What does it take to stay relevant as the world changes around you?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Steve Cockram — co-founder of GiANT and co-author of Five Voices — to explore how leadership is evolving in the digital age. From delivering a keynote in Abu Dhabi (after Bill Clinton and Bill Gates!) to building a leadership platform used by 250k+ people, Steve unpacks his journey with radical honesty.

We talk:

- The real cost of being a founder

- How to avoid becoming an “oxbow lake” in your industry

- Why most co-founder relationships fail — and how his didn’t

- And how self-awareness is the unfair advantage in leadership and life

Chapters:

00:00 - The age of AI & changing leadership

01:23 - Meet Steve Cockram: from pastor to keynote speaker

02:54 - Giving a speech after Bill Gates (and without a script)

04:09 - Why failure makes you relatable — and valuable

05:42 - Reinventing leadership tools for the 99.9%

08:04 - Five Voices: the leadership personality system

11:10 - Superpowers of each voice: pioneer, connector, creative, guardian, nurturer

13:28 - The imbalance of voices in leadership — and why it matters

14:39 - Are personality types fixed?

20:16 - Why nurturers make amazing founders (once they believe it)

22:51 - Founders are the product — and the pressure is real

25:29 - Lessons from the early days of GiANT

30:20 - Why luck often looks like generosity

31:02 - Leadership must evolve with tech

33:14 - How to stay relevant by investing in younger talent

34:31 - Introducing Pulse: AI-powered relational intelligence

36:37 - The future of leadership is communication

39:04 - Remote vs in-person: the hybrid debate

41:29 - Can anyone become a great leader?

46:38 - The one trait every founder needs: integrity

49:00 - Co-founders: the hardest and most important relationship

53:33 - Lessons from 32 years of marriage

57:17 - How to build a family as a founder

01:01:23 - Leading with the end in mind

01:06:47 - Why most CEOs are lonely — and how to fix it

01:10:05 - Who really helps founders grow

01:13:01 - Advisory boards to AI hacks

01:15:32 - Talent or luck? What really matters

01:19:28 - Where to find Steve

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Entrepreneurship isn’t just about raising VC money—it's about playing your own game. In this episode of Everyday Founder, Jordan Schlipf, co-founder of Rainmaking and Startup Bootcamp, shares the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial journey, from bootstrapping businesses to scaling and exiting a consulting firm to Bain & Company.

🚀 We dive deep into startup failures, venture building, risk diversification, and why boring businesses can be the most profitable. If you're thinking about starting or scaling a company, this is a must-watch!

🔔 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more founder insights!

📌 Chapters:

00:00 - The Bigger Picture of Entrepreneurship

00:54 - Introducing Jordan Schlipf

01:18 - What is Rainmaking?

02:45 - The Rainmaking Business Model Explained

03:35 - Success Stories from Rainmaking

04:56 - Notable Startup Exits & Failures

06:19 - The Ego vs. Team Success in Startups

08:11 - Risk Mitigation in Entrepreneurship

09:40 - Capping Upside to Protect Downside

13:30 - How Jordan Joined Rainmaking

14:52 - Accidentally Building a Consulting Firm

16:46 - The Corporate Innovation Opportunity

20:28 - Scaling and Selling a Consultancy to Bain

21:23 - How to Sell an Agency or Professional Services Firm

25:45 - Hiring a CEO & Exiting Operations

31:59 - When to Pull the Plug on a Startup

34:47 - Balancing Risk and Resilience as a Founder

38:26 - From Investment Banking to Entrepreneurship

44:10 - Execution Over Novelty: Why Ideas Don’t Matter

49:53 - The Myth of Unicorns & VC Culture

52:18 - Profitable ‘Unsexy’ Businesses That Win

56:07 - Structuring Leadership Transitions

01:07:16 - The Future of AI & Vertical Applications

01:09:44 - Picking the Right Startup Idea: Don’t Rush

01:17:24 - Why Jordan Joined Opus & Founder Community

01:20:28 - Luck vs. Skill: What Really Matters?

01:26:31 - Where to Connect with Jordan

💬 Join the conversation: Drop a comment below—what was your biggest takeaway from this episode?

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On this episode of Everyday Founder we sit down with serial entrepreneur Andrew Humphries, formerly of The Bakery. Andrew shares his insights on building and scaling businesses, finding the right co-founder, securing funding, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. With a track record that includes leading sales at Adeptra (sold for $135M), advising the UK government on tech talent, and co-founding The Bakery, Andrew's wisdom is invaluable for any founder looking to grow their business.

• How do you find the right co-founder?
• When should you raise funding vs. bootstrap?
• What are the key ingredients to building a unicorn?
• How do you manage burnout as a founder?

Tune in to hear Andrew's raw and real insights on startup life, leadership, and making the right bets as an entrepreneur.

Chapters:

00:00 - Welcome Andrew Humphries

00:07 - From Adeptra to Government Advisor

00:31 - The Bakery: A Corporate Accelerator

01:51 - The Secret to Building Unicorns

04:43 - Why Andrew Stepped Away from The Bakery

06:41 - Finding the Right Co-Founder

12:16 - The Three Questions to Ask a Co-Founder

15:36 - When Should You Raise Funding?

22:26 - The Reality of Big Fundraising Rounds

29:05 - Lessons from The Bakery and Beyond

37:37 - The Trade-Offs of Being a Founder

45:03 - Managing Burnout & Founder Mental Health

50:32 - What Business Would Andrew Build Today?

54:46 - The Role of Luck vs. Talent in Entrepreneurship

58:53 - Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

If you're a founder or aspiring entrepreneur, hit subscribe and turn on notifications for more insights from top business leaders.

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In this episode of Everyday Founder, we sit down with Anton Boner, CEO & Founder of Screenloop, the first AI-powered applicant tracking system (ATS) with an auto-generated scorecard.

Anton shares his incredible journey—from being a high school teacher to climbing the ranks at Stack Overflow (promoted 7 times in 8 years!) to launching a venture-backed SaaS startup that’s redefining hiring and recruitment.

In this episode:

✅ The leap of faith from teaching to enterprise sales

✅ How Anton helped grow Stack Overflow before its $1.8B acquisition

✅ The evolution of Screenloop—from an AI note-taker to a full hiring platform

✅ The challenges of building a SaaS startup as a non-technical founder

✅ How AI is reshaping the hiring process (and why the CV might be dead by 2025)

✅ Fundraising insights—raising $10M and choosing the right investors

Whether you’re a founder, recruiter, or just fascinated by the intersection of AI & hiring, this episode is packed with insights on entrepreneurship, scaling, and the future of recruitment.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment below—what’s your take on AI in hiring?

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction & Anton’s Background

01:08 – What is Screenloop?

01:39 – From Teacher to Tech Sales at Stack Overflow

02:54 – Making the Leap: Career Change & Relocation

05:05 – The Birth of Screenloop

07:23 – The Challenges of Being a Non-Technical Founder

08:56 – Building the First Product & Early Growth

10:59 – The COVID Hiring Boom & Market Shift

13:09 – Pivoting from AI Note-Taker to Full ATS Platform

15:48 – The Power of Remote Teams & Culture at Screenloop

20:26 – Remote Work vs. In-Office Collaboration

23:23 – Scaling from $100K to Seven Figures

27:33 – How a Founder Switches Off & Avoids Burnout

34:15 – AI & The Future of Recruitment

39:34 – The Death of the CV?

42:54 – Raising $10M & Choosing the Right Investors

47:16 – Founders: Luck vs. Skill?

55:02 – What’s Next for Screenloop?

#AI #Startups #Recruitment #SaaS #TechEntrepreneur #Screenloop #EverydayFounder

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Ever wondered how someone goes from working as a Floor Manager at Halfords to raising £2M for an AI startup?

In this episode of The Everyday Founder Podcast, Martin Mason, CEO of Talent Mapper, shares his unconventional journey, from retail and HR to building a high-growth HR tech company.

We dive deep into:

✅ The struggles of fundraising (and why it's a nightmare)

✅ How Talent Mapper landed enterprise clients from Day 1

✅ The truth about founder burnout and why therapy helped

✅ Why internal promotions can save companies £450K+

If you're a founder, entrepreneur, or just curious about the startup grind, this episode is packed with insights, lessons, and hard truths you won’t want to miss.

#StartupJourney #Entrepreneurship #HRTech #FounderLife #BusinessGrowth

📍 CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Intro: Who is Martin Mason?

01:19 – The accidental entrepreneur: From Halfords to HR Tech

05:32 – Building TalentMapper: A problem worth solving

10:57 – The truth about fundraising (and why it's brutal)

15:40 – Landing enterprise clients as a startup

21:13 – Internal promotions vs. external hiring (£450K savings!)

28:05 – The challenges of scaling a startup

35:40 – The dark side of entrepreneurship: Burnout & therapy

42:22 – AI & the future of HR Tech

50:01 – Martin’s advice for founders: Hiring, growth & resilience

55:15 – What’s next for TalentMapper?

🎧 Listen & Subscribe for More Everyday Founder Stories!

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In this episode of Everyday Founder, we sit down with Nick Valenzia, co-founder of Leafr, a London-based platform transforming sustainability consulting. Leafr connects mid-market businesses with top-tier climate and ESG consultants, offering expert solutions at a fraction of traditional consulting costs.

🚀 Key Takeaways from This Episode:

✅ The rising demand for sustainability expertise in business

✅ How Leafr built a 500+ consultant network with a growing waitlist

✅ Navigating the challenges of fundraising in a high-interest environment

✅ Finding the right co-founder and building a lean, scalable team

✅ The role of AI in sustainability and the future of climate solutions

00:00 - Intro to the Episode

00:35 - What Is Leafr & Why It Exists

01:46 - The Growing Demand for Sustainability Consulting

03:23 - How Leafr Built a 500+ Consultant Network

05:50 - Raising $500K in a High-Interest Market

07:25 - The Biggest Challenge: Bridging the Sustainability Skills Gap

09:19 - Lessons from a Failed Startup & Founder Fit

12:07 - Balancing Work, Life & Founder Burnout

14:45 - Building a Lean & Scalable Business Model

18:04 - Why Advisors Are Critical for Growth

22:19 - The Future of Sustainability & AI’s Role

26:07 - How Leafr Plans to Scale Next

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What if you could build a tech empire without writing a single line of code? 🚀

In this episode of The Everyday Founder, Olga Dogadkina, Founder & CEO of Emperia, shares her journey of turning an ambitious idea into a multi-million-dollar business. From partnering with global brands like Walmart, Bloomingdale's, and L'Occitane to raising $10 million in funding, Olga proves that success isn’t just about coding—it’s about vision, resilience, and the right team.

In this episode:

✔ How Olga built a tech-driven company without a technical background

✔ The tough decision to relocate to the U.S. for growth

✔ Fundraising challenges and what she learned from them

✔ Building a diverse, international team across 13 countries

🔔 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to Olga Dogadkina

00:33 – From an idea to a global business

01:46 – Challenges as a non-technical founder

06:03 – Moving to the U.S.: The make-or-break decision

10:55 – Raising $10 million: The reality of fundraising

16:04 – Building a diverse, global team

22:30 – Lessons learned from scaling Emperia

28:01 – The future of virtual retail experiences

34:16 – Olga’s advice to aspiring founders

40:45 – Final thoughts and where to find Emperia

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🎵 What if you could use your favourite chart-topping songs legally in your YouTube videos?

In this episode of The Everyday Founder, we dive into the future of music licensing with Paul Sampson, Founder & CEO of Lickd. Paul shares his incredible journey in creating a groundbreaking platform that makes mainstream music accessible for content creators while navigating the complex world of copyright claims.

🔥 What we cover:

- The problem with using mainstream music on platforms like YouTube and TikTok

- How Lickd bridges the gap between creators and music rights holders

- The secrets to building a scalable business in the creator economy

- Don’t miss this insightful conversation packed with actionable takeaways for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands alike!

📍 CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction to Paul Sampson & Lickd

02:15 – The music licensing problem for creators

06:45 – Why copyright claims hurt creators’ revenue

10:30 – Building trust with major labels and publishers

14:20 – How Lickd democratizes music for creators

18:40 – The importance of licensing for future monetization

22:15 – How Lickd attracted major partnerships (e.g., Warner Music, Epic Games)

27:50 – Scaling the Lickd platform for creators and brands

33:10 – Advice for founders raising investment for a new business

38:45 – How to build a strong team and culture

44:15 – Future of music licensing and new media innovations

50:30 – The role of luck vs. skill in entrepreneurship

56:15 – Final thoughts and call to action

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Ever wondered how fresh graduates can successfully transition into the professional world? In this episode of The Everyday Founder Podcast, we sit down with Peter Wood, the inspiring CEO and founder of The Graduate Guide. Peter shares his journey from a recent UCL graduate to a full-time entrepreneur reshaping early career opportunities through community, storytelling, and innovation.

We dive into:

📌 The challenges graduates face entering the workforce

📌 Breaking traditional career paths and redefining success

📌 Building The Graduate Guide: from podcast idea to powerhouse media platform

📌 Collaborating with industry giants like Google to foster young talent

📌 Practical tips for leveraging LinkedIn to unlock career opportunities

📖 Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

00:25 - What Is The Graduate Guide?

01:12 - Addressing the UK Career Crisis

03:12 - Breaking the Transition Barriers from University to Work

07:05 - The Birth of The Graduate Guide Over a Pint

10:14 - Building Confidence Through Curiosity

13:41 - Peter’s Childhood and Entrepreneurial Influences

16:00 - Podcast Milestones: 200 Episodes and Counting

18:14 - Leveraging LinkedIn for Building Connections

22:24 - Balancing Online and Offline Relationships

27:34 - Exciting Collaborations with Google

32:08 - Perspectives on Entrepreneurship in the UK

36:00 - Addressing Corporate Job Descriptions vs. Startup Appeal

42:30 - Revolutionizing Career Storytelling for Students

47:16 - The Importance of Personal Branding for Employers

50:38 - Building a Team: Meeting Co-Founder Molly

54:41 - Sustaining Yourself as a Young Entrepreneur

56:37 - Luck vs. Skill in Entrepreneurship

59:14 - Where to Find Peter and The Graduate Guide

📲 Connect with Peter:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwood

Instagram: @GraduateGuide

💼 About The Graduate Guide:

Helping students and young professionals navigate the transition from university to the working world through inspiring content, networking events, and career insights.

👉 Subscribe for more inspiring conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators reshaping industries!

#TheGraduateGuide #YoungEntrepreneur #CareerAdvice #StartupJourney #Podcast

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Bilyana Freye, Co-founder of Orbiit.ai, on Building AI-powered Connections, Pivots, and Acquisitions

In this episode of Everyday Founder, Bilyana Freye, co-founder and CEO of Orbiit.ai, shares her entrepreneurial journey—from launching a job-shadowing startup, navigating a pandemic-induced pivot to AI-powered 1:1 connections, raising venture capital, and ultimately leading Orbiit to a successful acquisition by Hivebrite.

Bilyana opens up about career-changing moments, building a company while raising a family, and why determination and community make all the difference for founders. Tune in for insights on startup pivots, VC fundraising, and scaling impactful businesses.

📌 CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Introduction to Bilyana Freye and Orbiit.ai

00:30 - What is Orbiit.ai?

01:50 - From Job Shadowing to AI-powered Matching

02:40 - Pivoting the Business During COVID-19

06:00 - The Early Career & Inspiration for Orbiit

10:30 - Taking the Leap: Resigning to Build Orbiit

13:00 - The First Customer: A Shadowing Experience

15:40 - Getting Early Traction and Founders Fund Investment

19:55 - Raising Funds as a Female Founder

23:00 - VC Traction and Expansion into Community Platforms

27:00 - Navigating the COVID Pivot and Going Digital

31:00 - Lessons on Fundraising and Value-Aligned Investors

35:10 - The Acquisition: Joining Forces with Hivebrite

39:30 - What’s Next for Hivebrite and Orbiit

42:00 - Balancing Entrepreneurship and Motherhood

44:10 - Talent vs. Luck: The Key to Success

🔗 Connect with Bilyana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilyana-freye-6b4140a/

🎧 About the Podcast:

Everyday Founder brings you candid conversations with entrepreneurs who are transforming industries. Tune in for startup stories, actionable advice, and founder tips.

📢 Sponsored by Opus

Join the community that connects ambitious entrepreneurs. Learn more at joinopus.org.

🔔 Like, Subscribe, and Hit the Bell for Notifications!

Let us know in the comments: What’s your biggest takeaway from Bilyana’s story?

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