Secret Leaders

Joel Gandara, a successful entrepreneur turned retiree, discusses his journey through major business failures, investing in real estate during the 2008 crash, financial hardships, and the power of living below your means.

Doctor Driando Ahnan-Winarno is the CTO at Better Nature Tempeh, but he’s not just any CTO - he is a Chief Tempeh Officer. Tempeh is a type of food that's really popular in Indonesia, where Dr Driando grew up, so he tried bringing it to the UK. He got early validation but had to give up on his original vision. Here's how it went wrong - and what he learnt from it.--To get a better handle on your security, check out https://npsa.gov.uk/innovation and download their free Quick Start Guide.

Jessica Rolph, Co-Founder and CEO of Lovevery, discusses how she built an $800m kids brand after selling her previous company for $300m. Topics include product market fit, building a successful business, and the challenges of being a second-time founder.

Neil Ambikar, Founder of B2Bpay and Narvi Payments, shares his near-loss of business due to unpaid payments, leading him to question the UK legal system. The podcast highlights the challenges of relying on a financial institution partner, frustration with unpaid payments and legal battles, and the importance of trust in business relationships.

Vlad Magdalin is the Founder of Webflow, a no-code platform which allows people who aren't software engineers to build complex websites. They were valued at $4b at the last count but amazingly he tried doing the business three times before getting it right. He wouldn't advise a friend to take the same risks he did - despite the enormous pay off. Here's why.--SponsorsVorboss - get better internet: https://vorboss.com/secretleaders.Vanta - get 20% off security certifications like ISO27001 and SOC2: https://vanta.com/secretleaders.Vertice - save on your SaaS or cloud spend ($5k off or a free benchmark) using the code secretleaders: https://www.vertice.one/l/secretleaders--NewsletterSign up here: https://secretleaders.email/.You can find our historic newsletters here: https://www.secretleaders.com/episodes.

Molly Johnson-Jones is the Founder of Flexa, a global directory of flexible companies. The idea was born out of the worst moment in Molly’s career, which left her doubting her worth and ability to be in a workplace.--To get a better handle on your security, check out https://npsa.gov.uk/innovation and download their free Quick Start Guide.

Anna Gudmundson is the Co-Founder of Sensate: a pebble like device you can put on your chest which tones (vibrates) the vagus nerve, which helps control your stress response. Anna is fascinated by stress and how we can handle it (75% of the world are anxious - go figure). She explains some some of the science and tactics to manage your stress response, and of course it's a subject Dan love being Mr Vagus Nerve.Sensate: https://www.getsensate.com/--SponsorsVorboss - get better internet: https://vorboss.com/secretleaders.Vanta - get 20% off security certifications like ISO27001 and SOC2: https://vanta.com/secretleaders.Vertice - save on your SaaS or cloud spend ($5k off or a free benchmark) using the code secretleaders: https://www.vertice.one/l/secretleaders--NewsletterSign up here: https://secretleaders.email/.You can find our historic newsletters here: https://www.secretleaders.com/episodes.

Retired entrepreneur Tay Sweat shares his experience of bouncing back from failure. He discusses losing his company, job, and having to move back in with his mom. Tay emphasizes the importance of overcoming setbacks, rebuilding confidence, and understanding the business cycle. He also shares his journey of starting with limited resources and eventually building a successful business.

Jonny White, Founder of Ticket Tailor, built a white labelled ticketing service. He discusses transitioning from services to software, the decision-making process behind selling the business, and the concept of 'growth on purpose'. The podcast also covers potential failures, reflections on bootstrapping, and advice for success.

Sameer Vaswani, Co-Founder of Prodigy Chocolate, discusses his failed restaurant venture in London despite rave reviews and celebrity diners. He reflects on the challenges of being a founder, the lessons learned from this failure, and the subsequent success of his food manufacturing business in West Africa.