Screw It Just DO It with Alex Chisnall

Camilla Ainsworth was the youngest finalist in the history of the BBC Apprentice series. I met up with  her in London at the hotel she was staying in, after a reunion the night before with all of her fellow 2018 contestants. A former law student, Camilla was just 22 when she appeared on 2018's The Apprentice, narrowly missing out in the final. Whilst Lord Sugar didn't choose her, the CEO of Holland & Barrett was suitably impressed with her vegan Nut milk brand Mylkplus, and she went ahead to launch the dairy alternative into 645 of their stores where in continues to sell out. Alongside being stocked in several retail outlets, M+LKPLUS was the first dairy free product to be made available to patients, visitors and staff at NHS hospitals throughout the UK. Camilla was recently listed in the 'Top 10 women to watch list’ of 2019 in the drinks industry and has huge plans for the business this year including new products and more retail listings. Camilla is a huge advocate for women in business and has conducted workshops to facilitate start ups. She'll therefore be a great addition to the line-up for our annual get-together Entrepreneur Summit 2019 being held in Bournemouth on October 17th. Camilla and I chat about: Utilising opportunities Her One Thing How she's leveraged social media, especially Instagram Imposter syndrome Being a hedgehog, and not a fox...

Welcome to this week's solo episode, #164. It was ten years this week that I left full-time employment at Virgin Atlantic Airways and decided to enter the world of entrepreneurship.  9/9/09 I like the symmetry. Since then I have started four different businesses. I've had my share of both success and failures. I've learnt that there is no 'secret formula', no 'secret sauce' to running a successful business. There is also no such thing as an 'overnight success'. This has been borne out throughout the two and a half years I've been hosting this podcast, backed up by countless entrepreneurs that I've interviewed. If you think you don't know what you're doing, then join the club. Everyone's winging it when they start. Tony Robbins defines F.E.A.R as "F**k Everything And Run". So many people quit when they're within touching distance of success. But most people quit way before then. When it comes to podcasting, most people quit after 6, 8 or 10 episodes when they haven't reached #1 yet. Likewise I always used to see new business owners write a weekly blog for 2 or 3 months and then quit. That's why I got ranked #1 for all the keywords I needed to be ranked for in my first business. because I kept going. I'm super-proud of this podcast reaching #164 episodes. Last week, we were even the #2 entrepreneurship podcast in Algeria behind Gary Vaynerchuk! How random is that! I know I've said this before, but there really has never been a better time to start a business. The speed of communication, the speed with which you can get things done because of the internet, mobile phones has never been quicker. But you've got to start. And it doesn't matter with what. Just do something. Take the next step. There's not a right or wrong. Just do one thing to move yourself and your business forward. And do the same the next day. And the next. Then you'll build momentum. You've just got to keep going. Don't quit when the going gets tough - and it will - just keep going. Over time, your network will grow, your resources will grow, your knowledge will grow. Which you can then leverage to make your business a success, and reach your goals, fulfil your dreams. It's only now, after ten years, that I feel like an unstoppable force. That I'm doing the right thing at the right time, and for the right reasons. I love podcasting, and I now love making podcasts for other people - helping them tell their stories through the power of a podcast. Next week see's the release of the first of many new podcast releases from me and my team, and I for one can't wait. So don't be discouraged when you haven't reached your goals yet. If it was easy - everybody would be an entrepreneur. You've got to be in it for the long haul. You've got to be patient, determined and able to persevere. Let's StartUp!

On episode #163 I welcome the founders from two of Britain's brightest food and beverage challenger brands: Dan Broughton, co-founder of Dalston's Soda Co & Emily Fitch-Deeley, co-founder of Fitch Brew Co They are both part of a burgeoning scene. 10 years or so ago quality products weren’t as accessible. But since then there’s been a street food revolution, the evolution of gin, and the craft beer movement. Both believe in making something with higher-quality, natural ingredients, and therefore less of the sugar or artificial sweeteners relied upon to flavour mainstream products. The “Innocent and Fever-Tree effect”, has more recently led to a boom in investment in small, creative drinks companies and people have cottoned on to the fact that there is money to be made in small food and drink businesses if it’s done correctly. Regular listeners to this show will have heard me champion the likes of Ugly Drinks, Pip & Nut, Jimmy's Iced Coffee, Rejuvenation Water, and more recently, Nix & Kix and Double Dutch Drinks. Dan has nearly 20 years in the industry behind him, working for the likes of Cadbury's and Green & Black's whilst Emily has worked for Pernod and Brewdog. I got together with Dan and Emily to chat about: The shift in perception of the benefits of alcoholic v non-alcoholic drinks Sustainability Transparency The health-driven benefits of non-alcoholic drinks Where Gen Z & Millenials meet - and their choice of drinks Roller Hockey - and dislocated shoulders A massive thanks to all who entered our August contest to win a day out with myself and the team at Entrepreneur Summit 2019 in Bournemouth. You can still rate and review the show at anytime - something which I'm always eternally grateful for, and which always gets a shout-out from me. Entrepreneur Summit 2019 is the centrepiece of the year for everything Screw It, Just Do It, a chance for the online community to get together physically. To see and hear some of our interviewee's in the flesh, to ask their own questions - instead of just mine - and share a once-a-year experience together. I've outdone myself with the line-up, you can see it in full here. Back to today's show. I really enjoyed chatting with Dan and Emily about the challenges they face as challenger brands in the FMCG category and believe you will do so too. Let's StartUp!  

On today's solo episode I wanted to chat to you about THE MOST ASKED QUESTION THAT I GET: 'How Do I Make Money From Podcasting'? The most popular misconception is that you can only make money from podcasts through sponsorship.  I'm here to tell you that's exactly what it is - a misconception. Unless you've already got a significant social following, or email list t market your podcast too, you'll need at least 1,000 downloads per episode to have a conversation with potential sponsors. But all is not lost.  In episode #144 I listed at least ten different ways that you can monetise your podcast.  On today's show I'm going to tell you the number one way that you can make money from podcasts if you're a brand, a business, an SME, which sells products or services to their clients. Let's StartUp! If you would like to have a chat about whether a podcast is right for your business, and how you can best make money from it, email alex@screwitjustdoit.org  

" I never focused on branding. I never focused on what I was going to do in 6 months 10 months, twelve months or two years. I never cared about that. I cared about what is it going to take from to talk to someone who's got money. Because two things are going to happen when I do: One, I'm going to find out how you've got money and I haven't. Two, you're going to be so enamoured with me because I'm a smooth Irish chappie, you're going to give me a job. Funnily enough, number two never happened, but I ended up with a load of number one's. I ended up speaking to a ton of very affluent people, and giving them a reason for wanting to be kept in that circle. This was things like, 'Hey I know where you can get your car cleaned, I know where a really good nightclub is or, I'm working on the door of this private party, I can get you into that'. For whatever reason it was, I found a reason. I learnt very early on , If I can care about you winning in the relationship, you want me to stay.  But I'm the kind of guy who you actually see in a dark alley, you kind of run away." Steve's day job is to make the impossible, possible. A former brick-layer from London, Steve cut a path from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, getting hired or sometimes fired, and using every drop of his raw personality as an asset. Today he’s the not-so-best-kept secret behind the jaw-dropping cocktail stories told by his uber-rich clients. “Luxury concierge service” may be how Bluefishing is often defined, but in reality, it’s more than that. It’s mining his clients’ minds and hearts until they uncover their truest passion, which Steve then converts into a once-in-a-lifetime experience they will never forget. Steve Sims is like Willy-Wonka for adults. Steve crafts moments that unfold into even bigger moments – experiences his clients most often never even imagined for themselves. Getting married by the Pope in the Vatican, being serenaded by Elton John, and getting connected to the likes of Elon Musk are just some of the things he's worked on. One of his clients told Steve it was his dream to meet the band Journey. “That sounded kind of boring,” says Steve. He dug deeper. His client had been performing Journey cover songs for years. The dream he didn’t even dare to dream, Steve realised, was more than meeting the band. With some creativity and due diligence, Steve’s client found himself on stage with his dream band, performing four songs as the lead singer. “I got him everything he never imagined,” beams Steve. He rarely reveals the feats how he makes his clients so happy, but now in his book Bluefish: The Art of Making Things Happen Steve shares his practical tips, techniques and strategies to help break down any obstacle and turn your dream into reality. Definitely my kind of entrepreneur who lives by the Screw It, Just Do It mantra. I was intrigued - and had to have him on the show. Let's StartUp!

Welcome to episode #160 of Screw It, Just Do It. In today's solo episode I give you my 11 networking tips for entrepreneurs who HATE networking! I also chat to Adriano Travaglia from the European Startup Festival which takes place in Malmo, Sweden between September 20-21st. This is an annual event which takes place in a different European city each year and one which is close to my heart - as I'll be speaking at it. September is upon us and we've still got one third of 2019 to go. A lot can still be accomplished in this time. But if you're looking to make the most of this time then you need to put yourself out of your comfort zone. September is a great time to review when you are and go again, hopefully refreshed after a summer break. Half the country seemed to be away this summer, so I for one am really looking forward to September. The greatest benefits come when you put yourself out of your comfort zone, so make sure to get out from behind your laptop and invest in yourself with what we have left this year. Attending a live event is a great place to get a dose of inspiration and a massive helping of education. It's also a great place to build your network and meet like-minded people. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely occupation. A lot of us aren't natural networkers, myself included, but I've yet to go to an event and not met someone who has helped move me and my business forward. I therefore put together my 11 top networking tips for entrepreneurs who hate networking. If you've got anymore drop me a message via LinkedIn 

On today's show I welcome Julia Kessler and Kerstin Robinson, founders of Nix & Kix, a health-focused soft drinks brand with the added kick of cayenne pepper. I met up with them on the hottest day of the year at their London HQ, and they managed to rehydrate me with some of their delicious drinks. Serendipity brought the two of them together when they were both at the airport moving from Germany to the UK as you'll hear during our chat. They're now at the forefront of exciting brands reshaping the soft drinks market, ditching the sugar-fuelled excesses of the last few decades with a very definitive USP, through adding cayenne to their drinks. To my delicate palette is is subtle, yet distinctive, and sets them apart from others in their category as cayenne helps to boost metabolism and been proven to increase endorphin levels, giving that feel good pick-me-up. It certainly worked for me as I was most definitely flagging in the London heat! They've come a long way from a small shop in Shoreditch in 2014 to 4,000+ outlets throughout the UK and Europe, including all the big supermarkets as well as restaurant chains such as Wagamama's and Giraffe. This is a brand with a difference. A FINAL reminder that our August contest ends this week - you can win an all-day ticket to October 17th's Entrepreneur Summit 2019 in Bournemouth, Uk. You'll get to hang out with me and the team that bring you this show, plus meet our all-star line-up of speakers, and join us at the after-parties. Maybe we'll even shoot some content for the show! Just leave a review, screenshot it, and email alex@screwitjustdoit,org before the end of August, when I'll pick a couple of winners. If you'd like to make sure of attending, just click the link to the event above to purchase a ticket, using the promo code SIJDI to get 10%. Let's StartUp!

"Storytelling is the most underrated skill in business" So says Gary Vaynerchuk in his 2009 book, 'Crush It'. Still as relevant in 2019 as it was a decade ago. People like hearing stories. They also like sharing stories that they resonate with. So how are you telling your story? How are you documenting what you do, and educating your audience about your product/service? What medium are you using: the written word, video or audio? There's a form of communication out there for everyone. Whether you want to write a blog, record a vlog or host a podcast. The key as always is simply to start with one. To try. Then practice, get better at it. Then there are multiple ways to share your story: video with Facebook and Instagram Live, or a Youtube channel. Audio with Podcasts on Apple, Spotify, etc..or written content in long form like a blog or Linkedin, or shorter form like Twitter, etc.. Since I launched my podcast agency a few weeks ago, people from all sorts of industries are asking me if they should have a podcast. Accountants, car dealers, to name but a few. A common cry is that they don't think people will find what they do 'interesting'.  How do you know if you don't try? Plus, there are so many different ways you can make it interesting. What's your story? What are you so good at what you do? What makes you unique? What interesting businesses do you see, or characters that are your clients? Could you offer your advice, or your opinion on different trends in your industry? Or simply document your journey, the challenges that you encounter along the way. No one just wants to hear about the successes. Choose your medium. Communicate with passion. Then you'll be telling a great story. And people will listen. And share it In time, you'll have a whole archive where people can see how your business evolved over the years, and how it grew with you. Just be real. Nobody likes being sold too. But people like to buy from people they like, trust and respect. And the best story teller always wins in the end. Now go tell yours. People want to hear it.   But they don't like being sold too. 

"I ran into several angel investors. They came up with this idea, and said 'You are the guy with the brains from the space side, do you want to quit your job and start an entrepreneurial venture and see how we can make money in the space industry?' That was basically the pitch.  On which I quit my job." Welcome to episode #157 with Coen Janssen, Co-Founder of Hiber, whose miniature satellites are helping to get the world online and help connectivity.  Having launched its first nano satellites into orbit in late 2018, Hiber will be providing connectivity to the 90% of the world lacking a network, and at a significantly cheaper price than existing alternatives. I recently caught up with Coen, who's based in Amsterdam, via a Skype call to discuss how Hiber's technology can bring changes to a wide array of different industries. A reminder that we're running a contest throughout August where you can win an all-day ticket to October 17th's Entrepreneur Summit 2019 in Bournemouth, Uk. You'll get to hang out with me and the team that bring you this show, plus meet our all-star line-up of speakers, and join us at the after-parties. Maybe we'll even shoot some content for the show! Just leave a review, screenshot it, and email alex@screwitjustdoit,org before the end of August, when I'll pick a couple of winners. If you'd like to make sure of attending, just click the link to the event above to purchase a ticket, using the promo code SIJDI to get 10%. Coen Jansen says the value of IOT, or internet of things, is estimated at roughly $4 Billion, although the total monetary impact is expected to be in the Trillions of $. Hiber have already had a host of companies from agriculture, logistics, transportation and environmental sectors all sign up to their network.  I personally find this really fascinating, and I hope you do too. Let's StartUp!