Starting a business is hard.

Starting one with your spouse? That’s a whole different level of risk.

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Fraher, an architect who, alongside his wife Liz, built a boutique design and build firm in Central London, right in the middle of the 2008 financial crisis.

Joe shares the real story behind how they made it work: from opposite views on risk, to navigating financial pressure, managing a growing team, and raising a family at the same time. He opens up about going sober, leading through chaos, and the mindset it takes to grow something meaningful without losing your relationship, or yourself.

This is an honest conversation about ambition, business, marriage, and the messy parts in between.

• Giving up alcohol to take control of his life again
• Redefining success beyond money and titles
• Teaching his children about wealth, risk, and responsibility
• Balancing love, family, and business without losing either
• And why the future of construction lies in digital manufacturing and AI

This is a raw and revealing conversation about what it really takes to build something meaningful, and the mindset shifts required to survive it.

00:00 Introduction to Risk-Taking

00:41 Starting the Business Journey

00:57 Architectural Services and Turnkey Solutions

02:08 Challenges and Growth in Architecture

03:29 Navigating Redundancy and Building a Business

07:52 Managing a Growing Team

09:14 The Importance of Risk and Ambition

11:08 The French Alps Project

15:15 Hiring and Team Dynamics

22:25 Education and Career Pathways

29:02 Client Relationships and Long-Term Projects

31:49 Liz's Role in the Business

32:14 The Importance of Listening to Clients

32:44 Emotional Investment in Projects

35:22 Client Profiling and Matching

37:55 Trust and Transparency in Business

38:34 Adapting to Economic Challenges

45:35 Leveraging AI in Business

52:32 Financial Education and Generational Wealth

01:02:55 Leveraging Good Debt

01:03:36 The Pitfalls of Bad Debt

01:05:02 Balancing Risk in Family and Business

01:06:23 Aligning Ambitions with Your Partner

01:09:36 The Future of Work and Personal Goals

01:13:32 Challenges of Entrepreneurship

01:14:44 The Impact of Government Policies on SMEs

01:25:59 Personal Habits for Success

01:30:42 Concluding Thoughts

Discover Joe and Fraher

Website - https://www.fraher.co/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/frahergroup/

LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joseph-fraher

Get In Touch

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/jay-lawrence-5a4b3357/

Website - ambitiousmindspodcast.com

Instagram - www.instagram.com/ambitiousmindspodcast

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What does burnout look like for high achievers and ambitious creatives? Celebrity photographer Bradley Green shares his personal story of burnout, mental health, and the cost of relentless ambition.

Brad has built a life many dream of, travelling the world as a photographer capturing icons like Matthew McConaughey and Conor Benn. But behind the lens lies a deeper struggle — the mental and physical toll of pushing too hard for too long.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The signs of burnout in high achievers
• How to balance ambition with wellbeing
• The impact of diet, sleep, and media consumption on performance
• Why even the most successful need to slow down
• Tools to build a sustainable work-life balance

This raw and honest conversation pulls back the curtain on the Instagram highlight reel, offering real-world advice for entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone navigating the pressure of constant growth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up to my weekly newsletter Fuel Your Ambition, where I share insights to help you grow your money, business, or career: https://fuelyourambition.substack.com/

In this episode, I sit down with Noel Mack, the Chief Brand Officer at Gymshark, to understand what it takes to build one of the UK’s biggest brands.

Noel offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Gymshark has evolved from a scrappy e-commerce startup into a global powerhouse, with physical stores, millions of loyal customers, and a brand identity built on community, authenticity, and relentless ambition.

We explore what it really means to be a Chief Brand Officer, and how Noel’s role is rooted in creating emotional connection, building culture, and obsessing over the customer journey.

Noel also opens up about his unconventional path to the role, his drive to keep growing, and how staying humble and hungry fuels his success. This conversation is just as much about mindset as it is about marketing.

00:34 Defining the Chief Brand Officer Role

01:06 Emotional Connection and Customer Experience

02:18 Community Engagement and Product Development

06:53 The Journey to Gymshark

09:07 Maintaining Core Values

11:47 Customer Obsession and Feedback

19:41 Personal Reflections and Career Path

30:01 Humble Beginnings

31:27 Gym Shark's Work Ethic

34:03 Expanding to Physical Stores

41:09 Ambition and Personal Drive

44:10 Balancing Ambition and Overcommitment

48:42 Future Goals and Personal Ambitions

54:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.