Secret Leaders

Lord Karan Bilimoria, Co-Founder of Cobra beer and member of the House of Lords, shares his journey of building resilience after nearly losing his business three times. The podcast discusses starting a business, finding a gap in the market, importing products from India, consistency in entrepreneurship, finding the right mentor, and the importance of product market fit. It also explores the stories of successful startups, personal branding, striving for growth and continuous learning, and the significance of diversity in companies.

Sometimes in business you pass the point of no return and you don't even know it. Someone who knows all too well is Rico Mandel, the Founder of Miz En Place, a successful foodie marketplace... but Rico only got into food after his marketing agency business went bust. This is how Rico failed, what he learnt from it - and a simple hack to make you feel better about your life, however bad things seem.--To get a better handle on your security, check out https://npsa.gov.uk/innovation and download their free Quick Start Guide.

Sir Robin Millar is arguably the UK's leading record producer, having worked with the likes of Sade, Randy Crawford, Eric Clapton, Sting, The Grateful Dead and many others.He produced the Atlanta Olympic Games opening ceremony in 1996, has had over 160 gold & platinum discs - including 44 No. 1 hits. He's got a great CV.He's also a blind man and in today's episode we learn what that's really like, how to make great music - and how to build a successful music business. Sir Robin is full of business principles, whatever industry you're in - with some real insights to when you should exit even if it's not the best price you'll ever get.--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.

Emma Parker, Founder of Playful Promises, discusses the challenges of running a lingerie business, including financial difficulties and mistakes made. She shares how her business went into administration but managed to keep the intellectual property of the brand. She also talks about building a brand, becoming ASOS's private label supplier, and the importance of work-life balance.

Shane Parrish, Founder of Fanham Street, shares key principles of clear thinking and great decision-making. Topics include journaling for clarity, reliable internet solutions, the power of small moments, HR management with Personio, lessons from Brexit and lockdown, and the role of luck and positioning in success.

Alex Chisnall, Founder of a Podpreneur and host of the Screw It Just Do it podcast, shares his major failure in entrepreneurship, including debt collectors knocking on his door. He discusses the consequences, regrets, and valuable business lessons learned. He also opens up about past financial struggles, the importance of honesty and seeking support, and highlights the importance of learning from failures and growing sustainably in business.

Amy Edmondson, an influential management thinker, discusses her new book on failure and psychological safety. Topics include aversion to failure, evolving management styles, and embracing failure for personal growth. The podcast also explores the importance of security frameworks, HR management for startups, and strategies for parents to guide their children in approaching failure.

Games Workshop founder Sir Ian Livingstone, an industry veteran, angel investor, and fantasy author, discusses the origins of Games Workshop, the power of play and its positive effects, the speaker's entrepreneurial journey and selling the company, favorite video games and board games, security certifications and HR tools for startups, and the influence of video games on popular culture.

Simon Beckerman, founder of Depop, discusses the creation of the popular mobile social marketplace for vintage clothing. He shares challenges of separating from a family business, raising money for the startup, and designing the app. After selling Depop, Simon now tackles the food industry with DELLI, an app for buying and selling locally sourced food. The podcast also touches on building a startup, transitioning to an employee, achieving security frameworks, work-life balance, and prioritizing parenthood.

Meet Jordan Schwarzenburger, the Chief Creative Officer at YMU Group and manager of The Sidemen. He discusses the success of The Sidemen, their commercial ventures, and the importance of talent management. Topics include building a strong management team, making yourself dispensable, and the importance of humility in leadership.