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The Boardroom with Richard Farleigh
By Richard FarleighBusiness
The Boardroom with Richard Farleigh episodes
- How to Inspire Children to Love Learning Again | The Boardroom
What happens when the traditional education system fails a child?
In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with Stephen Simpson, founder of Forest Schooling UK — a radically different approach to education designed for children who’ve been excluded, misunderstood, or left behind.Instead of rigid classrooms and strict curriculums, Stephen’s schools focus on trust, emotional regulation, and child-led learning — all set in nature.From adopting a child with behavioural challenges to building a full-time school backed by the Department for Education, Stephen’s journey is as powerful as the results he’s seeing.This is more than education... it’s transformation.Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.CHAPTERS00:00 – Introduction00:20 – Meet Stephen Simpson & Forest Schooling UK01:30 – What Is a Forest School?03:00 – The Children Traditional Schools Can’t Help03:45 – A Typical Day: Trust Before Teaching05:20 – Why Their “3 Rs” Are Different05:45 – The Personal Story That Started It All08:20 – Turning a Small Club Into a School10:10 – Opening a Full-Time Forest School11:10 – Ofsted, Paperwork & Legitimacy12:00 – Non-Profit Model & Business Reality13:00 – The Hidden Challenge of Growth14:20 – Funding, Land & Building the School15:25 – Measuring Success Without Exams16:20 – Why GCSEs Aren’t the Priority17:30 – The Problem With Memorisation in Schools18:30 – Why Imagination Matters More Than Ever19:00 – Kids Who Don’t Know How to Play20:00 – Confidence, Personality & Social Skills21:20 – Trauma, Care System & Childhood Impact24:15 – The Power of One Teacher26:00 – Why This Work MattersLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
28 min - The Money Mistakes Keeping You Broke (And How to Fix Them) |The Boardroom
In this episode of The Boardroom, Richard Farleigh sits down with financial educator and entrepreneur Sammie Elled-King, founder of Up The Gains.
Sammie shares his powerful journey from spiralling credit card debt and impulsive spending to building a fast-growing financial literacy brand and fintech app designed to help people track spending, save money and earn cashback.The conversation explores UK cost-of-living pressures, wealth inequality, housing affordability, investing psychology and the rise of social media consumption culture. Richard also reveals insights from his career in hedge funds, trading psychology and why optimism can be dangerous in investing.If you want to improve your money habits, understand modern wealth challenges, or learn what it takes to build a fintech startup, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-life lessons.Richard also writes a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here:https://richardfarleigh.substack.com.📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.Chapters:00:00 – Debt, Money Obsession & The Wake-Up Moment01:00 – Chess, Discipline & Mindset02:30 – Spending Beyond Means & Escaping Debt Fast05:10 – Turning Financial Mistakes into a Business Idea06:20 – Building “Up The Gains” & Teaching Financial Literacy07:45 – The #1 Money Mistake People Make09:10 – Impulse Spending & Smart Buying Hacks10:30 – Cashback Strategy & How the Gains App Works13:15 – Cost of Living Crisis & Helping Consumers Save14:10 – Housing Affordability & Wealth Inequality Debate19:50 – Investing vs Owning Property20:30 – Hedge Funds, Markets & Trading Psychology25:40 – Personal Finance Advice Everyone Needs26:40 – Social Media, Status & Conspicuous Consumption27:30 – Final Lessons & Future of GainsLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 min - Stand-Up Comedian: Why Most Creators Fail, Social Media Rewards Anger & Talent Isn’t Enough
What does stand-up comedy teach us about business, risk, and success?
In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with comedian Andrew Maxwell to explore the surprising overlap between comedy, entrepreneurship, and performance psychology.
With 35 years in stand-up, Andrew reveals how comedians develop “gold” material, read audiences instantly, and climb the comedy circuit from unpaid five-minute sets to headlining shows. The conversation also dives into how the internet, podcasts, YouTube, and TikTok have completely transformed the comedy industry.If you’re an entrepreneur, creator, or performer, this episode reveals the mindset behind success on stage and in business.🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY-📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:40 Meeting Andrew Maxwell01:25 Why comedians must stay intellectually curious03:00 The “alchemy” of what makes someone funny04:30 Nerves and performing on stage05:10 What comedians call “gold” material06:00 Reading the room before a performance08:00 Climbing the comedy circuit09:10 Andrew Maxwell’s early career11:20 The truth about cancel culture in comedy12:30 Social media algorithms and outrage14:00 How technology changed the comedy industry15:40 From comedy circuit to creator economy17:00 The personal cost of pursuing comedy19:10 The “sad clown” myth20:40 Why execution beats ideas in business22:30 What makes a great comedian23:50 American vs British comedy styles25:40 Where to see Andrew Maxwell liveLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
28 min - The Brutal Truth About Entrepreneurship & Business Success | Sabrina Chevannes-Denman
Entrepreneurship is often glamorised, but the reality is far tougher.
In this episode of "The Boardroom", I sit down with portfolio entrepreneur and founder of No Bullshit (NOBS), Sabrina Shivanes-Denman, to break down what it really takes to succeed in business.We cut through startup myths, fake gurus, and hustle culture to explore the real drivers of long-term business success, from risk management and hard work to positioning, marketing fundamentals, and why there are no lazy successful entrepreneurs.We discuss why most entrepreneurs fail, the truth about first-mover advantage, why marketing can’t fix bad positioning, how email marketing still outperforms social media, and what actually builds sustainable businesses.
This episode is essential listening for founders, business owners, investors, and anyone thinking about starting a business.
🎧 Watch the full Boardroom podcast episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfmbTQbt_fhnjH2kzrWiKf5uwQV2MPkY-📲 Follow Richard Farleigh:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.Chapters
- 00:00 Entrepreneurship Has Been Romanticised
- 01:10 There Are No Lazy Successful Entrepreneurs
- 02:55 First Mover Advantage vs Second Mover Advantage
- 04:45 Business Lessons from Chess & Strategy
- 06:00 Why Marketing Can’t Fix Bad Positioning
- 07:30 How Marketing Has Changed Over Time
- 09:05 Why Email Marketing Beats Social Media
- 10:40 Building an Email List That Actually Converts
- 12:10 Event Marketing & Hidden Growth Opportunities
- 14:15 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
- 15:30 The Dark Reality of Startup Life
- 17:55 Intuition vs Calculation in Business
- 18:45 Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made?
- 20:00 Risk, Failure & Learning the Hard Way
- 22:30 Portfolio Entrepreneurship Explained
- 24:15 Productivity, Systems & Saying No
- 25:00 The Biggest Lies in Entrepreneurship Culture
- 26:35 Final Thoughts & Lessons
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
27 min - From Dragons' Den To The UK's Most Downloaded Finance App | Jinesh Vohra
In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Jinesh Vohra, co-founder and CEO of Sprive, the app helping homeowners pay off their mortgages faster, just by doing their everyday shopping.
Jinesh shares the full story behind his recent Dragons’ Den appearance, including how he handled tough questioning from the Dragons' Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville and why trust and branding matter more than aggressive growth.
We also explore:
• Leaving Goldman Sachs to build a fintech startup
• How Sprive reached 20,000 users before appearing on TV
• Why the Dragons' missed key questions around defence and scalability
• The real economics of customer acquisition in fintech
• What it takes to raise capital in today’s tougher funding environment
If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or investor, or simply curious about what it really takes to build a financial services business, this conversation is for you.
00:00 – Introduction
01:25 – What Sprive does (simply explained)
03:30 – Breaking down the Dragons’ Den pitch
05:10 – Cost per customer & tough questioning
06:40 – Why some Dragons walked away
08:15 – Handling nerves on national TV
10:05 – The answer that didn’t make the edit
12:00 – Infinite startups vs UK founders
14:55 – Leaving Goldman Sachs to build Sprive
17:10 – Growing to 20,000 users pre-TV
19:30 – Can big fintechs copy the model?
21:50 – Burn rate, team size & scalability
22:55 – Fundraising advice for founders
24:00 – Why trust and brand matter most
28:00 – Final reflections on Dragons’ Den
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 min - From Dragons’ Den Rejection to Multi-Million Brand | How Rob Law Built Trunki
What happens after you get rejected on Dragons' Den?
In this episode of The Boardroom, we sit down with Rob Law, the creator of Trunki, the iconic children’s ride-on suitcase now seen in airports around the world.
Rob shares the real story behind his 2006 Dragons' Den rejection, including the infamous moment his prototype was ripped apart on TV, and how he went on to build one of the UK’s most recognisable children’s brands.
Rob also opens up about living with cystic fibrosis, losing his twin sister, and how perspective, gratitude, and grit shaped his approach to business and life.
If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, designer, or startup operator, this episode is packed with practical lessons you won’t hear in pitch decks.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:44 – Pitching Trunki with no retailers
02:40 – The infamous strap-ripping moment
03:36 – Why brand matters more than product
04:08 – Valuation mistakes early founders make
05:11 – Seeing Trunki explode worldwide
05:50 – Creating a brand-new product category
07:14 – Retail pricing & the “x5 rule”
08:09 – Manufacturing in China vs the UK
09:45 – Cashflow, stock, and scaling pain
11:12 – UK manufacturing & the Olympics effect
12:35 – Selling Trunki after COVID
13:32 – Legacy, exits & founder identity
13:34 – Starting Zeepy: lessons second time round
14:31 – Fixing children’s sleep with science
16:21 – Do you still need a business plan?
17:47 – Resilience & what all entrepreneurs share
19:40 – When luck nearly kills your business
20:26 – Pivoting through impossible challenges
20:32 – Living with cystic fibrosis
22:39 – Why setbacks become superpowers
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
24 min - Building a Global Beauty Brand from Zero: How Akash Mehta Built Fable & Mane & a $100M Impact Vision
Welcome to "The Boardroom"
In this episode we sit down with Akash Mehta, British entrepreneur, CEO & Co-Founder of Fable & Mane, and founder of the Fable Fund.
Akash shares his unconventional journey from engineering at Imperial College to becoming the youngest-ever manager at Estée Lauder, before launching an hair wellness brand that went viral at Sephora.
We explore:
- How a viral singing career led to mastery in digital marketing
- Pitching Sephora via LinkedIn with zero sales
- Why Akash committed to deploying $100M into wildlife conservation by 2030
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Chess, Strategy & Business Principles
02:25 Failing Engineering at Imperial & Life Lessons
03:50 Busking, Singing & Going Viral on Social Media
05:20 Learning Digital Marketing Before It Was Cool
06:30 Becoming Estée Lauder’s Youngest Manager at 21
08:10 Data, Creativity & Measuring Marketing ROI
09:45 Why Planning Beats Luck in Business
11:15 Leaving Dior & The Birth of Fable & Mane
12:45 Ayurveda vs Science — Building Trust in Beauty
13:35 Pitching Sephora on LinkedIn (No Sales, No Funding)
16:10 Going Viral at Sephora During COVID
17:10 Global Expansion & Retail Strategy
18:45 Launching the Fable Fund & Conservation Mission
20:30 How to Measure Real Impact in Business
22:10 Leadership, Jobs & Changing Lives
23:10 Final Chess Checkmate & Closing ThoughtsLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25 min - Introducing My New Podcast, The Boardroom
Business is often framed as numbers, decks and strategy…
But the real game? People.In The Boardroom, I sit down with founders and entrepreneurs for unscripted conversations about:• owning your narrative• building something that actually fulfils you• what really happens behind the success storiesNo formal interviews.No polished PR answers.Just real conversations that reveal what’s usually left unsaid.If you’re building a business, a career, or your own way of thinking, this is for you.🎙 The Boardroom - Launching 09.02.26Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 min
About The Boardroom with Richard Farleigh
From the publisher's feed
Hi, I’m Richard. Former BBC Dragon , Author , Media Commentator , Economist , Investor , 120 + Businesses , Chess Olympian , Speaker , PhD Hon, and Care System Survivor
"The Boardroom" consists of different formats. The newest is Farleigh's 5, which has Richard in conversation discussing five brief ideas that he had during the week. Some serious, some slightly whacky.
The podcast also contains episodes of Richard watching Dragons' Den with a friend, and episodes of him in conversation with successful and interesting guests.