What happens when a GP of thirty years decides to become an entrepreneur? In this special episode, Carol turns the tables on her co-host, Tom Adler. From a childhood shaped by his father's escape from war torn Sudetenland to thirty years as a rural GP in the Peak District, Tom shares the personal journey that led him to found Bide, a simple bedside device designed to reduce night time falls in older adults.

Tom explains how seeing the devastating impact of falls on patients and families as a GP shaped his decision to create something preventative rather than reactive. Bide plays prerecorded voice messages from loved ones to gently guide someone safely out of bed. It works without an internet connection, making it accessible to everyone. Tom aims to save the NHS a large chunk of the £4.5bn it spends on dealing with fall patients every year.

The conversation moves into the realities of entrepreneurship, from pitching to investors and surviving the tricky shift from startup to growth phase. Furthermore, Carol and Tom explore why society undervalues older founders despite evidence that they are statistically more likely to succeed.

To finish the podcast, Tom makes a momentous announcement. Listen to the end to find out more!

Interesting Topics

{11:57} – Why Tom pivoted from GP to entrepreneur to create Bide

{19:03} – Tom’s biggest challenges and how he’s overcome them

{20:47} – How Tom has adapted the product to convince the market of its efficacy

{25:42} – Overcoming ageism and empowering people of all ages to become entrepreneurs

Key Takeaways

• Careers built on relationships and trust, whether in medicine or entrepreneurship, result in the resilience and communication skills needed to build a business

• Bide was born from a simple but powerful insight: most falls happen at night, and prevention has far greater impact than reacting after the event

• Simplicity can be a genuine competitive advantage

• Older founders are statistically more likely to succeed, yet society and funding structures often overlook them in favour of younger entrepreneurs

You can contact:

Dr Tom Adler at https://getbide.com/

Dr Carol Sargent at https://sargentgroup.consulting/