Ben was told he could do anything if he put his mind to it. So he put his mind to it and did it! Before co-founding Silta Finance, Ben spent time travelling and working across Southeast Asia and Europe founding multiple startups. In this episode, I discover his story.

In this episode, we cover - 

• How Ben overcame a nervous disorder by jumping in at the deep end.
• Tips on getting better at public speaking.
• The best advice Ben ever received.
• The experience of working internationally across Southeast Asia and Europe.
• The challenges of raising capital in 2023.
• The power of flexibility as a founder.
• The 15-week business accelerator Ben and his wife created for their 7-year-old son.
• Advice to anyone considering taking the leap into the world of entrepreneurship.

LEARN MORE

Silta Finance - https://silta.finance/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/txshep/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

Without a clear vision, a startup will likely struggle to gain momentum. In this

episode, I speak with Kåre Kjelstrøm, Group CTO & CPO at Concordium. Kåre has

extensive experience working for startup tech companies and he shares his insights

into the key factors that have helped companies like Concordium and Uber achieve

success.

In this episode, we cover -

● The power of learning through teaching.

● Kåre’s experience of working for Uber during a period of massive growth.

● How was it adapting to a much smaller startup after working for Uber?

● Blockchain technology and the benefits of data sovereignty.

● The powerful question that Kåre asks every team member.

● The 3 critical ingredients for a successful startup to thrive.

● Identifying vision in a founder and learning if an opportunity is worth pursuing.

● What should those considering starting a business consider first?

LEARN MORE

Concordium - https://concordium.com/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Kåre Kjelstrøm on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaarekjelstroem/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

In this episode, I sit down with Peter Grosskopf, Co-Founder and CTO at Ultimate. Discover the pivotal moments, influences, and strategies that have fuelled Peter’s success as a serial entrepreneur.

In this episode, we cover - 

• What got Peter hooked on entrepreneurship?
• The one book that influenced Peter the most. 
• How to pick the right idea to pursue.
• How to launch a startup with success.
• How to get over the fear of delegation and support colleagues without micromanaging them.
• Allowing your teams autonomy to solve problems their way.
• The biggest challenges that Peter faced and how he overcame them.
• Why you should tell people about your ideas.

LEARN MORE

Ultimate - https://ultimate.app/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Peter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petergrosskopf/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

In this episode, I sit down with Christian Niedermueller. After spending 15 years in traditional finance, Christian jumped head first into a challenging CEO opportunity with Blocktrade.

In this episode, we cover - 

• Why Christian left a high-paying job in traditional finance to join a startup in the crypto space.
• The power of walking towards a challenge. 
• The pivotal moments that shaped Christian’s success.
• The formula for identifying transformation opportunities in a business.
• How Blocktrade ensures they hire the right people.
• How to keep going when it feels like everything is crumbling.
• The biggest challenges that Christian has faced as a CEO.
• Advice for anyone starting a business.

LEARN MORE

Blocktrade - https://blocktrade.com/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Christian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-niedermueller-47080211

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

Danielle Wall Elliott grew up in rural North Carolina, where life moved slowly and opportunities were lacking. She took a leap outside her comfort zone and now holds the COO position at Nayms. In this episode, we discover her story.

In this episode, we cover -

• What it was like growing up in rural North Carolina and where Danielle found her curiosity.
• Why Danielle decided to get into cryptocurrency straight out of college.
• How Danielle made it to a COO position.
• The world-changing potential of crypto startups.
• The biggest challenges and highlights that Danielle has encountered throughout her startup journey.
• The key ingredients to building a successful startup.
• Advice for anyone in Danielle’s position who wants to step way outside their comfort zone.

LEARN MORE

Nayms - https://nayms.com/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Danielle on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniwall/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

Holding an intrinsic motivation to make a change is a powerful platform to build a business on. Phillipp Kurtz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Famedly joins me in this episode to share his journey to solving a big problem in the healthcare sector.

In this episode, we cover - 

• The problem with the healthcare sector that Phillipp Kurtz decided to fix.
• Phillipp’s path to success.
• Deciding on the idea to move forward with when building a business.
• The power of having a co-founder and the alternatives if you don’t have one.
• What does Phillipp puts Famedly’s 5 years of success down to?
• The biggest challenges with building teams.
• What Phillipp hires for aside from technical skills.
• Top advice for anyone considering launching a new business.

LEARN MORE

Famedly - https://www.famedly.com/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Phillipp on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-phillipp-kurtz-577014151/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

In this episode, I sit down with Auri Jana, Co-Founder of SixtyFPS, which he jumped on board with a year ago. Auri takes us on a journey from his childhood in the foothills of the Himalayas in India to his move to Berlin and his leap into entrepreneurship. 

Auri had a fascination with computers and programming from a young age and he took this with him into his working life. He shares his experiences working at Nokia, and the lessons he took from his first jobs. 

We speak in depth on the significance of a support network and Auri shares how the support of his family has played a vital role in work. Auri reflects on the hardest part of his entrepreneurial journey so far and the challenges of prioritising time as a leader. The transition from stable employment to becoming a founder can be a scary time, and Auri speaks candidly about his experiences with this and how his support network helped him to get through it.

We get insights into how Auri and his team have kept things going during the first year and Auri also offers valuable advice for anyone thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship.

In this episode, we cover -

• Auri’s fascinating journey into entrepreneurship.
• The power of having a supportive network around you.
• Is having a co-founder essential?
• How Auri and his team have kept up the momentum for a year.
• The challenges Auri faced with leaving a secure job and starting a business.
• Prioritising time as a business owner.
• Advice for anyone taking the leap into entrepreneurship.

LEARN MORE

Slint - https://slint.dev/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Auri on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajana/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

We can take a huge amount of value from failure. But it’s normal to be afraid of it. And taking that first step can feel like one of the riskiest moves you’ve ever made.

In this episode, I sit down with Eliott Jabès, CEO at Stockly. Eliott took the leap to start the platform for e-retailers 5 years ago after meeting his co-founder while still in education. We discuss Eliott’s journey to starting the company and we learn how his experiences growing up led him to becoming an entrepreneur.

We dive deep into risk and failure. Eliott shares his thoughts on why, if you can, then starting young is the best move. He also speaks on why we should feel afraid of failure, even if it means taking the leap anyway. 

We also find out how Eliott built his team and has made Stockly a success. We discover how Stockly tested the market with an early version of the product, and at what point did Eliott begin to feel full confidence in it. Finally, Eliott shares his number one tip for new founders and his ambitions for the future of Stockly.

In this episode, we cover -

• How Elliot found his co-founder.
• What Stockly is all about.
• The argument for starting a business while you’re still young.
• The challenges of hiring for a startup.
• Testing your market as a startup.
• Failure, and why it’s important not to ignore the fear side of it.
• Top advice for anyone considering starting a business.
• Eliott’s long-term plans for Stockly.

LEARN MORE

Stockly - https://www.stockly.ai/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Eliott on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejabes/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

Surrounding yourself with excellence can be a fast track to success. Whether you’re working within a high-performing team, or you’re able to find the right mentor, that excellence tends to wear off on you.

In this episode, I speak with, Maximilien Notter, who has been a Co-CEO at HUMANOO since August 2020. HUMANOO is Europe’s leader in corporate wellbeing and we discover Max’s journey towards becoming its Co-CEO, and how he made the most out of his experiences.

Max shares his feelings when he found out he was going to be the Co-CEO. He gives us insights into how to prepare for a leadership position and the unexpected challenges he faced. Max sees himself as a ‘servant leader’ and we learn what this means to him and how it can benefit teams. 

He also shares with us the story of his first day as Co-CEO, and the insight that he realised about communication on that first day. Finally, we speak about motivation as a leader, and Max shares his insights into self-investment, which in turn, elevates his teams.

In this episode, we cover -

• What made Max who he is today?
• What’s the alternative for those who cannot put themselves in a position where they’re surrounded by excellence?
• What does it mean to be a servant leader?
• Preparing to start a leadership position.
• What Max didn’t expect when he went for his Co-CEO position.
• The motivating effects of leading a company that does good.
• How a business can be impacted by the appointment of a new CEO.
• The importance of leaders investing in their own motivation and resilience.

LEARN MORE

HUMANOO - https://www.humanoo.com/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Maximilien on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxnotter/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm

Freedom can be a powerful motivator for a founder. Especially for those that have an intrinsic defiance of authority.

I sit down with Philipp Zentner, the CEO and Co-Founder of LI.FI, in this episode. LI.FI has been growing fast since 2021, with 23 million dollars of funding raised in two years and a team of 40. This isn’t Philipp’s first company, though. Philipp started his first company when he was 15 and has spent the last 10 years specialising in building B2B SaaS companies.

Employment has never been the right path for Philipp. In our chat, he shares his early memories and his less-than-successful experiences with the school system. We speak about different learning styles and what freedom really means for a founder.

Philipp believes that a team is the company’s most important asset. He shares with us the effective hiring process that LI.FI use to hire the right people and avoid hiring mistakes. We also speak about funding, and Philipp gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the funding process that he went through which had him speaking with 340 investors.

Philipp also shares his uncompromising ambition for making LI.FI a billion-dollar company and his advice for those considering starting a business.

In this episode, we cover -

• Philipp’s journey from starting his first business at 15 to founding a company that has raised 23 million dollars in 2 years.
• The importance of finding the right co-founder and team.
• The reason why LI.FI requires a week's paid trial for new team members.
• The key to LI.FI’s success.
• Insights into the funding process for a startup.
• The biggest challenge and biggest highlight for Philipp as a founder.
• What freedom really means for a founder.
• Advice for those considering starting a business.

LEARN MORE

LI.FI - https://li.fi/

Mont Ford - https://montfordrecruitment.com/

Mont Ford on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mont-ford-recruitment/

CONNECT

Philipp on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippzentner/

Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanluxford/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1BbzuvWRR4TcU9IN0IG74C

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@startupstoriespodcast

Captivate - https://startup-stories.captivate.fm