As a new year begins, many people feel stuck at a crossroads.

Stay safe or take a risk.

Keep the job or build something of your own.

Chase comfort — or responsibility.

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Carlos Ross, James Ross, and Gregory Botanes for a deep, honest conversation about what it actually takes to change direction in your 20s.

Carlos shares what it’s like to help launch Krispy Kreme in Spain, stepping into leadership and building a brand from the ground up.

James talks about selling stablecoins across Latin America, moving countries alone, breaking into crypto, and learning sales the hard way.

Gregory explains why he quit the 9–5 to build his own business, the reality of entrepreneurship, and what freedom really costs.

This isn’t a highlight reel.

It’s a grounded discussion about discipline, risk, loneliness, ambition, and responsibility — and why there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

If you’re thinking about changing careers, moving countries, starting a business, or taking your next step more seriously, this episode is for you.

Topics covered:

Launching global brands in new markets

Breaking into crypto and stablecoins in LatAm

Quitting the 9–5 to start a business

Leadership, responsibility, and long-term thinking

The real trade-offs behind “freedom”

Listen in — and decide what kind of year you want to build.

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Amy Bell, the founder of Teal Compliance and Chair of the Economic Crime Committee at the Law Society.Amy’s story is the ultimate example of resilience. From scraping a 2:2 degree and having her training contract cancelled days before it started, she defied the odds to become one of the most respected voices in the legal sector. She opens up about her journey from the "worst firm in Manchester" to scaling a global consultancy that now operates in the UK and Australia.But this conversation goes deeper than just business. Amy shares her vulnerable personal journey with a late-in-life diagnosis of Autism and ADHD. She reveals how this discovery transformed her leadership style, why she "fired herself" to scale her company, and why she implemented radical management rules—like banning the requirement to call in sick before 9 AM.If you are interested in entrepreneurship, scaling a service business, or navigating neurodiversity in the workplace, this episode is a must-listen.🎙️ In This Episode, We Cover:00:00 – Intro: Who is Amy Bell?04:15 – The "Failed Student": Overcoming a 2:2 degree and rejection.11:54 – Revolutionizing legal processes (and accidentally predicting AI).21:28 – Why law firms struggle with business vs. law.30:48 – The origin of "Teal Compliance" (and Eddie’s role in it!).41:14 – SCALING: How to make yourself redundant in your own business.45:35 – Expanding to Australia: Taking a niche service global.50:59 – THE REVEAL: Navigating late-diagnosis Autism & ADHD.1:05:46 – Radical Leadership: Why traditional HR rules are broken.📚 Resources Mentioned:Book: Simple, Logical, Repeatable: Systemise Your Business to Scale by Marianne Page.💡 About The Free Lunch:Hosted by Eddie Ross, The Free Lunch explores the real stories behind successful businesses and the people who build them. We dig past the polish to find the actionable insights, failures, and "free lunches" that shaped their careers.🔔 Subscribe for more episodes on business, leadership, and resilience.#AmyBell #TealCompliance #LegalTech #Neurodiversity #ADHD #AutismInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Scaling #WomenInLaw #TheFreeLunchPodcast

In this inspiring episode of The Free Lunch, David Price shares his incredible career reinvention story — from working in corporate banking to opening the Secret Kingdoms English language bookstore in the heart of Madrid at 50+. David talks about the challenges he faced, the risks of starting over later in life, and how he turned his passion for books into a thriving bookshop business.

Whether you're considering a career change at 50+, dreaming of starting your own business, or just love entrepreneurship stories, this episode will inspire you to follow your passion and reinvent your life.

David also discusses some of his favorite books:

Humankind by Rutger Bregman

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

If you're thinking of making a big change or pursuing your own dream career, David’s story is proof that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with Mauro Botanes, the 21-year-old co-founder and CPO of Symmetry — now Spain’s fastest-growing health and fitness app, with more than 450,000 downloads in under six months.

Mauro shares how he went from being diagnostically obese to preparing for bodybuilding competitions, launching a YouTube channel, dropping out of university, and building one of the most viral fitness apps in the Spanish-speaking world.

We break down:

How Symmetry reached 452K+ downloads organically

The UGC + AI growth engine powering their viral traction

Why most fitness apps fail — and what Symmetry did differently

Building a startup at 21 (leadership, co-founder dynamics, structure)

Using AI to develop products faster and at lower cost

The future of fitness, self-development, and AI-powered personal coaching

The mindset (resilience, belief, tenacity) required to scale a company fast

If you’re interested in startups, app growth, fitness, AI, entrepreneurship, content strategy, or you want a behind-the-scenes look at one of the fastest-growing health apps in Europe, this conversation is packed with insights.

Watch until the end to hear Symmetry’s 10-year vision and how Mauro plans to build the “G-Suite of self-development.”

—

📌 Topics Covered:

0:00 – Mauro’s story

3:00 – The YouTube launch & transformation

7:00 – How Symmetry was built

12:00 – 450K downloads with no ads

18:00 – UGC vs influencers

20:00 – AI features and growth

27:00 – Leadership at 21

33:00 – The future of fitness + AI

40:00 – Symmetry’s 10-year vision

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🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, AI, entrepreneurship and the future of work.

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Eddie Ross sits down with Simon Olswang - legendary founder of the UK law firm Olswang, board adviser, entertainment lawyer, and a pioneer in the world of media & communications.

We dive into leadership, culture, high-pressure decisions, talent, integrity, and how to build organisations that last. Simon shares extraordinary stories from his career:

• Founding Olswang in 1980 and scaling it into one of the UK’s most influential media & entertainment law firms

• Working with major film productions (including Gandhi), Monty Python, and global icons like Diana Ross

• Leadership lessons from decades working at the intersection of law, media, private equity and technology

• How values, integrity and culture shape teams — and what happens when they disappear

• The real challenges of succession, growth, reinvention and personal resilience

• AI, change, and what he believes is coming next for society

This conversation is packed with wisdom, unforgettable stories, and practical leadership insights from someone who has operated at the highest levels for decades.

If you're interested in leadership, entrepreneurship, law, media, or personal growth — you will love this episode.

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, culture, and the hidden realities of building organisations.

How do you turn $800K into $26M in 18 months through Facebook ads—and why do most advertisers fail?

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Eddie Ross sits down with Depesh Mandalia, one of the most respected figures in digital marketing, to break down the real mechanics behind great advertising, business growth, and applying AI inside performance marketing.

Depesh has spent 20+ years in marketing, generated over $100M in revenue for Ecommerce and digital products, built his own 7-figure affiliate business, and created the now-famous BPM Method—a framework Facebook itself invited him to teach.

This conversation goes far beyond “tactics.”
It’s a deep dive into mindset, leadership, creativity, data, AI, and the psychology behind ads that scale.

Whether you run an agency, manage a marketing team, or simply want to understand why your ads aren’t working, this episode is a masterclass.

• Why 80% of success with Facebook ads happens before you spend a dollar

• The BPM Method explained in plain English

• How Depesh turned $800K into $26M for a client

• The 4 things every winning campaign gets right

• How AI is changing the future of marketing and creative

• Why agencies break as they grow—and how to avoid it

• The painful reality of scaling a business too fast

• How to survive when you lose a major traffic source overnight

• Why branding is not optional, even for performance marketers

• The next 5 years of Facebook ads: creatives, signals, AI, and trust

• The truth about “ad hacks” and why most people waste money on tools

• How to lead teams well in a world where everything changes monthly

(Adjust after final cut)

0:00 – Intro
1:00 – Depesh’s journey: corporate → fired → $1M affiliate marketer
6:30 – The origins of the BPM Method
11:00 – Why most businesses fail before they ever launch an ad
14:40 – Case study: turning $800K into $26M
18:50 – Key mistakes 95% of advertisers make
23:20 – Why AI shifts the advantage to creative thinkers
29:00 – Agency scaling: stress, payroll, and identity
34:00 – Losing traffic, rebuilding trust, and bouncing back
41:30 – Leadership lessons from 20 years in marketing
48:00 – What the next generation of marketers must learn
53:00 – Advice for founders trying to scale with ads

Depesh Mandalia is a marketer and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience. He currently runs a performance marketing agency, mentors thousands of advertisers, and teaches his signature BPM Method, responsible for over $100M in global revenue.
After losing his job in the 2009 financial crisis, he built a 7-figure affiliate business, and since 2018 he has trained the next wave of marketers through simple, high-impact systems that actually work.

He enjoys time with family, coaching football, traveling, and helping entrepreneurs grow.

Hosted by Eddie Ross, The Free Lunch explores leadership, growth, culture, and the real mechanics behind business success—through honest conversations with people who’ve actually done it.

• Subscribe for more conversations like this

• Like the video—it helps the show grow

• Comment your biggest takeaway from Depesh’s journey

🎧 What you’ll learn:⏱️ Timestamps👤 About Depesh Mandalia🍽️ About The Free Lunch Podcast📩 Enjoyed the episode?

Is AI your company’s biggest opportunity… or an expensive distraction?

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, Eddie Ross sits down with Azahara Corrales – journalist turned marketer turned AI consultant and thought leader – to unpack what really happens when businesses try to “implement AI”.

Azahara has been working with AI in marketing since before it was cool. She helps companies cut through the hype, avoid wasting money on shiny tools, and actually get ROI from AI – while staying mindful of ethics, bias and the human side of work.

If you’re a leader, founder, manager or consultant trying to figure out how AI fits into your world, this conversation will save you time, money and headaches.

• Why 95% of companies are using AI wrong

• How to decide where AI makes sense in your business (and where it doesn’t)

• The hidden cost of forcing AI into every workflow

• AI, bias & diversity: why the people building AI matter as much as the tech

• How AI will split society in two: hyper-tech vs. hyper-human

• What good leadership looks like in the age of AI

• Why you still need education, critical thinking and emotional intelligence

• How small businesses and solo operators can “borrow a team” using AI

0:00 – Intro: Who is Azahara Corrales?
1:40 – From journalism & hospitality to AI and marketing
4:20 – Becoming an AI “pioneer” (by being early and curious)
6:00 – What Azahara actually does for companies today
7:30 – The #1 mistake leaders make when “implementing AI”
9:50 – Why most AI tools are wasted spend
11:30 – Lessons from the early internet vs. today’s AI wave
12:30 – Where AI is genuinely a huge opportunity for small businesses
14:10 – Will AI replace humans… or just bad processes?
17:00 – Trust, hallucinations and why you should treat AI like “that dad who always has an answer”
19:40 – How AI is changing leadership and culture inside companies
21:45 – AI: friend or foe? Azahara’s honest answer
23:20 – Bias in AI: who builds it and what data it learns from
28:00 – Can regulation keep up? The role of governments and the EU
32:00 – Education, knowledge and what kids should really learn now
35:30 – 2030 forecast: what changes, what stays the same
40:10 – Personal AI assistants, agents and our daily lives
44:50 – Two futures: fully plugged-in vs. people who reject tech
51:30 – Azahara’s core message to leaders about AI
53:30 – Why being an AI pioneer now can be your best competitive advantage

🎧 In this episode, we cover:⏱️ Timestamps

In this episode of The Free Lunch Podcast, host Eddie Ross sits down with David Mears, founder of DMA , to discuss the highs and lows of running a creative agency for over 20 years. From the early days of building the agency on his own to scaling it through economic crises and the pandemic, David shares invaluable lessons on autonomy, leadership, and finding fulfillment in your work.

David reflects on:

• How he built DMA from a one-man operation into a thriving creative agency

• The importance of autonomy over financial success

• Managing growth, hiring the right people, and handling tough decisions

• Navigating the challenges of leading through financial crises and the pandemic

• His thoughts on the future of the creative industry and the balance between work and personal life

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to turn your passion into a lasting business, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, agency owner, or just someone curious about the creative industry, David's story offers a roadmap for anyone looking to build something meaningful and sustainable.

Most entrepreneurs dream of making money in pajamas—but Michael Harty actually did it long before remote work became mainstream.In this episode, Eddie Ross sits down with Michael Harty, a serial entrepreneur who went from bartending and selling meat trucks to pioneering remote entrepreneurship in the '90s, long before "digital nomad" was a buzzword.You'll discover:✅ How Michael spotted lucrative opportunities that others missed✅ The "pajama" secret: why working remotely gave him an early edge✅ His biggest entrepreneurial regret—and how you can avoid the same mistake✅ Why moving quickly matters more than perfection (and how to master it)✅ The simple yet powerful leadership principle most bosses overlookThis isn’t another fluffy entrepreneur story. It's packed with honest lessons on spotting opportunities, scaling smartly, and building businesses that thrive without micromanagement.🎧 Chapters:00:00 – Michael’s Entrepreneurial Journey from Bartending to Business05:36 – The Truth About Selling Meat Trucks in France08:01 – Launching Madrid’s First Irish Bar: Lessons & Regrets12:02 – The One Attitude Every Great Team Needs16:22 – Why Micromanaging Is Secretly Killing Your Growth23:40 – How to Empower Your Team by Doing Less27:21 – Can Your Business Run Without You?30:52 – When (and How) to "Shoot the Horse" and Move On35:34 – The Entrepreneurial Gift of Knowing When to Sell39:03 – Leadership vs. Management: Getting Real Results45:42 – Why Overanalyzing Data Can Paralyze Your Business52:17 – The Authentic Leadership Advantage📌 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for actionable advice that helps you grow faster and lead better.📖 Grab Eddie’s Book "Where's My Free Lunch?"

In this episode of The Free Lunch, Eddie Ross sits down with David Hancock, a man who’s reinvented himself not once, but twice.

From serving as an Army officer in a cavalry regiment, to trading floors in the City of London, to becoming COO at a top 10 global hedge fund, David’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary. But his most radical move yet? Leaving the world of finance behind to retrain as a barrister.

Together they discuss:

The courage to start over later in life.

What it’s really like working in England’s legal system.

Why more leaders need “self-leadership” before they lead others.

The shocking realities of criminal law and the “innocent tax”.

If you’ve ever thought about pivoting careers, chasing purpose over profit, or simply want to hear an inspiring journey of reinvention – this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and be inspired to take your own leap.

🔥 Don’t forget to subscribe to The Free Lunch for more stories from leaders who dare to think differently.