ScaleUp Radio

This week on ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin and Granger reflect on two standout interviews that bring together the worlds of engineering precision and artistic expression in leadership.

On one side, we have Jono Taylor, a grounded product design engineer scaling his service-based business with a flexible freelance model. On the other, Nigel Hughes, a ballet-trained serial entrepreneur helping leaders inspire from within.

Despite their wildly different backgrounds, both guests shared strikingly similar insights around resilience, team dynamics, and the importance of values in scaling.

💡 In this 15-minute roundup episode, you'll hear:

• How Jono built a "freelance family" to scale without the pressure of full-time headcount
• Why Nigel believes great leadership combines Vision, Inspiration and Purpose ("VIP")
• How both founders have navigated setbacks, and what they'd tell their younger selves
• The power of combining structure (spreadsheets!) with spirit (vision + culture) to grow sustainably

Whether you're scaling a physical product business or leading through transformation, these contrasting but complementary stories offer real, actionable lessons.

🗝️ Standout Quote: "Responsibility isn't a heavy sack to carry – it's the ability to respond." – Nigel Hughes

💬 The one key thing: Scaling up successfully is about blending head and heart, managing the spreadsheet and inspiring with purpose.

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].

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to follow so you never miss an episode.

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast brought to you by Smart90, inspired by the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System and designed to make navigating our ScaleUp journeys that little bit easier by learning from others' experiences.

I'm Kevin Brent, and in today's episode I'm joined by Nigel Hughes, a former professional performer turned leadership advisor and founder of Outstanding Global.

Nigel's journey is anything but ordinary. At just 13 years old, he chose ballet over the Marines — a decision that marked the beginning of a 20-year career on stage and eventually led him into the world of leadership development and sustainability advocacy.

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, which is structured into three parts:

1. First, we dive into Nigel's business, the philosophy behind Outstanding Global, and where he is on his ScaleUp journey.
2. Then, we explore Nigel's unique approach to the challenges of scaling, including his thoughts on mindset, identity, and the ScaleUp Challenges Report.
3. And finally, we round off with a few quickfire questions to get to know Nigel that little bit better.

One of the standout messages from this episode is Nigel's call to "stand up for who you are" — a timely reminder for leaders navigating uncertain environments.

The one key thing I took away from this conversation? If you want to lead effectively, you must shift from being a reactive victim to a proactive chooser — and Nigel shares exactly how to do that with a practical framework you can use right away.

👉 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 Nigel.

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/

Nigel can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-hughes-outstanding-global/

https://www.outstanding.global/

Resources:

Becky Hemsley Poem 'Breathe' - https://www.thethinkingproject.co.uk/poemsofathinkingenvironment/breathebybeckyhemsley

Hi, I'm Granger Forson find me at www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk or connect on LinkedIn and in this episode of ScaleUp Radio we dive deep into the world of product design engineering with Jono Taylor, founder of Relay Industries.

Jono has spent ten years building a business that brings breakthrough physical products to life, helping solve real-world problems in medical, industrial, scientific and connected technology sectors. From life-saving blood pumps and IoT telematics hardware to quantum physics instrumentation, Relay Industries stands out by combining creativity with deep manufacturing insight.

What makes Jono's journey special is the unwavering belief in humility, shared thinking and building long-term relationships. He openly discusses the rollercoaster of growth: winning major international contracts, expanding rapidly, then facing a six-month drought that forced difficult decisions. Through resilience and relentless networking, the company rebuilt stronger and now operates with a flexible team structure powered by freelancers treated like true teammates.

At the heart of Relay Industries sits a passion that shines through every story: designing products that genuinely improve lives, avoiding landfill for landfill's sake, and creating environments where people and ideas thrive.

If you want inspiration on navigating uncertainty, scaling with lean thinking, and finding joy in solving meaningful problems, this episode is a must-listen. 🎙️

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 invention, resilience and collaboration with Jono 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/

Jono can be found here:

https://www.relayindustries.com/

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

Resources:

The Designers Directory of Colour by Sean Adams - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/designer-s-dictionary-of-colour-uk-edition-sean-adams/4244311?ean=9781419726392&next=t

The Curious Bartender podcast - https://www.thecuriousbartender.com/

Timely app - https://www.gettimely.com/features/mobile-app/

In this punchy ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson take a deep dive into two recent ScaleUp Radio conversations, one with Hamish Yates, founder of Neptune Infrastructure Associates, and the other with Steve Johnson, MD of Scaling Sales.

At first glance, managing offshore wind farms and building a sales team might seem worlds apart. But when it comes to scaling, the core principles of focus, systems, and people are universal.

🎯 Key Themes Explored:

• Niche Down, Scale Up Both Hamish and Steve highlight the importance of narrowing your focus to accelerate growth. Whether it's Hamish's "Control" phase in the PACE model or Steve's "Sales Gauntlet", it's all about precision and repeatability.
• From Founder-Selling to Sales Teams Steve maps the 3 stages of founder-led sales and warns against jumping too soon to hire a sales director. His benchmark: two reps consistently hitting quota.
• Attracting the Right People Hamish made Neptune an employee-owned business from day one, a bold move to bring in top talent. Steve, on the other hand, advocates for hiring overlooked talent, entrepreneurial minds from other sectors, like hospitality.
• Mindset & Resilience Both guests touch on the emotional journey of scaling. Hamish spoke of the eerie silence after leaving the corporate world, while Steve stressed protecting your energy: "Take care of the asset, yourself."

🔑 The one key thing: You can't scale chaos. Systems and the right people make scaling possible, but only if you protect your energy as a founder.

💬 Standout quote:

"No one really cares about you as much as you do. When you quit the corporate job, there is an eerie silence. You have to be the one to drive the noise and passion."

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast brought to you by Smart90, inspired by the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System and designed to make navigating our ScaleUp journeys that little bit easier by learning from others' experiences. I'm Kevin Brent and in today's episode I'm joined by Steve Johnson.

Steve's a founder who's been in the trenches, he grew his SaaS business from £750k to over £5 million ARR in just three years. In this conversation, we break down his proven 3-stage framework for scaling sales the right way, starting with the founder doing the selling.

This episode is structured in three parts: First, we explore Steve's background, business model, and where he is on the scaleup journey. Second, we dive into the tough lessons of scaling sales, from hiring evangelists over mercenaries, to the critical role of positioning. And finally, we wrap up with a few quickfire questions to hear Steve's take on leadership and learning.

One key takeaway: "If the CEO hasn't sold it themselves, they've no idea what makes a good sales process, or a good hire."

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 help shape the final version. 👉 You can try it now at email [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 Steve.

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/

Steve can be found here:

https://www.scalingsales.com/

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

https://scalingsales.kit.com/

Resources:

Thinking In Systems by Donella Meadows - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/thinking-in-systems-international-bestseller-donella-meadows/3265846?ean=9781603580557&next=t

The Goal by Jeff Cox - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-goal-a-process-of-ongoing-improvement-eliyahu-m-goldratt/55822?ean=9780566086656&next=t

The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/brand-gap-the-revised-edition-marty-neumeier/4452437?ean=9780321348104&next=t

Octavo by Marty Neumeier - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/octavo-a-novel-marty-neumeier/7446775?ean=9798987158456&next=t

Simplicity by Edward de Bono - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/simplicity-edward-de-bono/4317445?ean=9780241257487&next=t

ChatGPT - https://chatgpt.com/

Gemini - https://gemini.google.com/

Hi, I'm Granger Forson, and you can find me at www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk or on LinkedIn.

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Hamish Yates, founder and CEO of Neptune Infrastructure Associates, a fast-growing advisory firm dedicated to helping asset managers optimise the performance of renewable energy projects across Europe. With experience advising on over £2 billion of projects powering more than two million homes, Hamish brings a rare blend of engineering rigour and entrepreneurial purpose to the clean energy space.

We explore how Neptune was built on a foundation of practical experience and values, offering something distinctly different to the consulting norm, a hands-on team of experts who've sat "in the hot seat" managing billion-pound wind farms. Hamish shares how his time at Orsted, where he led the world's largest offshore wind farm, shaped his mission to "accelerate the energy transition" by helping investors deliver greater returns while doing good for the planet.

Beyond business mechanics, we talk about the human side of scaling, the loneliness of the founder's journey, the lessons from hiring missteps, and the power of creating an employee-owned culture from day one. For Hamish, it's about aligning the team around a shared purpose and giving everyone a stake in the company's success.

We also unpack the global renewable energy landscape: the political headwinds, the opportunities in grid transformation, and why openness to change is crucial for the investment community to unlock real value.

If you're interested in leadership that blends commercial insight, culture-building, and impact, this conversation is for you.

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

So, let's now dive into the inspiring journey of renewables, resilience, and real leadership with Hamish Yates.

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/

Hamish can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamish-yates-637a9583/

https://www.neptune-infra.com/

Free Assessment - https://nia-lxq2uqzu.scoreapp.com/

Resources:

Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/atomic-habits-the-life-changing-million-copy-1-bestseller-james-clear/2458373?ean=9781847941831&next=t

Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/never-split-the-difference-negotiating-as-if-your-life-depended-on-it-chris-voss/3692653?ean=9781847941497&next=t

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

Cleaning Up podcast - https://www.cleaningup.live/

Mile IQ app - https://mileiq.com/

The National Grid app - https://www.nationalgridus.com/Mobile-App

In this edition of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson distil powerful insights from two recent ScaleUp Radio interviews with:

• Kat Wellum-Kent, founder of The Fractionals Group, and

• Phil Harding, founder and MD of BBB Drinks.

While their businesses differ in sector and style, finance/HR versus premium drinks distribution, both founders offer hard-earned lessons on how to scale smartly and sustainably.

🎯 What You'll Learn in This Episode:

✅ The power of specialisation – Kat's fractional model brings strategic and operational finance/HR under one roof. Phil, meanwhile, flips the traditional distributor model by offering upfront retainers and full transparency in costs.

✅ Two very different approaches to team building – Kat's scaling an in-house team with cultural authenticity at its core. Phil relies on a lean, outsourced model supported by dedicated Brand Ambassadors and data-led tools.

✅ Efficiency through structure and systems – From Kat's time-blocking and letting go of perfectionism, to Phil's game-changing consignment stock model and custom Amazon dashboards, both founders know how to manage risk and cash flow.

✅ Vision with discipline – Kat aims to build a $7.5M multi-vertical fractional group, while Phil is creating an international machine for bringing drinks brands to market, despite the ever-present funding challenges in early-stage FMCG.

🧠 The one key thing: Scaling successfully isn't about doing more, it's about doing the right things with structure, focus, and control.

💬 Standout quote: "Don't wait for the website or business cards to be perfect – just go and do it." – Phil Harding

🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast app by searching for ScaleUp Radio, and catch the full interviews with both Kat and Phil.

📩 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 access.

👥 Know someone with a great ScaleUp story? Nominate them as a guest for a future episode! Details in the shownotes.

This episode is created with the help of AI

Hi, I'm Granger Forson, and you can find me at www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn.

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I sit down with Kat Wellum-Kent, founder of The Fractionals Group. A business built on the powerful idea that scale-ups deserve fractional support that truly integrates into their teams.

Kat shares her inspiring journey from accountant to entrepreneur, revealing how a chance lunch with a friend in Australia sparked her leap into creating Fractional Finance and later Fractional Human Resources. From just an idea to a 12-person team working with over 22 clients, her story embodies courage, clarity, and purpose.

We explore how Kat has differentiated her business in an increasingly competitive market by blending strategic CFO-level insight with operational finance delivery and how she's applied the same model to HR. It's a blueprint for scale-ups seeking high-impact expertise without full-time hires.

What shines through most is Kat's authenticity. She speaks candidly about learning from early hiring missteps, building a culture of honesty and alignment in a remote team, and leading with empathy. Her leadership approach, grounded in openness, intuition, and continuous improvement has built a business where people grow together.

Whether you're considering the fractional model for your own business, exploring how to build stronger teams, or looking for inspiration to trust your instincts and take the leap, this conversation will give you both courage and practical insight.

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 intuition, authenticity, and fractional growth with Kat Wellum-Kent.

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/

Kat can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katwellum-kent/

Resources:

Traction by Gino Wickman - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/traction-get-a-grip-on-your-business-gino-wickman/3561744?ean=9781936661831&next=t

Pitch Deck podcast - https://www.nicktelson.com/podcast

Opal app - https://www.opal.so/

Gabby Bernstein app - https://gabbybernstein.com/gabby-coaching-app/

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Phil Harding, the founder of BBB Drinks, a business that's not only disrupting the traditional drinks distribution model but also redefining how emerging brands grow and scale in an evolving market.

From a shift in consumer drinking habits to a unique retainer-based model, Phil shares how BBB Drinks is tackling the industry's deep-rooted inefficiencies head-on – and helping new brands get the attention and traction they deserve.

This episode is structured in three parts:

1. The Business & Model: We explore BBB's innovative business model, their shift to brand ambassadors, and the market trends that are shaping the drinks industry.
2. Scaling Challenges: Phil shares his personal experiences of scaling, including how BBB is responding to the challenges of growth, cash flow, and the broader insights from the ScaleUp Challenges Report.
3. Quickfire Questions: We wrap up with some fast-paced insights that reveal what drives Phil and what he's learned on his journey so far.

🎯 The One Key Thing:

"Your business model is your greatest lever – disrupt the system, and you can unlock real scale."

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 Phil.

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/

Phil can be found here:

www.bbbdrinks.com

[email protected]

Resources:

Gemini - https://gemini.google.com/

Grok - https://grok.com/

In this powerful ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson contrast two founders tackling very different ends of the healthcare and life sciences spectrum:

• Michael Colling-Tuck, founder of Agency Medical Marketing, is on a mission to ensure life-changing innovations get adopted by clinicians and patients.
• Prasun Chakraborty, founder of Genevation, is developing personalised cancer vaccines using cutting-edge AI and immunotherapy.

One is solving the problem of visibility and market traction. The other is solving for scientific possibility and clinical impact. Yet both share a relentless sense of purpose and founder resilience.

What You'll Learn:

✅ The commercial vs scientific ends of the innovation lifecycle ✅ How founder motivation shapes business strategy ✅ Different approaches to funding, operations and visibility ✅ Why isolation, pressure and resilience are universal for founders

Standout Quotes:

"Only 5% of life-changing medical innovations succeed – not because they don't work, but because no one knows about them." – Michael "I think like a patient so I can build for the patient." – Prasun

Key Takeaway:

Innovation dies without commercial traction, and commercial traction is meaningless without innovation. Founders must either build the bridge—or be the breakthrough.