Screw It Just DO It with Alex Chisnall 50 Years in Music, Global E-Commerce & Building a £60M+ Retail Empire
What does more than 50 years in business teach you about knowing when to grow, when to pivot and when to walk away?
In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, I sit down with Brad Aspess MBE, founder of Rarewaves, whose career has taken him from the music industry to high-street retail and ultimately global e-commerce.
Brad started at Decca Records in 1973, just after they'd lost the Rolling Stones, and went on to build and scale retail businesses generating more than £60 million annually, before ultimately building Rarewaves into a global e-commerce business selling millions of products around the world.
We talk about what five decades in business have taught him about spotting opportunities, following the cash flow, scaling without relying heavily on debt, empowering people rather than micromanaging them, and adapting before the market forces you to.
One of Brad's central philosophies is simple:
Play to win. Don't play not to lose.
In this episode:
• 50+ years of lessons from music, retail and e-commerce
• Starting at Decca Records in 1973
• Building and scaling major retail businesses
• Why an opportunity only matters if you can expand and grow it
• Why Brad believes you don't need heavy debt to build a business
• Following the cash flow
• Knowing when to shut something down and move on
• Empowering people rather than micromanaging them
• Sticking to what you're great at and outsourcing the rest
• Adapting and pivoting before disruption catches you
• Building Rarewaves into a global e-commerce business
🎧 This episode is powered by WorldFirst, helping ambitious businesses make international payments, pay overseas suppliers and collect payments from around the world.
Brad and Rarewaves are themselves a WorldFirst client, making this a particularly relevant conversation about building and operating an international business.
🌍 Doing business internationally? Create your free WorldFirst account at: https://www.worldfirst.com/
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