SuperConnector Show | Business Interviews & Founder Stories

'High Protein Meals' are hot right now...but many are heavily processed, full of junk & bad for the environment! Which is why Daniel Balderson invented Oko Protein - a low sugar (1g), high protein (30g) chocolate crunch bar containing all 9 essential amino acids...made from CRICKETS! Would you try one? Find out more by watching this episode of the 'SuperConnector Show' podcast & visiting https://okoprotein.com

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

In this episode of the SuperConnector Show, host Paul Lancaster is joined by Kate Murray, Co-founder and CEO of Ubrix - a North East of England-based, AI-driven handover compliance and aftercare platform transforming the construction and housebuilding sector.
Kate discusses how Ubrix provides a single operational spine across sales, build and post-completion aftercare for housebuilders, principal contractors and social housing providers. She shares insights on solving software fragmentation, preventing costly missed SLAs (Service Level Agreements) and developing user-focused technology tailored to real industry feedback rather than trends.

Key Takeaways & Topics Covered

- The Problem of System Fragmentation: How disconnected spreadsheets, emails and isolated tools lead to wasted contractor visits, administrative burdens and damaged client relationships.
- The Ubrix platform ecosystem:

• Homebuyer App: Provides progress photos, key dates, pre-completion checklists and appointment scheduling.
• Site Team App: GPS-stamped photo sign-offs with offline functionality for patchy site signals.
• AI & Automated Aftercare: Direct email-to-record logging, smart triage tools, automatic SLA escalations and contractor hubs.

- Agile, Customer-Led Product Design: Why feature development must directly solve customer pain points rather than introducing tech for tech’s sake.
- Founder Journey & Industry Recognition: Kate’s experience winning the prestigious Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award (1 of 100 recipients out of 1,600 applicants), navigating early startup challenges and leveraging the North East of England business support ecosystem.

Every housebuilder is wrestling with the same pressures: delivering quality homes at speed, keeping buyers on side and managing aftercare without drowning in defects or paperwork! That’s where Ubrix comes in, helping developers move away from chaotic spreadsheets, siloed systems and reactive firefighting. Ubrix gives teams one platform to manage build, handover and aftercare - cutting snags, improving buyer communication and reducing compliance risk.

Find out more by visiting https://ubrix.co.uk

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

In this episode, host Paul Lancaster sits down with Phil Parkinson and Josh Nicholson of North East of England-based software development agency Shape Technical Consulting.

Phil and Josh break down how bespoke software solves the 'SaaS fragmentation' problem for growing SMEs, explaining why off-the-shelf tools often bottleneck scaling businesses. They dive into the reality of AI in software development - distinguishing between fast AI prototyping and building secure, GDPR-compliant, production-grade applications. They also share the story behind AGENTSdotNE, an initiative designed to upskill junior developers in AI-assisted workflows and bridge the tech skills gap in the North East of England.

Key Takeaways and Topics Covered

• Outgrowing Off-the-Shelf SaaS: Why growing businesses (5–10+ staff) face rising seat-based costs, fragmented workflows and process bottlenecks and how custom software consolidates operations and increases enterprise value.
• Case Study - Book Your Block: How Shape partnered with a US-based youth sports hotel sourcing company to build a custom platform, doubling their business in year one without increasing headcount.
• The Reality of AI in Software Engineering: The difference between rapid AI prototyping / wireframing and creating production-ready, secure, scalable software with real accountability.
• Leveraging AI for Faster Discovery: How Shape uses AI tools to collapse 8-week discovery and prototyping phases down to days, speeding up feedback loops for clients.
• Bridging the Junior Developer Skills Gap: The inspiration behind AGENTSdotNE, a North East community initiative focused on training emerging tech talent in AI-assisted development and connecting them with employers.
• Tech Innovation in the North East: Building world-class software from Gateshead / Newcastle upon Tyne and exporting technical expertise to national and global markets.

Learn more about Shape Technical Consulting and their work at https://www.shape.tech

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

In this episode of the SuperConnector Show, host Paul Lancaster sits down with Richard D Moat, an Emotional Agency Architect with over 40 years of experience researching human behavior, mental health and personal development.

Do your emotions dictate how you react to life's challenges? In this deep-dive conversation, Richard explains what it truly means to achieve Emotional Agency - the ability to maintain guardianship over your feelings, choose conscious responses over knee-jerk reactions and transform unwanted emotions from enemies into valuable feedback signals.

Together, Paul and Richard explore:

• The Definition of Emotional Agency: What it is and why it's the foundation of mental well-being and peak performance.
• Emotions as Energy in Motion: Why resisting or suppressing feelings creates internal friction and how allowing energy to pass brings peace.
• The Emotional Back Catalog: How unresolved baggage from past experiences or inherited generational trauma impacts our everyday choices.
• Parenting and Role Models: How working through your own emotional wounds prevents passing trauma on to future generations.
• Breaking the Reactivity Pattern: Practical strategies to navigate triggers, cultivate non-attachment and practice self-compassion.

Whether you're looking to improve your mental health, strengthen your relationships, or grow as a leader, this episode offers actionable insights into mastering your internal ecosystem.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Introduction & Welcome: Meet Richard D Moat
• 01:19 – What is Emotional Agency?
• 04:59 – Stoicism vs. Feeling Your Emotions: The Energy in Motion
• 17:17 – Resolving the Emotional Back Catalog & Generational Trauma
• 25:08 – Inner Work for Parents & Breaking Emotional Cycles
• 42:12 – Why Emotional Agency is Essential for Health & Success
• 48:00 – Interrupting Reactivity and Managing Triggers
• 57:30 – Fear, Pain and the Tipping Point for Real Change
• 1:01:32 – Final Thoughts and Where to Learn More

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Richard D. Moat's Website & Email Newsletter: https://richardmoat.com
• Watch the video on YouTube: How to achieve Emotional Agency with Richard D Moat

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In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

Danny Bobrow is a persuasive communication skills coach in the Greater Chicago area & creator of 'The Persuasion Blueprint' - a proven framework that's helped hundreds of leaders & teams turn everyday conversations into engines of caring, connection & collaboration leading to success in every facet of life. He's also CEO of AIM Dental Marketing which helps dental professionals grow through patient acquisition & retention. Not only that but he's an ultra-endurance mountaineer who has conquered 20 of the world's highest peaks! In this episode of the SuperConnector Show podcast, he shares with host Paul Lancaster the '3 C's of Persuasion' & how business owners, leaders & professionals can build instant trust, rapport & connection with clients or customers to mutual benefit. Find out more & get your 'Persuasion Score' at www.dannybobrow.com

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

After nearly 30 years helping founders, CEOs & business owners build stronger, more valuable companies, Matt Andersen has put together a framework for businesses to grow with intention & ambition in his new book 'Intentional Growth: A Proven Guide to Higher Performance & Better Outcomes for your Company' (released on October 20). As CEO of Westlake Securities, growth strategist & trusted advisor behind more than $5.7 billion in mergers, acquisitions, capital raises & strategic transactions, Matt knows how leaders can move beyond incremental progress & towards extraordinary outcomes & company long-term value! Learn more from Matt by listening to this SuperConnector Show podcast on replay here then visit https://westlakesecurities.com where you can find a wide range of resources & purchase his books too.

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

Are you an expert who holds yourself back by feeling 'not ready' to share what you know through public speaking? Helen von Dadelszen - a speaker & voice coach based in Switzerland, founder of Present Potential & author of 'Courageous Action: Your playbook for communicating confidently, one small step at a time' can help! Her work is all about what happens in the body, voice & mind when the stakes are high, whether that's a sales pitch, a board conversation, a networking event or a fundraising ask. Get to know her & learn how to translate complexity into communication that lands by listening to this podcast & visiting https://presentpotential.ch

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

How do you scale your business while still maintaining a happy, engaged workforce? iplicit is a remote-first UK FinTech startup that closed 2025 surpassing $15M ARR & recently celebrated number 5 on the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list (a list it made the top 10 of in 2024) & managed to climb in ranking all while doubling its headcount during that period! In this episode, their CEO, Lyndon Stickley, explains how they are doing this without sacrificing company culture. Find out more about iplicit at https://www.iplicit.com

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

Curious about the future of work, leadership & founder journeys? Timothy (Tim) Lidman is a serial startup operator who co-founded ThinkTank (acquired by Accenture) & later became an Accenture partner. He’s also worked at Cisco & SAP so after 20yrs inside high-stakes decisions (& seeing where they break) he’s now building AI-native collaboration tools to fix it as Co-Founder & CEO of Clyde AI. Find out more by listening to this interview that was originally broadcast live on Monday 24th August 2026 & / or visit https://meetclyde.com

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com

Most startups are great at innovation but often struggle to scale. Meanwhile, corporates are great at execution & scaling but often struggle to innovate from within. This is where Dr Omar Al-Janabi (Founder, Quad Helix) comes in! With almost 30yrs in Business Development roles (22 of which are in university-industry engagement, funding & access to finance) he can bridge that gap to help organisations of all sizes build sustainable & repeatable engines of growth. Find out how by listening to this conversation with Paul Lancaster & visit https://quadhelix.co.uk to learn more.

In addition to being Host of the SuperConnector Show podcast, Paul Lancaster is Founder, Event Producer and Host of the popular, monthly PLATFORM events and 5-day UK Startup and Scaleup Week festivals. He is also Coach and Mentor for busy entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders who want to focus and be more productive. Find out more at https://platformevents.ai & https://ukstartupweek.com