On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Dr. Muddassir Ahmed, the founder of SCMDOJO, a platform revolutionising access to supply chain training and consultancy.

From launching a $99/month subscription model to developing a proprietary AI consultant set to launch in March, Dr. Ahmed shares how he's turning SCMDOJO from a content platform into a cutting-edge supply chain technology business.

Highlights

• Business Model Mastery: SCMDOJO began with low-ticket courses and evolved into a hybrid model blending community, content, and consultancy.
• AI Leap: SCMDOJO Sensei is an AI agent trained on proprietary content to analyse problems, deliver expert advice, and even automate sourcing.
• Sales Wisdom: Dr. Ahmed closed a deal with LVMH after 72 emails over 1.5 years; proof that persistence pays.
• Remote Execution vs Creativity: While the team excels operationally, fostering innovation in a lean, remote setup remains the next hurdle.

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 Muddassir.

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 here:

[email protected]

Kevin's Book Is Here!

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/

Muddassir can be found here:

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

https://www.scmdojo.com/

Resources:

https://claude.ai/login

https://gemini.google.com/

https://grok.com/

https://notebooklm.google/

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent sits down with Rachael Jackson, a dynamic entrepreneur who has turned personal challenges into entrepreneurial strengths. From launching her business through a franchise model to reframing dyslexia as a leadership asset, Rachael's story is all about strategic thinking and relentless focus.

Key Highlights

• Franchise as a Strategic Launchpad: Rachael chose a WIBN franchise to de-risk her startup journey, gaining crucial business experience and a peer network before launching her dream venture.
• Relentless Focus = Results: She became Franchisee of the Year by intentionally managing her time, prioritising member value, and building financial resilience through reinvestment.
• Neurodiversity as Strength: Diagnosed with dyslexia at 30, she harnessed it as a leadership superpower—mastering delegation, systems, and people management.
• Tech for Inclusion: She uses a dyslexia-friendly CRM (POP) to boost productivity and sidestep complexity.

The one key thing: A franchise can be more than a business – it can be a confidence-building launchpad for your bigger vision.

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].

Don't forget to subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us for new episodes every week. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Rachael.

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 here:

[email protected]

Kevin's Book Is Here!

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/

Rachael can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-jackson-507608304/

https://arayoflight.co.uk/

https://wibn.co.uk/page/Rachael_Jackson

This week on ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin and Louise unpack two fascinating recent conversations, one with Samantha Thurlow of In Collaboration, and one with Graeme Tennick of Tennick Accountants.

Different sectors. Same pivotal moment.

Both guests hit a point where "business as usual" stopped working, and had to rethink structure, mindset, and action to move forward.

🔎 What We Cover

1️⃣ The Associate Trap

Samantha built her agency on a flexible associate model. It worked, until it didn't.

Growth meant more work… but not more profit. Flexibility became a ceiling.

Her pivot? Moving towards an employee model to build stability, culture, and long-term asset value.

Lesson: Convenience can quietly cap your growth.

2️⃣ Strategy Over Volume

Samantha also shared a key observation about marketing.

AI-generated content is everywhere. But engagement is dropping when there's no strategy behind it.

More posts ≠ better marketing. Clear positioning and thinking wins.

3️⃣ The Real Reason Businesses Don't Scale

When Kevin asked Graeme the biggest barrier to growth, his answer wasn't cash flow.

It was procrastination.

We are drowning in knowledge but starved of action.

His advice is simple: Identify the biggest challenge in front of you, then take one immediate action to move it forward.

One action is progress.

4️⃣ 10x Requires Reinvention

Graeme referenced 10x Is Easier Than 2x, the idea that small growth can come from working harder, but exponential growth requires fundamentally changing how you operate.

You cannot 10x with yesterday's structure.

🎯 The One Key Thing

If you feel stuck, don't just push harder.

Change the structure or behaviour that's holding you back.

🎧 Want More?

To hear Samantha's full transition story and Graeme's Client Impact Tree framework in detail, listen to their full episodes of ScaleUp Radio.

Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.

This episode was created using AI

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Samantha Thurlow, founder of In Collaboration, a business support agency that's grown from offering virtual assistant services to delivering full-service strategy, admin, and marketing.

As her business evolves into a two-brand model, with the launch of Creative Bean Studios, Sam shares how she's adapting to market shifts, overcoming growing pains, and preparing for the next stage of her scaleup journey.

Key Takeaways

• Pivoting the Business Model: Sam transitioned In Collaboration from a flexible associate model to a hybrid employed team, following clear advice from her accountant. This shift was vital to improving profitability and enabling scale.
• New Brand, Same Vision: The launch of Creative Bean Studios allows her to expand specialist marketing services while focusing In Collaboration on strategic support for clients.
• Strategy Over Service: Clients are moving away from generic VA tasks to valuing strategic insight, SEO, branding, and business positioning are now in high demand.
• The Power of Vulnerability: Sam's standout message? Being open about challenges attracts support and builds trust, both in business relationships and team culture.
• AI Done Right: AI isn't a silver bullet, real results come when it's used as a tool by experienced humans, not a content factory.

The One Key Thing

Building a scalable business model sometimes means letting go of what's worked in the past. For Sam, it was moving beyond the associate model to unlock long-term sustainability and growth.

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 Sam.

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 here:

[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/

Samantha can be found here:

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

https://www.instagram.com/incollaboration/

https://www.facebook.com/InCollaborationAgency

https://incollaboration.co.uk/

Resources:

Blockworks - https://blockworks.co/

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

Dear Female Founder by Lu Li - https://amzn.eu/d/0ikvYiaG

Brene Brown - https://brenebrown.com/

Asana - https://asana.com/

This episode of ScaleUp Radio is part of our Scale-Up Club spotlight series – a special format where we welcome back a previous guest to go deeper in a live Q&A session with our Scale-Up Club members.

This time, we shine the spotlight on Dr. Serge Santos, also known as The Business Physicist – and for good reason. Serge brings a rare blend of financial acumen, physics-trained problem solving, and a deep passion for business legacy.

From being made redundant in 2013 to raising £700 million and running three growing businesses under his Bedrock Enterprises group, Serge speaks with refreshing honesty about the real challenges of scaling – and the mindset shifts required to succeed.

This engaging Q&A covers wide-ranging questions from the audience, including:

• How Serge transitioned from founder to multi-business leader
• His approach to building empowered leadership teams
• Why culture is the bedrock – and how to enforce a "no dickhead policy"
• Letting go of control, and why founders often become their own bottleneck
• Balancing long-term investment with short-term performance
• His thought process for setting strategic direction across multiple businesses
• And why legacy matters more than ego

Expect practical advice, candid reflections, and a healthy dose of inspiration.

The standout message? "You can't build legacy if the business is still about you. Step back, empower others, and invest in a culture that can thrive without you."

The one key thing you'll take away? If you want to scale, you have to learn to let go – and build a team and culture that doesn't rely on you.

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 Q&A session with Serge.

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 here:

[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/

Serge can be found here:

[email protected]

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

In this punchy episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, hosts Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt unpack the sharpest lessons from two remarkably different guests – and the surprising connections between them.

On one side: 🧠 Andrew Bloch; seasoned PR expert, co-founder of Frank PR, and now high-level "fixer" and M&A advisor. On the other: 🚀 Claudiu Cogalniceanu; scrappy startup founder of Sentrya, fighting phishing with tech while driving Uber to fund his dream.

Despite being at opposite ends of the business spectrum, their journeys share deep truths about scaling, resilience, and self-awareness.

🔑 What You'll Learn:

• 💸 Why charging for value, not time, unlocks revenue and sanity
• 🚫 How saying "no" can be your most powerful growth strategy
• 🧪 Why building fast and testing early beats perfection every time
• 📣 The 70/30 rule: why marketing must outweigh product dev in a startup
• 🧠 How continuous learning fuels both founders; from ChatGPT to Python

💥 Standout Quote:

"Marketing needs to be 70% of your focus, not 30%. You can build the best product, but if no one knows it exists, it doesn't matter."

🎯 The One Key Thing: No matter where you are on your scaleup journey; early grind or post-exit; understanding your value and protecting your time is everything.

🧠 Want to sharpen your own execution? 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]

🎙️ Don't miss the full interviews with Andrew and Claudiu on ScaleUp Radio. Find them wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Graeme Tennick, the founder of Tennick Accountants – a firm that's challenging the traditional view of accountants as compliance providers by driving real strategic impact for clients and the wider community.

Graeme shares how his firm has rooted itself in a compelling mission: to make lives better – for their team, their clients, and even the world. And this isn't just a tagline. From the way they set goals with clients to how they measure internal performance and reward behaviour, it's clear that purpose drives everything they do.

We explore how Graeme is tackling one of the biggest scaleup blockers – procrastination – by introducing frameworks for action and accountability, both for himself and his clients. There's plenty to take away from this episode about habit formation, purpose-driven strategy, and creating a values-led team culture.

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 Graeme.

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 here:

[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/

Graeme can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/graeme-tennick-xero-expert-virtual-finance-director/

[email protected]

Resources:

The Flight Of The Buffalo by James Belasco - https://www.waterstones.com/book/flight-of-the-buffalo/james-belasco/ralph-c-stayer/9780446670081

10 X is easier than 2 X by Dan Sullivan - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/10x-is-easier-than-2x-how-world-class-entrepreneurs-achieve-more-by-doing-less-dan-sullivan/7411822?ean=9781401969950&next=t

In this special ScaleUp Club VIP session, we're joined by Alina Stancu, co-founder of The Orange Notebook, for a focused and interactive discussion on what it really takes to build a high-performing team culture, even with a remote team or contractors.

Through practical frameworks, lived experience, and powerful case studies, Alina guides us through how culture is either fuelling or silently stalling your business, and what you can do about it.

You'll hear:

🔸 Why most cultural breakdowns stem from missing safety and purpose – and why these two ingredients are non-negotiable. 🔸 How to lead by agreement, not expectation – making values real through clear, defined behaviours. 🔸 What "positive ownership" looks like in action – and why it frees leaders from needing to control everything. 🔸 How to build a consistent culture with contractors – through inclusion, security, and care.

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 session with Alina.

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 here:

[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/

Alina can be found here:

https://theorangenotebook.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alina-stancu/

Resources:

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/extreme-ownership-how-u-s-navy-seals-lead-and-win-jocko-willink/651009?ean=9781250183866&next=t

In this special edition of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson dive into two recent interviews that couldn't be more different on the surface; but reveal some remarkably similar lessons underneath.

On one side, we have Aqeel Shamsul, founder of cutting-edge space biotech startup Frontier Space, turning microgravity into a drug development advantage.

On the other, Tom Perry and Ella Chapman from Holloway Bond, redefining the approach to business rates recovery through data-led outreach and customer-first practices.

From rocket science to rateable values, this episode is a compelling breakdown of the shared truths behind successful scaleups.

💡 Key Highlights:

✅ Solve a Real Problem, Build the Right Team Whether in outer space or in high-street offices, the guests focused on one key thing: identifying a genuine pain point and assembling the right people to solve it.

✅ From Hustle to Systems Aqeel bootstrapped his first space mission while washing dishes during his PhD. Tom & Ella took on every business function until they hit bottlenecks—then learned to outsource and scale smart.

✅ Proactive Sales Is King Frontier Space invests heavily in Business Development, even in deep-tech. Holloway Bond flips the model by finding clients through data, rather than waiting for them to call.

✅ Culture and Hiring Matter More Than Ever In both businesses, early hires define the culture. Whether it's recruiting for attitude in a niche field or insisting on in-person interviews to gauge culture fit—getting the right people on board is non-negotiable.

✅ Stay Focused on Your Core Tom & Ella are weighing up diversification. Granger's advice? "Stick to the knitting" until systems and leadership layers are strong enough to expand.

🚀 Standout Message:

"Whether you're dealing with the European Space Agency or your local council's valuation office, business always comes down to: Do you solve a real problem? Do you have a team that can deliver? And can you sell it?"

🔑 The One Key Thing:

Proactive, focused execution; not the industry you're in; is what drives scale.

🎁 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. 📩 Just email [email protected] to get access.

This episode has been created utilising AI technology

Granger Forson here from www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk and on LinkedIn, and in this episode of ScaleUp Radio I'm joined by Tom Perry and Ella Chapman, founders of Holloway Bond.

In just three years, Tom and Ella have quietly built a specialist business that champions companies who are unknowingly overpaying business rates. Rather than chasing every prospect, Holloway Bond flips the model on its head by using data to proactively identify who they can truly help, before ever picking up the phone.

What stands out immediately is their integrity. Operating on a no-win-no-fee basis, they only take on cases where they are confident they can deliver meaningful results. That clarity has shaped not just their business model, but also their culture, their growth decisions, and the deep trust they've built with clients.

We explore their journey from industry insiders to business owners, the lessons learned from early cash flow challenges, and why outsourcing marketing, HR, recruitment and IT helped unlock their next phase of growth. Along the way, Tom and Ella share honest reflections on recruitment mistakes, the importance of face-to-face conversations, and why building a happy, knowledgeable team matters more than chasing size.

This episode is a powerful reminder that you don't need to be the biggest to be brilliant, and that doing things differently, with care and conviction, can create both commercial success and genuine joy in the workplace.

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 trust, thoughtful growth and doing business differently with Tom Perry and Ella Chapman.

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/

Tom & Ella can be found here:

https://www.hollowaybond.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-perry-49149b261/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-chapman-841a31203/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573757277571

https://www.instagram.com/hollowaybondltd/

[email protected]

01285 42100

Resources:

Free Agent app - https://www.freeagent.com/features/mobile/

Time Tree app - https://timetreeapp.com/intl/en

Web X - https://www.webex.com/

Zoho CRM - https://www.zoho.com/crm/

DotSquares - https://www.dotsquares.com/