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We Have A Meeting

We Have A Meeting

Every week, Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson from We Have A Meeting chat with brilliant entrepreneurs about sales, mindset, marketing, and everything in between. It’s smart, human, and full of ideas you can actually use.

Tune in for sharp conversations, fresh perspectives, and a few laughs along the way.

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  • Wednesday · 43 min

    Ben Shephard: The Secret To Winning Anyone Over In Business

    Madonna changed the lights, the seating and her outfit before the cameras rolled. Ben Shephard won her over with one question. That’s the skill behind 26 years in broadcasting. He’s presented This Morning and Tipping Point and done film junkets where he had four minutes to get a Hollywood star to open up. He calls himself a frustrated professional sportsman who never made the Ryder Cup, so he became a communicator instead. Now, at 51, he’s a founder. He co-founded For Skin, a men’s skincare brand, with Joel Dommett. He also helped set up Sweetspot, a venture studio that builds businesses celebrities actually own. Ben joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest. They talk about purpose, gratitude and why being interested beats being interesting every time. He explains why a quiz show still matters, and why he gets his dad to text him every night with three things he’s looking forward to tomorrow. He also explains why 80% of men’s skincare is bought by women. He breaks down how Sweetspot works. Every celebrity goes through a questionnaire on their motivations and passions, and the audience helps build the product. For Skin’s community picked the name, the price point and the packaging. He also explains why he will always ask the stupid question in a meeting about burn rates. And why a skincare brand needs a name people argue about, but products good enough to outlive the famous faces behind it. Then comes the masterclass in connection: the Simon Cowell name trick he recommends to everyone, and why he forgets most of the pitches he hears unless someone finds a way to connect with him personally. Along the way you’ll hear about Zac talking to his moisturiser, a 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder with his two sons, a six-year-old called Greg who taught him a lesson in manners, why golf teaches you that the next shot matters most, and the best advice Tim Campbell ever gave him: if it ain’t broke, break it. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Ben Shephard, TV Presenter Turned Entrepreneur 00:02:19 The Purpose Behind the Presenter: Finding Meaning in Entertainment 00:05:15 Smelling the Roses: Gratitude, Mindset, and Making Memories 00:07:56 The Skincare Secret: How Ben Ages Like Fine Wine 00:13:36 Building Foreskin: The Problem We Solve and Why the Name Works 00:16:32 From TV to Business: Learning the Ropes and Asking Stupid Questions 00:23:41 Beyond the Founders: Building a Brand That Outlives the Celebrities 00:26:23 The Tough Mudder Mindset: Achievements, Letting Go, and What Comes Next 00:27:40 The Art of Connection: What Ben Knows Now About Communication 00:31:41 The Madonna Masterclass: Finding Common Ground in Four Minutes 00:37:55 Raising Communicators: Teaching Boys to Ask How Are You 00:41:55 Quickfire Business Wisdom: Nurture the Kernel and Break What Ain't Broke #BenShephard #ForSkin #JoelDommett #Sweetspot #MensSkincare #Skincare #TippingPoint #ThisMorning #Communication #Curiosity #Connection #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #FounderMindset #Entrepreneur #IdeasFest #FundingCircle #BackedByFundingCircle #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Ben Shephard: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benshephard For Skin: https://www.for-skin.co.uk The Business Men podcast (with Joel Dommett): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-men/id1843664679 Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. Learn more at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who’ve built it from the ground up.

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  • Sunday · 43 min

    Revenue Expert: How To Get So Many Customers Using AI It Feels Illegal

    Your sales team has more AI tools and more data than ever. So why are they doing less with it? And what should you never, ever let an AI agent do for you? Mel Smith has a one-question test for that, and most teams fail it. She also has a rule for her SDRs: book a meeting on a cold call in under five minutes and you'll be getting a message from her. Mel is VP of Sales Development at Nooks, the AI revenue agent platform for sales teams. She started as an SDR when outbound meant email only. She was a Nooks customer before she was a Nooks employee, after a former rep of hers got laid off, joined Nooks and told her the product was crazy. She bought it for her SDR team, then talked her way into the co-founders' inbox. Two and a half years later she runs the team that sells it. She is, quite literally, her own buyer persona. Mel joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson to unpack where AI agents genuinely save sales teams time, where they quietly destroy trust, and why cold calling still beats email and LinkedIn for pipeline. This is a working masterclass in AI for sales development. Mel breaks down the automate, augment, human model, where AI agents take 80% of a task and the rep owns the last 20%. She shows how agent-led account research cuts a properly personalised email from 45 to 60 minutes down to 15 or 20, and why that saved time belongs on the stuff that doesn't scale. As a customer, Nooks took her team from an hour to make 50 cold calls down to eight minutes. Her qualified cold calls run 12 to 18 minutes, built on permission-based openers, bucket questions and three yeses, and nobody gives up before three nos. New SDRs hear 100 to 200 peer calls on the virtual sales floor in their first two weeks, and the data says the reps who spend the most time there ramp fastest. Along the way: the Tony Robbins AI agent claim that didn't survive a fact-check, how to sell a whole platform on a cold call without sounding like everyone else, the spreadsheet interview test where not reaching for AI is now a red flag, the "it was December" excuse that tells her everything about a candidate, why entry-level reps should check a company's current SDRs before applying, the theatre tickets that get unreachable leaders to take a meeting, and the inside jokes on her LinkedIn that only one prospect has ever noticed. Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Mel Smith, VP of Sales Development at Nooks 00:01:56 The AI Data Paradox: Why Sales Teams Have Everything But Do Nothing 00:03:39 The Simplest AI Win: Account Research That Actually Works 00:04:32 What AI Should Never Touch: The Trust-Bearing Moments in Sales 00:09:06 AI Agents Explained: Spider Webs of Decision-Making 00:12:36 The 45-Minute to 15-Minute Email: Real AI Use Cases That Save Time 00:16:02 Personalization That Cuts Through: Business Context Beats High School Facts 00:18:51 Selling a Platform Not a Product: Solution and Persona-Based Messaging 00:21:10 Finding the Problems That Matter: Talking to Your Target Personas 00:25:12 The 12 to 18 Minute Cold Call: Running Discovery on Every Dial 00:27:18 Hiring SDRs in the AI Era: Characteristics Over Skills Every Time 00:36:46 The Sales Floor Effect: Why Top Performers Spend the Most Time There 00:38:03 Breaking Into Sales: Do the Research Before You Prospect 00:40:09 The Future of Sales: Leaner Teams, Same Human Connections Hashtags #WeHaveAMeeting #Nooks #MelSmith #AIAgents #AIinSales #SalesDevelopment #SDR #ColdCalling #OutboundSales #PipelineGeneration #SalesLeadership #RevOps #SalesAutomation #SalesHiring #B2BSales #SalesTraining #SalesPodcast Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-smith-4118564b/ Email: melanie.smith@nooks.in (mailto:melanie.smith@nooks.in) Nooks: https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Nooks: the AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 7 · 40 min

    Spencer Matthews: His Most Honest Conversation Yet

    Spencer Matthews has changed since his Made In Chelsea Days. He was a terrible employee. Hotels, nightclubs, bars, a stint as a forward foreign exchange broker in the City. None of it stuck. Then he got sober, found nothing worth drinking between a gin and tonic and a sparkling water, and built CleanCo to fill the gap. Today he runs CleanCo and the Untapped podcast, is a three-time world record holder, and has run 30 marathons in 30 days and seven Ironmans on seven continents in 21 days. He is also, by his own admission, a little bit ashamed of Made in Chelsea. Spencer Matthews joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest for one of the most honest conversations we've had about fame, failure and quitting. He explains why he thinks Made in Chelsea makes business harder, not easier, why he doesn't like the persona, the accent, the drinking or the way he treated people on it, and why his wife assumed the worst before she met him. He breaks down the mistakes behind CleanCo: rebrands, products released before they were ready, recalls, and launching into 44 US states it couldn't afford before pulling back to five. He explains why being a naive founder is a superpower, why he gets bored when the numbers are being hit, and why he delegates everything, including the dishwasher to his children. Then the bit he didn't have to share. The 10K he bailed on. A heart rate of 140 on the start line, 3:08 pace for the first 400 metres, a big panini and a lot of vomit. He didn't stop because he had to. He stopped because he wasn't going to break 37 minutes. The man who kept going through moments in Antarctica that felt life threatening quit a park 10K, and he explains exactly why that still bothers him. Along the way: one beer a week rationed across 30 desert marathons, waking at 3:30am ready to run a 31st, sleeping 18 hours on a mess hall floor in Antarctica because his team left him there, why he thinks finishing at all costs is verging on moronic, what Mo Farah told him about effort, the 2:45 he's chasing in Valencia, why he follows exactly three accounts, his brother passing on Uber, and his contingency plan if nature calls at 30km. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Spencer Matthews, From Made in Chelsea to Clean Co Founder 00:01:30 The Problem We Solve: Sophisticated Alcohol-Free Options and Inspiring Human Potential 00:02:55 From Crap Employee to Entrepreneur: Why Spencer Had to Work for Himself 00:06:27 Don't Be Afraid to Fail: Why Reputation Damage Doesn't Scare Spencer 00:07:52 The Made in Chelsea Baggage: Being a Rich Privileged Wanker in Business 00:11:41 Building Clean Co: Mistakes, Product Recalls, and Learning the Hard Way 00:14:50 The Art of Delegation: From Business to Getting Kids to Do Chores 00:17:20 The 10K That Broke Him: Vomiting, Quitting, and Feeling Like a Bitch 00:22:30 Life-Threatening Ironmans vs Park Run Failures: The Mental Game of Endurance 00:29:24 Chasing 2:45 in Valencia: The Hardest Thing Spencer's Ever Attempted 00:34:55 Backyard Ultras and Max Effort: Why Perceived Effort Is All That Matters 00:38:34 Best Business Advice: If a Deal Is Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is 00:39:47 Winning Your First Customer: Go on Made in Chelsea or Just Be Authentic 00:40:54 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #SpencerMatthews #CleanCo #Untapped #MadeInChelsea #Sobriety #AlcoholFree #EnduranceMindset #MarathonTraining #Ironman #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #FounderMindset #Delegation #Entrepreneur #IdeasFest #FundingCircle #BackedByFundingCircle #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Spencer Matthews: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermatthews CleanCo: https://clean.co Untapped podcast: https://thehighperformancepodcast.com/untapped Untapped on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1788474884 Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. Learn more at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 6 · 7 min

    What Every Founder Needs To Know About Money - Sammie Ellard King - | Backed by Funding Circle

    Sammie Ellard-King cleared £24k of debt in his twenties, then built one of the UK's biggest money education brands. He launched Up The Gains in 2021 and has racked up more than 500 million views, 510,000+ social followers and 750,000+ podcast downloads. He was named Best Money Content Creator at the 2024 British Bank Awards. In June 2026 he launched Gains App, a free personal finance app combining budgeting, cashback and AI money support, to a waiting list of over 15,000 people. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Sammie joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain how he went from £24k in debt to building a money brand millions trust, why he walked away from a six-figure job to go all in on content, and how he turned an audience into a business. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #SammieEllardKing #UpTheGains #GainsApp #IdeasFest #PersonalFinance #MoneyTips #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Sammie Ellard-King: Gains App: https://gainsapp.com Up The Gains: https://upthegains.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upthegainsmoney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammieellardking X: https://x.com/ellardking Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 5 · 5 min

    How I Built and Sold a Marketing Agency with Luke Tobin | Backed by Funding Circle

    Luke Tobin has built and sold three businesses. The big one was Digital Ethos, which he took from launch to an eight-figure exit in under five years, making it one of the fastest agency growth-to-exit stories in UK history. He sold to Cadastra, South America's largest independent agency group, in late 2022, then ran EMEA for the combined business. He now invests and operates through Unusual Group, Tobin Capital and Succeed, and won the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2020. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Luke joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain how he built an agency buyers wanted, what actually drives an agency's valuation, and why most founders undersell their life's work when they exit. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Luke Tobin, Marketing Agency Founder Who Scaled to Exit 00:00:26 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why Managing Runway Makes or Breaks Your Business 00:00:56 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Get More Than Just Cash and Service Your Debt 00:01:40 Day One of Your Business: Check Market Fit and Talk to Real Customers 00:02:34 The Best Business Advice: Work Your Current Network Better 00:03:15 Ignore the Easy Money Hype: Entrepreneurship Is Graft, Not Rock and Roll 00:03:39 The Most Underrated Skill: Leverage Self-Doubt and Move Through Fear 00:04:20 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Take the Chance on Yourself 00:04:50 Winning Your First Customer: Solve Their Pain Points and Speak Directly to Them 00:05:15 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #LukeTobin #DigitalEthos #UnusualGroup #IdeasFest #AgencyOwner #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Luke Tobin: Website: https://www.luketobin.com Unusual Group: https://www.unusualgroup.com Tobin Capital: https://www.tobincapital.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luketobin Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 4 · 11 min

    Business Advice from a Former Dragon with Piers Linney | Backed by Funding Circle

    Piers Linney is best known as a Dragon on BBC's Dragons' Den. These days he is building the workforce of the future. The entrepreneur and investor, with a background in law and finance, is Executive Chairman and co-founder of Implement AI, which deploys teams of AI digital workers for businesses and was named AI Start-Up of the Year (London) at the UK Startup Awards 2025. He co-hosts The Implement AI Podcast, is a LinkedIn Top AI Voice, holds an MBE and is an in-demand keynote speaker on AI, technology and the future of work. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Piers joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down how founders can put AI to work, grow their business and stay ahead of the curve. CHAPTERS #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #PiersLinney #DragonsDen #ImplementAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIForBusiness #FutureOfWork #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Piers Linney: Website: https://www.pierslinney.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierslinney/ Implement AI: https://www.implementai.io The Implement AI Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/implement-ai-podcast/id1694738741 Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 3 · 7 min

    The Ultimate Linkedin Business Strategy with Lea Turner | Backed by Funding Circle

    Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Lea Turner was a tattooed, pierced school dropout who'd worked minimum wage jobs her whole life. In 2019 she was a single mum running a small transcription business and relying on government support. Then she started posting on LinkedIn as herself, and it changed everything. She grew to more than 170,000 followers, built a LinkedIn training business that turned over £500k in its first year, and trained individuals and companies around the world. In December 2024 she hung up her tiara to focus on The HoLT, her membership community for freelancers, solopreneurs and small business owners, and hosts The HoLT's Survival Guide for Small Businesses podcast. Lea joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain why being yourself is a business strategy, how she turned LinkedIn posts into a half-million-pound business, and why she walked away from it to build a community instead. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Lea Turner, Community Builder Solving Solopreneur Loneliness 00:01:09 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Pay Your Team on Time, Every Time 00:01:51 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Read the Fine Print and Know Your Limits 00:02:19 Day One of Your Business: Start With Sales Conversations and Real Research 00:03:15 The Best Business Advice: Don't Work With Anyone Who Drains Your Energy 00:04:30 Ignore the Scaling Pressure: Build a Business That Fits Your Life 00:05:37 The Most Underrated Skill: People Skills and Being Likeable 00:06:03 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Be Ruthless or Be Genuinely Kind 00:07:00 Winning Your First Customer: Listen More Than You Speak 00:07:34 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #LeaTurner #TheHoLT #LinkedIn #PersonalBrand #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Lea Turner: The HoLT: https://www.the-holt.com Website: https://www.leaturner.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 3 · 14 min

    Sales Advice That Actually Works with Matt Elwell | Backed by Funding Circle

    Matt Elwell is the co-founder and director of Elite Closing Academy and one of the UK's most in-demand sales trainers. He's the bestselling author of Open With A Close and Cold To Sold, and used the same methods to help grow two family businesses to over £17 million in revenue. Now he teaches founders, business owners and experts how to sell without feeling like a salesperson. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Matt joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain why brilliant founders struggle to sell, what it actually means to open with a close, and how to turn a sales call into something that feels like a service. Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode]. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Matt Elwell, Sales Expert and Business Owner 00:00:48 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Get Serious About Getting Paid 00:01:50 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: De-Risk with a Clear Vision 00:02:42 Day One of Your Business: Find One Customer and Get Them a Result 00:05:08 The Best Business Advice: Take More Responsibility for the Reward You Want 00:06:42 Ignore the Bad Advice: Fake It Till You Make It and People Buy from People 00:07:42 The Most Underrated Skill: Managing Your Own State and Inner Game 00:10:22 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Purpose and Guiding Principles 00:12:07 Winning Your First Customer: Solve a Real Problem or Deliver a Desired Outcome 00:13:53 Closing Thoughts: Success Brings Success, Learn or Win #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #MattElwell #EliteClosingAcademy #OpenWithAClose #IdeasFest #SalesTraining #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Matt Elwell: Elite Closing Academy: https://eliteclosingacademy.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-elwell-sales-trainer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewelwellECA Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 3 · 8 min

    What a Psychotherapist Knows About Running a Business with Ella McCrystal | Backed by Funding Circle

    Ella McCrystal has spent 20 years helping people rewire how they think. Now she applies the same neuroscience to running a business. The accredited psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist and EMDR practitioner is Director of The Northampton Clinic, a multi-disciplinary private health clinic in the heart of Northampton. She is also a business coach, published author, TEDx speaker, founder of The Neurolectric Method and host of The New Mind Podcast, coaching leaders across business, sport and the arts to reach their full potential. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Ella joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down what therapy can teach founders about mindset, pressure and building a business that lasts. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Ella McCrystal, Psychotherapist, Trauma Specialist, and Business Owner 00:00:51 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Think Outside the Box and Don't Fear Money 00:02:33 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Know Who You're Borrowing From and Whether You Can Pay It Back 00:03:16 Day One of Your Business: Start With What You Love, Not What Makes Money 00:04:06 The Best Business Advice: Avoid Certainty and Build Real Friendships in Your Industry 00:05:00 Ignore the Money Chase: Why Chasing Cash Makes You Narcissistic 00:05:36 The Most Underrated Skill: Communication and Transparency Win Every Time 00:06:06 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Passion and Love for What You Do 00:06:52 Winning Your First Customer: Show Up in Person and Build Real Relationships 00:07:47 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #EllaMcCrystal #Psychotherapy #Mindset #Neuroscience #FounderMindset #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Ella McCrystal: Website: https://ellamccrystal.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-mccrystal-3ab0a137/ The Northampton Clinic: https://northamptonclinic.co.uk/about-ella/ X: https://twitter.com/ellamccrystal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 2 · 5 min

    How to Win Business Awards with the Award Queen, Donna O'Toole | Backed by Funding Circle

    Donna O'Toole spent years inside the awards industry watching great businesses miss out on recognition. So she built a company to fix it. The founder of August Recognition, part of Daniel Priestley's Dent Global group, has helped hundreds of businesses from start-ups to FTSE 100s win the awards that matter, including The King's Awards for Enterprise. She is a national and international awards judge, one of the world's Top 25 Customer Experience Influencers and the bestselling author of WIN!, the ultimate guide to winning awards. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Donna joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down how founders can use awards to raise their profile, build trust and grow their business. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Donna O'Toole, the Award Queen Who Helps Businesses Get Recognition 00:00:28 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Forecast Three Months Ahead and Treat It Like Your Bible 00:00:53 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Don't Be Scared, It's a Growth Driver 00:01:19 Day One of Your Business: Productize Your Idea and Build a Sustainable Ecosystem 00:01:54 The Best Business Advice: Put Your Personal Brand Front and Center 00:02:27 Ignore the Shiny Objects: Niche Down and Stay Focused on What You're Great At 00:03:02 The Most Underrated Skill: People Development and Team Management 00:03:40 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Avoiding Distractions and Staying Niche 00:04:16 Winning Your First Customer: Build Strategic Relationships and Partnerships 00:04:54 Closing Thoughts: Quick Fire Answers and Where to Find Funding Circle #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #DonnaOToole #AugustAwards #BusinessAwards #PersonalBrand #Marketing #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Donna O'Toole: August Awards: https://www.augustawards.com Website: https://www.donnaotoole.com Winning Awards podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/18JwzG3TXFwOYBMaJnhqyT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaotoole/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • October 1 · 16 min

    The Marketing Advice Every Business Needs with Dan Kelsall | Backed by Funding Circle

    Dan Kelsall built one of LinkedIn's loudest personal brands by refusing to sound like everyone else on LinkedIn. The Manchester creative founded and exited content agency Offended, now runs the University of Creative Idiots and TaxTickle, and wrote the marketing books Fcking Good Content and This Is Fcking Sh*t. Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Dan joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down why brave, polarising content wins clients, and why playing it safe keeps you invisible. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Dan Kelsall, the Marketer Who Does What He Wants 00:01:16 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why Three Months Isn't Enough 00:03:26 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Know Your Terms and Don't Get Fucked on Interest 00:04:38 Day One of Your Business: Test the Market Before You Spend a Penny 00:07:02 The Best Business Advice: Stop Listening to Absolutes and Don't Copy Others 00:09:15 Ignore the Authenticity Trend: Why Relatability Beats Being Your True Self 00:11:10 The Most Underrated Skill: Patience Wins Every Single Time 00:14:15 Winning Your First Customer: Outbound Sales and Getting Real Feedback Fast #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #DanKelsall #PersonalBrand #ContentMarketing #LinkedInMarketing #Copywriting #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Dan Kelsall: X: https://x.com/danjkelsall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-kelsall/ Website: https://dankelsall.com/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 30 · 11 min

    From Love Island to Business: Curtis & AJ Pritchard's Best Advice | Backed by Funding Circle

    Backed by Funding Circle Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Brothers AJ and Curtis Pritchard from Stoke-on-Trent became two of the best-known faces on British TV. AJ was the youngest ever professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing and went on to I'm a Celebrity and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Curtis finished fourth on Love Island and returned for Love Island: All Stars. Between them they have toured the UK with their own live dance show, starred in Hollyoaks and launched the BrosTorqueSuperCars motoring channel. AJ and Curtis join hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to talk about going from TV to business: why fame doesn't pay the bills, what reality TV never taught them about money, and the best advice they have picked up building a brand beyond the screen. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Curtis and AJ Pritchard, From TV Stars to Investment Platform Co-Founders 00:00:55 The Problem We Solve: Taking the Stress Out of Investing with Fininvest 00:02:29 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why Nothing Is Guaranteed in the TV Industry 00:04:40 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Bootstrap First, Spend Money Last 00:06:00 Day One of Your Business: Build a Waitlist and Know Your Audience 00:07:01 The Best Business Advice: Don't Expect It to Happen Overnight and Do Something You Love 00:08:21 The Information Overload Problem: Stay Narrow-Minded vs Take It All In 00:10:12 The Most Underrated Skill: Drive, Willpower, and Just Doing It #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #AJPritchard #CurtisPritchard #LoveIsland #StrictlyComeDancing #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #BusinessAdvice #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with AJ and Curtis Pritchard: * AJ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aj11ace * Curtis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curtispritchard12 * AJ on X: https://x.com/Aj11Ace * Curtis on X: https://x.com/CurtisPritchard Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up..

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  • September 29 · 12 min

    The Social Media Lessons Every Founder Needs with Chris James | Backed by Funding Circle

    Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Chris James started out in telemarketing and now helps founders, coaches and service businesses turn social media content into paying clients. The Manchester-based online business mentor, content strategist, keynote speaker and bestselling author runs the Content To Clients programme, sends a weekly newsletter to 3,000+ entrepreneurs and has shared stages with Daniel Priestley, Chris Do and Davina McCall. Chris joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down the social media lessons every founder needs. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Chris James, Expert Mindset Coach and Business Builder 00:00:32 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Leading Indicators and Collecting Money Upfront 00:01:16 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: No Credit Cards and Mortgage Freedom 00:02:07 Day One of Your Business: Build Your Business Backwards 00:02:15 The Warm Network Strategy: Why Your First Customers Are Already in Your Phone 00:04:19 The Best Business Advice: No One Gives a Shit, So Just Do It 00:05:29 Ignore the Carbon Copy: Why Following Other People's Success Will Make You Miserable 00:06:14 The Time Management Superpower: Focus, Block Distractions, and Schedule Worry Time 00:07:57 Lower Expectations, Higher Standards: The Mindset Shift That Drives Success 00:09:23 Winning Your First Customer: Make 200 Calls and Collect 100 No's #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #ChrisJames #SocialMediaMarketing #PersonalBrand #ContentStrategy #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with Chris James: * Website: https://www.chris-james.co * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjamesonline/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisjamesonline * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisjamesonline Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 28 · 9 min

    12 Minutes of Business Advice with Chris Gore | Backed by Funding Circle

    Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Chris Gore went from a Liverpool council estate to 13 years in the military to the boardroom. He co-founded SPOR Group with Chris Spence, each putting in £50k, and landed an £800k deal in week six. The Maidenhead workplace technology business now looks after more than 1,500 meeting room sites across the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific, works with clients including the NHS and the NFL, and has just acquired interior design consultancy Squaredot. Chris also writes the Work Isn't Working newsletter on the future of the workplace. Chris joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest for 12 minutes of no-fluff business advice: the thing most founders get wrong, what to fix before anything else, and what the military taught him about accountability and running a company. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Chris Gore, Co-Founder of Spore Group 00:01:04 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why It's Priority Number One, Two, and Three 00:01:58 The Borrowing Money Masterclass: Get It Cheap and Know Your Forecast 00:02:54 Day One of Your Business: Test the Market Before You Take a Penny 00:03:44 The Growth Question: Why Scaling Isn't Always the Answer 00:04:57 Ignore the AI Slop: Why Boring Businesses Still Win 00:06:09 The Most Underrated Skill: Talking to Actual Human Beings 00:06:44 The Gary in a Van Problem: Why Systems Beat Hustle Every Time 00:08:10 Closing Thoughts: Liverpool Wins, Handshakes Matter, and People Buy from People #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #ChrisGore #SPORGroup #IdeasFest #WorkplaceTech #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #BusinessAdvice #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Chris Gore: * SPOR Group: https://www.wearespor.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgoremba/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisgore.spor * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisgorespor Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 27 · 10 min

    From Bedroom Startup to $100M Exit with Andrew Hulbert | Backed by Funding Circle

    Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Andrew Hulbert grew up on a council estate in Oxford and started Pareto Facilities Management from his bedroom at 27. He grew it to around £50m turnover and 500 staff, took it through a management buy-out and a private equity exit, and walked away at 37 with a $100M-class exit. Today he is Founder and Vice Chair of Pareto FM and Chair of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM). Andrew joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain what buyers actually look for, why you should build your business to sell from day one, and the side of a big exit nobody warns you about. If you are a founder thinking about growth, private equity, a management buy-out or selling your business in the UK, this is the honest version. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Andrew Hulbert, Dad, Farmer, and 100 Million Dollar Exit Entrepreneur 00:01:17 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why Cash Beats Profit Every Single Time 00:02:35 The Borrowing Money Masterclass: Covenants, Interest Rates, and What You Need to Know 00:03:43 Day One of Your Business: Where Is the Money Coming From 00:05:27 The Self-Worth Warning: Why Your Business Is Not You 00:07:01 The Social Media Trap: Why Follower Count Is Overrated Business Advice 00:08:29 The Networking Masterclass: How to Win Your First Customer 00:10:17 Closing Thoughts: Get Out There and Network #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #AndrewHulbert #ParetoFM #BusinessExit #SellingABusiness #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Andrew Hulbert: * Pareto FM: https://www.paretofm.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhulbert/ Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 26 · 3 min

    James Martin's Rules for Scaling Fast | Backed by Funding Circle

    Backed by Funding Circle. Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk James Martin left school at 14 with no qualifications and dyslexia, and built an empire anyway. He started out mowing lawns, moved into landscaping and tree surgery, then brought the first tree-moving machine to England from Illinois. That became Ruskins Tree Moving, the UK leader in large-scale tree transplanting, which he sold, bought back and sold again. Since then he has built a £30M+ commercial property portfolio, owns the Baddow Park House wedding venue, co-hosts the Baddow Park Mastermind for £2M to £20M founders and hosts the Entrepreneur Conversations podcast. James joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to share his rules for scaling a business fast: the rule most founders never follow, what to fix before you try to grow, and why speed without systems can kill a good company. If you are a founder, business owner or entrepreneur trying to scale in the UK, this is the playbook from someone who has built, sold and rebuilt more than once. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet James Martin, Serial Entrepreneur with 48 Years of Battle Scars 00:01:10 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why You Need to Know Your Numbers Daily 00:01:20 The Borrowing Money Masterclass: Cost, Source, and Purpose 00:01:30 Day One of Your Business: The Market Study You Can't Skip 00:01:47 What Got You Here Won't Get You There: The Best Business Advice 00:01:57 Ignore the Professionals: Why Accountants and Lawyers Give Overrated Advice 00:02:14 Trust Your Gut: The Most Underrated Business Skill 00:02:20 The Laser Beam Vision: What Separates Winners from Everyone Else 00:02:44 The Assassin Customer Strategy: How to Win Your First Sale 00:02:59 Closing Thoughts: Deep Scars, Mini Trips, and Giving Back #BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #JamesMartinEntrepreneur #ScalingABusiness #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #PropertyInvesting #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester Connect with James Martin: * Website: https://www.jamesmartinentrepreneur.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-martin-entrepreneur/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesmartinentrepreneur * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@James_Martin_Entrepreneur Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 23 · 54 min

    AI Expert Explains: 97.2% of People Are Using AI WRONG

    You're using AI wrong. Most people treat ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude like a glorified Google search. Amelia Miller calls that level one of ten, and it uses maybe 5 to 10% of what the tools can actually do. In this episode she shows you the other nine levels. Amelia is the co-founder and CEO of Ivee, the AI training company she runs with her sister Lydia. She is a published researcher and current fellow at the University of Cambridge, where she studies which skills survive tech revolutions and which ones die. She spent time in FX sales and trading at Goldman Sachs and sits on the UK government's Women in Tech taskforce. She was also recently named in the Forbes 30 Under 30. And she once had two hours' notice to get on a train and pitch on Dragons' Den, with £0 revenue and a product that didn't exist yet. Amelia joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson to explain why there are really only three foundation models and everything else is a wrapper. She also shows how an inbound enquiry landed at 3am and had a meeting booked in her diary before she woke up. She runs a proper prompting masterclass. That includes the persona prompt that changes everything, negative constraints, few-shot examples, and why a bad prompt always equals AI slop. She reveals the automated email that goes out four and a half minutes after a form fill, written to look like she typed it on her phone while travelling. She then walks through the levels above chatbots: AI browsers, automations with an AI layer, and agentic AI. Give an agent your card with no guardrails and it might book you a first class flight to Rome. Along the way: why big companies are using AI to freeze hiring while startups use it to survive, and the three-person dog brand whose founder was losing two hours a day to his inbox. You'll also hear why AI fluency is the number one skill of 2026 and why 70% of today's skills will be obsolete by 2030. Then there's the chaotic 36 hours before Dragons' Den: a fake demo, a dash to Zara and a YouTube compilation of the worst roasts. She explains why they picked Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden from four offers, and why 70% of Den deals never go through. She covers the Amazon CV algorithm that binned anyone with "women's" on their CV, and why every company is now an AI company or it will die. And finally, the question she leaves for Barry, 52, from Swansea. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Amelia Miller, Forbes 30 Under 30 AI Expert 00:04:04 The AI Slop Problem: Why 97.2% of People Are Using AI Wrong 00:05:27 The 3am Email That Changed Everything: AI Working While You Sleep 00:06:50 ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini: Which AI Tool Should You Actually Use 00:15:20 The Prompt Engineering Masterclass: How to Stop Sounding Like a Robot 00:18:24 The Job Market Reality Check: Why 70% of Your Skills Will Be Obsolete by 2030 00:27:01 Beyond the Chatbot: AI Browsers, Automations, and Agentic Workflows 00:40:33 The Dragon's Den 36-Hour Scramble: Building a Fake Platform on a Train 00:47:11 The Amazon Hiring Algorithm Disaster: When AI Bias Gets Dangerous 00:51:17 The Closing Question: What Would You Do If AI Took Care of All the Manual Work #AmeliaMiller #Ivee #DragonsDen #AITraining #PromptEngineering #AIForBusiness #ChatGPT #Claude #Gemini #AgenticAI #FutureOfWork #AISkills #UKBusiness #BusinessPodcast #StartupUK #FounderMindset #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Amelia Miller: Website: https://ivee.jobs LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amelia--miller Instagram: @buildwithamelia Ivee on Instagram: @ivee.jobs Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Nooks: the AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 20 · 7 min

    The Most Ridiculous Business Interview You'll Ever Listen To - James Martin

    We asked James Martin every weird and wonderful question we could think of. He answered all of them. James Martin started cutting grass as a boy, moved into tree surgery, and has been building, buying and selling companies ever since. Today he owns Baddow Park House in Essex, runs a group of businesses and a property portfolio, hosts the Entrepreneur Conversations podcast, and mentors owners through the Baddow Park Mastermind. He is also severely dyslexic. He does not read. He has turned down free lessons more than once. He built a team around the gap instead of spending thirty years trying to close it. We caught him at Ideas Fest and decided not to do the normal interview. No origin story questions. No "so what's next for you". Instead we threw the brutal, the strange and the flat out ridiculous at him and waited for something to break. Nothing broke. That is the problem with James. You go in looking for a wobble and come out with a business plan. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet James Martin, Problem Solver for Entrepreneurs 00:00:25 Snog Marry Avoid: The Royal Family Edition 00:01:17 The Pigeon Poo Property Disaster: When Garden Centres Go Wrong 00:01:35 The 17 Grand HR Nightmare: Firing Someone for Smoking Weed 00:02:20 Robust and Forthright Software: The James Martin Operating System 00:02:37 Da Vinci and Evita's Wedding: The Ultimate Power Couple 00:03:01 Dry Hire Terminology: When Business Jargon Sounds Completely Wrong 00:03:20 Kung Fu Fighting and Row Dancing: The 90s Networking Event 00:04:16 All the Isms: ADHD, Dyslexia, and Throwing Labels in the Bin 00:05:21 The Drowning Question: Why Jack Gets Saved and Zach Doesn't 00:05:42 Michael Bolton at My Funeral: How Am I Supposed to Live Without You 00:06:32 Sexual Innuendo and Paul King: How Do They Get Away With This What should we have asked him? Stick it in the comments. Best question gets sent to James and we will make him answer it. #JamesMartinEntrepreneur #IdeasFest #BaddowPark #EntrepreneurConversations #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #SmallBusinessUK #FounderMindset #BusinessOwner #Leadership #DyslexicEntrepreneur #EssexBusiness #BusinessMentor #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with James Martin: Website: https://www.jamesmartinentrepreneur.com Baddow Park Mastermind: https://www.baddowpark.com Podcast: Entrepreneur Conversations LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-martin-entrepreneur Instagram: @jamesmartinentrepreneur Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Nooks: the AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 16 · 44 min

    Van Man To Multi Millionaire - How To Scale Your Business To 7 Figures

    James Martin started cutting grass as a boy, moved into tree surgery, and has built, bought and sold companies ever since. Today he owns Baddow Park House in Essex, runs a group of businesses and a property portfolio, hosts the Entrepreneur Conversations podcast, and mentors business owners through the Baddow Park Mastermind. He is also severely dyslexic. He does not read, he has turned down free lessons more than once, and he built a team around the gap instead of spending thirty years trying to close it. James Martin joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Baddow Park to give the least polished answers anyone has given on this show. He explains why he has zero tolerance for what he calls an atmosphere vampire, why he refuses to hand out warning letters, and why he would rather double someone's severance, end it the same day and invite them to sue him than let one bad hire flatten the team around them. He breaks down the gardener he took from £650,000 turnover and an 11% margin to multi-million turnover and a 32% margin in eighteen months, and what actually changed to do it. He gets into the client with twenty five products who was quietly losing money on most of them, why cutting to six raised the margin and dropped the promotion spend, and why he is never the cheapest and says so out loud instead of discounting. He explains how a mistake that cost one of his companies half a million pounds got logged as a free lesson and closed down in one meeting, because your team copies how you frame the bad news rather than the news itself. Along the way: why he told two best friends who run a business together that he would never go into business with a friend or a family member, the Felix Dennis book he keeps coming back to, the jobs he thinks AI is never touching because nobody is crawling under there to mend the leak, what he actually spends in a year and why it is nothing like people assume, the three holidays and the Range Rover he mistook for success, why he has no intention of ever retiring, and the fact that he cannot get through his own gates because he does not know the codes. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet James Martin, Multi-Million Pound Entrepreneur 00:05:53 The Dyslexia Superpower: Turning a Disability Into a Business Advantage 00:09:48 The Van Man Origin Story: From Trees to Multi-Million Pound Empire 00:12:15 The Entrepreneur Apprenticeship: Why Working for Free Beats Business School 00:13:32 AI-Proof Industries: Where to Build Your Business in the Next Decade 00:18:38 Social Skills Over Degrees: The Real Talent Hiring Strategy 00:24:38 The Price Point Philosophy: Why Being the Most Expensive Wins 00:27:19 The Devil Is in the Detail: Why Small Stuff Equals Big Success 00:29:33 No Friends, No Family: The Partnership Warning Every Founder Needs 00:39:54 Commercial Property Over Houses: The Real Estate Strategy That Builds Wealth 00:42:46 The Madness Weirdo Journey: Are You Really Ready to Be an Entrepreneur? #JamesMartinEntrepreneur #BaddowPark #EntrepreneurConversations #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #SmallBusinessUK #HiringAndFiring #HowToFireSomeone #BusinessGrowth #ProfitMargin #FounderMindset #BusinessOwner #Leadership #DyslexicEntrepreneur #EssexBusiness #BusinessMentor #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with James Martin: Website: https://www.jamesmartinentrepreneur.com Baddow Park Mastermind: https://www.baddowpark.com Podcast: Entrepreneur Conversations LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-martin-entrepreneur Instagram: @jamesmartinentrepreneur Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Nooks: the AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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  • September 13 · 49 min

    The 8 Psychology Hacks Behind Apple, Amazon And Dyson

    Michael Aaron Flicker started his first company, ZenoSci, at 14 years old, and 28 years later he's built nine operating companies around a single idea: understanding why people actually believe and behave the way they do gives you an unfair advantage in any market. He's the author of Hacking the Human Mind and founder of the Consumer Behavior Lab, where he helps brands use behavioural science instead of guesswork. Michael Aaron Flicker joins host Jack Frimston to break down why humans make decisions with the laziest possible amount of brainpower, and what that means for anyone trying to sell, price or name something. He explains why you instinctively order the second cheapest bottle of wine on a menu, why Red Bull deliberately shrank its can and charged more for it, and why Nespresso built its entire pricing strategy around comparing itself to a Starbucks latte instead of a cup of ground coffee. He gets into the psychology of loss aversion and why fear of missing out beats the promise of gaining something, why rhyming slogans are proven to be more believable, and the real science behind why "Chilean sea bass" outsold "Patagonian toothfish" thirty to one. He also explains the illusion of effort, the reason James Dyson opens his own autobiography by mentioning 5,127 failed prototypes, and why that same trick works for a ramen shop or a plumber with zero marketing budget. Along the way: the study that proves even doctors prescribe whatever drug sits highest in a dropdown menu, the "regret lottery" that got office workers cycling to work, why Five Guys deliberately refuses to sell chicken or salad, and the one-word swap in a police study that changed how fast people remembered a car crash happening. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Michael Aaron Flicker, Behavioral Science Expert 00:01:35 The Irrationality Problem: Why Humans Aren't as Rational as They Think 00:07:16 The Red Bull Pricing Hack: Breaking Comparison Points to Win 00:12:05 The Apple Watch Anchor: How Premium Options Make Everything Seem Reasonable 00:14:10 Pain vs Pleasure: The Psychology of Loss Aversion in Sales 00:18:14 The Pringles Rhyme Effect: Why Simple Phrases Build More Trust 00:20:47 The Illusion of Effort: How James Dyson Built Trust with 5,127 Prototypes 00:25:36 The Chilean Sea Bass Story: How the Right Name Changes Everything 00:29:53 The Five Guys Focus Strategy: Why Doing One Thing Beats Doing Everything 00:34:02 The Ethics Question: Are These Tactics Manipulation or Marketing 00:41:55 The Amazon Prime Trap: How Past Behavior Defines Future Choices 00:45:42 The AI and Effort Connection: How to Use AI Without Losing Credibility 00:47:46 The Test and Learn Philosophy: The One Question Every Business Owner Should Ask #MichaelAaronFlicker #HackingTheHumanMind #BehavioralScience #ConsumerPsychology #MarketingPsychology #SalesPsychology #PricingStrategy #Branding #Neuromarketing #CognitiveBias #LossAversion #B2BSales #ConsumerBehaviorLab #WeHaveAMeeting Connect with Michael Aaron: Book: https://www.hackingthehumanmind.com Consumer Behavior Lab: https://www.consumerbehaviorlab.com Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b Brought to you by Nooks: the AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

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Showing 1–20 of 48 episodes