What if the secret to building a billion-pound business isn't avoiding mistakes — but learning to execute with relentless precision, even when everything goes wrong?

In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by Gerald Ratner — the entrepreneur who built the UK's largest jewelry empire, scaled to over 2,500 stores worldwide, and became one of the most talked-about business figures in modern history.

Gerald shares his remarkable journey from taking over a struggling family business losing £34,000 a year to creating a retail powerhouse valued in the billions. He reveals the strategic brilliance behind his acquisitions, including how he acquired H. Samuel (three times the size of his business) through a merger that gave him control, and how he expanded into America by buying the best operator in the market rather than exporting a UK formula that wouldn't work.

Together, Paul and Gerald unpack the principles of execution excellence — why acquisition beats organic growth, how to price for competitive advantage, why controlling supply creates premium value, and how to turn around a business by bringing back the right people. Gerald also shares candid insights on leadership, resilience, and how he deals with public criticism decades after one infamous speech.

This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to scale through smart acquisitions, build a business that dominates its market, and develop the mental toughness to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at you.

• Why acquisition is a faster, smarter path to scale than organic growth — and how to structure deals using equity instead of cash
• How Gerald acquired H. Samuel (three times larger than his business) by positioning it as a merger, then taking control
• Why expanding into America required buying the best operator in the market — not exporting the UK model
• The power of one key person: how bringing back the right buyer turned a £34,000 loss into a £2 million profit
• Why pricing strategy is the most important lever in any business — and how Gerald used competitive pricing to dominate the watch market
• How Rolex built a premium brand by copying De Beers' scarcity model — and why controlling supply creates value
• Why you don't need permission to execute — and why forgiveness is easier to get than approval
• The importance of surrounding yourself with ambitious peers who challenge you to think bigger
• How to develop mental resilience and keep moving forward despite public criticism and setbacks

Gerald Ratner is a legendary British entrepreneur who built Ratners Group into the world's largest jewelry retailer, with over 2,500 stores across the UK and US, including H. Samuel, Ernest Jones, and Watches of Switzerland. At its peak, the business was valued at billions and employed thousands of people. Gerald is known for his bold acquisition strategy, competitive pricing innovation, and remarkable resilience. Today, he speaks globally on entrepreneurship, leadership, and the lessons learned from building — and rebuilding — a business empire.

Apply it now
Identify one area where acquisition could accelerate your growth faster than building organically — and explore what's available in your market.

Ask yourself: what's the one hire or decision that could transform your business performance overnight?

Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.

Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call

Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in

About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.

Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.

What if the secret to scaling your business isn't working harder — but getting the right financial expertise in your corner?

In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by Matthew Mills — Chief Commercial Officer at the CFO Centre, a global leader in fractional CFO services operating across 17 countries with over 750 CFOs worldwide.

Matthew shares how the CFO Centre has scaled from its launch in 2001 to become the pioneers of the fractional CFO industry — and why most entrepreneurs don't realize they need this support until they're already drowning in spreadsheets, cash flow crises, and sleepless nights.

Together, Paul and Matthew unpack what a fractional CFO actually does, when the right time is to bring one into your business, and why having someone who's "been there, seen it, done it" sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with you can be the difference between scaling sustainably or selling your business for half its value.

This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to stop firefighting their finances, gain visibility over cash flow and profitability, and build a business that's genuinely exit-ready — whether they choose to sell or not.

• What a fractional CFO actually is — and why they're different from accountants
• When the right time is to bring a CFO into your business (hint: it's probably sooner than you think)
• The three financial focus areas every CEO should prioritize: profitability, cash flow, and business value
• Why most entrepreneurs confuse revenue growth with real value creation
• The most common financial mistakes that kill business value during exit
• Why poor financial data can halve your business valuation during due diligence
• How the right CFO can renegotiate bank terms and unlock millions in cash flow
• Why selling your business might not be the answer — and how to fall back in love with it instead
• The emotional side of building value: time, peace of mind, and freedom aren't just financial metrics

Matthew Mills is the Chief Commercial Officer at the CFO Centre, a global network of over 750 fractional CFOs operating in 17 countries. The CFO Centre pioneered the fractional CFO model and specializes in helping scale-up businesses gain financial clarity, improve profitability, manage cash flow, and prepare for exit. Matthew brings a unique perspective to business leadership, having previously played professional football in the Premier League and Indian Super League before transitioning into the world of finance and business growth. He occasionally appears as a football pundit on Sky Sports.

Apply it now
Identify one financial area where you lack visibility or control — and ask yourself: could a fractional CFO help me solve this faster than I can alone?

Connect with the CFO Centre
Visit www.cfocentre.com to learn more about fractional CFO services and book a free strategic review.

Meet Matthew and the CFO Centre team
Grab your ticket to the Scale-Up Summit and have a conversation with Matthew and his network: www.scaleupsummit.co.uk

Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.

Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call

Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in

About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.

Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.

What if the biggest risk to your business isn't the new government — but your failure to adapt to it?

In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins brings together two of the sharpest minds in his community to unpack what the seismic shift in UK politics means for scaling entrepreneurs.

Joining Paul are Jeff Lermer — one of the UK's most creative and entrepreneurial tax advisors, and the only lifetime achievement award holder in Paul's F12 Mastermind — and Guy Bartlett, founder of the Business Buyers Club, who has helped clients acquire tens of millions of pounds worth of businesses using strategic acquisition frameworks.

Together, they explore how entrepreneurs should respond to political change, what tax shifts are likely on the horizon, where the opportunities lie in acquisition and exit strategies, and why now is the perfect time to reassess your business model. From capital gains tax planning to the rise of AI, employment law changes to the power of community — this conversation is packed with actionable insight for founders who refuse to be victims of change.

This episode is essential listening for CEOs and founders who want to turn uncertainty into opportunity, protect their wealth, and position their businesses to thrive — no matter what the political landscape throws at them.

• Why entrepreneurs must adopt a mindset of horizon scanning — looking beyond the political cycle
• How demographic shifts will impact recruitment, team culture, and business models over the next decade
• The three-stage process for responding to major tax or regulatory change without panic
• Why capital gains tax could rise from 20% to 45% — and what to do now if you're planning an exit
• How to use trusts and binding agreements to crystallise lower tax rates before they disappear
• Why the "how much is enough" question changes everything when selling your business
• The impact of employment law changes on zero-hour contracts, hiring, and firing
• Why housing, construction, and retail could see major shifts under Labour policy
• How AI and offshore teams are reshaping the cost and risk of employment
• Why you won't be replaced by AI — but you will be replaced by someone using it better than you
• The "beach number" framework: the 15 key stats every CEO should track to know if they've had a good week
• Why 32,000 business owners in their 60s are heading for exit — and what that means for buyers and sellers
• Why the secret to selling isn't the price — it's understanding your motivation and timeline

Jeff Lerma is one of the UK's leading entrepreneurial accountants and tax strategists, advising around 900 established, growth-focused businesses. Known for his proactive, creative approach to tax planning, Jeff specializes in helping entrepreneurs navigate complex legislative change, maximize tax efficiency, and prepare for exit. He is the only lifetime achievement award holder in Paul Avins' F12 Mastermind.

Guy Bartlett is the founder of the Business Buyers Club and a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in military operations and business leadership. Guy has helped entrepreneurs acquire and scale businesses worth tens of millions of pounds using strategic acquisition frameworks. He specializes in helping founders grow faster through buy-and-build strategies, understanding deal structures, and aligning acquisitions with long-term vision.

Apply it now
Identify one area of your business that could be impacted by political or regulatory change — and build a plan to adapt or capitalize on it.

Connect with the Guests
Jeff Lerma on LinkedIn | https://jla.accountants
Guy Bartlett on LinkedIn | https://www.thebusinessbuyersclub.co.uk

Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.

Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call

Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in

About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.

Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.

What if the secret to generating six or seven figures in new revenue isn't paid ads, cold calls, or networking events — but building a personal brand on the platform most entrepreneurs still underestimate?

In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by Chris James — one of the fastest-growing influential speakers in the industry and creator of the Content to Clients program.

Chris shares his journey from cold-calling in a call centre with no training and a ripped-up Yellow Pages to building a thriving coaching business that helps entrepreneurs generate consistent revenue using organic LinkedIn marketing. Together, Paul and Chris unpack why LinkedIn is still the most underrated platform for B2B growth, the four-step workflow that turns content into clients, and why most people are doing LinkedIn completely wrong — posting content and hoping people will come.

This conversation goes deep into the power of personal brand, the difference between mechanical posting and strategic content creation, why video is massively underutilized, and how to reverse-engineer your LinkedIn activity to predictably generate calls, clients, and revenue.

This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to build authority, attract ideal clients, and scale their business without relying on paid ads or outdated outbound tactics.

• Why LinkedIn is still the most underrated platform for B2B entrepreneurs — and how to capitalize on it now
• The four C workflow: Content, Comments, Connections, and Conversations — and how to execute it daily
• The top five mistakes people make on LinkedIn (and how to fix them immediately)
• Why personal brand matters more than company brand — and how to leverage it for massive growth
• How to reverse-engineer your LinkedIn activity to predictably generate calls and clients
• Why video is the ultimate trust-builder — and how to repurpose long-form content across platforms
• The 20-mile march: why consistency beats creativity every time
• How to optimize your LinkedIn profile to convert visitors into leads and clients
• Why loving the process — not obsessing over outcomes — is the key to long-term success

Chris James is the creator of Content to Clients, a six-month program that helps coaches, consultants, agency owners, and freelancers build their offer, market it using organic content, and convert leads into high-ticket clients. With a community of over 100 entrepreneurs from around the globe, Chris specializes in helping business owners leverage LinkedIn and personal branding to generate consistent revenue without paid ads. His approach combines content strategy, outreach systems, sales frameworks, and world-class delivery — all built around sustainable, human-to-human marketing.

Apply it now
Identify one area where you're posting content but not engaging strategically — and commit to the four C workflow for the next 30 days.

See Chris James live at Scale-Up Summit
Chris will be delivering a full session on building and leveraging personal brand on LinkedIn at Scale-Up Summit on June 27-28 in London. Learn his proven strategies, get an actionable content plan, and discover how to turn LinkedIn into a revenue-generating machine.
Register now: www.scaleupsummit.co.uk

Connect with Chris James
Follow Chris on LinkedIn for daily insights, video content, and proven strategies for building personal brand and generating clients organically.

Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.

Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call

Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in

About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.

Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.

What if the secret to scaling your sales isn't hiring more salespeople — but fixing the systems and mindset that make them successful?

In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by David Angel — sales expert, entrepreneur, and specialist in helping businesses scale their revenue through smarter sales systems and stronger teams.

David shares the brutal truth about why most sales hires fail, why salespeople aren't the silver bullet business owners hope for, and how to build a sales process that works on the good days and the bad. Together, Paul and David unpack the three biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when trying to scale sales, how to interview salespeople properly (including the genius role-play technique that reveals who's real and who's just good at interviews), and why most business owners sell the way they like to buy — not the way their customers actually want to be sold to.

This conversation goes deep into the difference between hunters and farmers, why sales skills erode over time without training, and how to onboard and develop a sales team that scales with your business instead of holding it back.

This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to build a predictable, scalable sales engine without relying on hope, hustle, or hiring unicorns.

• Why salespeople aren't a silver bullet — and what you need in place before you hire one
• The three biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when scaling sales
• Why most business owners sell the way they like to buy — not the way customers want to be sold to
• How to spot a fake salesperson in an interview using role-play and real-world scenarios
• Why sales skills erode over time — and how to keep your team sharp
• The difference between hiring hunters vs farmers — and when you need each
• Why hiring two part-time SDRs can be smarter than one full-time closer
• How poor onboarding kills sales performance — and what to do instead
• Why the 1% daily regression principle destroys sales teams — and how training stops it
• How to re-engage warm leads using Trojan horse strategies

David Angel is a sales expert and entrepreneur who specializes in helping businesses scale their revenue through smarter systems, better hiring, and consistent sales training. Known for his no-nonsense approach and practical frameworks, David works with founders and sales teams to build processes that deliver results on repeat — not just when the stars align.

Apply it now
Identify one part of your sales process where you're the bottleneck — and ask: could this be systemized or delegated?

Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.

Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call

Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in

About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.

Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.

What if the secret to scaling your business isn't working harder — but solving the cash flow puzzle that keeps you up at night?

In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by Jamie Beaumont — CEO of Plater, a fintech company revolutionizing how small businesses access growth capital and manage cash flow.

Jamie shares his entrepreneurial journey from running a recruitment business that struggled with chronic cash flow issues, to launching an HR tech startup during COVID, to pivoting into the finance space when he discovered a massive gap in the market. He explains how Plater has funded over 5,000 businesses with more than £50 million in lending — helping entrepreneurs pay their bills later and get paid faster, so they can focus on growth instead of survival.

Together, Paul and Jamie unpack why cash flow is the silent killer of ambitious businesses, why banks fail small business owners, how growth capital is the missing piece in most scale-up journeys, and why entrepreneurs need to stop feeling embarrassed about needing funding. This conversation is a masterclass in understanding the difference between turnover, profit, and cash — and why only one of them keeps your business alive.

This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to scale without running out of money, access growth capital without the pain of traditional banks, and finally sleep at night knowing payroll is covered.

• Why cash flow problems aren't a sign of failure — they're a normal part of scaling
• The brutal reality of invoice delays and how they cripple small business growth
• How Plater helps businesses pay bills later and get paid faster — without traditional bank hassle
• Why growth sucks cash — and how to fund scale without equity dilution or personal guarantees
• The difference between being profitable on paper and having cash in the bank
• Why UK banks are failing entrepreneurs — and what fintech is doing differently
• Real-world case studies: how businesses used Plater to unlock £8 million in funding and grow revenue by £12 million
• Why entrepreneurs need to stop managing cash and start leading growth
• How Jamie pivoted from a failing HR tech business to funding 5,000+ businesses in under four years

Jamie Beaumont is the CEO and founder of Plater, a fintech platform that helps small businesses manage cash flow by spreading bill payments over time and accelerating invoice payments. Since launching in 2020, Plater has funded over 5,000 businesses with more than £50 million in lending and processed over £220 million in applications. Jamie is a serial entrepreneur with a background in recruitment and HR tech, and is passionate about solving the cash flow challenges that hold ambitious business owners back from scaling.

Apply it now
Identify one cash flow gap in your business that's holding you back from growth — and explore how funding could solve it.

Learn more about Plater
Visit www.plater.co to sign up for free and speak with Jamie's team about how Plater can help your business.
Connect with Jamie Beaumont on LinkedIn to follow his journey and insights on scaling businesses.

Join us at Scale-Up Summit
Get your ticket to Scale-Up Summit and receive a complimentary 15-minute finance review with the Plater team to discover how much funding your business qualifies for.
Visit www.scaleupsummit.co.uk to secure your place.

Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.

Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call

Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in

About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.

Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.

What if the secret to scaling your business isn't just getting more customers — but keeping the ones you have so happy they become your most powerful marketing channel?

In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by Geoff Ramm — keynote speaker, author of Celebrity Service, and the creator of a customer service philosophy now used in over 50 countries.

Geoff shares the origin story of Celebrity Service — a concept born live on stage 22 years ago when one simple question changed everything: "What if a celebrity walked into your business tomorrow?" That question unlocked a gap most businesses don't even know exists — the gap between the service they think they're delivering and the service they would deliver if their next customer was George Clooney or Margot Robbie.

Together, Paul and Geoff unpack why most businesses rate themselves an 8 out of 10 for service but deliver a 3 in real life, why product differentiation is dead and service is the new competitive advantage, and how tiny moments of thoughtfulness can create viral word-of-mouth that no marketing budget can buy. This conversation is a masterclass in turning customers into advocates — not through gimmicks, but through intentional, memorable experiences that cost nothing but mean everything.

This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to stop competing on price, start competing on experience, and build a business people can't stop talking about.

• The birth of Celebrity Service — and the one question that reveals the gap in your service you never knew existed
• Why most businesses think they're an 8 out of 10 for service — but customers experience a 3
• Why product differentiation is dead and service experience is the new competitive advantage
• How to stop just delivering what you promised and start creating moments worth talking about
• Why customer service investment should be as visible as your marketing budget — but rarely is
• The power of tiny, thoughtful touches that cost nothing but create viral advocacy
• Why "going the extra mile" and "exceeding expectations" are outdated — and what to do instead
• How to identify touchpoints in your business and sprinkle celebrity service magic into just two of them
• Why if you're not being tagged into posts based on your service, you're not giving service worth tagging

Geoff Ramm is a keynote speaker, author, and creator of the Celebrity Service philosophy — a customer service framework used by businesses in over 50 countries. He is the author of Celebrity Service: Discover the Gap in Your Service You Never Knew Existed (Second Edition) and specializes in helping organizations transform their customer experience by asking one powerful question: What would you do differently if your next customer was a celebrity? Geoff's work has helped businesses win awards, improve Net Promoter Scores, and turn customers into passionate advocates.

Apply it now
Identify two customer touchpoints in your business and ask: what would we do differently if our next customer was an A-list celebrity?

Learn more about Celebrity Service
Connect with Geoff Ramm and explore his books, keynotes, and training programs.

Join us at the Scale-Up Summit
Geoff Ramm will be speaking live at the Scale-Up Summit on 27th–28th June in London. Grab your ticket now: scaleup summit.co.uk

Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.

Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call

Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in

About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.

Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.