How Susie Ma Scaled Tropic Skincare With Purpose, Resilience and Profit

In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, host Brendan McGurgan sits down with Susie Ma, founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare, one of the UK’s fastest-growing beauty brands and a shining example of purpose-led entrepreneurship.

From launching Tropic at age 15 to turning it into a multi-million-pound business, Susie shares the highs, lows and deep personal insights behind building a truly values-driven company — one that’s scaled profitably, sustainably, and without compromising its ethical roots.

This episode is essential listening for SME business leaders who want to scale without selling out, and build businesses that are not only commercially successful, but deeply aligned with personal values, impact, and purpose.

✅ How to scale a business without compromising your values ✅ The secret to Tropic’s growth: customers as co-creators ✅ Why resilience matters more than strategy in tough moments ✅ How to embed sustainability into your business model from day one ✅ What Susie learned from rejection on The Apprentice ✅ The power of radical transparency in building brand trust ✅ How Tropic made purpose its competitive advantage ✅ Susie’s personal mindset tools for clarity and confidence

00:00 – Welcome & Susie’s story of building Tropic 06:40 – Growing a purpose-led business from £200 10:30 – Being values-led under pressure 15:10 – When growth tests your convictions 21:45 – Empowering customers in your strategy 26:00 – What sustainable leadership looks like 33:20 – Hiring for integrity and belief 38:00 – The real costs of misalignment 43:15 – Susie’s tools for staying focused 47:00 – 3 timeless takeaways for scaling with purpose

🌐 Website: https://www.tropicskincare.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susie-ma/ 📺 The Apprentice Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQFSfwZq_ug

About Simple Scaling & ScaleX™ Insider Podcast:

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

If you're an SME leader who wants help to scale with purpose and a proven plan and framework to follow to get there, here's two ways you can work with us:

Join our Northern Ireland ScaleX Accelerator Programme in 2026! (For SME leaders generating £2m-30m annually.)

Since 2020, we've ran a 12-month group coaching programme designed for CEOs, founders and MDs of SME's who want to scale their business, their own leadership, their teams and their value proposition. In 90 days, we'll spot the bottlenecks stopping you right now and devise a plan throughout the rest of the programme on how you can achieve limitless business,

If that sounds good to you, click here to join our waitlist for 2026 - https://scalexaccelerator.simplescaling.com/

📢 Subscribe for weekly insights on how to Scale with Purpose: /@scalexinsider 

#ScalingWithPurpose, #SMELeadership, #PurposeDrivenBusiness, #FounderMindset, #EthicalEntrepreneurship

In this unmissable episode of ScaleX Insider, host Benny McGurgan sits down with serial entrepreneur and HelpBank founder Simon Squibb to unpack the myths of hard work, the lies we inherit about success, and the power of rediscovering your dream.

You’ll Learn:

· Why most business owners don’t scale (and what to do instead)

·   The real reason your team isn’t engaged

·    How purpose—not hustle—is your biggest growth lever

·     How to remove limiting beliefs that are sabotaging your success

·     Whether you're stuck in your business or seeking to re-ignite your passion, this conversation will shift your mindset and strategy.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction & Vision of ScaleX

01:36 – Early Life & Entrepreneurial Roots

05:59 – The Passion Myth

17:03 – Purpose in Business

36:19 – Storytelling & SME Growth

41:25 – Misconceptions About Hard Work54:26 – Redefining Success

01:01:18 – Building a Personal Brand

01:10:57 – Work-Life Balance & Culture

01:12:41 – Power of Listening

🔗 Connect with Simon Squibb:

🌐 Website: https://purposefulproject.com

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimonSquibb

🎧 Podcast: The Good Luck Club – https://purposefulproject.com/podcast

📲 TikTok / IG: @simonsquibb

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsquibb/

📘 More from Simon:

The Purposeful Project: Free tools, courses & mentorship to help you start a business – https://purposefulproject.com

📍 Find out more: Simon’s platform: https://www.helpbank.com

Simon’s book: What’s Your Dream? – available now

About Simple Scaling & ScaleX™ Insider Podcast:

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

If you're an SME leader who wants help to scale with purpose and a proven plan and framework to follow to get there, here's two ways you can work with us:

Join our Northern Ireland ScaleX Accelerator Programme in 2026! (For SME leaders generating £2m-30m annually.)

Since 2020, we've ran a 12-month group coaching programme designed for CEOs, founders and MDs of SME's who want to scale their business, their own leadership, their teams and their value proposition. In 90 days, we'll spot the bottlenecks stopping you right now and devise a plan throughout the rest of the programme on how you can achieve limitless business,

If that sounds good to you, click here to join our waitlist for 2026 - https://scalexaccelerator.simplescaling.com

📢 Subscribe for weekly insights on how to Scale with Purpose:https://www.youtube.com/@ScaleXInsider

In this energising episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome Alisa Cohn — executive coach, former CFO, and author of the highly acclaimed book From Start-Up to Grown-Up.

Named the #1 Startup Coach in the world by Thinkers50 and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, Alisa has coached the leadership teams of companies like Venmo, Etsy, and Dell — and countless first-time founders navigating the scale-up journey.

In this episode, we go deep on the inner game of scaling. Alisa shares personal stories, proven techniques, and hard-won wisdom to help founders stop getting in their own way and start growing into the leaders their companies need.

We explore:

✅ Why Clarity of Vision Beats Clarity of Path ✅ The Shift from Founder to CEO ✅ How to Build Confidence Using a “Highlight Reel” ✅ Why So Many Founders Struggle to Let Go ✅ How to Motivate Without Burning Out ✅ The #1 Trap Holding Scale-Up Leaders Back

Whether you're leading a 5-person start-up or a 500-person team, this episode is a powerful reminder: your business can’t scale until you do.

🎧 Tune in now and find out how to move forward — even if the path isn’t clear.

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/ 🌐 Website: https://www.alisacohn.com 📘 Download scripts for difficult conversations: https://www.alisacohn.com/scripts

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

If you're an SME leader who wants help to scale with purpose and a proven plan and framework to follow to get there, here are two ways you can work with us:

1. Join our Northern Ireland ScaleX Accelerator Programme in 2026 (For SME leaders generating £2m–£30m annually)

Since 2020, we’ve run a 12-month group coaching programme designed for CEOs, founders, and MDs who want to scale their business, their leadership, and their teams. 📌 Join the waitlist: https://scalexaccelerator.simplescaling.com

2. Join ScaleX Elevate (For SME leaders generating £750k–£2m)

A fully digital learning community for scaling leaders — featuring weekly training, support sessions, and guest speakers to give you a roadmap for success. 📌 Register interest here: https://scalexinsights.simplescaling.com/elevate

In this powerful episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m deeply honoured to welcome Marshall Goldsmith — world-renowned executive coach, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most influential business thinkers of our time.

For nearly 40 years, Marshall has coached over 150 CEOs and their leadership teams, helping them navigate behavioural change, scale impact, and lead with intention. He pioneered the use of 360-degree feedback in leadership development and has been recognised as the top-rated executive coach at the Thinkers50 awards in London — every year since 2011.

With bestselling books like Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Marshall shares timeless, practical tools that help leaders build better habits, higher-performing teams, and more fulfilling lives.

In this deeply insightful and thought-provoking conversation, we explore:

✅ Be Happy Now — Or Regret It Forever ✅ The One Habit That Builds High-Performing Teams ✅ Why Founders Fail When They Cling Too Tight ✅ This Is What Meaning Really Looks Like ✅ The #1 Mistake Small Business Owners Make

Whether you're a founder, CEO, coach, or leader-in-progress, this episode is an essential guide to living and leading with purpose, perspective, and joy — today, not someday.

🎧 Tune in now to discover why the greatest change you'll ever lead… is the one within yourself.

Connect with Marshall Goldsmith:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshallgoldsmith/

🌐 Website: https://marshallgoldsmith.com

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on Your Favorite Platform: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/🎵 Spotify: https://spotify.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleScaling

🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with fellow business leaders!

In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m honoured to welcome Caspar Craven—seasoned entrepreneur, leadership expert, and author of Be More Human and The Big Bold Mindset.

Caspar learned first-hand that success isn't about avoiding challenges — it's about embracing them and harnessing their power. Having started as an entrepreneur at 14, he’s since built and led teams across global corporations, start-ups, struggling businesses, and high-growth ventures. With five years at KPMG Corporate Finance and multiple roles as CEO, CFO, and Board Advisor — including several successful exits — Caspar brings hard-won wisdom to every conversation.

Oh, and did we mention? He’s sailed around the world twice — once as a crew member on the BT Global Challenge, dubbed the world’s toughest yacht race, and again with his wife and three children under ten in tow.

In this exhilarating and deeply insightful episode, we explore:

✅ Why 5 Years Is Closer Than You Think ✅ Discomfort Is the Door. Will You Walk Through It? ✅ Rock Bottom Saved My Life ✅ Stop Letting Life Happen. Start Leading It. ✅ Want a Strong Team? Start With This

Whether you’re navigating uncertainty, leading transformation, or daring to dream bigger, this conversation will challenge and inspire you to develop the mindset and momentum to turn the impossible into the possible.

🎧 Tune in now and discover why true leadership begins with choosing to lead yourself first.

Connect with Caspar Craven:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casparcraven/

🌐 Website: https://www.casparcraven.com

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on Your Favorite Platform: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/🎵 Spotify: https://spotify.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleScaling

🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with fellow business leaders!

In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m honoured to welcome Dr. Sherry Walling—clinical psychologist, founder of ZenFounder, and one of the most important voices on the mental health of entrepreneurs.

Author of The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Sht Together* and Touching Two Worlds, Dr. Sherry combines clinical insight with lived experience to guide founders through burnout, trauma, grief, and the deep inner work of leadership. She helps high-achieving individuals scale their businesses without losing themselves in the process.

In this deeply human and illuminating conversation, we explore: ✅ Being the Boss Is Lonely — Here's Why ✅ Don’t Scale Your Business Until You Hear This ✅ The Silent Killer of Entrepreneurial Dreams ✅ Your Childhood Is Running Your Business ✅ Your Business Isn’t Your Identity

Whether you’re building, exiting, or leading through crisis, this episode offers vital wisdom for entrepreneurs who want to scale with clarity, compassion, and emotional resilience.

🎧 Tune in now and learn why true scaling starts from the inside out.

Connect with Dr. Sherry Walling:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-walling-phd/

🌐 Website: https://www.sherrywalling.com

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

ScaleX Accelerator NI 2026 Waitlist - https://scalexaccelerator.simplescaling.com

ScaleX Elevate Waitlist/Sign-Up Page  - ScaleXElevate

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on Your Favorite Platform: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/🎵 Spotify: https://spotify.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleScaling

🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with fellow business leaders!

In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome Gay Hendricks—renowned psychologist, speaker, and best-selling author of over 40 transformative books, including the personal growth classic The Big Leap.

With over four decades of experience in relationship transformation and mind-body integration, Gay has helped countless individuals and leaders move beyond self-imposed limits and step fully into their Zone of Genius. As the founder of The Hendricks Institute, his work empowers people to live and lead with deep authenticity, creativity, and joy.

In this heart-opening and thought-provoking conversation, we explore:

✅ Are You Making an Impact—Or Just Staying Busy? ✅ The Peace You Seek at Work Begins With Self-Love ✅ What Lights You Up? Why That’s the Path to Genius ✅ Stop Doing What You're Bad At—And How to Let Go Gracefully ✅ Life Gets Better When You Stay Teachable, Curious, and Open

Whether you’re leading a business, building a team, or simply looking to live with more clarity and joy, this episode offers deep wisdom on how to move beyond upper limits and create from a place of true purpose.

🎧 Tune in now and discover why your greatest growth begins the moment you choose to live in your genius.

Connect with Gay Hendricks:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gay-hendricks-195a90/

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on Your Favorite Platform: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/🎵 Spotify: https://spotify.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleScaling

🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with fellow business leaders!

In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m delighted to welcome Chris Yeh—writer, investor, entrepreneur, and co-author of the groundbreaking book Blitzscaling, written with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

Chris has had a ringside seat in the world of startups and scaleups since 1995. From garage-dwelling startups to Fortune 50 giants, hundreds of companies have turned to Chris for his insights on how the internet has radically transformed the way we build organizations. His work helps founders, VCs, corporate leaders, and policymakers navigate the chaotic journey of hypergrowth—and thrive through it.

In this high-impact conversation, we explore:

✅ How AI is Rewriting Business Models as We Know Them ✅ CEOs, You’re More Isolated Than You Think – and what to do about it ✅ Growth Isn’t Just Expansion—It’s Transformation ✅ Scaling Without Purpose Is Just Noise – why clarity of mission is the real multiplier ✅ What It Really Takes to Lead Through Rapid Transitions ✅ The Mindset Shift Required at Every Stage – from family to tribe, village, city, and nation ✅ Why Infinite Learning Is the Superpower of Successful Leaders

Whether you’re scaling a startup or steering a legacy business into the future, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, learning, and what it really takes to build a company that lasts.

🎧 Tune in now and discover why scaling is more than a strategy—it’s a mindset.

Connect with Chris Yeh:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisyeh/

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on Your Favorite Platform: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/🎵 Spotify: https://spotify.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleScaling

🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with fellow business leaders!

In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m delighted to welcome Sam Smith, trailblazing entrepreneur, board advisor, and co-founder of The SuperScalers.

As the first female CEO of a City stockbroking firm, Sam led finnCap from a management buyout to a £50m+ revenue investment bank, supporting hundreds of high-growth companies along the way. Her groundbreaking leadership journey is defined not just by numbers—but by purpose, empathy, and a relentless drive to build better businesses from the inside out.

Now a board advisor across tech, private equity, and commodities, Sam helps organisations scale with strategy, good governance, and inclusive leadership. She’s also championing underrepresented founders through The SuperScalers, a global initiative helping entrepreneurs grow from £1m to £50m+ in revenue.

In this energising conversation, we explore:

✅ Why Belonging Is Your Business Advantage – and how to scale culture alongside revenue ✅ Why Purpose-Driven Businesses Win – and what that looks like in practice ✅ How We Built an Investment Bank From Scratch – lessons from the frontline ✅ Why You Should Never Let the World Decide Who You Are ✅ The Secret Sauce for Employee Loyalty – and what most leaders get wrong ✅ How to Scale With Empathy – without sacrificing commercial ambition ✅ Why You Shouldn't Scale Without Purpose – and the power of doing business your way

Whether you’re a founder, a leader, or a change-maker, this episode will inspire you to rethink how you scale—and who you bring with you.

🎧 Tune in now and discover why culture, courage, and clarity are the real accelerators of growth.

Connect with Sam Smith:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-smith

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on Your Favorite Platform: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/🎵 Spotify: https://spotify.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleScaling

🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with fellow business leaders!

In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I’m delighted to welcome Caroline Adams Miller, one of the world’s foremost authorities on goal setting, grit, and positive psychology.

A best-selling author, executive coach, and keynote speaker, Caroline has spent decades helping individuals and organisations unlock their highest potential. Her groundbreaking work blends science-backed strategies with practical tools to empower leaders and teams to pursue Big Goals—the kind that drive real, lasting success.

Caroline has worked with global powerhouses like Morgan Stanley, lululemon, and The Wharton School, and her insights have been featured in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and beyond. Her latest book, Big Goals, challenges conventional thinking on achievement and reveals why grit—not just talent—is the true differentiator in today’s world.

In this high-energy conversation, we explore:

✅ Want Success? Start with Happiness – and how your well-being drives achievement ✅ Want to Scale? Start with You – the mindset shift every ambitious leader needs ✅ Why Checklist Goals Won’t Get You to the Next Level – and what to focus on instead ✅ Why Daydreaming Can Destroy Your Goals – and how to visualise effectively ✅ Why Grit Isn’t Just a Buzzword – it’s the fuel for long-term impact ✅ Why Hard Goals Win—Every Time – and how to set them with purpose ✅ Why Purpose Drives Peak Performance – and how to find yours

Whether you’re a founder, leader, or visionary entrepreneur, this episode will inspire you to ditch mediocrity, embrace hard goals, and lead with grit and purpose.

🎧 Tune in now and discover how setting the right goals can transform not just your business—but your life.

Connect with Caroline Adams Miller:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolineadamsmiller/

🌐 Website: https://www.carolinemiller.com

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on Your Favorite Platform: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/🎵 Spotify: https://spotify.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleScaling

🚀 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with fellow business leaders!