business breakup that forced him to remortgage his house to buy back control.
• Hiring with Intention: After that, Mark built a recruitment process focused on alignment and values, Purposeful, Ambitious, Trustworthy, Empirical, with a "Secret Vote" used to prevent bias and protect culture.
• Recognising the Breaking Points: Mark shares how communication changes at 20, 50, and 100 people, and how he had the humility to step aside and hire experienced operators to build structure when it was time.
• Living Drugs & AI: Bit Bio is on the frontier of medicine, moving from traditional "dead molecules" to "living drugs". They use AI and machine learning to crack complex genetic programming challenges that could change the future of healthcare.

🚀 The One Key Thing

"Don't assume alignment, be explicit about your values from day one."

💬 Standout Quote

"I thought curing disease would be enough to align people, but it wasn't. You have to say the hard stuff upfront." – Mark Kotter

💡 Smart90 Lite – Try It Free

Quick heads-up , we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals , in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version.

👉 Email [email protected] to get access.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

Don't miss future episodes , subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you get your podcasts. And if you know a founder with an inspiring story, check the show notes to nominate them!

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Virtyt Pula, the founder of TOML, a talent-first creative agency that's reimagining how creative work gets done. Instead of a traditional in-house model, TOML operates as a global creative collective, blending a tight-knit core team with a flexible international network of creative specialists.

Founded in 2015, TOML was built to challenge agency norms, and when the pandemic hit, its remote-first model went from being questioned by clients to becoming its biggest asset.

We cover three key areas in this conversation:

1. The Business, how TOML operates with a hybrid model, builds bespoke teams for every brief, and maintains quality across a distributed network.
2. Scaling Challenges, from earning client trust to navigating cash flow with global freelancers and shifting to a 50/50 service-to-R&D business model.
3. Quickfire Insights, including Virtyt's views on mentorship, the importance of launching early, and why his biggest influences include Steve Jobs, Bob Iger, and The Beatles.

The one key thing? Your agency structure doesn't have to look like everyone else's to work, but you'll need to earn trust fast.

Quick heads-up — we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals — in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing [email protected].

Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts, and why not give us a follow.

For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Virtyt.

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

Virtyt can be found here:

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

https://www.tomlcollective.com/

Resources:

Problem Solvers podcast - https://www.jasonfeifer.com/podcast/

Diary of a CEO podcast - https://stevenbartlett.com/doac/

The Future podcast - https://www.thefutur.com/podcast

Slack - https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/

Notion - https://www.notion.com/

Trello - https://trello.com/

Figma - https://www.figma.com/

Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/

Sortlist - https://www.sortlist.co.uk/

In this exclusive ScaleUp Club session, Kevin Brent sits down with Dr Mark Kotter, the visionary neurosurgeon and founder of Bit Bio, a revolutionary deep tech company transforming how we produce human cells at scale.

Bit Bio has raised over £250 million, and what started as academic frustration with the limits of regenerative medicine has become a game-changing platform for industrial-scale cell production. But it hasn't been an easy ride.

From a near-collapse caused by co-founder misalignment to pioneering an intensive, values-driven hiring process, Mark shares a raw and honest look at what it takes to scale a company at the edge of biotech innovation.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Explicit Alignment Is Crucial: Co-founder misalignment nearly destroyed the company. Mark remortgaged his house to buy them out — and rebuilt with clear purpose and cultural values at the core.
• Fundraising Is a Full-Time Role: To scale such a novel tech, Mark handed off the science to a CSO and focused entirely on securing capital — over £250M to date.
• Hire People Smarter Than You: By sourcing key hires from VC due diligence teams and investing in deep expertise, Bit Bio gained the credibility and capability needed to scale.
• De-Risk Through Automation: Building biology, manufacturing, and QC processes from scratch is risky — automation and miniaturisation helped deliver £250M/year capacity from just 300m².

💡 The One Key Thing:

If your team's alignment isn't crystal clear — it's a ticking time bomb.

Quick heads-up — we're looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's built to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals — in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will directly shape the final version. You can get access by emailing [email protected].

Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts – and why not give us a follow.

For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Mark.

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

Mark can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kotter/

https://www.bit.bio/