In this episode, Tom Griffiths welcomes Phil Tregous Evans, CEO and co-founder of Giraffe Social, to explore the journey of building and scaling a successful social media agency. Phil shares insights from over 13 years of experience, reflecting on the challenges and lessons learned while growing Giraffe Social from a small startup to a team of 14 working with large global brands.

The discussion begins with Phil’s background and the origins of Giraffe Social, highlighting the early focus on survival and the gradual shift towards strategic growth. A significant portion of the conversation revolves around the challenges of hiring and managing people, particularly as the agency expanded. Phil emphasises the importance of creating a supportive environment, providing team members with a clear vision, and empowering them to make an impact.

Another key theme is the critical role of financial oversight in scaling a business. Phil explains how his partnership with CFO Kane has been vital for sustainable growth, combining creative optimism with financial discipline. The conversation delves into how Giraffe Social transitioned from traditional deliverable-based packages to retainer models, which improved profitability, reduced team stress, and enhanced client outcomes.

Phil also shares insights into the agency’s approach to client work, focusing on strategy-driven social media management for established brands in sectors such as healthcare, finance, fintech, and education. He highlights common challenges faced by clients, particularly a lack of coherent social media strategy, and explains how Giraffe Social positions itself as both a strategic partner and a flexible extension of a client’s team.

Finally, Phil offers advice for aspiring agency founders: seek mentorship, connect with others in the industry, and learn from those who have walked the path before. He also introduces his book, Human First Marketing, which encapsulates the agency’s philosophy of putting people at the heart of marketing strategies.

To contact Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-treagus-evans/

In this episode, Callum Woodcock, co-founder of WineFi, discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in the fine wine investment space. The conversation delves into how WineFi has revolutionized the market by combining traditional fine wine with modern data analytics, offering investors a more accessible, diversified, and tax-efficient investment option.

Callum explains the basic premise behind WineFi, highlighting its ability to lower the cost of entry for wine investment and provide a transparent, data-driven approach to selecting wines with the highest potential for appreciation. WineFi allows investors to co-own fine wine through syndicates, starting with as little as £3,000, which is a fraction of what would traditionally be required for a diversified portfolio. This innovative model is designed to bring quantitative analysis to an industry that has not seen such rigorous data-driven investment strategies.

The episode also covers the business model of WineFi, including the company's transparent fee structure, which is distinct from traditional wine merchants who profit from markups on wine. Instead, WineFi charges a one-off administrative fee that covers storage, insurance, and other administrative costs for up to five years.

Callum shares insights into the journey of building WineFi, from its initial seed funding to scaling the business with innovative distribution partnerships. He discusses how LinkedIn and word-of-mouth have been key in attracting early investors, and how these relationships have been instrumental in the company's growth. He also explains the importance of maintaining a hybrid approach to customer engagement, combining self-service with opportunities for personalized consultations.

Lastly, Callum reflects on the types of investors WineFi attracts, including high net worth individuals and professionals looking for alternative, tax-efficient investments. This episode offers an intriguing look at how wine can be redefined as an investment asset in the 21st century.

To contact Callum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths sits down with Liam Corcoran, a coach and investor who helps tech founders scale their businesses from $1M to $10M in annual recurring revenue without burning out. Liam shares insights drawn from over 20 years of experience building, scaling, and investing in companies across AI, Web3, SaaS, and e-commerce.

The conversation explores the common challenges founders face at this growth stage. Liam highlights the founder bottleneck—where every decision depends on the CEO—and the critical importance of hiring the right people for the business’s stage. He also delves into financial management, sharing how cash flow forecasting and retention strategies can transform a company from month-to-month survival to predictable profitability.

Liam introduces his proprietary framework, Clarity OS, which provides founders with structure, rhythm, and systems to run their businesses effectively. Through this framework, he helps leaders remove themselves from day-to-day operations, enabling the business to operate as a system while they focus on strategy and growth.

The episode also covers scaling and exit strategies. Liam discusses how he supports founders in securing investment, growing to the next revenue milestone, and preparing for exits or acquisitions. He stresses the importance of making decisions quickly, using data to validate intuition, and continuously learning from outcomes.

Listeners will gain actionable advice on structuring teams, managing cash flow, commercialising products, and scaling operations with clarity and discipline. Whether you’re a founder aiming to grow your tech business, an investor seeking operational insight, or simply interested in scaling strategies, this episode offers practical guidance grounded in real-world experience.

To Contact Liam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamcorcorancoach/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Neil Ackroyd, founder of Precision Corporate Finance, to explore the realities of buying and selling businesses in the UK—particularly for owner-managed SMEs.

Neil shares his background in corporate finance, having qualified at KPMG before spending over 20 years advising on company sales. Rather than focusing on specific sectors, Neil champions a generalist approach, arguing that expertise in the sale process matters more than industry knowledge—especially as AI can now perform buyer research faster and more accurately than human analysts.

A major theme of the discussion is the flawed nature of the small business M&A market. Neil critiques many corporate finance brokers whose business models focus more on charging upfront fees than achieving successful outcomes, with some completing as few as 7% of deals. He explains how confidentiality, fear, and emotional complexity make business owners reluctant to discuss selling, likening it to the secrecy surrounding infidelity.

The conversation also addresses the harsh truth about business valuations: unless a company is generating at least £1 million in EBITDA, it is unlikely to be sellable—despite what many brokers promise. Neil highlights the lack of viable buyers for smaller firms, noting that trade and private equity buyers generally ignore businesses under £10 million in value.

To address this, Neil introduces two key initiatives: a diagnostic quiz for owner-managers ("Can I Sell My Business?") and Retire Today or Retire Tomorrow, a program offering transition or closure solutions for unsellable businesses.

Packed with practical advice and sharp insights, this episode is a must-listen for any business owner thinking about succession, exit, or the future of their company in a rapidly changing landscape.

To contact Neil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiljackroyd/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Samuel Daughtry, founder of Buy Side Advisory, a consultancy that helps business owners grow through strategic acquisitions. Drawing on years of experience in financial services and private equity, Samuel shares a comprehensive overview of how and why business owners should consider buying other companies to expand.

The discussion begins with Samuel’s career journey, from working in post-acquisition roles in private equity to launching his own firm focused on helping entrepreneurs and business owners navigate the acquisition process. He explains that most of his clients are established business owners looking to grow faster or diversify their offerings by acquiring complementary businesses.

Throughout the conversation, Samuel explores why acquisitions can be more effective than relying solely on organic growth. He highlights the importance of buyer readiness—having the right internal structure, available cash, and management capacity—and contrasts this with what makes a business attractive to potential buyers, such as strong financial reporting, minimal owner reliance, and scalable operations.

Samuel also breaks down the acquisition process, covering everything from sourcing deals and conducting valuations to structuring offers and guiding clients through negotiations. He emphasises that deal origination is often the most time-consuming part, while valuation and deal structure require deep sector understanding and attention to detail. The episode also touches on common challenges, such as seller expectations and deferred payments, and how these can be managed with the right strategy.

Packed with practical advice and real-world insights, this episode offers a valuable guide for any business owner considering acquisition as a path to growth. Samuel’s experience and honest perspective provide a clear look at what it takes to succeed in buying businesses.

To Contact Samuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-daughtry-477941175/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Mark Blacklee, founder of Kuro – a performance-driven PPC agency with over 16 years of experience helping businesses grow through strategic digital marketing. Mark shares his journey from starting Kuro with a business partner in a university incubator, to scaling it into a specialized performance agency focused solely on paid media.

The conversation delves into the challenges of running and scaling an agency, including the early mistakes Mark and his team made around pricing, hiring, and cash flow management. He reflects on how common it is for agency owners to focus on revenue growth, while ignoring profitability, capacity, and the operational structure needed to sustain long-term success. From over-servicing clients to delayed invoicing and undercharging, Mark candidly discusses lessons learned the hard way.

The discussion also explores the importance of understanding your business metrics — like hourly rates, delivery capacity, and client contribution — in making informed hiring and scaling decisions. Mark emphasizes that growth doesn’t just mean more clients or revenue; it’s about building a sustainable, profitable business with the right team and systems in place.

Looking ahead, Mark introduces BC24, a new venture focused on acquiring or partnering with agency owners who are looking to exit in the next 3–5 years. His aim is to create a collaborative performance marketing group that helps agency founders solve common operational bottlenecks, improve valuation, and ultimately prepare for a successful and profitable exit.

If you’re an agency owner thinking about succession planning, or simply want to hear real insights on scaling a service-based business, this episode offers plenty of actionable takeaways.

To Contact Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markblacklee/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths speaks with Lloyd Thompson, founder of VirtualDOO and a seasoned fractional COO, about how small business owners can step out of daily operations and build more scalable, sellable companies.

Lloyd shares how his team helps businesses (typically with 5–25 employees) by embedding part-time operators who bring structure, accountability, and clarity. He discusses how his approach begins with an operations assessment—reviewing a company’s vision, values, team structures, systems, and feedback loops—to identify where founders are stuck and how to replace their involvement with effective processes and people.

Real-life examples highlight Lloyd’s broad experience across e-commerce, marketing agencies, and even field-based services like rope access. He explains the common pain points: operational chaos, unclear accountabilities, and business owners who struggle to delegate—especially around decision-making, sales, and key client relationships.

A strong focus is placed on measurable improvements. Lloyd outlines how simple dashboards can track essential business metrics—starting with basics like revenue, profit, and cash—and how choosing the right KPIs avoids incentivizing the wrong behaviors.

The conversation also explores exit readiness. Lloyd emphasizes that to sell a business successfully, it must function independently of the founder. His team often supports exit-focused owners by building systems and roles that transfer operational ownership.

Finally, Lloyd breaks down his month-to-month engagement model, designed to deliver value quickly, train internal staff, or prepare the business for a full-time COO hire. It's all about enabling freedom and flexibility while ensuring sustainable growth.

To Contact Lloyd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloydt/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths speaks with Gareth Hawkins, co-founder of BizCrunch, about preparing small and medium-sized businesses for successful exits and the critical role this plays in the broader UK economy.

Gareth shares his career journey—from growing a multi-business industrial group through acquisition and exiting to a Nordic holding company, to launching startups and investing in over 30 ventures. Now, with BizCrunch, he’s on a mission to digitally transform small business M&A and address the growing challenge of baby boomer-owned businesses lacking succession plans.

The conversation explores the looming “economic continuity risk” posed by the potential closure of hundreds of thousands of UK businesses owned by retirement-age founders. Gareth highlights the disconnect between the number of business owners intending to sell and the very small number of successful exits each year. He points to misaligned valuations, poor preparation, and founder dependency as the primary reasons most businesses fail to sell.

BizCrunch tackles this by streamlining the M&A process for both buyers and sellers. On the sell side, they offer tools and assessments to help owners get exit-ready—focusing on areas like operational independence, realistic valuations, and financial transparency. On the buy side, the platform connects acquisition entrepreneurs and investors with off-market, seller-verified opportunities, supported by a more cost-effective and efficient transaction process.

Gareth also shares practical advice for business owners on when and how to start preparing for an exit, including leveraging AI tools to document internal knowledge and ensuring at least 2–3 years of clean, credible financials.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering buying or selling a business in the next few years.

To Contact Gareth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-hawkins/