How Susie Warran-Smith CBE DL broke the mould and won in the game of business - and life.

From an impoverished background and a career marked by workplace bias, abuse and inequality, Susie elevated herself to become a successful entrepreneur at 55. She’s since been invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by King Charles, served as an advisor to Government, taken Non-Executive Director roles at leading UK institutions, and become a champion for business across the UK.

In this candid conversation, Susie reflects on her remarkable career in design, marketing, and leadership - alongside her award-winning entrepreneurial journey. She also shares the deeply personal experiences that shaped her powerful book Swimming on My Own - a raw account of inequality, resilience and survival.

We talk about the power of humour, values-driven leadership, and why real success isn’t about ego or volume but about showing up, keeping going, and making change with respect and humanity.

In this episode, Sam and Carly dive right into her climb to chief digital officer at Gymshark. Coming from a working class background, studying criminology at University, and her first job packing flapjacks.

Her rise to chief officer level at one of the biggest brands in the world is an inspiring story. Carly talks about the importance of lateral moves, putting your head down, and developing confidence over time. She gives us the insight into her experience of being able to provide value to a company, support the people within it and develop a culture that helps people to thrive.

Charlie is the master of resilience training, with a big focus on how your past affects your present. In this episode, Sam and Charlie reminisce about starting boarding school from a young age and how that has shaped their lives since. Furthermore, how traumatic experiences in later years created the foundations for Charlie’s work in resilience and leadership training.

In this episode. Charlie opens up about a culture of sexual abuse at his boarding school, how he fell asleep at the wheel of a car which nearly resulted in the death of his sister, and a brief stint with drugs opening up his mind to different levels of consciousness.

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