Podcast · 25 episodes
The Naked Founder
by BusinessCloud · English
The Naked Founder Podcast
Latest episodes
Daniel Burton: ‘I helped my 9-year-old daughter launch her own tech business’Daniel Burton, CEO of Wonderwall Group, discusses building an “intelligent home” platform and how his daughter Ella (age 9) launched a tech business after he challenged her to build a £300 hairdryer…7 Sep 2026 · 24 min
From foster care to founder: Why Dez Derry never stopped dreamingDez Derry’s journey from childhood foster care and adoption to building and exiting Bloom, then finding purpose as a charity ambassador for adoption and fostering.31 Aug 2026 · 28 min
‘Mr Mobile’: How Craig Smith turned old phones into millionsCraig Smith (“UK’s Mr. Mobile”) explains how he built and scaled second-hand phone and data-erasing businesses by buying used phones, securely wiping data, grading devices, and reselling them for a…24 Aug 2026 · 41 min
All episodes
Daniel Burton: ‘I helped my 9-year-old daughter launch her own tech business’Daniel Burton, CEO of Wonderwall Group, discusses building an “intelligent home” platform and how his daughter Ella (age 9) launched a tech business after he challenged her to build a £300 hairdryer…7 Sep 2026 · 24 min · 14 chapters
From foster care to founder: Why Dez Derry never stopped dreamingDez Derry’s journey from childhood foster care and adoption to building and exiting Bloom, then finding purpose as a charity ambassador for adoption and fostering.31 Aug 2026 · 28 min · 15 chapters
‘Mr Mobile’: How Craig Smith turned old phones into millionsCraig Smith (“UK’s Mr. Mobile”) explains how he built and scaled second-hand phone and data-erasing businesses by buying used phones, securely wiping data, grading devices, and reselling them for a…24 Aug 2026 · 41 min · 18 chapters
Suzanne Waring: Is this Britain’s most straight-talking founder?Suzanne Waring, founder and managing director of Helping Hands Group, discusses building a long-lasting cleaning and home-care business through “straight-talking” rules around trust, honesty, and…17 Aug 2026 · 25 min · 15 chapters
Ruth Percival: ‘I became a first-time founder in my 50s – and never looked back’Ruth Percival, CEO of Contolo Group, discusses becoming a first-time founder at 51, building a buy-and-build consultancy, confidence, and gendered experiences in corporate finance.10 Aug 2026 · 39 min · 13 chapters
How A Bank Collapse Nearly Wiped Us OutAdam Ward, CEO/co-founder of Airtime Rewards (formerly Carrot), recounts how Silicon Valley Bank’s sudden collapse nearly wiped out the company’s cash, and what it taught him about treasury…3 Aug 2026 · 36 min · 20 chapters
Jennie Johnson: Why founders are afraid of the F-word (failure)Jennie Johnson discusses what founders aren’t told about starting businesses—especially how personal it becomes, the need for resilience, and why the “F-word” (failure) is unavoidable.27 Jul 2026 · 33 min · 15 chapters
Clare Roberts: Meet the Superscaler and unofficial 'mum' to 40,000 childrenClare Roberts, OBE, founder and CEO of Kids Planet Day Nurseries, discusses scaling a childcare business from two nurseries in 2008 (with her father John Hoban) to 300+ nurseries, serving 40,000…20 Jul 2026 · 39 min · 19 chapters
Sean Brown: People don't see the sacrifices founders makeSean Brown discusses founder sacrifices, the importance of building teams, pivoting business models, and how Vessori’s integration platform uses GenAI.13 Jul 2026 · 41 min · 19 chapters
Simon Swan: How I got Michael Vaughan to join my startupSimon Swan, founder of Hiring Hub and Youthful, explains how he built a solo-first supplement brand and secured investment from former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan.6 Jul 2026 · 35 min · 18 chapters
Tom Dunlop: Why founders should always be paranoidTom Dunlop (CEO/founder of LegalTech Summise) explains why founders should stay “paranoid” about the future, make longer-term decisions, and build a scalable, repeatable go-to-market.30 Jun 2026 · 41 min · 18 chapters
Mark Stuart: Building a multi-million pound business with DadMark Stuart (co-founder of Stuart Energy, founded 2017) discusses building a UK-wide multi-million-pound power generator business with his father Fred and brother Lee, including family dynamics,…23 Jun 2026 · 45 min · 24 chapters
Episode 12: From Trauma to triumph: Sam White's founder journeySam White’s journey from childhood trauma to building Stellar Insurance, including founding lessons, panic attacks, coming out, sobriety, misogyny in business, and leadership growth.15 Jun 2026 · 37 min · 18 chapters
Derry Green: I had no idea Dragons' Den would do thisDerry Green, founder of Secret Garden Glamping, explains how a COVID-era “den” for his kids became a multi-site glamping brand powered by social media virality and Dragon’s Den investment.8 Jun 2026 · 32 min · 16 chapters
Laura Earnshaw's mission to rethink mental healthLaura Earnshaw (Naked Founder CEO/founder) interviews Max, head of happiness at My Happy Mind, about how the company tackles children’s mental health through prevention.2 Jun 2026 · 27 min · 17 chapters
Jen Atkinson: The self-belief gap holding female founders backJen Atkinson, founder/executive chair of TravelScene, discusses what female founders must believe about themselves to scale, how to fund growth, and how to handle setbacks (COVID losses, divorce,…26 May 2026 · 34 min · 19 chapters
Matthew Scullion: AI is coming for £100m companiesMatthew Scullion (Matillion co-founder) explains why AI will accelerate data work and disrupt large “hundred million pound” companies, arguing that businesses need an AI “data automation platform” to…19 May 2026 · 57 min · 27 chapters
Russell Teale: The 'heart attack' that was actually a panic attackRussell Teale, founder/CEO of Vivify, discusses founding and scaling a school-facilities booking platform, plus mental health and personal loss during startup life.11 May 2026 · 25 min · 15 chapters
James Laithwaite: How rugby league's unluckiest player won in businessFuel Hub, a premium healthy meal-prep business in Warrington, built by co-founders Michelle and James Laithwaite (formerly rugby league player Jan Glathwaite mentioned).4 May 2026 · 42 min · 17 chapters
Jonathan Fitchew: ‘I still think about my late business partner every day’Jonathan Fitchew discusses founding and running businesses, the emotional impact of losing a co-founder, and building Apprentify (digital apprenticeships) after leaving Pareto Law.28 Apr 2026 · 34 min · 21 chapters
Holly Bennett (Moore): Rubbing shoulders with De Niro and Kylie and living with OCDHolly Moore, CEO/founder of Make Events, discusses founding an event company while managing OCD (and later ADHD), plus how she grew the business, worked with major celebrities, and built leadership…21 Apr 2026 · 44 min · 18 chapters
James Cole: Building a £100m company without the b*llocksJames Cole, founder of Panache Cruises, explains how to build a £100m luxury cruise retailer by 2030 using “the three Cs” (colleagues, customers, cruise lines), cash planning, and a founder-first…13 Apr 2026 · 39 min · 23 chapters
Episode 2: I had it all and then I got divorcedHayley Roberts, founder/CEO of Dystology (specialist IT cybersecurity distributor), discusses evolving a business, the “one degree of separation” effect in relationships, and how divorce reshaped her…7 Apr 2026 · 38 min · 16 chapters
From arch-enemies to best friends – the CONDUCTR storyThe story of Conductor, an immersive technology company in Manchester, and how co-founders Peter Cliff and Jos van der Steen went from early friction to building a UK-leading business.30 Mar 2026 · 30 min · 16 chapters