Shows
ExiteersRachel Murphy: The relentlessness needed to build a successful businessThis episode is a rollercoaster, emotionally and professionally. Rachel Murphy returns for Part 2 of her Exiteers conversation with Sally Wynter, and this time, she goes even deeper.From building her first million-pound business in a year, watching her teenage stepdaughter fight for life in an ICU, to helping 41 businesses grow, raise, or exit with real ROI - it's what real leadership looks like.We talk:Why she believes the U.S. is the next frontier for The GrafterHow Charlotte’s life-threatening illness shaped her entire legacyWhat it re...
2025-11-2143 minExiteersRachel Murphy: £13m exits, sobriety, & starting againIn this episode of Exiteers™️, the first of a two-parter, the mic is flipped. Rachel Murphy, known for building and exiting multiple businesses, steps into the hot seat as former guest Sally Wynter takes over the questions.What follows is a raw, honest look into Rachel’s journey, from founding her first company in her 20s, a £13.3m exit, to running The Grafter today. But it’s not all business.Rachel opens up about why she moved to Spain and how sobriety has changed every part of her life. She shares the reality of being 11.5 years sob...
2025-11-0445 min
ExiteersSam Alsop-Hall: Building fast, building big!Sam Alsop-Hall co-founded Clive Henry group at the height of a global pandemic. No plan B in place, just a bold idea and relentless focus. Named after their grandfathers, the business went on to become the second fastest growing company in the UK. But behind the headlines was a journey of late nights, hard calls, and lessons LinkedIn barely touches with honesty.In this episode, Sam joins Rachel Murphy to share what scaling at pace really looks like, why diversification matters, and how purpose over profit, is shaping where he goes next.They talk resilience...
2025-10-0440 min
ExiteersPhil Telfer: Breaking rules can lead to innovationJoin us as Phil Telfer talks about the gritty reality of UK entrepreneurship! From battling policy hurdles to seizing global markets, Phil's journey from tech agency founder to industry leader is packed with insights. Discover the secrets to thriving in a challenging economic climate and why collaboration is key. Don't miss this conversation between Rachel and Phil on the current UK business landscape!You can follow Phil here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-telfer/______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with...
2025-09-0541 min
ExiteersGareth Hawkins: Government support for SMEs is lacking!In this conversation, Gareth shares his extensive journey from sales to successful CEO, detailing the pivotal moments and lessons learned during his career. Gareth and Rach talk about the challenges of scaling through acquisitions and the emotional impact of exiting a business. He talks to his current venture, BizCrunch, which aims to innovate the process of buying and selling businesses, and reflects on the need for better government support for SMEs in the UK.You can follow Gareth here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-hawkins/His latest business BizCrunch: https...
2025-08-0446 min
Back After BurnoutWhy You Need to Prepare for Your Return to WorkThe transition from a period of burnout to a successful return to work is not merely a matter of resuming one’s previous role; it is a nuanced process that requires careful navigation and support. Throughout the discussion, Karina talks about the various emotional responses that individuals may encounter as they reintegrate into their workplaces, including apprehension and a sense of inadequacy. It is imperative to understand that the workplace environment plays a significant role in either facilitating or hindering this transition. Karina reviews the statistics that reveal a disheartening reality: a substantial number of in...
2025-07-1508 min
SwissCast Shows: Where Swiss Life Meets English VoicesWhy You Need to Prepare for Your Return to WorkThe transition from a period of burnout to a successful return to work is not merely a matter of resuming one’s previous role; it is a nuanced process that requires careful navigation and support. Throughout the discussion, Karina talks about the various emotional responses that individuals may encounter as they reintegrate into their workplaces, including apprehension and a sense of inadequacy. It is imperative to understand that the workplace environment plays a significant role in either facilitating or hindering this transition. Karina reviews the statistics that reveal a disheartening reality: a substantial number of in...
2025-07-1508 min
ExiteersKathryn Strachan: I almost lost everythingKathryn Strachan started CopyHouse in 2020. This was weeks away from a global pandemic kicking off. What began as a solo venture quickly scaled into a content marketing agency with 32 team members and over £2 million in revenue. But behind the scenes of that rapid growth was a founder learning to let go, to lead, and eventually, to walk away.In this conversation, Kathryn shares how she shifted from practitioner to CEO and built a team that could operate without her. She talks openly about burnout, identity loss, and what happens when your life's work is no longer yours...
2025-07-0346 min
ExiteersSally Wynter: I want to level the playing fieldKnowing how to survive is one thing, but knowing how to succeed is something completely different.She wasn’t handed a network, a mentor, or a safety net. What she was given? Grit. Hunger. And a stubborn refusal to accept her circumstances.At 24, Sally Wynter went from the idea of creating the first CBD-infused gin to a 7-figure exit in less than a year. This was all without funding, connections, or a clue how the drinks industry worked.Since selling the brand, she’s taken that same fire into recruitment, building a business that defi...
2025-06-0440 min
ExiteersStephen Critchlow: How Selling My Business Made Me Feel Lost – Until I Found My Real PurposeStephen Critchlow built and sold not just one, but two companies. One to a major healthcare software firm, and another that developed wind farms. Both were highly profitable exits. But what happened after the sale?In this powerful and honest conversation, Rachel and Stephen explore the real story behind the headlines: what it feels like to walk away from a company you've poured decades of your life into, the identity crisis that can follow, and why the biggest exit of your life might leave you feeling completely empty.Together, they dive into:What Stephen...
2025-05-0443 min
The M&A ZingM&A Zing (Ep. 10) – The Exiteer Playbook: Rachel Murphy on 8× Exits, NHS‑App & “The Grafter”Welcome to M&A Zing - the weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funders, and hold‑co builders across the UK & Europe.
🎧 THIS WEEK’S GUEST
Rachel Murphy – two‑time tech founder (Progressus & Difrent, both exited), NHS‑App delivery lead, Ukraine aid volunteer, psychedelic‑retreat advocate (!) and now CEO of *The Grafter*, where she helps founders get “growth‑ready, raise‑ready, exit‑ready.”
---
⏱️ Timestamps
[00:00:12] Intro & show mission
[00:00:32] Guest intro – who is Rachel Murphy?
[00:00:56] Rachel’s quick hello
[00:01:22] Search‑Fund / ETA news
• Hambro Capital (CH) search fund launch
• Search Rights Capital Partners investor...
2025-04-1644 min
ExiteersNiraj Shah: The Truth About Life After an ExitNiraj Shah has been on both sides of the deal table with building, buying, and selling businesses across real estate, wellness, and technology. In this episode, he sits down with Rachel to share what it really feels like to go through an exit - emotionally, financially, and personally.From suffering a stroke at 30 that changed the course of his life, to exiting a wellness business that was deeply tied to his identity, Niraj opens up about the wins, the regrets, and the moments of “what now?”You can follow more of Niraj belo...
2025-04-0443 minExiteersThe 3 Exiteers™️: Dissecting the anatomy of an ExitHere in the UK, we don't talk about money and we certainly don't talk about planning to sell our businesses. You may not have even thought about selling but if you're running your own business, succession and exit plans are necessary.Being approached by another company wanting to buy what you've built happens all the time and that's where the Exiteers™️ come in. With over 10 businesses sold between them, Rachel Murphy got together with Exiteers™️, Caroline Carruthers, and James Gairdner, to dissect the anatomy of an Exit - what does it really entail and what should you be looki...
2025-03-0352 min
Stranded Technologies PodcastEp. 50: Cyber-Philosopher Alexander Bard on the Shamanoid Personalities at the Frontiers, The Religions of the Internet Age and the Coming Decentralized World Order(s)Alexander Bard is a Swedish cyber philosopher, futurologist, and the author of several books ("The Netocrats", "The Global Empire", "The Body Machines", "Syntheism - Creating God in The Internet Age", "Digital Libido - Sex, Power and Violence in The Network Society" together with Jan Söderqvist).He’s also a former music producer, artist and entrepreneur.We start with Alex' history in the music industry, and how he saw the emerging internet and Napster as a Hegelian "negation" of the status quo, leading up as the "synthesis" that Alex actively shaped as a founding contributor to...
2023-05-301h 20