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Hello, and welcome back to the latest episode of the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast. I’m your host, Alan Smith. In this episode, I speak with someone I’ve known for many years, and as you’re about to discover, he’s a force of nature!

His name is Jason Butler, and although I’ve known him for a long time, I had no idea just how challenging his upbringing was.

People talk about a tough childhood and not having the same chances as other people from more privileged backgrounds, and Jason grew up in a house in south London with an outside toilet and a tin bath—almost Dickensian, as he says himself.

He had a challenging childhood, living hand to mouth, trying to hide from debt collectors and avoid being beaten up at the tough school he went to.

Yet he went on to build a leading financial services business, which he sold, bought back, and sold again.

• During the conversation, you’ll learn how his early years taught him to be resilient when your back’s against the wall—metaphorically and literally—and this proved useful in his later years in business.
• He shares the importance of creating a culture of continuous improvement and thinking about everything through the lens of your customers’ experiences.
• He also explains the value of having a deep sense of purpose after a business sale, the importance of giving back when one no longer has financial worries, and how he took 18 months off after he sold his business to think and design the exact sort of life he wanted to live in the future.

He also shares an incredible David and Goliath story about the time he took on the taxman over something he felt was unfair and won.

These are a fraction of the valuable insights that Jason shares. It’s a long episode because there was no way I was going to cut him short as he shared these nuggets of wisdom!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Jason Butler

Links:

https://www.jason-butler.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfbutler/

Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine: Amazon.co.uk: Brown, Derren: 9780593076194: Books

The Antidote: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks eBook : Burkeman, Oliver

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My guest, Elizabeth Hopkins, candidly shares her inspiring journey through the ups and downs of life as a founder entrepreneur who has experienced everything that life has to offer, including scaling a business to a multi-million-pound exit, but then having to deal with the worst kind of tragedy immediately after.

As Liz mentions, she’s recently become a client of our financial planning business, and in the time I’ve known her, I’ve been blown away by her positivity, resilience, and sense of fun.

She encapsulates what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and frankly, that's why I started this podcast—to enjoy inspiring conversations with business owners and then share them with the world!

• You’ll learn about the vital importance of focussing on a niche market, which you can dominate when others fight it out as generalists.
• Liz shares something really interesting that no one has ever talked about in the past—her decision to run a lifestyle business for many years and enjoy lots of time with her family as they were growing up and then very intentionally pivot to a growth business and target a multi-million-pound exit. She believed you could have the best of both worlds - and did!
• She then candidly explains the tragic circumstances when, a week after the business was sold, her husband and business partner had a brain tumour and died. Her story of survival and resilience is nothing short of remarkable and a true inspiration to all of us.

This is an incredible conversation and I hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Elizabeth Hopkins.

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethspencerphillips/

https://www.juliasamuel.co.uk/

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/grief-works-self-care-love/id1558867513

This podcast is produced by GR Media
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Our guest, John Rood, hails from Chicago, USA. John and his wife built an education business which they later sold to a private equity firm for a life-changing sum of money.

And to some degree, that’s where his problems started...

‘Life after exit’ was far from plain sailing for John, despite the fact that he was now financially secure. He went through a number of changes and realised that he was not prepared for the life transition and new set of challenges he faced as a wealthy ex-business owner.

He recognised that there was no blueprint or How-To guide for business owners who sold up and needed to navigate the next chapters of their lives - and so he wrote one!

John’s book Beyond the Exit charts his own journey but also provides valuable insights from his conversations with over 70 other exited entrepreneurs who’ve been on similar journeys and which we discuss during the conversation.

We also discuss:

• The 3 Things You Must Do Before You Sell Your Business and how to prepare yourself for life after exit - and what he’d do differently if he were ever to sell a business again..
• The 5 most popular activities for entrepreneurs after they sell - and why you should avoid most of them!
• We explore the concept of how much money is enough, a truly fascinating subject that has more to do with psychology than maths.

And John shares a great story about how he lost out to Sam Altman, the founder of Open AI when he was planning to invest some of his new-found wealth in a tech startup!

So much wisdom shared - and so now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr John Rood.

Links:

Beyond the Exit

What Happens When You Get What You Want?: Success and the Challenge of Choice

Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top: Amazon.co.uk

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

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My guest today, Marc Adams, is the author of a book by the same title and has spent nearly four decades deep in the trenches of business and entrepreneurship. His extensive experience, from a career in corporate life to setting up his own business, has given him a unique perspective on the ups and downs of life as an entrepreneur.

A cancer diagnosis in 2020, giving him six months to live, compelled him to write a book about everything he knows about business building, creating entrepreneurial value, and exiting in the most tax-effective way.

Happily, Marc overcame the diagnosis and is now in good health, providing advice and consultancy to founders keen to benefit from his knowledge and experience.

During our conversation, Marc unpacked some steps you can take to increase revenue, reduce costs, and multiply your company’s value.

• He explains how he helped a company reduce its costs by over £2 million and redeploy that capital to fuel future growth.
• He explains what so many businesses have got wrong about their website and digital presence and how they can improve it and drive sales.
• He also shares some smart ideas on getting financially organised ahead of a sale to minimise the tax burden on founders when they sell their company.
• And as someone who only a few years ago was staring death in the face after his terminal diagnosis, Marc's view of what true wealth means is well worth hearing.

He goes through so much more, and we could have gone on for another hour and still not covered everything!

Check out the show notes for links to some fabulous resources Marchas offered for free to listeners on this podcast, including a complementary diagnosis of your current business based on the advice in his book.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Marc Adams.

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/1marcadams/?originalSubdomain=uk

Secrets To 10Xing Your Business: And Cashing Out Tax-Free: Amazon.co.uk

The Secrets to 10xing your business and Cashing Out Tax-Free Scorecard?

Acquisitions4You

Russell Brunson Collection 2 Books Set (Expert Secrets, Dotcom Secrets): Amazon.co.uk

How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No (Acquisition.com $100M Series Book 1) eBook : Hormozi, Alex

This podcast is produced by GR Media
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This podcast is for entrepreneurs, reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale, and exit—inspired conversations with world-class entrepreneurs and the specialists who support them.

I came up with that strapline when I launched the pod a couple of years ago, as that’s exactly what I wanted to create—a resource that, if you’re a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, you can tap into and learn from those who were perhaps a few years ahead of you on the journey.

Then, you can apply the lessons learned and the wisdom shared.

In many ways, today’s guest, Josh Keegan, is the perfect guest for the pod.

A chartered accountant and successful entrepreneur, he has started, scaled, and exited several businesses and, in his current role, applies his experiences to help over 100 business owners.

I recently read his book Small Business Big Profit and I loved the way he used his experiences - good and bad to codify precisely how to create a successful business.

During our conversation, Josh shared how facing a financial black hole in his business that could have been terminal forced him to rethink how a business should operate, particularly regarding all-important financials.

He explains why he decided to sell his business just as he’d got it into great shape. It was working like a dream, and he needed to spend only 90 minutes a week working in it.

He breaks down his three-part framework and the specific actions you should take to achieve organisation, structure, and control.

He also shares valuable insight into the right approach to improving your pricing and creating greater profits and enterprise value.

And listen towards the end of our conversation when Josh explains the surprising method he uses to eliminate stress and anxiety—he recommends it to every entrepreneur and guarantees its effectiveness!

He also provides links to many free resources, including frameworks and templates, that you can download and use immediately in your business.

Before we hear from Josh, I'd like to ask you for a quick favour.

As you know, this podcast production is a labour of love. There are no annoying advertisements or walls, but it does take time and effort to create.

So, if you've benefited from listening to the conversations, I’d be grateful if you could head to the Apple Podcasts platform and leave a five-star review and perhaps a few positive words.

Also, remember to hit the subscribe button to receive the latest episode as soon as it's available.

But now, without further delay, a masterclass in building a financially fit business.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Josh Keegan.

Links

https://www.ultimatefd.co.uk/about

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-keegan/?originalSubdomain=uk

https://www.instagram.com/the_ultimate_fd?igsh=bmJkbWtxNWlrM2J0

https://www.property-entrepreneur.co.uk/daniel-hill/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Lecture-Achieving-Childhood-Lessons/dp/0340978503

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

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This podcast is for business owners and entrepreneurs - reverse engineering your way to success through inspiring conversations.

And the conversation you're about to hear is truly inspiring.

I'm conscious that many of the guests I've had on the podcast over the last couple of years have shared stories of incredible success.

But anyone who’s been in business for any length of time knows the significant challenges and difficulties of entrepreneurship.

And no one knows that better than today's guest, Phil Bray, founder of the Yardstick Marketing Agency, which is growing fast and going from strength to strength.

However, during his business journey, Phil faced overwhelming challenges, eventually losing everything—his business, his house, even his car!

At the same time, his relationship fell apart, and he had a 5-year-old son to care for.

This is a story of passion, resilience, and retaining a positive mindset despite overwhelming difficulties. I hope it encourages you if you’re ever going through a tough time.

During our conversation,

• Phil shared how his ambitious business plans came crashing down when the great financial crisis of 2008 hit - and the one thing he would never do again and recommends business owners avoid at all costs.
• He explains how he built personal resilience and managed to get through the toughest time of his life.
• Applying the lessons he learned,Phil provides a four-part ‘blueprint’ for business growth—priceless advice for all ambitious business owners.

And listen closely towards the end of our conversation when Phil shares his thoughtful definition of ‘True Wealth’ - I promise every business owner will relate to it!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Phil Bray

Links:

https://theyardstickagency.co.uk/about-us/phil

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-bray-yardstick?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It https://amzn.eu/d/3qJrwzx

The Happy Index: The Sunday Times bestseller packed with management tools and leadership advice for a happier, healthier workforce https://amzn.eu/d/0EzRkKO

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

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Joanna Jensen is the founder of Child's Farm, the hugely successful baby and child skincare company that was recently sold for £40m.

This is one of the most inspiring conversations I’ve had since we launched the podcast. Joanna is a fabulous storyteller, and her enthusiasm is infectious!

Hers is an amazing story of grit, resilience, and sheer determination to succeed against the odds.

Joanna battled cancer, surgery, and a divorce, all while building her business.

She funded it in the early days with credit cards, renting out rooms in her house, and even selling jewellery!

She started the business out of necessity. In fact, 99% of female consumer brand entrepreneurs created their company out of a personal need. They needed something in their own lives that didn't exist, so they started a business to fill the gap in the market—and that’s what Joanna Jensen did to help one of her children who had very sensitive skin.

• Joanna discusses the importance of sheer hard work, taking complete responsibility for one's decisions, and not blaming others.
• She explains why it’s important to build your ‘tribe’. She found that many other people had similar issues with their children’s skincare and leveraged the press and social media to create a movement of like-minded advocates.
• And as we’re now in the campaigning period for the general election, Joanna has some words of advice for all politicians about the vital importance of SMEs and entrepreneurship in the UK to ensure a vibrant economy—she doesn't mince her words!

There were so many gems of wisdom in this conversation and it should be shared with as many business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs as possible.

Business can be tough and this conversation could just be the inspiration they need.

I give you Joanna Jensen, one of the UK’s greatest female entrepreneurs.

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannajensenuk/

https://www.childsfarm.com/

https://buywomenbuilt.com/

https://femalefoundersrise.com/

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

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Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast, where we delve into the minds of experienced entrepreneurs and uncover their secrets to success.

I’m your host, Alan Smith, and I’m really excited to bring you my conversation with today’s guest, Alexis Sikorsky.

Alexis is an entrepreneur who built a software business from the ground up and eventually negotiated a sale to private equity for over $100m.

I’ve just read his new book, "Cashing Out: A Business Owner’s Guide to Selling to Private Equity".

It’s a great book, as he dives deep into the details of life as a founder—the downs as well as the ups. I encourage you to buy it immediately and read it cover to cover!

During our conversation, Alexis shares lots of great stories, such as

• How he agreed to a sale valuation based on a multiple of his very ambitious future forecasts at a time when his company was barely breaking even.
• He explains Why he thinks that raising capital should be avoided at all costs for most businesses — a very different view from the one held by the VC world,
• He also outlines the vital importance of being a ‘benevolent dictator’ when growing your business, as democracies simply don't work!

These are only a small sample of the wisdom he shares, forged at the coal face of real-life business building.

It's a master class for all business owners, and we’re privileged to learn from his experiences.

So now, let’s go over to the conversation with my brilliant guest. ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Alexis Sikorsky.

Links:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alexis-sikorsky-consulting

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cashing-Out-business-selling-private-ebook/dp/B0CZ148DCJ

This podcast is produced by GR Media
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management