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The Happy Entrepreneur Podcast

The Happy Entrepreneur Podcast

By The Happy Startup School

This podcast is a collection of stories and experiences to help entrepreneurs trying to navigate a new way of entrepreneurship.

It isn’t just about the tactics and the strategies but also about the inner experience of being in business.

I’m not here to give you any answers but to provoke you to look harder for the answers yourself.

By sharing new insights and ideas with you we hope you’ll be inspired to look inside yourself to find out what’s really getting in the way.

While you have the knowledge to take your work to another level maybe what’s stopping you is a lack of self inquiry.
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How to become a true adult with Ebonie Allard

The Happy Entrepreneur PodcastAug 14, 2019

00:00
01:07:26
Business doesn't have to be a battle, so put down the armour

Business doesn't have to be a battle, so put down the armour

How do we put down our armour of self-sufficiency and competence?

While it protects us from challenges and shields us from criticism, it also cuts us off from deep connection and essential support.

We think that we need the armour to “hold ourselves together” because if we “let go”, we might not be able to pull ourselves together again.

Holding it all in affects our ability to be creative, make healthy business decisions, and have lives which spring from our core values.

Holding it all in is a form of unkindness to ourselves because we’re not allowing ourselves to show weakness. We’re telling ourselves that weakness is bad.

Holding it all in means we don’t really get to see what’s inside.

We cut ourselves off from our sense of inner knowing, and from really knowing others.

We are social animals that have evolved to survive as a group. Not as individuals.

But in the modern world of the hyper-successful founders and all-knowing influencers we’ve forgotten this.

We’ve forgotten how to be really happy  because we’re too busy striving.

To experience real happiness we need to experience all three directions of kindness: giving to others, giving to ourselves, and receiving.

Which means from time to time we need to put our armour down.

On this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Anya Pearse, an intuitive advisor, Head of Positive Psychology at The Museum of Happiness, and Fellow of the Positive Psychology Guild.

She has reframed her 15 years of disability through chronic illness into a spiritual path, combining a researcher’s curiosity, a poet’s turn of phrase, and a comic’s sense of timing to explore and share positive psychology and self-compassion with others.

At the Happy Startup School we believe that community is foundational to helping creative entrepreneurs thrive in this modern money-driven world.

We’re not built of the same stuff as the unicorn driving silicon valley founders or the hard nosed CEOs of the corporate world.

We crave connection and we thrive on mutual support.

In our conversation we explore how kindness and compassion are essential to our way of doing and being in business.

Jan 19, 202248:46
How to write useful books, with Rob Fitzpatrick

How to write useful books, with Rob Fitzpatrick

Writing a book takes time and effort.

And life's too short to write a book that no one will read.

On this episode, we invited someone to help us understand how to minimise the risk of writing books that aren't actually useful or reach their audience.

His name is Rob Fitzpatrick and he's the author of Write Useful Books, The Workshop Survival Guide and one that we've been recommending for years, The Mom Test.

Carlos has been reading his latest book Write Useful Books and thought it was a really useful  take on how to approach writing non-fiction that helps people.

He combines the product design, lean strategy and marketing concepts to provide a practical and structured approach that helps you focus on writing something of value.

Rob is an entrepreneur of 14 years and has written three books about his learnings along the way, including the best-selling handbook for doing better Customer Development, The Mom Test: How to talk to customers and figure out if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you.

Back in 2007, he dropped out of grad school to go through YCombinator with his first startup, and has been building products and businesses ever since. Beyond software, he has also kickstarted a physical card game, built an education agency, and more.

A programmer by training, Rob was forced to learn enterprise sales the hard way at his first company. With a foot in each of those worlds, and with his experience both bootstrapping and raising funding across a wide range of products, industries, and business models, he offers an broad and balanced view of the entrepreneurial journey.

Dec 03, 202157:22
Stop closing the deal and get to the truth, with Tad Hargrave

Stop closing the deal and get to the truth, with Tad Hargrave

We’re joined by Tad Hargrave, founder of Marketing for Hippies, who shares his thoughts on how to market well so that sales becomes effortless. We talk about purpose, problems, premise and promise.

Our obsession with selling tactics is actually compensation for our poor marketing.

When we’re having to work hard to “convince” people of the value of our work then we’re probably talking to the wrong people.

As a creative or purpose-driven entrepreneur you’re repulsed by the idea of manipulating people or having to convince them to buy from you.

And so you’re put off the idea of “selling”.

Unfortunately selling has for a long time been associated with winning and losing; a dominance game of who has the strongest influence.

But where is the consent?

If you’re doing hard sales it feels like trying to get the other person to agree with the choice you’ve already made for them. It’s a mission to hear your words come out of their mouths.

Is that the kind of selling you want to do?

If you’re like us this feels awful and unethical.

But you don’t have to do it that way.

You can actually do sales better if you go for truth rather than persuasion.

You need to tell your truth and the truth of your work in a way that it connects with the right people.

And that’s all about marketing and storytelling.

When done well you can stop “selling”.

All you do is just connect your truth with the truth of your customers. When they’re ready they’ll work with you.

Oct 27, 202154:06
More business, less effort, with Alan Wick

More business, less effort, with Alan Wick

Most creative and purpose-driven entrepreneurs love coming up with new ideas and working with their customers and clients.

But they hate sales, marketing and working on finances and spreadsheets.

They also complain about cashflow, profitability and burnout.

Their wheels are spinning because they focus on a narrow aspect of their business (delivery and ideas).

And they ignore all the other bits that they consider “boring” or “uninspiring” or “difficult” (finances, marketing, positioning, selling, recruitment etc…).

There’s a massive imbalance in where they put their attention and energy.

Alan, our mentor and friend, joins us to help you learn to love all of the business of business.

He lays out the different building blocks of your business and helps you appreciate the bits you shy away from, and how working on them can bring more ease to your life.

Sep 26, 202153:16
Realising worthwhile ideas, with Tom Nixon

Realising worthwhile ideas, with Tom Nixon

How do we realise worthwhile ideas in the world? Define a goal, create a plan, build a great team? That's how we're told to do it. How about instead, we listen to what we're really called to do?

Tom Nixon is an entrepreneur, founder of org-chart startup Maptio, and the author of the book Work with Source, which introduces a new perspective on being a founder, based on research conducted by Peter Koenig.

Chatting with Laurence and Carlos, he discusses how finding and cultivating sources of creativity leads to greater autonomy and happiness, and the balance that needs to be struck between giving people creative freedom, and not sufficiently defining roles.

Go furhter
Aug 13, 202144:36
Being a Late Bloomer with Kendra Patterson

Being a Late Bloomer with Kendra Patterson

What if you don’t agree with mainstream definitions of success?

What if, when looking at what everyone seems to value and strive for, you start to feel like “do I actually belong here?”

You see the well trodden path to success

The one validated by the hundreds of thousands that have gone before you. Each of their steps deepening the footprints of those that went before. As if this is the only way.

But it isn’t.

Not everyone has a path dictated to them by others.

And some of us don’t even know what path we want to take.

Instead we take a more creative and emergent route.

Also known as the experimental path.

The opposite is the conceptual path; you formulate a vision of what you want to accomplish and then work backwards to plan all the steps to get there.

However, if you have no vision of the future the only way forward is to just choose the next step based on what feels right.

This isn’t for everyone as it’s much more uncertain and possibly much slower.

It’s like following the small country lanes instead of the motorway.

In this episode of the podcast we unpack the ideas of a conceptual vs experimental type of person with Kendra Patterson, founder of the Stepping Off Now podcast.

We also talk about being a late bloomer and how she came to living a more emergent life.

Some key points from the episode:

Kendra remembers feeling like a late bloomer at the age of 22, and while working on her PhD suffered a significant period of burnout which led to her resetting her own career expectations.

Honestly, I had no vision for the future.

Kendra had to redefine for herself what success meant, and avoid judging her own success by what she thought were clear examples of having "made it". For her, a linear trajectory where one thing built to the next simply wasn't reflected in her actual life experience.

I'm gonna do what feels good to me.

Kendra had to discover a sense of faith that the next moment would bring her what she needed, so she created her own guidepost to lead her forwards.

F you guys, I'm just gonna do my own thing!

As a novelist, Kendra has had to deal with gatekeepers who make a decision on what's "worth" publishing, and what isn't. Many of those gatekeepers faced similar challenges in the past, and have now pulled the ladder up from beneath them. For Kendra, self-publishing her work has enabled her to reach more readers, free of those gatekeepers.

Some useful links from this episode:

The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer

Emergent Strategy: Shaping change, changing worlds

Kendra's website

Kendra's podcast - Stepping off now

Jul 07, 202146:42
Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Francois Souyri, founder of Paperblade
Feb 28, 202157:44
The kindness rebellion with Christina Kisley and Graham Allcott
Jan 28, 202101:25:13
How can kindness and generosity make a better world with Ole Kassow?

How can kindness and generosity make a better world with Ole Kassow?

This episode of the podcast is a recording from our Friday Fireside way back in November last year.

We were joined by our good friend Ole Kassow, an inspiration to us ever since we started The Happy Startup School back in 2012.

He’s the founder of Cycling Without Age, a movement on a mission to create a world where the elderly remain an active part of society and the local community.

Since 2012 it’s grown from a single cargo bike in Copenhagen to 2000 chapters in 50 countries, serving over 1.5 million people worldwide.

But when Ole first started it wasn’t meant to turn into a movement. It was just an experiment to see if he could put a smile on the face of an elderly gentleman by getting him on a bike.

Retrofitting a cargo bike with a seat he took the man out for a spin which not only put a smile on the old man’s face, but also on Ole’s.

The rest is now history.

Listen to this episode to learn what it really takes to be a changemaker.

You don’t always need big plans to create systemic change. Think big, but start small. In Ole’s experience most stories of systemic change have started with an individual trying to solve a very specific problem with a simple solution.

Also, it isn’t just about creating impact for others but also about finding joy in the work. You’re then more likely to keep doing it and also recruit others easily.

Find a solution that inspires people.

Ole encourages budding change makers to connect their personal story to their story of change. This makes the work feel more meaningful and it also makes it easier to connect with others.

You can find out more about Ole and his work here - https://cyclingwithoutage.org/

Jan 10, 202158:54
Making sense of my silly life with Eiji Han Shimizu

Making sense of my silly life with Eiji Han Shimizu

Eiji Han Shimizu is a purpose driven filmmaker and creative entrepreneur who discovered the many different ways we find happiness by making the movie Happy.

During this conversation we find out about his pursuit of happiness and how he got greedy for it.

Having ticked off all the different paths to happiness the last one on his bucket list was to find meaning.

He says that we all have different elements to our lives that seem like a set of senseless dots but when you’re able to connect them that’s when we find meaning and purpose and achieve the focus to make the impossible happen.

His latest movie is True North, a manga style animation about the plight of political prisoners in North Korean concentration camps. Animated movies are expensive to make and having been unsuccessful in finding a backer he had to bootstrap its production. While the budget required was still beyond his savings he found a way.

It was his calling and it helped him “make sense of his silly life”.

He shares many pearls of wisdom during this episode one of them being that when things get hard the secret to keeping going is to play the theme tune to the Indiana Jones movie in your head. That’s the soundtrack to success.

Dec 03, 202001:11:23
Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Simon Batchelar, cofounder of the Marketing Success Club

Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Simon Batchelar, cofounder of the Marketing Success Club

This episode of the podcast is another window into our community where you get to know our members and what they do.

Today I’m talking to Simon Batchelar, cofounder of Pallant Digital and the Marketing Success Club. He shares his journey from running a digital marketing agency for large clients to now offering courses and coaching to founder run businesses that he believes can make a difference.

Simon has a need for adventure and impact and believes that change happens from the bottom up. He wants to help amplify the voices of small business doing good things so they can all make a big impact.

During our conversation he shares some of his ideas about what it means to do marketing well and how to build a trusting relationship with your customers.

He’s fighting the get rich quick marketeers out there by helping more people market themselves more authentically and sustainably.

You can find out more about Simon's agency work here - https://pallant.digital/.

You can also learn about the Marketing Success Club and take their free courses here - https://marketingsuccess.club/

Check out his YouTube channel with fellow marketeer Adam Bastock - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCusIq1ZLn8kqgGZx4iN71GQ

Nov 15, 202052:10
How false harmony can damage your business and your friendship with Will and Joel

How false harmony can damage your business and your friendship with Will and Joel

Will and Joel are friends from university who went into business together. They put all their enthusiasm and energy into it and it grew. They worked hard and they got their rewards.

However, at some point it stopped working so well.

It went from simple to complex.

It went from being exciting and rewarding to just feeling like a job.

The spark had gone and they weren’t sure why. They’d focused their attention on trying to make the business work well again but had forgotten to also focus on their friendship.

In this episode of the podcast we hear about how improving the communication between founders is more important than trying to improve the business. Particularly if before they were founders they were friends.

Will and Joel honestly share the story of their business and their relationship as cofounders. They valued their friendship more than anything else but in creating a false harmony they were doing more harm than good.

They’ve both been on a journey of learning not only about business but also about themselves and each other. By discovering what each of them really wanted they were more able to decide where the business needed to go and how it needed to grow.

This isn’t just a story of business growth but also founder growth.

Will and Joel, because of their friendship, found the courage to be truly vulnerable with each other and through that become stronger together.

They reignited their passion for the business by discovering what they needed personally and then exploring how the business could meet those needs.

Nov 04, 202001:26:22
Stop doing business start being human with Kees Klomp

Stop doing business start being human with Kees Klomp

This episode of the podcast is another recording from our weekly Friday Fireside show. It was recorded on October 2nd and features our good friend Kees Klomp, whom we lovingly think of as the buddhist businessman.

Kees is now Professor of Applied Science at Rotterdam University and founding partner of Thrive Institute a think tank looking to reinvent business and society.

According to him the business of business is to serve life. That’s its purpose because without life there is no business.

During this conversation he shares some challenging ideas about where the current economic system is taking us and what he believes needs to change in order for business to be truly purposeful.

We talk about how pain and purpose are intrinsically linked and we also discuss the difference between meaning and purpose.

We live in an age where the majority of people feel disengaged from their work and where the businesses they work for are having an adverse affect on our climate and environment. Kees says these are symptoms of a broken system; that system being capitalism.

However, he says that it’s impossible to change this system unless we tackle the stories and beliefs that hold it up.

And so its up to all of us to reeducate ourselves into a new way of living that’s based on interconnectedness rather than individualism - my wellbeing is your wellbeing and is the planet’s wellbeing.

I recommend you get yourself and nice hot drink and find a comfortable place to sit in order to listen to this episode because if you’re like me your mind will be blown.

Oct 18, 202001:16:10
Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Remeny Armitage, cofounder of Brilliant and Human

Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Remeny Armitage, cofounder of Brilliant and Human

In this episode of the podcast we shine a light on one of our members, share their work and find out what it’s been like to be part of the Happy Startup School.
If you’re launching a business for the first time and are looking for support and guidance during those initial uncertain months then check out our community at
happystartups.co. We provide mentorship, masterclasses, training and networking to help you build your confidence and your business.
Remeny Armitage’s superpower is making friends. She’s turned that superpower into a business and now helps other businesses grow by turning their existing clients into happy and loyal advocates. She knows that if you serve your clients better your profits increase.
She started her journey of entrepreneurship over three years ago and during this conversation she shares how she’s grown in confidence and got more clarity about the value she offers.
Through the community she’s become more focused and has been “building a fortress around her of really good people”. That’s enabled her to be more bold about her business.
She does her work because it makes her happy and others happy. We’re thankful and proud to have her part of our tribe!
Are you scared to talk to your clients? Get Remeny to do it. It may be the best thing you ever do.
Oct 13, 202039:09
Storytelling to supercharge your startup pitch with Haje Kamps

Storytelling to supercharge your startup pitch with Haje Kamps

If you ever find yourself pitching to a VC or for any kind of funding it’s important to know how to tell a compelling story.

When it comes to pitching VC’s Haje Kamps, pitch coach, author of Pitch Perfect and CEO of Konf (a virtual conferencing platform), says the three elements you need to remember are: define the problem; say why you’ve got the perfect team; and demonstrate how you’ve got some traction in the market.

In this recording of our Friday Fireside Haje shares some of his views on storytelling, startup life (particularly when it comes with dealing with venture capital) and why he believe it’s important in business to not only tell compelling stories but also authentic ones.

Other things we touch on are: the importance of building strong brands; being intrinsically motivated and the general irrational behaviour of people.

Oct 05, 202001:07:25
Reimagining and reinventing yourself with Eleanor Tweddell

Reimagining and reinventing yourself with Eleanor Tweddell

This episode of the podcast is another recording from our live Friday Fireside webinar. On this week’s show we were joined by Eleanor Tweddell.

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door, a community that supports people through redundancy, and author of the book “Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you”.

During our conversation we hear about Eleanor’s journey from corporate employee to entrepreneur and the hurdles she’s had to overcome along the way.

She shares her thoughts on the importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, playing with ideas and surrounding yourself with inspiring down-to-earth people.

Sep 26, 202001:10:13
10 pitfalls to avoid as a first-time freelancer with Will Lyth

10 pitfalls to avoid as a first-time freelancer with Will Lyth

Will Lyth

Working for yourself for the first time can seem like a scary step. You go from the safety of a regular pay check to the uncertainty of not knowing where the next job might come from.

But some us aren’t built for the 9 to 5 and we crave the autonomy and freedom of being our own boss and so we accept the uncertainty and take control of how we work.

In this conversation with freelance copywriter William Lyth I hear about his journey from employee to self-employed. He shares that while switching profession and learning a whole new skillset was a risk it was a bigger risk to stay where he was.

Originally a developer Will changed direction and found work that gave him flow. He followed the path of becoming a copywriter and along the journey has learned as much about himself as he has about how his new profession.

Some of the things he’s learned he put into blog post called “10 pitfalls to avoid as a first time freelancer”. That’s when I reached out to him and asked if he’d join me on the podcast so that we could share his 10 bits of wisdom with you.

You can find out more about William's work here - https://williamlythcopywriter.com/

Sep 16, 202001:18:46
Progress not perfection with Veronica Fossa

Progress not perfection with Veronica Fossa

When setting out on the journey of building a totally new business it’s important to focus on making progress rather than seeking perfection. You’re a pioneer doing something that hasn’t been done before and so there’s no set template for success. You’re on a voyage of discovery that can take you down many dead ends.

Luckily we have tools to help us explore what works such as design thinking, customer development and the Lean Startup. These tools help us discover the problems worth solving and iterate towards the best solutions.

However, while it’s important to find problem/solution fit and then product/market fit we also need to keep an eye on product/founder fit. As our business ideas evolve we, as founders, also evolve along the way. As we discover what the market wants we also discover what we want (and don’t want) which is also foundational to the success and sustainability of the businesses we create.

If we don’t be build a business that aligns with our own personal needs we can end up following a path based on other people’s definitions of success. We then run risk of building a successful business that makes us feel tired, trapped and tense. The opposite of being a Happy Entrepreneur.

In this episode of the podcast I talk to Veronica Fossa, founder of WeFactory. She shares the story of her 6 year journey of building her business and why closing it this year made perfect sense for her.

If you’re a business owner struggling with meeting the expectations of what a successful business should be then I hope this story will give you the courage and inspiration to rethink the direction you’re going in.

Aug 12, 202001:02:21
Understanding who we are using Lumina Spark with Beccie D'Cunha

Understanding who we are using Lumina Spark with Beccie D'Cunha

Recently I caught up with Beccie d’Cunha, founder of Courage Lab, a consultancy that helps founders and organisations build more resilient and higher performing teams. She shared with me a tool that she uses a lot in her work called Lumina Spark. It’s a psychometric profiling tool that measures the level to which we exhibit different personality traits.

I’m always curious about new tools that help us unpick the spaghetti of thoughts and emotions that make up who we are. Knowing more about ourselves can help us design the right businesses for us. It’s hard to define what success means for you if you don’t know who you are.

Building a Happy Startup isn’t just about making money while creating a positive impact in the world. It’s also about going on a journey of self-discovery. Discovering our limiting beliefs and being aware of our unconscious biases can help us become more intentional and powerful in business. It allows us to act despite our fears and make big decisions even though we don’t have all the information.

During this episode Beccie tells me more about Lumina Spark and how it works. We also discuss our own individual Lumina Portraits (these are the psychometric reports created by the tool) and what we learned from them.

If you’d like to learn a little bit more about Lumina and how it could help you then listen on.

To find out more about Beccie's work and how she could help you develop your own Lumina Portrait check out here website - https://www.couragelab.co/

Aug 05, 202047:03
The power of admitting you don't know with Lyndsay Lucero

The power of admitting you don't know with Lyndsay Lucero

This episode of the podcast is another window into the worlds of the people who join our Happy Startup tribe. This time I'm in conversation with Lyndsay Lucero, founder of Baxley Goods. She tells the story of how she started her business and why. Unlike other startup stories Baxley didn't begin because Lyndsay wanted to make money but because she wanted to make something for herself and her children.

Baxley Goods currently creates beautifully designed and hard wearing bags that have little environmental impact and provide workers a living wage. Through the business Lyndsay is satisfying her need for creativity while also trying to preserve the planet for her children. At the moment she's designing bags but has ambitions to make other products too.

During our conversation we touch on the power vulnerability, authentic storytelling for business and why it's so important to be able to admit that you don't know and ask for help.

Lyndsay ends with some questions for anyone who's looking to work on something more meaningful:

  1. What's your vision?
  2. What lights you up?
  3. What are you NOT good at?
  4. What assets are available to you?
  5. How does all this align?
  6. What's the bigger picture?
Jul 28, 202046:06
Pricing well with Ben Johnson

Pricing well with Ben Johnson

In our community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs we have many founders who want to create a positive impact with their valuable products and services but are hampered by how they price. This affects both their financial and energetic sustainability.

Do you feel unconfident and apologetic in the way you price your products and services? Are you struggling to grow your business because you’re always scrabbling for new customers?

If so, this episode is for you.

Laurence and I are joined by Ben Johnson - founder, investor, mentor and pricing coach. He shares with us five principles to help you price well. We discuss what they mean and share stories from our agency days to illustrate each point.

This is an incredibly valuable conversation no matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey. You'll find some useful tips and stories that will unlock your pricing challenges and help you become more confident and therefore more profitable.

The principles we cover are:

1. Get out of your own way 

2. Price the person and not the job

3. Give different price options

4. Provide a pricing anchor point

5. Always deliver value

Jul 21, 202001:00:01
Entrepreneurship for Introverts with Pete Mosley

Entrepreneurship for Introverts with Pete Mosley

It's perfectly possible to be shy, quiet, or introverted and get on in the world. However on social media all we seem to see are the loud-mouthed extroverts who are smashing it and trying to sell us another transformational program that will help us make six-figures in sales. Unfortunately those voices have dominated the world of entrepreneurship making the less assuming ones of us feel inadequate and not knowing how to market ourselves authentically.

In this fun and informative conversation with Pete Mosley, author of The Art of Shouting Quietly, we hear an alternative story of success. What if getting known and marketing yourself wasn’t about shouting loudly, but shouting quietly. In his book he asks “What if it is as simple as employing your best listening skills and learning the art of well-crafted questions?”

During this conversation we talk about different models of success and being aligned to our true values. We discuss the importance of sharing our ideas with others who show ruthless compassion rather than well-meaning criticism. And we also cover the idea of getting help from others to market what we do so that we don’t feel like we’re always having to talk about ourselves.

The invitation to introverted entrepreneurs is to find a way to get your message out into the world that aligns with your nature and rises above the noise. In this episode Pete shares how you can do this.

Jul 15, 202001:14:03
Productivity during a pandemic with Graham Allcott
Jul 08, 202001:18:13
Closing well with Tom Nixon

Closing well with Tom Nixon

When Laurence and I closed our digital agency it seemed like the natural thing to do. At the time we had beautiful studio, a talented team and clients with ongoing projects but we’d lost the creative energy to keep it going. We weren’t clear about its future and we were being drawn to grow the Happy Startup School. While it wasn't plain sailing closing Spook Studio was a lot less traumatic experience than what many other founders have had to go through.

In this episode of the podcast we’re joined for our Friday Fireside by Tom Nixon, author, coach and founder of Maptio (a tool to help develop self managing organisations). He's on a mission to support founders and research what it takes to create (and close) impactful companies.

Tom shares his story of entrepreneurship, how he closed his company and why some businesses have a natural shelf-life, and that’s fine.

We talk about the taboo connected with closing a company and how we’ve lost sight of the creativity and the humanity at the core of business. Businesses may be legal entities in themselves but in reality they’re just a collection of people brought together by the creative energy of the founder. When we forget this we can easily become imprisoned by the structures we’ve created.

If you’re a founder thinking about closing your company or at the beginning of a startup journey we hope that this conversation will give you a new and more energising perspective on what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Jul 01, 202001:15:29
More than ever we need empathy with Christine Raine

More than ever we need empathy with Christine Raine

In this episode of the podcast Laurence and I were given a masterclass in empathy. As part of our Friday Fireside series of webinars we were joined by Christine Raine, empathic coach, entrepreneur and founder of Conversable, a transformational movement on a mission to share how empathy can transform human relationships, and therefore the world.

It was a very timely conversation given how the world seems to have turned upside down over the past few weeks. Fear, division and blame are driving behaviours more and more. And so we explored how can use empathy in our lives and work to be able to address the challenges we face and the inequality that exists.

According to Christine empathy starts by being fully present with people; serving as a mirror to what they’re saying and feeling; and reflecting what their feelings and needs may be to help then connect with their own inner wisdom. It’s about helping people move from a head-centred approach to communicating to a more heart-centred one.

At the centre of Christine’s work is teaching Non-Violent Communication and she teaches us what it’s about and where it comes from.

I found this an incredibly empowering conversation that touched on empathy and privilege and how we can use our deeper understanding of both to contribute to the changes that need to be made in society to make it more equitable for all.

Jun 23, 202001:16:45
3 songs 3 stories with Peter Krishnan

3 songs 3 stories with Peter Krishnan

This episode is a departure from our normal format and is an experiment suggested by one of our longest standing members and a big advocate of our work, Peter Krishnan. Peter has been to every Summercamp and is also the leader of our Happy Startup London group. During this episode Peter shares his story of startup along with 3 music tracks that have been important to his journey.
Jun 11, 202046:26
Say f**k it and feel the fear with John Parkin

Say f**k it and feel the fear with John Parkin

In this episode of the podcast we’re in conversation with John Parkin the author of F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way.

We hear about his journey of self healing and how saying f**k it was core to it. It’s about not holding on so tightly to ideas and concepts and being more aware of the unfair expectations we place on ourselves, situations or events.

When it comes to saying f**k it to fear John talks about accepting the feelings rather than pushing them away.

He says “we’re scared of sadness, pain, vulnerability and grief… in normal times we’re all too busy and we don’t experience significant pain or joy and so the nervous system is almost frozen. But when you allow people to be more vulnerable and relaxed the ice starts to melt and they get to feel that pain and joy again.”

There are so many gems in this episode and so if you struggle with dealing with the high and lows of the entrepreneurial journey then listen on and learn how the f**k it way can show you the path forward.

May 29, 202001:13:09
Inspired action during times of crisis with Elizabeth Lovius

Inspired action during times of crisis with Elizabeth Lovius

When faced with a crisis how do you respond? When your mind is filled with anxious thoughts and worries it’s impossible to find the right answer. But if you let your mind settle and be at peace then that’s when insight arrives.

In this episode of the podcast we’re joined by Elizabeth Lovius, entrepreneur, leadership coach and wisdom teacher. She shares her own insight about where inspired action comes from and how we can find it within us. We relate this to our own experience of handling a crisis when we discovered just 3 weeks before our annual signature event that we didn’t have a venue.

According to Elizabeth, no matter what we might be experiencing on the outside, inside we are safe and we can claim the peace we need at any time. This is our spiritual side, the side of us that we need to be using more in business, particularly now.

May 19, 202001:05:15
The Art of Having No Idea with Laurence Shorter

The Art of Having No Idea with Laurence Shorter

"The whole world is suddenly in a state of total improvisation, and no-one has any idea what will come next"

In this episode of the podcast Laurence and I talk to our good friend Laurence Shorter. He’s a coach, comedian and author of The Lazy Guru’s Guide to Life.

We be explore the idea of not having any idea. For Laurence, this is the essence of true creativity and from where clarity emerges. When we settle into a space of doing nothing we give an opportunity for our inner voices to quieten and stop. We stop thinking and we start feeling into what's needed next.

For many of us this is a scary place to be. We’re so used to going somewhere, achieving something and doing work. We believe that we can think and do our way out of any problem.

But what if the situation becomes so complex that you truly can't think of what to do next? At that point maybe "doing" is the last thing you should do.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to do nothing then make sure you listen to this episode.

May 13, 202001:14:46
How to build a business by just being you with Gayle Berry

How to build a business by just being you with Gayle Berry

In this episode of the podcast I talk to the lovely and super positive Gayle Berry, business mentor and founder of Blossom and Berry.

Gayle has been running her own business for over 18 years now. When she first started Blossom and Berry, her baby massage school, she was sending out binders and CDs to people via the post. She's now transitioned everything online and has clients across the world.

We talk about what it takes to run a sustainable business and the importance of authenticity and love. She believes that by being intentional about what you want and making sure you align your actions accordingly you'll build a business that you'll love.

May 03, 202045:38
Coping with Business Loss with Christina Kisley

Coping with Business Loss with Christina Kisley

This is another recording of the live webinar that Laurence and I are hosting during lockdown in the UK and across the world.

We're joined by Christina Kisley, our long time friend and Alptitude alumnus. She’s co-chair of Conscious Capitalism in Atlanta and is an executive coach for leaders, executives and entrepreneurs with 20 years of experience.

For this episode we talk about loss. When we downplay loss and don't allow ourselves to grieve we store up that emotion so that next time we have a loss we feel exponentially worse. This is because the new loss, even if it's relatively smaller, lights up all the grief that's still in our system.

We're all currently suffering from a loss of some kind whether it may be as tragic as the loss of a loved one or even the loss of a dream.

Rather than push those unpleasant feelings away we need to lean into them and just feel. We can't think our way out of grief we can only feel our way through it.

Many people try to "silver line" the loss and try to find something positive from the event. But there's no actual need to do so, it can just feel bad, and that's okay.

With the help of the amazing Christina Kisley we share the Kubler-Ross model on the different stages of grief and relate them to what we're seeing around us and experiencing ourselves.

We hope it helps you deal with any loss that you're experiencing in your businesses and personal lives and gives you a way to process what's going on.


Apr 27, 202001:09:14
Entrepreneurship is the best personal development journey with Georgee Low

Entrepreneurship is the best personal development journey with Georgee Low

Georgee Low is a sales and marketing coach from Vancouver and she helps purpose driven entrepreneurs build their businesses and make them profitable. She works with people who really want to make a difference in the world but struggle with marketing and sales.

During this podcast we talk about what it takes to be authentic when selling as well as what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Most people think that to sell well you need to be an extrovert and if you’re an introvert you’re going to suck at it. But Georgee believes that it doesn’t matter what your natural personality is. What’s important is whether you can listen and whether you care. Those are the qualities of great sales people.

Be curious, ask questions and don’t take offence if they don’t want to work with you. It’s fine, it just means there’s someone else out there who’ll be a better fit for them and a better fit for you.

I also talk to Georgee about her own entrepreneurial journey and what it means to her. According to her, making money is all well and good but if that’s all you’re here to do then you’re just taking up space.

She became an entrepreneur because it was the only way she could get what she needed: to always be there for her children; to put a roof over their heads; and to make a difference in the world.

She also says that being an entrepreneur is the best personal development program you could ever follow.

Apr 22, 202057:33
Feel the fear and act with Shamash Alidina

Feel the fear and act with Shamash Alidina

This episode is the audio recording of the live webinar that Laurence and I have committed to broadcasting every Friday during the lockdown period in the UK.

We were joined this time by one of the funniest and kindest people we know. His name is Shamash Alidina and is the author of Mindfulness for Dummies as well a being an ACT trainer and a keynote speaker on wellbeing and resilience.

ACT, also known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Training, was around before mindfulness became a thing. It’s a highly flexible evidence-based model that can be used by everyone from coaches and consultants to school teachers to therapists and doctors.

At it’s core ACT is about feeling the feelings rather than pushing them away. As Shamash says during the webinar the more we try to push unpleasant feelings away the more they’ll grow. If we’re able to accept these feelings and give them space the less likely they’ll hijack our actions.

Understanding how this works is essential for first time entrepreneurs. When you’re launching a business fear and self-criticism are your worst enemies. By applying some of the principles in ACT we believe you’ll be better equipped to deal with the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

I hope you enjoy this episode, particularly the little meditation Shamash shares towards the end.

Apr 18, 202001:14:27
How to worry less about money with Charles Davies

How to worry less about money with Charles Davies

Every Friday Laurence and I have been hosting live discussions about what's been going on this week for us and our community.

It’s our opportunity to process what's going on in the world right now and tackle some crunchy topics around life and business, and the overlap of the two.

Each week we have a different theme and for this episode we were joined by the amazing Charles Davies, one of our teachers & guides and also the founder of How to Be Clear. Charles has devoted most of his working life to trying to understand what clarity is and how it works.

He joins us to talk about money and what it means to us. Not in terms of the mechanics of value exchange but about how our relationship and attitudes to it gives us insight into our inner world.

During these uncertain times our relationship to money is going to manifest itself more strongly in the way behave and the decisions we make. Learning more about how that works will help you make better decisions.

Apr 10, 202001:15:53
Recalibrating while in chaos with Lana Jelenjev
Apr 03, 202001:08:10
The Happy Entrepreneur [LIVE] - 27th March 2020

The Happy Entrepreneur [LIVE] - 27th March 2020

This is the second of our weekly live transmissions where Laurence and I reflect on the past week and our thoughts and ideas.

During this session we talk about:

  • our covid coping strategies and what we've done to get through this week
  • anti-fragility and how we can build resilience in times of uncertainty
  • how entrepreneurship can be seen as a journey of personal growth

We go live every Friday at midday UK time and you can join the Zoom or watch via our Happy Startup Summercamp Facebook group. We'll share links to the session via our various social media channels.

Mar 29, 202059:23
Structure can set you free with Dirk Bischof

Structure can set you free with Dirk Bischof

I’ve learned from talking to coaches and business owners, and also reflecting on my own experiences, that the biggest obstacle to growing a business is the founder.

Our beliefs and values, without proper examination, can stop us from making the best decisions for our businesses.

In this conversation with Dirk Bischof I learn about how his passion for stories and his drive to understand himself have helped him grow as an entrepreneur.

In particular I found fascinating the tension between his need for freedom and his need to create more impact.

In order to grow his impact he needed to grow his team, but in order to work as an effective team he needed to create structure.

But Dirk hated structure. He’d always run away from it. Sticking with that belief would have limited his ability to create more impact. However he discovered that structure can also create freedom.

Through self-reflection and questioning we discover the beliefs that are getting in the way. By learning to accept and reframe them we avoid creating inner conflict that stops us from making the impact we want.

For many entrepreneurs the idea of looking inwards sounds self indulgent and a waste of time.

However, when things get really tough and you need to make some big decisions knowing more about yourself will help you overcome those challenges more effortlessly.

Mar 25, 202047:12
The Happy Entrepreneur [LIVE] - 20th March 2020

The Happy Entrepreneur [LIVE] - 20th March 2020

During this time when we're going to feel more apart this video call is our way of pulling us together.

Laurence and I are committing to doing a live video call every Friday at midday UK time.

We'll talk about what's been going on for us and invite community members to jump on the call and share their stories.

We're working it out as we go along and so we need all the help and support we can get.

Mar 20, 202001:09:00
Finding your voice with Matt Matheson

Finding your voice with Matt Matheson

Podcasting and vlogging are great low cost ways to get your message out to the world. If you’re a purpose-driven entrepreneur being able to share your story and activate people who want to join your mission is fundamentally important. I think of the work of Marshal Ganz and particularly his principle of story of self, story of us and story of now. Check out Seth Godin’s take on this idea and how it’s important for marketeers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he1Vji1n8z0.

Even though telling your story and talking in public is so powerful many of us don’t believe we can do it. We say “no-one wants to listen to me”. However, according to Matt Matheson this is just a story you tell yourself and once you know that story you can change it.

This is why I was eager to talk to Matt. His mission in life is to help people find their voice and he does this by coaching people who want to do public speaking. During this conversation we talk about how he was called to do this work and how he helps people overcome the fear. He shares some fundamental principles to move past the fear and also what makes for a compelling talk.

Two simple questions to ask yourself when you’re thinking about speaking in public are:

  • What’s the feeling you want to give people?
  • What do you want them to take way with them?

If you’re considering talking in public for the first time or you’re wanting to become a better speaker then this episode is for you.

Feb 14, 202054:07
Venture capital and vulnerability with Haje Kamps

Venture capital and vulnerability with Haje Kamps

This is the last episode of 2019 and a bit of a milestone for me. The podcast started in February as a bit of an experiment and I'm proud to have now recorded 50 episodes.

Recording and producing each episode has taken a lot of time and effort but at the beginning of the year I had set myself a one word intention of learning and this podcast has felt so aligned with that.

When I first started I didn't know what I was doing. The first few episodes were very raw but the podcast evolved after each recording and over time I discovered the style and format that felt right. Also, sharing these stories with listeners has allowed me to exercise my own practice of listening. I've learned as much about myself as I have about my guests.

I'd like to thank everyone who gave up their time to join me on the podcast and also to everyone who's taken the time to listen.

On this 50th episode I'm joined by one of our good friends and an alumnus of our first ever Alptitude retreat, Haje Kamps. He's had an eclectic career taking on the roles of journalist, entrepreneur, author, podcaster, VP of a VC and pitch coach. He's also one of the most well-read and knowledgable people I've ever met with ideas and thoughts on just about every subject you can throw at him.

Through my work with the Happy Startup School one of the most common questions we're asked is about getting funding. In this episode we talk about venture capital and what it does to founders. In the startup world VC backing is seen as a badge of honour but I've come to understand that it isn't for everyone.

I learned from Haje that being backed by VC funding can be brutal. They'll support you with their time and money but only if they can make a massive return on their investment. If you don't look like you're going to go big then you might as well go home.

Building the unicorn businesses that VCs are looking for can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams and a household name, but at what cost? While many entrepreneurs appear to be after the money and the status, what's really motivating them?

During our conversation we talk about intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and the importance of self knowledge for entrepreneurs. Haje shares some of his own journey of self knowledge and we talk about the value of deep conversations and vulnerability.

Dec 25, 201901:12:16
Build a business and sell it... that's bollocks with Ray Richards

Build a business and sell it... that's bollocks with Ray Richards

This episode is a meaty one in which the conversation covers 10 year plans, cottage renovations, business goals, life goals, selling companies, self-awareness and leadership.

My talking partner on the podcast is Ray Richards, founder of Do Something Different. He's fascinated by behavioural flexibility and is on a mission to make the world a better place by helping people make better behaviours. He's also an experienced entrepreneur who's sold two businesses and is now in the process of growing his third.

Along the journey he's learned many things not only about business but about himself. He says he's "inherently lazy" but what he really means is that he doesn't want to spend all hours of the day on work, as he's got other things he wants to do. So what does that mean when it comes to leading a business? What makes a leader?

When we think of great leaders we associate them with traits such as drive, charisma, resilience, clarity and clear communication.

However, I believe that we can all lead in our own way. To do so we need to ask ourselves some probing questions. What are my personal (emotional) needs and where do they come from? What does my organisation, business or work need to be to address these needs?

With that deeper understanding of ourselves we can develop a style of leadership that feels authentic and purposeful. We may not become the next Steve Jobs, but we'll build a business that does the job of making us happy.

And that's what Ray wants. To do work and build a life that makes him happy. Listen on to hear his thoughts about leadership and how he needs to lead now.

Dec 18, 201901:21:31
The hidden traps and pitfalls of founding an agency with Rob Day

The hidden traps and pitfalls of founding an agency with Rob Day

In this episode I talk to Rob Day about the traps and pitfalls of founding an agency business.

When Laurence and I started our digital agency back in 2004 we didn’t have a business plan or exit strategy. We just enjoyed doing the work and wanted to continue doing it and get paid. We grew organically taking people on when we couldn’t handle the workload.

Over time we got more work and therefore needed more staff which meant finding more work to keep the staff happy (and paid).

We then did less of the work we enjoyed (i.e. designing and coding) and doing more of the work we didn’t enjoy, and had never been trained to do (i.e. management and sales).

Without a clear vision for the business (and for ourselves) we spent more time in the doing and less time in the being. We felt that we needed to become a well respected agency doing innovative work but we didn’t know what that meant for us individually and also what it meant for the future.

Who wants to think about exit strategy when you’re doing work you love?

Who CAN think of exit strategy when you’re too busy trying to feed the beast?

And why even think of an exit? If there’s a need to exit why did we start the business in the first place?

If this story sounds familiar to you then you’ll relate to this episode of the podcast with Rob Day, cofounder of Liquid Light, a digital agency based in Brighton. Amongst other things he now coaches agency founders by sharing his knowledge and awareness of the hidden traps and pitfalls of founding a service based business.

If you’re early in your journey then you’ll learn what to look out for as you grow your business. If you’re a seasoned agency founder you’ll probably nod your head in agreement and maybe be inspired to look at your work differently.

Dec 11, 201901:13:42
The path of a creative entrepreneur with Brendan Kearns

The path of a creative entrepreneur with Brendan Kearns

Brendan Kearns is a designer and founder of Studio Rival. For many people his career path is already a mark of success having worked at Twitter, Invision and Google. But like most creative entrepreneurs he has his own definition of success that isn’t driven by money or status.

In this episode we talk about his time working for tech giants, his view on the role of designers and what it means to him to be an entrepreneur.

Brendan is definitely values driven and you’ll hear about how he puts those values into action when choosing clients. He’s also pragmatic and looks at the bigger picture of what he’s trying to achieve rather than being too strict with his values. For instance, even if there isn’t an exact values match with the client, if the money is good enough he’ll see it as an opportunity to create change in the organisation and also fund other projects that he believes in.

Like myself and Laurence, Brendan took an unorthodox route into his profession, studying at a business school before becoming a designer. This has meant he’s been able to look at things differently and not be conditioned by orthodox training. Rather than being T-shaped he aspires to be comb-shaped. This means, instead of being a specialist in one area he’d rather have a good knowledge of a broad set of disciplines.

If you’re a creative professional looking to make the leap or you’re an early stage entrepreneur wanting to be assured you’re on the right path then this episode is for you.

Dec 04, 201955:37
An easier and more joyful way to make impact with Rei Chou

An easier and more joyful way to make impact with Rei Chou

Does creating impact always have to take effort and hard work? Can you make change without forcing it? According to Rei Chou it is possible. You just have to hold on less tightly to the outcome and be more honest about why you need to be a changemaker. This takes some inner work, which according to Rei is an exploration into what you don’t know that you don’t know about yourself.

Rei is a former marketing creative now Reiki master and healer and also founder of The Feast. The purpose of The Feast is to gather people who can share in their abundance (their gifts and talents) so that they can effortlessly help each other. I believe this work embodies Rei’s perspective on how creating impact can be easier and more joyful.

For some people it’s hard to let go of the belief that big change takes hard work. But if you can believe that it’s possible maybe you can make it reality. While this all sounds a little woo woo I think there’s some truth to it, even backed by science. Our perceptions are governed by our beliefs and values. And so if we can change our beliefs we can change what we see and spot different opportunities around us.

This episode is a bit of a deep one but I recommend you stick with it. If you’re struggling at work or in your business and you can’t see a way forward maybe the thing that’s getting in your way is actually you. Once you get out of your own way life will get a lot easier.

You can find out more about Rei and her work here - https://www.thisisreichou.com/

Nov 27, 201901:11:20
What does it take to create a calm company with Carrie Melissa Jones

What does it take to create a calm company with Carrie Melissa Jones

Carrie is an author, entrepreneur, community builder and consultant and has been building online communities for the past 15 years. Her new book Building Brand Communities is about how companies can create a greater sense of belonging and therefore create more positive impact in the world.

Her experience in tech startups did not create a great positive impact for her. She started her professional life in the publishing world and then moved into a tech startup where she found the step change in the pace of work overwhelming. During our conversation we touch on the idea of a calm company, as evangelised by the founders of Basecamp. Rather than trying to achieve growth at all costs we should be creating a new definition of success.

However, can you have a calm company if you're not a calm founder?

Lately I've been having a number of conversations about leadership and inner work. I was struck by the quote "the organisations we create bare the scars of their founders". What this means to me is that the companies we create will reflect who we are, what we believe and what we need. If we're not aware of some of the unconscious needs and behaviours that we bring to the company, they'll play out in the way our company grows and evolves.

In this episode Carrie says "ultimately everyone looks to the founder, how do they work, what do they care about, are they paying attention to what I'm doing, and if not what do I need to do make them pay attention to me".

In a previous podcast with Christina Kisely I discovered the idea of the "law of the lid" and that an organisation can only travel as far as the founder.

So, when you're thinking about your business and how well it's working and where it's going I believe it's also important to look inwards and ask the question "where am I going" and "how am I being".

Nov 20, 201956:29
Launching your first online summit with Sarah Metcalfe
Nov 13, 201953:16
Can you be happy and ambitious with Laurence Shorter

Can you be happy and ambitious with Laurence Shorter

One of my highlights from this year’s Happy Startup Summercamp was watching Laurence Shorter’s Spiritual Experience. Think of it as stand up comedy meets group therapy meets chat show meets transformational workshop. I like to call it cheerful introspection.

I’ve come to believe that many of the challenges that we find in business and leadership come from a lack of clarity. This is a lack of clarity about where you want to go, but also a lack of clarity of what you stand for and what you want. Getting clear on these things can lead to very deep and very uncomfortable conversations very quickly.

Laurence loves to have these conversations, including ones on God and death and he approaches them in an entertaining, engaging and educational way. I believe humour is a great leveller and helps us discuss tough topics in more accessible and less painful ways. I’d love to bring more of this to the world of work and personal growth as I know it definitely helps me to think about the big questions without spinning out.

In this episode of the podcast I talk to Laurence about where the idea of his chat show came from, what he struggles with and what it means to be happy and ambitious.

Next week on November 13th we're broadcasting a live viewing of the Spiritual Experience. If you'd like to join us then register here - http://ahappy.link/shorter

Nov 06, 201955:22
Happy endings with Alexander Kjerulf

Happy endings with Alexander Kjerulf

Alexander Kjerulf is the founder of Woohoo Inc and is the original Chief Happiness Officer. Laurence and I first met Alex over 6 years ago when we went to a conference in Denmark for innovators trying to change the world of business. He’s an amazing guy with an infectious positive energy. When we were over there he invited us to dinner and it was my first experience of Cards Against Humanity. I can’t remember ever laughing so much.

Alex’s mission is to bring more happiness and positivity to the world of work. He does this by giving talks and running workshops for companies all across the world. He’s written a number of books and built up a network of positivity professionals who use his materials and resources to impact more businesses. However, after doing this work for 16 years Alex has decided to take a break. He’s found himself having less energy and motivation and is less happy at work, which isn’t a great place to be for a Chief Happiness Officer.

Listen to this episode to find out how Alex started the business, what it was like in the early days, how it’s grown and why in 2020 he’ll be shutting it down for at least 6 months and maybe, forever.

Oct 30, 201901:09:50
How to make a big decision with Jonny Miller

How to make a big decision with Jonny Miller

Oct 23, 201901:04:08
Remembering who you are at your core with Kim Slade
Oct 16, 201956:23