Shows
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaFrom £1M a year to £1M A WEEK! Super scaling with Sam SmithMeet the first female CEO of a city stockbroking firm; Sam Smith. Founder and ex-CEO of finnCap, Sam is now the Co-Founder of SuperScalers and no. 1 bestselling author of The Secret Sauce: How to SuperScale. In this interview, you'll hear about...🚀 Taking finncap public on the London Stock Exchange during tumultuous times🚀 Top growth levers to go from £1m turnover a year to £1m turnover a week! 🚀 Leadership pitfalls to avoid as you scale your businesses🚀 Balancing a high-powered career with motherhood🚀 What's in the secret sauce of how to SuperScale🚀 How entrepren...2025-05-1458 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaFrom 0 to Sephora: How Akash Mehta of Fable & Mane started & scaled the world's first Indian beauty sibling brandAkash Mehta is the Forbes 30 under 30 CEO of Fable & Mane, an Ayurvedic-inspired hair brand, which he Co-Founded with his sister, Niki, making it the first Indian beauty brand co-founded by siblings. Akash harks from beauty & fashion household names including Burberry, Estée Lauder, and Dior, before launching his own business with Fable & Mane in 2019, now stocked in the likes of Sephora, Selfridges and Cult Beauty.Akash is also a wildlife Conservationist and Ambassador for Jane Goodall, passionate about wildlife and on a mission to save the animals.In this interview, Akash and Steph co...2025-05-071h 08
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaI was THIRTEEN when I started my first business! | School-dropout-turned-entrepreneur-turned-CTO: Geoff Wright of Tembo (Replay)The right dev partner can make or break your product. AppUnite embeds with your team to build apps that scale. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3FHeCC0Geoff Wright is the CTO of Tembo, but his path leading up to this position was anything but ordinary.Entrepreneurial as a kid, Geoff forged his own, alternative path. Instead of doing the usual by completing his studies, going to uni, and getting a job, Geoff realised he could make money doing what he loved...Of course, there were lots of lessons along the way...2025-04-3045 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaFrom a £4 BILLION biz to investing in others: meet Jeremy Middleton CBE, ex-HomeServe, now Founder & CEO of Middleton EnterprisesThe right dev partner can make or break your product. AppUnite embeds with your team to build apps that scale. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3FHeCC0In this interview, Steph and Jeremy discuss...💼 The serial entrepreneurship path that led to HomeServe💼 Building it to a £4bn multinational and one of the biggest LSE IPOs💼 His investment thesis for fundraising foundersFundraising? Get in touch here: https://middletonenterprises.com/contact/Jeremy Middleton CBE co-founded HomeServe, a multinational home emergency repairs & improvements firm which he, together with Richard Harpin, grew to a publi...2025-04-2343 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaMeet Great British Entrepreneur of the Year: Karen Barrett, Founder & CEO of UnbiasedThe right dev partner can make or break your product. AppUnite embeds with your team to build apps that scale. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3FHeCC0Karen Barrett is the Founder & CEO of Unbiased, the leading B2B SaaS fintech platform that connects consumers with the best professionals and products for their financial needs. In this interview, Steph and Karen discuss...What it was like to win the GB Entrepreneur of the Year🏆 Transitioning from working in the financial services industry to starting her own fintech business🏆 Karen's entrepreneurial journey...2025-04-1651 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaFrom basketball rejections to making £1M+ with Giuseppe Baidoo, Founder & CEO of Gusto SnacksGiuseppe Baidoo is the founder of Gusto Snacks - delicious, low calorie, high fibre apple crisps made from misshapen produce that’s not deemed pretty enough for the supermarkets.Giuseppe’s entrepreneurial journey features the classic tale of starting a bootstrapped project from his kitchen and turning it into a £1.2 million business now stocked in the likes of Selfridges and WHSmith.🏀 What his career in basketball taught him about resilience 💪 Moving to the UK and overcoming obstacle after obstacle 👀 How he started his first business - and picked himself back up again after it failed...2025-04-091h 22
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Cien Solon, LaunchLemonade | Oh, AI is really changing the gameJoin Steph for this solo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Cien Solon of LaunchLemonadeGet involved in the conversation:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend 🤗2025-04-0814 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaMeet the "Canva of AI" | Cien Solon, Founder & CEO of LaunchLemonadeThe right dev partner can make or break your product. AppUnite embeds with your team to build apps that scale. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3FHeCC0Cien Solon is the Co-Founder & CEO of LaunchLemonade, described as the "Canva of AI apps." Cien is on a mission to make sure that no one gets left behind in the time of AI.In this interview, Steph and Cien discuss:- The practical applications and use case examples of AI- The feminist importance of women getting into AI- Cien's career trajectory...2025-04-021h 08Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Lottie Whyte | Controlling the controllableJoin Steph for this solo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Lottie Whyte of MyoMaster.Get involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend 🤗2025-04-0117 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia“The Dragon Slayer” making MILLIONS | Lottie Whyte, Co-Founder & CEO of MyoMasterLottie Whyte is the Co-Founder & CEO of one of the UK’s fastest growing wellness brands, MyoMaster - the home of human optimisation providing world-class recovery products including ice baths, at-home sauna pods, compression boots, and massage guns.Tune in to hear about…🚀 What makes Lottie Whyte the outlier (practical advice you can *actually* action)🚀 Behind the scenes of BBC’s Dragon’s Den - and how Lottie and her co-founder & partner, Joe, received offers from FOUR investors🚀 Going from 0 to 1 and scaling beyond 🚀 Consumer growth marketing strategies🚀 Lessons from mist...2025-03-2658 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Alex Merry | Communication & storytelling, how to earn from public speaking plus LinkedIn tipsJoin Steph for this solo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Alex Merry of MicDrop.Get involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend 🤗2025-03-2522 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaOvercome your FEAR of public speaking - and even monetise it! Top public speaking coach, Alex Merry of MicDropAlex Merry is a public speaking coach who turns founders into thought leaders. He runs MicDrop, the well-loved public speaking community and training resource. He’s also the author of Make It Count and Former TEDxClapham Founder.In this episode, Steph and Alex discuss:🎤 Why public is speaking *so* important for any leader🎤 How Alex overcame his own fear of public speaking🎤 What makes a GOOD talk (including the best talk Alex has ever heard!)🎤 How to actually earn an income from public speaking🎤 LinkedIn strategy + lessons from going viral🎤 Behind-the-scenes st...2025-03-1947 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaSimon Squibb: “Hard work is A LIE!” (Replay)Serial entrepreneur, content creator, author, and investor, Simon Squibb is the founder of HelpBnk (https://helpbnk.com/) on a mission to make people's dreams come true.Simon started his first company when he was homeless at 15 years old, and sold his last company, Fluid, to PwC. He has since invested in over 70+ startups, and is now on a mission to help 10 million people achieve their dreams.Order Simon's new book 'What's Your Dream?' here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/whats-your-dream/simon-squibb/9781529935578I'd LOVE to know, what resonated most with you from...2025-03-1251 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaSTOP SAVING TIME! The Debrief: Matt Lerner, ex-PayPalJoin Steph for this solo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Matt Lerner of SYSTM.Listen to the Anthony Pierri interview to learn more about articulating your core value proposition here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/16KEMPnzJV1GabDtAmzwsw?si=4a35fa1d75a14ec6Or watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiwWh-IUxJgGet involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and sh...2025-03-1013 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaSTEAL PayPal’s growth strategy 🚀 Scale your startup with the GOAT of GROWTH: Matt LernerMatt Lerner is the Founder & CEO of SYSTM, an online program to help startups find their big growth levers. Before founding SYSTM, Matt was a Partner of 500 Startups, an early-stage VC fund, where he built & ran a seed-stage growth program for the portfolio companies achieving an average growth of 250% in 12 months. Prior to 500 Startups he was marketing director at PayPal, coming from the birthplace of startups: Silicon Valley.In this interview, Matt and Steph cover...🚀 What's wrong with "saving time"🚀 Nailing your core value proposition🚀 80:20? Nah. Identify the 10% that will drive the...2025-03-0554 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Nell Daly | Squiggly careers, fundraising, and the power of connectionsJoin Steph for this solo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Nell Daly of Revenge Capital.PLUS! Exclusive reveal of the next guest...Get involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend 🤗2025-03-0321 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaFrom DEATH THREATS at Fox News to building a £50M fund: Nell Daly gets REVENGETW: Themes of abuse and gun violenceNell Daly is a social worker turned venture capitalist as Co-Founder of Revenge Capital, a £50M sector-agnostic, global impact fund that invests into overlooked founders and their big disruptive ideas. She describes herself as an advocate for underdogs and works with policymakers to help build a more just, free, inclusive and humane world.In this episode, Steph and Nell discuss:❤️🔥 Starting a fund NOT coming from the world of finance❤️🔥 Nell's experience in media and what led to her "going dark"❤️🔥 Overcoming adversity and practical tips on how to be...2025-02-2644 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Georgie Hyatt + Fundraising tips from VC scoutJoin Steph for this solo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Georgie Hyatt, Founder & CEO of Rotaro.PLUS! Fundraising tips, tricks and traps to avoid if you're looking to get investment for your startup.Get involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend 🤗2025-02-2414 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia"I raised £150k from a RAYA date!" | Georgie Hyatt's startup story with RotaroGeorgie Hyatt is the Forbes 30 Under 30 Founder & CEO of ROTARO, the fashtech platform that worked with luxury brands & retailers to power their circular fashion revenue streams through rental & resale before consolidating with My Wardrobe HQ.In this interview, Steph and Georgie discuss: 👗 How insights from working at trends forecasting agency sparked Georgie’s lightbulb moment👗 Getting early validation for Rotaro and testing different business models👗 Practical lessons learnt the hard way including shareholder agreements (Tip: use Safe note ASA agreements!) 👗 Fundraising and dealing with investors pulling out at the last minute (after 8 months of negoti...2025-02-1936 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaHow to FINALLY start your business in 2025 | Overcoming the top blockers to entrepreneurshipThinking of starting your own business? Entrepreneur coach, Stephanie Melodia, shares her advice for overcoming the most common blockers to entrepreneurship including the mental barriers and practical challenges.Did any of this resonate with you? join the conversation:Follow on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/🎬 Follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephmelodia/🙏🏼 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517🎧 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend!2025-02-1216 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia60% of startups FAIL after losing a Co-Founder: How Daniel Botcherby of Kalda bounced backDaniel Botcherby is the Co-Founder & CEO of Kalda, the world's first LGBTQIA+ mental wellbeing app that provides self-guided therapy programs and daily reflection journaling. Formed in Antler and grown in Unrest, two top accelerators in the UK, Daniel recounts his rocky early-stage founder journey in this vulnerable interview.Steph and Daniel discuss:🏳️🌈 Early stage problem/solution validation 🏳️🌈 Antler and Unrest accelerator experiences🏳️🌈 The *new* MVP = Minimal Pathway to PMF!🏳️🌈 The importance of an advisory board🏳️🌈 Recovering from co-founder fall outTry Kalda for FREE here: https://www.kalda.co/UPDATE: Since recording, Kalda raised £300...2025-02-0537 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia"Karren Brady is my hero!" | Lamees Butt, Co-Founder & CEO of RISERLamees Butt is the Co-Founder & CEO of RISER, the video-led AI career matchmaking app that puts the manager at the forefront of the job hunting process. Think Bumble, for your next boss.She's also the host of the In Her Shoes podcast, on a mission to change the sad statistic that only 9% of the C-suite in the UK is filled by women. The show is in the Top 10 of UK podcasts, listened to in 64 Countries.Tune in to Lamees and Steph discuss...- Lamees' serial entrepreneur journey- Why Lamees never thought...2025-01-2938 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia"I nearly gave up" | Behind the scenes of podcasting | S&T x The Millennial Entrepreneur crossoverPodcasters Stephanie Melodia and Sina Sadrzadeh sit down for this special crossover episode of Strategy & Tragedy // The Millennial Entrepreneur, where they discuss...🎙️ The behind-the-scenes of podcasting🎙️ Unexpected surprises and lessons learnt🎙️ Funny stories along the way🎙️ The mission of their showsWe'd love to hear from you! What did you think of this episode?Leave us a comment and follow us on social:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/🎬 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephmelodia/🙏🏼 Sup...2025-01-2351 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Joanna Montgomery, Little Riot | PLUS! Some Blue/Red Monday HappinessJoin Steph for this solo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Joanna Montgomery, the Founder & CEO of Little Riot and creator of the viral sensation, Pillow Talk.Steph also shares your answers from social media on what makes you HAPPY! As it's Blue Monday (Red Monday in the US) here's to injecting a bit of positivity in your world today.Get involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review...2025-01-2042 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaBritain's Strongest Woman comes back STRONGER: "My own investors tried to destroy me" | Joanna Montgomery, Founder & CEO of Little RiotJoanna Montgomery is the Founder & CEO of Little Riot - behind the viral internet phenomenon "Pillow Talk,” a wristband that picks up your heartbeat and sends it in real time to your loved one, now used in over 70 countries.Joanna has also spoken at TEDx and WIRED Conference. Fun fact: she's also Britain's former Strongest Woman!In this interview, Steph and Joanna discuss:👉 What it's like to have your product go VIRAL👉 Achieving product validation early on👉 The bittersweet experience of COVID-19👉 Investor red flags and the disastrous story that nearly ended t...2025-01-1554 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaHELLO 2025! Exclusive reveal: new guests + mantras for your best year aheadTop 20 Female Founder, Keynote Speaker, Growth Consultant & Mentor, Stephanie Melodia, exclusively reveals some of the new guests coming in 2025 and some mantras to help you make the most of the new year.Get involved in the conversation.Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Subscribe to the podcast:🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NuiaWjWsOXpsFx2euglVe🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategy-tragedy-ceo-stories-with-steph-melodia/id1711083280🎧 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3N0cmF0ZWd5YW5...2025-01-0825 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaTop 5 Entrepreneur Interviews of 2024Top 20 Female Founder, Public Speaker, Mentor, and Podcast Host/Presenter, Stephanie Melodia, shares the Top 5 interviews of 2024 featuring her key takeaways and best soundbites from each episode.Get involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Subscribe to the podcast:🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NuiaWjWsOXpsFx2euglVe🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategy-tragedy-ceo-stories-with-steph-melodia/id1711083280🎧 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3N0cmF0ZWd5YW5kdHJhZ2VkeS9mZW...2024-12-1855 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Simon Alexander Ong | Energise & visualise for 2025 successSolo episode debriefing on last week's interview with Simon Alexander Ong - life coach, business strategist, international keynote speaker, author of Energise, and 2019's Life Coach of the Year. Get involved in the conversation!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend!2024-12-1616 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaGet ready for 2025 with Simon Alexander Ong, Life Coach of the YearSimon Alexander Ong is a life coach, business strategist, international keynote speaker, author of Energise, and 2019's Life Coach of the Year. Simon’s work has got him invited to speak on Sky News, BBC Radio London and LBC Radio; his insights have also been featured in the likes of Huffington Post, Forbes, Virgin and The Guardian.In this episode, Steph and Simon discuss:- Energy management vs time management - including the SEVEN different types of energy!- Deep life advice to achieve your goals, and the difference between motivation and ins...2024-12-1133 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Dimple Patel | Nature or Nurture?Some people are just built different ...or are they?Tune into this solo episode where Stephanie Melodia debriefs on last week's interview with the Cambridge, Yale, *and* Harvard-educated 3X CEO, Dimple Patel. Join the conversation: Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/🙏🏼 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517🎧 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend!2024-12-0924 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia"We were 24HRS away from being homeless" | Dimple Patel - ex-Trouva, ex-Love Coffee, now CEO at NatureMetricsAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Dimple Patel is the 3X exited BAME female founder (and graduate of Cambridge, Yale AND Harvard!!) Recognised as a Top Asian in ImpactTech UK 2024, Dimple is the ex-CEO of Trouva, and now CEO at NatureMetrics, a world-leading intelligence platform for biodiversity. In this episode, Steph and Dimple discuss:- Dimple's early influences- Going from the trading floor at the finance day job to cleaning toilets at the weekend with her first business, Love Coffee- The Trouva chapter: her j...2024-12-0444 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Maxine Laceby ft. Anna Pearce-Roberts + Mike Stevens | Starring in the AC campaign, risk tolerance in entrepreneurship & moreStephanie Melodia hosts The Debrief as part of the Strategy & Tragedy podcast, this time debriefing on the Maxine Laceby interview - Co-Founder of the £42M valued Absolute Collagen - with panellists Anna Pearce-Roberts, and Mike Stevens.Anna Pearce-Roberts is the host of the Her Shift Podcast and founder of Cordelia & Co, a luxury makeup artist business. She also starred in an Absolute Collagen campaign herself! Dubbed, the girl in the yellow swimsuit.Mike Stevens is serial entrepreneur, advisor to consumer brands, founder of Peppersmith, and former guest of Strategy & Tragedy (listen to EP39 here: https://o...2024-12-0323 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia"I made £42M from my kitchen!" Meet the 58-year-old collagen queen, Maxine Laceby of Absolute CollagenAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Maxine Laceby is the 58-year-old Co-Founder of Absolute Collagen, a D2C beauty product created in the kitchen with her daughter, Darcy Laceby, now worth over £42M. Maxine is a force to be reckoned with and stands as an exemplary pro-age entrepreneur.In this episode, Steph and Maxine discuss:💛 The story behind a wildly successful beauty product💛 The mistakes - and lessons - learnt along the way💛 Finding the "goldilcoks" of investors💛 Founder mental health - from managing anxiety to building confi...2024-11-2739 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP51: “We gave out free condoms!” | Hannah Chappatte, Founder & CEO of HYBRManaging international teams? Unburden yourself with Deel, the all-in-one global people platform. From cross-currency payroll to expense tracking, from EOR to consolidated HR compliance, get a demo of Deel here: https://bit.ly/4f6yef1Hannah Chappatte is the Founder & CEO of HYBR, the UK's #1 Accommodation Platform on TrustPilot with press featured in the likes of The BBC, the Evening Standard, and The Times.In this episode, Steph and Hannah discuss:🏡 Going from idea to validation (on both sides of a marketplace startup)🏡 MVP as proof of concept with monetisation🏡 Scrappy financing...2024-11-2036 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP50: Top 10 Rules of EntrepreneurshipAre you one of the 24 MILLION people who want to become an entrepreneur?Learn the 10 Commandments of Entrepreneurship in under 20 minutes from Top 20 Female Founder, Stephanie Melodia.Leave a comment on what resonated most with you. I wanna hear from you!Follow Steph on social media:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/🙏🏼 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517🎧 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend!🤍 About Steph:As ex-CEO of a...2024-11-1319 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Simon Franks ft. Josh Hanning + Daniel McCoy Andrade | Profit vs purpose, and entrepreneurialism as a force for goodAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Stephanie Melodia hosts Josh Hanning, Founder & CEO of Hanubu - an acquisition platform for the automotive aftermarket - and Daniel McCoy Andrade, startup BD & messaging strategist.In this debrief episode, we discuss...- Could we have *actually* had our own Netflix?- Profit & purpose: is it one or the other? - Business exits, share options, wealth - Entrepreneurialism as a force for good - Failed politics + outside thinking for problem-solvingOther podcast episodes mentioned in this con...2024-11-1030 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP49: "We almost had the NETFLIX of Europe" | Simon Franks, Co-Founder of LoveFilm and Partner at Redbus VenturesManaging international teams? Unburden yourself with Deel, the all-in-one global people platform. From cross-currency payroll to expense tracking, from EOR to consolidated HR compliance, get a demo of Deel here: https://bit.ly/4f6yef1Simon Franks is the co-founder of LoveFilm, the DVD rental company, which sold to Amazon for £200M back in 2011. This was only one of multiple business exits, as in 2005 he also sold Redbus Film Distribution to Lionsgate for £20M. This business was the UK’s fastest growing company between 2000 and 2004, with a growth rate of 280% - it was also behind famou...2024-11-0653 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaDON'T GET A JOB; GET AN OCCUPASSION | Cynthia Davis CBE, Founder & CEO Diversifying GroupManaging international teams? Unburden yourself with Deel, the all-in-one Global People Platform. From cross-currency payroll to expense tracking, from EOR to consolidated HR compliance, get a demo of Deel here: https://bit.ly/4f6yef1Cynthia Davis is the multi-award winning Founder & CEO of Diversifying Group, a social change organisation that helps talent and employers live the definitions of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. In addition to her role as leader of Diversifying Group, Cynthia also sits on numerous boards. She has won countless industry awards in the tech and diversity arenas, with the most notable being her...2024-10-3044 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP47: AI is the only thing that will get us out of this mess | Nigel MorrisManaging international teams? Get a demo of Deel here: https://bit.ly/4f6yef1Nigel Morris is an AdLand legend, top angel investor, chairman of The Upside and IDX, and sits on the boards of Landvault, Profitwheel, and Actioncy Tech.He also works with leading AI businesses including Synthesia, Faculty, and Metica. Finally, he is the President & Trustee of Working Options in Education, a unique charity for youth employability.Phew!Tune into this episode to hear Nigel's takes on the UK economy, how AI will revolutionise productivity, and pearls of wisdom f...2024-10-2354 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Nikki Wheeldon, VocoLab | The case for lifestyle businessesAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517In this shorter solo episode, Steph Melodia shares her key takeaways from last week's interview with former actor and now serial entrepreneur, Nikki Wheeldon of VocoLab.Tune into hear what stuck with Steph from the interview and the biggest lessons to underscore for all you budding or early-stage entrepreneurs!-Want more?Follow Steph:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ 🎬 Watch the interviews on YouTube: https://www.youtube.co...2024-10-2115 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP46: My acting career made me a better entrepreneur | Nikki Wheeldon, VocoLabAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517From dancing at the London Olympics to a 2X exited founder, Nikki Wheeldon is now mentor for Small Business Britain and speaker coach at VocoLab.In this episode, Steph and Nikki discuss:🎭 The resilience required for entrepreneurship from Nikki's acting career🎭 The story of two business exits🎭 Key lessons from business (including when to draw the line!)🎭 The confidence to unapologetically take up space and the subconscious ways we diminish ourselvesLearn more about Nikki here: https://linktr.ee/ni...2024-10-1649 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Gina Farran, Glaize | How to set yourself up for success as a first-time founderAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517In this solo debrief episode, Steph Melodia shares her main takeaways from last week's interview with Gina Farran, the Founder & CEO of the innovative nail brand, Glaize.From a career in corporate to taking the plunge, tune into hear what stuck with Steph from the interview and the key lessons to underscore for all you budding or early-stage entrepreneurs!Want more?Follow Steph:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/ 🎬 Follow us...2024-10-1434 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP45: Nailing Dragons' Den | Gina Farran, GlaizeAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Gina Farran is the banker-turned-entrepreneur and star of BBC's Dragons' Den. She is the Founder & CEO of Glaize, a tech-enabled D2C brand producing made-to-measure gel manicures that are chip-free, long lasting and vegan. Easy to apply, even easier to remove.In this episode, Steph and Gina discuss:💅 Going viral on TikTok💅 Finding validation early on💅 Behind the scenes of Dragons' Den💅 Sales lifecycles💅 And so much more!PLUS! Get 15% OFF your order! Use the code STRATEGY15 http...2024-10-0934 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Anthony Pierri with Liz Painter of Comma CommaAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Steph Melodia and Liz Painter debrief on last week's interview with Anthony Pierri of Fletch PMM, who has built up a highly profitable service-based business by honing in on one niche, to one customer segment, doing one thing, promoted on one channel!Naturally, in this episode, Steph and Liz debrief on the power of niching down; what that does to your creativity in the process (how to avoid going stale); and what resonated most with us about marketing, personal brand, messaging, and strategy.2024-10-0856 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph Melodia50K followers, $3k passive income & $1M+ biz from LinkedIn ALONE! Anthony Pierri, Fletch PMMAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Anthony Pierri is a partner at Fletch PMM. He helps early stage B2B founders position their products and translate that to homepage messaging. And that's all he does.In this episode, Steph and Anthony discuss:👉 The power of honing in on your niche👉 Creating repeatable processes for scale👉 Best practices in brand positioning for B2B startups👉 Personal branding and dealing with trolls👉 How to blow up on LinkedInLearn more about Fletch PMM here: https://www.fle...2024-10-021h 14Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Pippa Harman, Renude | Entrepreneurship & grieving: how loss puts business into perspectiveAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Steph Melodia shares her reflections on last week's interview with Pippa Harman, Co-Founder of Renude - the world's first dermatologist-approved AI skin advisor.One of the most unique parts about Pippa's entrepreneurial story is the theme of loss; Pippa lost her father during a company fundraise, and even had a funding round pulled due to the sudden loss of an investor's partner. It's inevitable to go philosophical here, but the silver lining to such real tragedies is how Pippa's managed to see the light...2024-09-3012 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP43: Navigating fundraising through grief | Pippa Harman, Renude✋ TW: Content features themes of grief and bereavement.Pippa is a formulation chemist turned beauty tech entrepreneur. She is now the Co-Founder of Renude, the AI personalisation platform for skincare on a mission to help people feel great in their bare skin. Renude offers personalised routines based on AI image analysis and a B2B plug-in solution for skincare retailers and brands to offer trusted, accurate recommendations to their customers.In this interview, Steph and Pippa talk about...💟 Transitioning from full-time employment to becoming a beautytech founder💟 How Marcia Kilgore inspired Pippa to becom...2024-09-2532 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Simon Squibb | Failed politician? Privileged white man? Or modern-day messiah?Stephanie Melodia debriefs on last week's Simon Squibb interview with panellists Thomas Panton, Danielle Wallington, and Cosmin Golache - including what resonated with them the most from the conversation, what surprised or shocked them, and their hot takes on Simon Squibb's philosophy as it relates to entrepreneurship and changing the world.The panellists:👉 Thomas Panton: serial entrepreneur, former pro athlete, and an early Strategy & Tragedy interview guest himself! (Listen to EP06 for the interview)👉 Danielle Wallington, founder of Flock Here, a social app that connects women who WFH to places to work from + people...2024-09-231h 01
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP42: Simon Squibb: Hard work is A LIE | HelpBnkAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Simon Squibb is the founder of HelpBnk (https://helpbnk.com/). He is also a serial entrepreneur, content creator, and investor.Simon started his first company when he was homeless at 15 years old, and sold his last company, Fluid, to PwC. He has since invested in over 70+ startups, and is now on a mission to help 10 million people achieve their dreams.Pre-order Simon's new book 'What's Your Dream?' via the link below:https://www.waterstones.com/book/whats-your-dream/simon-squibb/9781529935578?_gl=1*1...2024-09-1851 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief: Ranbir Arora, OneDay | Meta entrepreneurship, delusion + resilienceAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Steph Melodia shares her reflections on last week's interview with Ranbir Arora, serial entrepreneur and now Co-Founder & CEO of edtech scale-up, Oneday (https://www.oneday.org/)From finding a deep pain point in a very meta way (a serial entrepreneur helping other entrepreneurs succeed), how this clear mission helps foster a positive culture as the team scales, and of course Ranbir's attitude to success; delusion + resilience.Let me know what resonated with you from my interview with Ranbir. Get...2024-09-1616 min
Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEntrepreneurship education is BROKEN - so I fixed it | Ranbir Arora, Co-Founder & CEO of OneDayAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Ranbir Arora is the Co-Founder & CEO of edtech scale-up, Oneday, on a mission to democratise entrepreneurship. Tune into this episode to hear about...🚀 Serial entrepreneurship🚀 Finding a deep pain point 🚀 Building an international edtech platform... 🚀 And cultivating a solid team culture as it scales 🚀 PLUS! Ranbir's *spot-on* formula for entrepreneurial success!Ready to go from "one day" to Day 1 with Oneday? Start your entrepreneurial journey here: https://www.oneday.org/-Want more?Follow Steph:2024-09-1144 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaEP40: AMA | Scaling a business, exit strategies, thoughts on AI & moreStephanie Melodia answers your questions! Tune into this special solo episode to hear how she'd do things differently with Bloom, how to successfully exit a business, thoughts on AI, and more.Want your question featured next time? Make sure to follow Steph on Instagram here: https://instagram.com/stephmelodia/-Want more?Follow Steph:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemelodia/🎬 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephmelodia/videos🙏🏼 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/use...2024-09-0413 minStrategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories with Steph MelodiaThe Debrief ft. Johnny Khaira: Top Takeaways from Mike Stevens of PeppersmithAccess special perks on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=108229517Steph Melodia and special guest, Johnny Khaira, share their main reflections and top takeaways on last week's interview with Mike Stevens, Co-Founder of Peppersmith - the beloved mints brand with 20 million packs sold on supermarket shelves, coffee shops, and health stores.Tune in to hear what resonated with them both as they debrief on last week's interview.Let us know your thoughts! Follow on social:🤍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmelodia/🤍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/2024-09-0227 min