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Rob Liddiard

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Buy and Build
Buy and BuildThe CEO Roundtable with Will Hunnam (Forza Doors) and Carl Lundberg (Gerald Edelman)What does it take to step into the CEO seat—whether by acquisition or promotion? In this special episode, Will Hunnam (Forza Doors) and Carl Lundberg (Gerald Edelman) return to share their personal leadership journeys, challenges of managing legacy teams, and how implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) transformed their approach to strategy and culture. We explore: The reality of becoming a first-time CEO Lessons from inheriting vs. building company culture How EOS creates clarity and drives accountability The hard conversations leaders must face Whether you're scaling an...
2025-05-2159 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWe're struggling to keep good people – how do we attract and hang on to top talent?This week’s scale-up confession comes from Harriet, a CEO of a growing SaaS company that provides cybersecurity risk assessment software for professional services firms.Responding to Harriet's letter, Rob is joined by marketing expert Nicola Anderson, Jo Harley - Co-Founder of Korero and Greg Wellman - Co-Founder of Agora Talent to discuss possible solutions.Thanks to our panellists:Nicola Anderson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonnicola/Jo Harley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-harley/Greg Wellman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryjackwellman/Connect wi...
2025-04-3037 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsOur teams don't understand each other – how do we get on the same page?This week’s Scale-up Confession comes from Luke, who runs a SaaS company that provides HR and payroll automation software. Responding to Luke's letter, Rob is joined by marketing expert Nicola Anderson and fractional CFO Pete Donnell to discuss possible solutions.Thanks to our panellists:Nicola Anderson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonnicola/Pete Donnell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-donell-0508272b/Connect with Us:Have your own business question or leadership challenge? Please email Rob at rob@mission-group.co.uk (and let us know whether you wo...
2025-04-1633 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildIn the Trenches- 7 Months Into Operating a £1M+ EBITDA SME (Fouzan Ali, MD of Combined Services)The next acquisition accelerator is going to be in London in June (date TBC). Book your spot now for a discounted rate. If you cannot make that date, you can roll your spot into the next cohort. Join here: https://www.buyandbuildaccelerator.com/  ------------- In this episode, we reconnect with Fouzan, seven months into owning and operating the 32-year-old building energy management systems business he acquired. After initially stepping into the role with humility and patience, Fouzan shares how he's approached leadership, structured his team, and gradually introduced change—from hiring apprentices and outsourcing non-core fun...
2025-04-0138 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWe keep missing milestones – how do we hit deadlines on time?This week’s Scale-up Confession comes from Ed, the founder of a software business focused on supporting financial advisory firms with performance analytics. Responding to Ed's letter, Rob is joined by marketing expert Nicola Anderson and technologist Tim Palmer , to discuss possible solutions.Thanks to our panellists:Nicola Anderson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonnicola/Tim Palmer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timpalmer/ https://thinkbluehat.com/Connect with Us:Have your own business question or leadership challenge? Please email Rob at rob@mission-group.co.uk (and let us...
2025-03-1030 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsOur team is stepping on each other's toes - how do we clarify roles?This week’s Scale-Up Confession comes from Sophie, who runs a software company that specialises in project cost estimation tools for architecture firms. Responding to Sophie's letter, Rob is joined by Korero's Leadership Team - Jo Harley, Steve Kennaird and Sean McSweeney to discuss possible solutions.Thanks to our panellists:Jo Harley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmhitchcock/Steve Kennaird - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-kennaird/Sean McSweeney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-mcsweeney-b624b7122/Connect with Us:Have your own business question or le...
2025-02-2442 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsOur company sales pipeline is drying up - how do we bring in new leads?This week’s Scale-Up Confession comes from James, who runs a software company that simplifies compliance management for mid-sized manufacturers. Responding to James’ letter, Rob is joined by EOS Implementer Darren Hitchcock and Mick Gosset, Founder of Jointflows - a sales cycle software, to discuss possible solutions.Thanks to our panellists:Darren Hitchcock- https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmhitchcock/Mick Gosset - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickaelgosset/Connect with Us:Have your own business question or leadership challenge? Please email Rob at rob@mission-group.co.uk (and let us k...
2025-02-1032 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsOur customers are jumping ship to competitors - what should we do?This week’s Scale-Up Confession comes from Tom, the founder of a SaaS company specialising in workflow automation tools for construction firms. Responding to Tom’s letter, Rob is joined by marketing expert Nicola Anderson and technologist Tim Palmer, to discuss possible solutions.Thanks to our panellists:Nicola Anderson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonnicola/Tim Palmer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timpalmer/ https://thinkbluehat.com/Connect with Us:Have your own business question or leadership challenge? Please email Rob at rob@mission-group.co.uk (and let us k...
2025-01-2932 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildScaling with EOS: Lessons in Leadership, Vision, and Growth with Rob LiddiardIn this episode of the Buy and Build podcast, Paul and Rob Liddiard (Paul's EOS implementer), have a fascinating discussion on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and its implementation within Paul's business Amber Home Improvements. Host Paul and Rob explore the practicalities of scaling a business while remaining true to its core values, operational challenges, and long-term vision. Paul shares candid insights from his quarterly check-ins, touching on the impact of aligning teams with core values, navigating leadership challenges, and the benefits of right-person-right-seat decisions. The conversation highlights a standout success story about restructuring a key sales...
2024-12-0836 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWhat do I do when my team can't agree?This week’s scale-up confession comes from Emma, an entrepreneur running a growing eco-conscious marketing consultancy. Responding to the letter, Rob explores how misalignments within Emma’s leadership team seem to be paralysing decision-making, impacting morale and which components of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) are most likely to offer a solution.Connect with Us:Have your own business question or leadership challenge? Please email Rob at rob@mission-group.co.uk (and let us know whether you would prefer a private answer or are happy to feature in a future episode).You can also...
2024-11-1415 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildFrom Sports Coach to Acquisition Pro: Craig Brennan's Playbook for Scaling Through AcquisitionTo register for the practical IDS session with Rob Liddiard (Paul's EOS implementer), follow this link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rd-CprDkuH9YwmWrSyBm4-D7mDrybyfky  --- Also, we still have 3 seats available for the early access, discounted price, for the next Buy and Build Accelerator. Grab your ticket now at: https://www.buyandbuildaccelerator.com/  - In this engaging episode of Buy and Build, Paul welcomes back Craig Brennan, a seasoned expert in buying and building multi-business groups. Craig shares insights from his extensive journey, growing his compa...
2024-10-2850 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildFrom Search to Acquisition in 6 Months [While Employed] - Toby Henry's Self-Funded Search Journey Still 3 seats available for the early access, discounted price, for the next Buy and Build Accelerator.  https://www.buyandbuildaccelerator.com/ ----------------------------   In this episode of Buy and Build, we chat with Toby Henry, founder of Full Circle Capital, who shares his rapid journey from starting his search to closing his first acquisition in just six months. Toby dives into how he balanced a full-time job while navigating the self-funded search process, leading to the acquisition of Accelerator Solutions. We explore his creative deal structuring, the importance of partnering with the right people, and how family support played a key ro...
2024-10-1646 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildHow Tobyn Brooks Overcame Incredible Adversity to Build (then Buy) a portfolio of Auto-Related BusinessesSign up now for the early access discounted price for the next Buy and Build Accelerator. https://www.buyandbuildaccelerator.com/ ------------------------ In this inspiring episode, Tobyn Brooks shares his incredible journey from overcoming personal challenges to building a thriving business with The Figaro Shop and now rolling up vehicle service centers.  At the age of 13, Tobyn dropped out of school and fell victim to addiction, and shortly thereafter became a drug mule. After having spent 15-20 years on the streets, undergoing multiple surgeries to repair the damage done to his body, Tobyn incredibly t...
2024-10-1045 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWhat will it take to sell your business for £10m or more?Jonathan Dunn is Co-owner and CEO of Initium Corporate Finance, with 25+ years of experience in the UK and international M&A market.In this episode of the First-time Founders podcast, Jonathan explains why selling your business may be the most challenging experience of your working life but how - with the right preparation - it can also be the most rewarding. We also cover how you can:- Understand, shape and maximise the true value in your business prior to an exit- Secure the best possible deal terms when the right time comes...
2024-09-2526 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildHow a Former Uber General Manager Transitioned to SME Operating and Investing (Fouzan Ali, MD of Combined Services)Early bird access is live for the next B+B Search Accelerator, at a reduced fee for the first 5 sign-ups.  https://www.buyandbuildaccelerator.com/  The date is still TBD but any conflicts can be refunded or rolled to the next event.  Enjoy the podcast.  ----- In this episode, we sit down with Fouzan Ali, an operator-turned-investor who recently closed his first acquisition, a 32-year-old business with strong foundations and growth potential.  He shares his unique approach to scaling while focusing on operational efficiency and long-term value creation. We dive into...
2024-09-2345 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow can you get your Vision 'shared by all'? (Preview of Simon Vella's EOS Europe Community Conference workshop)Simon Vella is a Certified EOS Implementer with 20+ years experience holding various senior leadership roles in the ICT industry.  He credits EOS with allowing him to transform his last company together with its leadership team, scaling from 24 to 50 employees and doubling financial results.Simon will be hosting a masterclass at the EOS European Conference on 27 September in London titled "Getting your Vision Shared by All" (09:30-10:15, Break Out 2). In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Simon previews some of the big ideas to be covered in that session.Get your ticket here: https://www.tic...
2024-09-0221 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildOperating, Investing and Podcasting with PaulThis week Paul gives a quick update on his first 2 years operating Amber Home Improvements, the future of the podcast, and past and future investing activities with Citium Capital.  --> If you are a searcher looking to acquire the right business quicker while avoiding costly mistakes. Check out the Buy and Build Accelerator and sign up before seats get sold out. https://www.buyandbuildaccelerator.com/  For those interested in learning more about EOS, reach out to Rob Liddiard who is offering a free introductory session to those in the community. rob@mission-group.co.uk 
2024-09-0122 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsThe CFO who became a Visionary FounderSylvie Milverton is Co-founder and CEO of Lynx Educate (a learning benefit platform to help companies retain workers by differentiating their benefits offering) and Host of Talent is Everywhere Podcast. Sylvie and her team are backed by leading investors in the EdTech and Future of Work space, including Rethink, Emerge, Southern New Hampshire University and Brighteye Ventures. Her customer list includes well-known logos such as Deliveroo and Lynx Educate has been voted Top 200 European EdTech startups (Holon IQ) and Top 20 EdTech startups globally (ASU GSV).Before co-founding Lynx Educate, Sylvie spent her career in various Finance seats...
2024-08-2333 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsGetting employees 'in the game of business' by sharing numbers and profitsRyan Markewich is a business coach and a Great Game of Business certified practitioner. Having run a successful landscaping company for over 29 years, he’s passionate about teaching other owners how to create cultures of ownership, accountability, and transparency that drives performance and profits.In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Ryan shares his knowledge and skills in Open Book Management, a proven system that empowers employees to think and act like owners, and aligns them with the company's goals and vision. This is a ‘must listen’ if you want to increase your profits, have more time f...
2024-08-1439 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsThe personal scorecard - how to ensure your your belt size doesn't grow in line with your business!In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Rob walks listeners through the personal and business scorecards he uses to keep his life on track despite the uncertainty of the entrepreneurial journey.Interested listeners can reach Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk (or to book some free time, visit https://www.eosworldwide.com/rob-liddiard). Alternatively, if you'd prefer Rob to send you a free copy of Traction (the book by Gino Wickman which explains The Entrepreneurial Operating System) just complete the form here: https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-giveaway?implementer_email=rob...
2024-08-0920 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWhat to do if you suck at financial and operational forecastingIn this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Rob explains why so many Founder suck at financial and operational forecasting, why that's a problem and how to get better at predicting your organisation's future.Interested listeners can reach Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk (or to book some free time, visit https://www.eosworldwide.com/rob-liddiard). Alternatively, if you'd prefer Rob to send you a free copy of Traction (the book by Gino Wickman which explains The Entrepreneurial Operating System) just complete the form here: https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-giveaway?implementer...
2024-08-0217 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsRob's "Process, Practice & Peace" formula for a happier entrepreneurial lifeIn this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Rob explains his view that a happy entrepreneurial life rests on 3 pillars: process, practice and peace:PROCESS - an overarching framework you're willing to believe in (how to be a good dad; what constitutes being a good husband; how to run a good company if you're a CEO; how to execute a golf swing etc :);PRACTICE - committing to actually implement your chosen framework;PEACE - a sincerely held belief in your inner goodness, that practice of your process will get you to where you're...
2024-07-2510 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildDemystifying Working Capital Adjustments with Jack Minns (Corporate Transactions Partner at Larking Gowen)To accelerate your search and acquisition journey, join the next Buy and Build Accelerator, in September.  https://www.buyandbuildaccelerator.com/ This week we speak with Jack Minns, Corporate Transactions partner at Larking Gowen. Jack has a wealth of corporate finance experience, generally representing sellers looking to exit the business.  During the episode, we discuss the definitions and components of working capital, the common issues and contested areas, and the adjustment mechanisms post-close, namely a working capital peg or the locked-box method.  We hope you enjoy this conversation with Jack as much as...
2024-07-1842 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsPreview of Sid Jashnani's masterclass at the 'We Run on EOS' European Conference (27 Sep 24)Are your frontline people so busy ‘doing the work’ that you fear rolling out Level10 meetings and other EOS Foundation Tools down to their level?Sid Jashnani (who personally led a frontline organisation in his prior entrepreneurial journey) makes a compelling case that, contrary to some Leadership Teams’ fears, rolling out EOS actually saves frontline people time and their organisations from process breakdowns.Sid will be hosting a masterclass at the EOS European Conference on 27 September in London titled "80% of the challenge is rolling out the EOS Foundation Tools" (14:00-14:45, Break Out 1).Get your t...
2024-07-1526 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow to build a profitable business, stay in control and then use it to do good things!Jonny White is the Founder of Ticket Tailor, a bootstrapped SaaS ticketing platform which helps event organisers sell 1 million tickets per month.In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Jonny explains how he managed to build TicketTailor to scale without a cofounder or any outside capital (Jonny attributes his success - for those of us who define success as building a profitable company that operates with purpose - preserving optionality, keeping things simple and taking actions today with a clear vision for tomorrow in mind).Interested viewers can reach Jonny via https://www.linkedin...
2024-07-0751 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsPreview of Alice Jordan's masterclass at the 'We Run on EOS' European Conference (27 Sep 24)Can the Leader of an entrepreneurial company ever 'outgrow' being accountable for People & Culture? And if you do need a 'People Person', what’s the difference between an HR Manager, a Leader of People and Culture and a Business Leader (and which of these does a growing company need, when)? Are your people ready to fulfil your growth aspirations?Alice Jordan is well-placed to answer these and all your People and Growth Agenda questions, having spent the first 20 years of her career in senior people roles in big companies and having since led more than 300 sessions as an...
2024-07-0221 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsPreview of Dean Breyley's masterclass at the 'We Run on EOS' European Conference (27 Sep 24)If you're into EOS, be sure to print a copy of your Accountability Chart and take it to Dean Breyley's "The Devil is in the Accountability Chart" masterclass at the We Run on EOS European Conference on 27 September (11:40-12:25 in the Main Space).Dean has facilitated over 600 full day EOS Leadership Team sessions and will draw on his full experience to help you sense check - ie with interactive examples - how many of your company's issues trace back to structure (it could be as many as 80%).Get your ticket here: https://www.tickettailor.com...
2024-06-2414 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow to scale a b2b services businessTyrone Croome-Carroll is a 3-time COO and accomplished people-centric leader, currently with Cadence (the leading language solutions provider to the global investment community).In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Tyrone shares what he learned leading multiple B2B information services businesses and explains why its important to build systems to support high performance teams in rapidly scaling environments.Interested viewers can reach Tyrone via https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyronecc/ and Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk (or to book some free time with Rob, visit https...
2024-06-1738 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow to identify and strengthen weakness in a Finance FunctionJulie Wilkinson is an accountant on a mission to save the world from failed acquisitions. Her firm, Wilkinson Accounting Solutions, works on business acquisitions between £1m and £20m turnover and also actively acquires other accounting firms to scale its own operations.In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Julie gives Rob an ‘idiots guide’ to what a good small business finance function should look like and discusses the perils for exiting (and acquiring) entrepreneurs who don’t build adequate strength in this area.Interested viewers can reach Julie via https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewil...
2024-06-1052 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWhat it takes to go from scale-up Sales Leader to Founder CEOTom Lavery is Co-founder CEO of Jiminny, a software platform which helps commercial teams maximize their revenue through conversation intelligence. Jiminny enables its customers to record, transcribe and analyze conversations in real-time, giving customer insights and full visibility into performance. Jiminny empowers teams to coach and develop their people at scale.In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Tom describes how he seized an early-career opportunity with Reward Gateway, scaled that business in various sales leadership roles (through a number of successful Private Equity transactions) and eventually co-founded Jiminny, with Reward Gateway as a cornerstone customer!
2024-06-0336 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsGetting the right people in the right seats on a Founding TeamJo Harley has co-founded two businesses: Korero, a tech platform which enables leaders to have great career conversations with their teams and gives organisations the data they need to plan for success; and Hendrick and Hyde, a consultancy which helps organisations to build authentic cultures through diagnostics, analysis and strategic advice. Jo, her technology and her colleagues are behind Best Places to Work in Hospitality and Best Workplaces in Travel and work with many amazing clients on their employee surveys. Jo regularly judges The Best Employer Catey, The Hotel Cateys, The Food Service Cateys, The Springboard Awards for Excellence...
2024-05-2749 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWhat does a Chief Operating Officer do?Rob Gibson trained as an accountant and rose to become a divisional Chief Operating Officer for Real Estate giant JLL. Today he’s a consultant, coach and Chair for Vistage (the world’s leading executive learning and coaching organisation).In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Rob explains the ‘classic’ COO role (how it should help formulate and then implement strategy, create culture, drive collaboration and ensure daily operations are effective, efficient & coordinated) but also how in reality every COO role is different. We also explore why the COO seat must be crafted to reflect each unique c...
2024-05-2039 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up Confessions'The Struggle' - what is it and how can a Founder avoid or escape it?In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, host Rob Liddiard recites 'The Struggle', an iconic chapter from Ben Horowitz's startup leadership classic, The Hard Thing About Hard Things. Rob follows the passage by describing how he escaped The Struggle as founding CEO of Yapster (a UK software company which scaled to 100,000 business users) by leaning on the 6 Key Components of The Entrepreneurial Operating System.Interested listeners can reach Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) via Rob@mission-group.co.uk (or to book some free time to learn about EOS, visit https://www.eosworldwide.com/rob-liddiard).
2024-05-1412 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow to sustain high performance and avoid founder burnoutSteve Peralta is Co-founder and Chief Wellbeing Officer of Unmind, a leading workplace mental health SaaS platform that helps organisations create better workplace cultures, so that employees and businesses can flourish. They support over 2 million employees in hundreds of organisations globally.Steve came to entrepreneurship in an unconventional way, from jazz singer and songwriter, to actor, to coach, to startup co-founder. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Steve talks about how his unusual background has helped him inspire leaders to bring more heart and soul into workplaces, the ‘four pillars of self care’ and much more...
2024-04-3038 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsThe Business Case For Happiness with Matt PhelanMatthew Phelan is Co-CEO of The Happiness Index, a SaaS platform that helps organisations measure their key employee engagement and happiness drivers. Matt is also a speaker and business adviser. Prior to the Happiness Index, he founded, scaled and sold a digital marketing agency called 4Ps Marketing (which serviced over 100 brands such as Selfridges, M&S, Nissan and L'Oréal).In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Matt shares some of his key learnings from a decade helping organisations measure their key employee engagement and happiness drivers. He also talks about the Go To Market challenges h...
2024-04-2237 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsBuild or Buy? Alfie Lambert on 'Acquisition Entrepreneurship'Alfie Lambert is a Co-Founder (Product and Growth Lead) at BizCrunch, an advanced off-market deal discovery platform which helps business users identify potential companies to acquire, providing vital metrics and key contact data. With over 10 years’ experience working with startups and scale-ups, primarily in B2B data, AI & Data Science, Alfie has co-founded two startups and successfully pitched & raised funds.In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Alfie discusses how there has never been a better time to buy an established company in the UK, with a wave of baby-boomer business-owners inches closer to retirement and in...
2024-04-1530 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow to meet, inspire and keep your first customers in B2B SoftwareFreddie Szydlowski is a CoFounder of Embargo, the UK's & Poland's no1 plug&play digital loyalty wallet & CRM platform helping coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, dessert parlours & deli's boost repeat revenues and customer loyalty across walk-ins, delivery and pickup ordering. Santiago Gamboa and Victor Gamboa are Cofounders of Hemanos, Colombian Coffee Roasters - and were early Embargo customers.In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Freddie, Santiago and Victor talk about how their relationship came about, why Embargo's early proposition spoke to Hermanos and how the platform has matured over time (and retained customer confidence through the inevitable ups...
2024-04-0538 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsBefore and after implementing EOS as CEO of YapsterIn this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, host Rob Liddiard explains how the Six Key Components of EOS (Vision; People; Data; Issues; Process; and Traction) impacted his life and business as the Cofounder CEO of Yapster (a software company with 100,000 paid users, serving companies such as Brewdog, Caffe Nero, Krispy Kreme, Next and Wagamama). Rob spent 5 years (2015-2020) running Yapster without knowing about EOS and then nearly 3 years on EOS until the company was acquired in December 2022. Today Rob works as a Professional Implementer of EOS, helping other entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial leadership teams get what they...
2024-03-3027 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsWhat does Elon Musk have that we don't?Ashley Harris is an experienced Operations Leader used to working in fast-growing and high-pressure companies. He spent 5 years working at Tesla, where he rose to a management role for European Operations and Logistics. He's currently Director of Operations for Clearview, a pioneering company in the Machine Vision space, where he works with the Managing Director and Senior Leadership Team to help deliver strategic goals (serving as "Integrator", using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)).In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Ash compares and contrasts the style of Elon Musk, one of the greatest entrepreneurial Visionaries of...
2024-03-1746 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsThe founder who bootstrapped a multi-million pound exit 4 years after quitting his day jobIn 4 years, Eddie Whittingham went from working 9-5 (first as a policeman and then as a lawyer), to bootstrapping a cyber-security startup as a sole founder and selling it to a NASDAQ-listed company in a multi-million pound exit. Since then, he's bought an 1891 chapel and converted it into a premium co-working space in Greater Manchester, founded GoFounder.com (accountability for high-potential founders) and co-founded GrowGrows.com (a premium children's' sleepwear brand). In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Eddie describes how 'a daft lad from Scunthorpe' built a business and sold it to achieve a life-changing...
2024-03-1145 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsEarly Adopter Stories: Dara Howley from RAF Museum & VolunteeroDo you know what a great early-stage customer looks like?  Customer-side Visionaries like Dara Howley of the RAF Museum (speaking In this episode with Ashley Staines about her selection of Volunteero) might not be common, but they are evenly distributed across society. If you're doing and saying the right things in any market, you will get opportunities to execute your Vision by serving them.  Visionary customers are special people who care more about their cause than internal politics, and are accordingly willing to take calculated risks on new vendors in service of a gr...
2024-03-0536 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsVenture Special Situations - how to find an "off-ramp" from the VC pathEyal Malinger is a Partner at Resurge Growth Partners, helping growth businesses thrive in a market where capital is scarce. He takes a more active investment approach than traditional venture capital firms, backing businesses that may have fallen off the VC flight path but still deserve to be funded.In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Eyal explains the structure of Venture Capital - how it is a great model for high-growth businesses, but by definition, all VC portfolios have a "middle bit" comprised of great companies which are unlikely to make a material impact on...
2024-02-2739 minHospitality Mavericks Podcast Show
Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show#251 Rob Liddiard - Implementer at EOS on Leading With VisionIn this episode, Michael has a conversation with Rob Liddiard about applying the principles of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in businesses to increase profitability and create heart-centered operations. EOS, is a holistic system that organisations can employ to realize visions, increase accountability and strengthen team health. Rob shares his experiences transforming struggling businesses into thriving ones using EOS principles and discusses the importance of strong leadership during a business's recovery and growth phases. An emphasis is placed on the importance of meaningful measurement processes, the difference between visionary and integrator roles, and how EOS helps leaders ensure business...
2024-02-221h 01Scale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsScaling the Finance Capability Pyramid, with Andrew LynchAndrew Lynch is a well-known X (formerly Twitter) finance thought leader with experience in companies of all sizes and a wide range of industries industries. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Andrew explains the building blocks of a finance function (as illustrated in a recent SecretCFO newsletter https://www.cfosecrets.io/p/first-foundation-finance); how a first-time founder should think about recruiting a finance leader; and his experience implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).For more detail, you can check out this twitter thread where Andrew first shared his Finance pyramid, including specific tactics and actionable...
2024-02-191h 16Scale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsComing to terms with failure - and coming back!Kris Ingham is the Founder of https://liquidation.store/ , the excess stock e-retailer which saves good stock from landfill via flash sales, offering consumers up to 75% off big brands. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Kris reflects on the failure of his first venture, Rejuvenation Water (which he managed to get stocked in 5 of the top 6 UK Grocers) and what he learned from the experience.Interested listeners can reach Kris via his LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisingham/) or Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk (or to book...
2024-02-1050 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsSometimes you have to start slow to go fastRob Smith is Co-founder at Slick, the fastest growing online booking solution for Hair and Beauty. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Rob shares learnings from his experience building complex business software for low-tech, highly-creative Hair & Beauty industry users. Interested listeners can reach Rob Smith via his LinkedIn (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/robert-wp-smith) or Rob Liddiard (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk (or to book some free time with Rob L, visit https://www.eosworldwide.com/rob-liddiard).First-time Founders on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hcdluu5y...
2024-02-0237 minBuy and Build
Buy and BuildEntrepreneurial Operating System- Lessons from an Exited Founder-Turned-EOS Implementer with Rob LiddiardIn this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rob Liddiard, a professional Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) implementer, to reflect on an insightful morning where he introduced the EOS principles to my team at Amber Home Improvements.  Before becoming an EOS implementer, Rob was the founder and CEO of Yapster, a workplace messenger app for frontline organisations. Rob self-implemented EOS in his startup and the impact on his business was profound. Since exiting Yapster, Rob has been focusing on helping others implement EOS in their business.  During the episode, Rob and I work ou...
2024-01-2746 minThe Operations Room: A Podcast for COO’s
The Operations Room: A Podcast for COO’s27. How do you tame a visionary CEO?In this episode we unpack the topic of: How do you tame a visionary CEO? with Rob Liddiard, B2B SaaS Founder (acquired 2022); Reformed Lawyer.Bethany and I discuss the following: Forecasting in 2024Simplifying performance managementSurfacing issues in leadershipDocumenting the processes of the companyWe then discuss the following with Rob: Is the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) just another OKR styled book? How do you tame a visionary founder? What are the components of EOS? What are the two principal roles in EOS? What can experienced operators learn from EOS? How do you achieve...
2024-01-2545 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsThe Difference Between B2B & B2C Startups in HospitalityMichael Tingsager is Co-Founder of Pulse Kitchen (The plant-rich meal solution for Food Service) and Host of Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show. With a lifetime of experience in the hospitality industry behind him, Michael is known for his passion for making a positive impact on people, communities, and the planet through service businesses.  In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Michael shares his insights on a wide range of topics, such as “The difference between B2B and B2C startups”,  "Business as a Force for Good", "Agile Hospitality", and "Why People Strategy Makes or Break a Business".Inte...
2024-01-1553 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow to boost organic growth with corporate acquisitions (and keep growing teams aligned)Steve Sharp is Founder and Managing Director of Nuvo, a leading firm of Chartered Certified Accountants providing accountancy services for owner managed businesses. Nuvo was recently recognised as a UK Top 100 accounting practice, following a sustained period of organic and acquisition-driven growth. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Steve shares his experiences implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) within a professional services environment and offers advice to fellow entrepreneurs curious about ‘entrepreneurship through acquisition’ (in addition to accounting practices, Steve has acquired a wide range of businesses, from country clubs to facilities management companies).Interested view...
2024-01-0736 minJubilee+ Podcast
Jubilee+ PodcastA Safe HomeTania Bright from Home for Good, Helen Hodgson from Hope at Home, Kate Doran-Smith from Hope into Action, Rob Liddiard and Claire from Friends First.Whether by opening our homes or investing in affordable accommodation there are many creative ways local churches can help provide safe homes to those in need. In today’s seminar we explore solutions which range from temporary assistance for those recovering from hardship to offering refuge for survivors of slavery, fostering, adoption and providing permanent housing solutions.
2024-01-0142 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsThe difference between leading and managing - Scott Brown on the journey from lawyer to Visionary entrepreneurScott Brown is Founder & CVO of Heriot Brown In-House Legal Recruitment and host of the Lessons I Learned In Law podcast. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Scott shares how he made the transition from Corporate Lawyer to business owner and the hard lessons he learned about himself as a Leader and Manager along the way!  Interested viewers can reach Scott - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjbrown/ - at scott@heriotbrown.com (you can also find Scott’s podcast at https://heriotbrown.com/podcast/ ) and Rob - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/ - at...
2023-12-1741 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsThe Role of Process in Getting Your Startup AcquiredMeg Payne was EOS Integrator and Operations Director for Yapster when it was acquired by Sona with Google backing in 2022. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Meg explains why the Entrepreneurial Operating System(EOS)’s Process component matters for startups and how it contributed to Yapster’s success, including how processes helped in getting the company acquired.Interested listeners can reach Meg via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-payne-41a288166/ and Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk (or to book some free time with Rob, visit https://www...
2023-12-1250 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsReigniting growth in a VC-backed companyIan Jones is Managing Director at Care & Independence Limited, a venture-capital-backed company which provides a range of products to aid mobility, independence and improve daily life for the elderly and less able. Ian is a qualified Accountant and experienced Finance Leader by background, and in this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast he shares how and why he chose The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to underpin his efforts to lead Care & Independence to sustainable growth.Interested viewers or listeners can reach Ian via https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-jones-91878313/ ) and Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard...
2023-11-2938 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsHow to get what you want from a restaurant business (using EOS)Adam Johnson is the owner of The Plough, Harborne - "The place where people feel good".  In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, Adam shares his story of how, after years of delivering great hospitality, quality food and a bustling but easy-going atmosphere, The Plough 'hit the ceiling' and he turned to The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to rediscover his passion for - and the growth potential in - the business.Interested listeners can reach Adam ( linkedin.com/in/adam-johnson-58009771 ) by emailing adam@theploughharborne.co.uk or Rob ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/ ) at Ro...
2023-11-0739 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsJohn Mason - what happens when you see further into the future than clients can?John Mason is a serial entrepreneur, currently on a mission to make workplace learning more spontaneous, inclusive and continuous through his technology company, Sideways.Prior to Sideways, John founded a range of software and services businesses that were ahead of their time (for example, a peer-to-peer knowledge sharing app for the frontline economy and a virtual golf coach, both long before smartphones and mobile broadband made these ideas 'no brainers'). In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast, John talks about the challenges and opportunities of bringing an idea to market whilst enabling technologies and customer perspectives...
2023-10-1748 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsStephen Phillips - why do so many new restaurants fail?Stephen Phillips is a passionate restaurant professional, with a reputation for driving standards and bottom-line targets for the UK's favourite casual dining brands. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast Steve shares key learnings for first-time hospitality founders - how to select sites, shape menus, build great teams and generally increase a new hospitality business' chances of survival!Interested listeners can reach Steve (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-phillips-6b00b110/) at stephen@umamiconsulting.co.uk and Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk
2023-10-0455 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsAlan Williamson - How to Think Like a CTOAlan Williamson is an experienced Chief Technology Officer and provider of operating partner services in technical and data analytics for private equity and investment companies. In this episode of the First-time Founders Podcast Alan shares his experience from mentoring numerous CTOs who have been catapulted  by private equity investment and acquisition from 'a founder's most technical mate' into being expected to deliver robust and elegant software for massively greater scale. Alan also offers really valuable insights on how non-technical founders can more effectively lead technology organisations and get the best out of their own CTO.Interested listeners c...
2023-09-2645 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsRob Dumbleton - why 'skipping steps' in sales & marketing usually trips up growthRob Dumbleton is a B2B SaaS expert and entrepreneur, with a focus on high growth stage (start-up and scale-up) SaaS, who has successfully started, led, raised finance and sold software businesses.In this episode of the First-time Founders podcast, Rob explains how he learned first-hand the importance of taking a scientific, data-led approach to customer discovery and product positioning.Interested listeners can reach Rob D via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robdumbleton/ or Rob L (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk
2023-08-2140 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsJeremy Dunderdale - Digital transformation in hospitality and how to sell to an IT DirectorJeremy Dunderdale is an IT and Security leader, with experience working for top Hospitality companies such as TGI Fridays, Cote and Sodexo. In this episode of the First-time Founders podcast, Jeremy talks about how he selected and partnered with entrepreneurial suppliers over the years to deliver digital transformation in the hospitality sector.Interested listeners can reach Jeremy via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-dunderdale/ or Rob (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertliddiard/) at Rob@mission-group.co.uk
2023-08-0354 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsMatthew Dashper-Hughes - how to cold call C-level executives when you don't have much to offer yetMatthew Dashper-Hughes is International Director and a Business Coach for GunnerCooke, the UK's fastest growing law firm. Prior to his role with Gunnercooke, Matthew held a wide range of executive leadership positions including serving as Chief Operating Officer for Ryman Stationers, the nationwide UK retailer, where he was one of Yapster's first Founder Customers. Matthews specialisms include executive coaching, management and leadership development training and mentoring, operational and commercial management, business development, sales, writing and speaking.In this episode of the first-time founders podcast, Matthew breaks down the psychology and process of early stage selling - and...
2023-07-2330 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsLina Olea - what it's like being married to an entrepreneurLina Olea is a mission-driven Marketer, currently serving as Marketing Director for UK Hospitality wifi and data insights provider, Wireless Social. Lina is well known professionally for her creativity and resilience, having worked in seven different countries and now spent 5 years in the tech start-up world. However, in this episode of the First-time Founders podcast, she talks about one of her less well-known experiences - being married to (and co-parent with) Yapster Co-founder CEO, Rob Liddiard (and also brother to Juan, another software entrepreneur)!  This episode should be useful to both existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, as well a...
2023-07-1735 minScale-up Confessions
Scale-up ConfessionsSteve Carpenter - how to sell to a big brand like Krispy KremeSteve Carpenter spent 30 years leading people functions for fast-growth businesses like TGI Fridays, Pret A Manger, Caffè Nero, Hotel Chocolat, and Krispy Kreme (Caffè Nero grew ten-fold in his decade as their HR lead and Krispy Kreme doubled in size whilst Steve was their People & Culture Director), hiring thousands of people and procuring a wide range of products and services along the way.In this episode of the First-time Founders podcast, Steve details how and why he decided to be one of Yapster's early customers and explains how other first-time founders can break into big brands, with na...
2023-07-1435 minThe Happy WorkLife Podcast
The Happy WorkLife PodcastCapturing your entrepreneurial spirit and following your passions with Rob Liddiard. We spoke with Rob Liddiard, CEO and founder of Yapster, a workplace messaging app for frontline organisations on moving away from corporate law, the inspirations behind founding his company and tips and tricks to a happier working life.
2022-06-1736 minHospitality Mavericks Podcast Show
Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show#152 Jordan Ekers, Co-founder and COO of Nudge, on the Frontline Staff and Employee ExperienceToday’s guest is obsessed with solving business problems and helping organizational leaders rethink the connection between employee and customer experiences. He is the co-founder and COO of Nudge, an employee communications platform. Their recent report, The Deskless Report 2021, gives some fascinating insights into the state of the ‘deskless workforce’, which we uncover in this episode.Jordan also shares what they have learned working with tech that amplifies frontline employees’ engagement and performance for almost 8 years. Tune in to find out more about the ‘humanisation’ of hospitality, influencing behaviour across a large organisation and empowering creativity.Links:...
2022-03-3154 minConfidence Conversations
Confidence ConversationsConfidence Conversation with Rob LiddiardI met Rob back in 2017 in the corporate world.  I wanted him to join me on the podcast as he's someone I think of as naturally confident, so I knew it would be great to get his views on confidence and how he keeps his in check. Give this one a listen, we talk about all-sorts of things obviously confidence related.  It was so interesting for me to hear Rob talk about how his confidence is strongest when he's coming out of adversity and that what a rainy day meant 2 years ago now means something completely different.  Know...
2022-02-2432 minHospitality Mavericks Podcast Show
Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show#111 Rob Liddiard, Co-founder of Yapster, on Social LeadershipHow digitally visible are you with your staff? In today’s episode, we explore the new era of leadership that’s been shaped by how we use technology – the social leader. Rob Liddiard, Co-founder and CEO of Yapster, share what you can do with technology to help you lead your team and scale your communication.Founded in 2015, Yapster is a fully integrated mobile communications platform, designed for frontline colleagues who don’t have company email addresses. The platform is used by many of the most recognisable frontline organisations known to the public, including BrewDog, Caffè Nero, Krispy Kreme and...
2021-06-171h 14Supersonic Hospitality Marketing Podcast Sponsored by NFS Hospitality feat. Mark McC
Supersonic Hospitality Marketing Podcast Sponsored by NFS Hospitality feat. Mark McCRob Liddiard, Co-Founder & CEO of YapsterSHOW NOTES MARK MCC (MARK MICK-SEE), SUPERSONIC INCI’m a rocket booster for your food, drink or hotel business. I will make a visible and commercial difference to your business across brand, marketing, digital, social and employee engagement.I have worked in Brand, Marketing, Digital, Social and Employee Engagement for over 20 years with companies such as lastminute.com, Barclaycard, YO! Sushi and Pret A Manger.I offer Strategy, Speaking, Workshops, Facilitation and Non Executive Director advice mainly for fast casual restaurants, fine dining restaurants, takeaway shops, coffee shops, delivery businesses, foo...
2020-12-0844 minHospitality Mavericks Podcast Show
Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show#77 Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon, Founder of Banana Pepper HR, on leading with careDialling in from Antigua, today’s guest has been instrumental in the making of the Hospitality Mavericks business. So I’m excited to bring on Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon, the ultimate HR rule breaker and expert in luxury hotels especially in the Caribbean. We connected a few years ago on LinkedIn, and instantly realised how aligned we are. So much so that we put together an article about how Mavericks will shake up the hospitality industry – and in this episode we explore if our predictions were correct.Nicole founded Banana Pepper HR to elevate the game for visionary hotel owners...
2020-10-221h 04Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show
Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show#67 Changing the industry business model with Rob Liddiard, CEO Yapster and Matt Coulthard, BizimplyWe don’t have the answers yet, but we need to ask the right questions in order to navigate through the pandemic. What’s clear is that the hospitality business model of low profit margins needs to change. Today’s special episode is from a webinar Michael had the pleasure of being on with Rob Liddiard, Founder of Yapster, and chaired by Matt Coulthard from Bizimply. They talked about operation transformation, product market fit, the solutions with the rental market and how to serve both your customers and employees. Links:Yapster: https://www.yapster...
2020-08-141h 00Daniel K\'s Let\'s Plays
Daniel K's Let's PlaysThe Warlock of Firetop Mountain 05. (Season -08 episode -05).The Warlock of Firetop Mountain 05. (Season -08 episode -05). In this episode I'm a bit sick. But I scrape it all together enough to TRY to play Warlock of Firetop Mountain. Music in this episode was: Plan B - Stay Too Long Rob Bourassa - Sleepwalk HOSE - Lark HOSE - Hankyu-Rokko On The Seabed Nobuo Uematsu - Eye's On Me Humphrey Lyttelton - Wally Plays the Blues Eric Satie - Gnossienne 1. Lent HOSE - On Extinction Gareth Liddiard and Rui Pereira - Late Heavy Bombardment and finally HOSE - A Thing That Is Not As It Has Been Used...
2020-03-132h 40