From a council estate in East London to the boardrooms ofventure capital, this is the story of Vishal Bhatia, founder of Forward Fund& Forward Studios.

In this episode, Vishal shares how his family’s history ofloss and resilience shaped his mission of building generational wealth, notjust for himself, but for underprivileged founders, creators, and communitiesoften left behind by the system.

We explore:

- How his father lost everything and rebuilt from nothing

- Why legacy matters more than money

- The future of building generational wealth in the creatoreconomy

This is about more than money. It’s about legacy,opportunity, and the power of purpose in business.

Go follow him at:

➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-bhatia-ff

➡️ https://forwardfund.group

-----

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction and Background of Vishal Bhatia

(00:58) - Family History and Upbringing

(02:29) - Father's Business Journey and Challenges

(03:37) - Impact of Father's Experiences on Vishal

(08:03) - Moving to the UK and Childhood Experiences

(12:03) - Reflections on Purpose and Legacy

(13:07) - Importance of Legacy and Father's Influence

(15:50) - Inspiration and Direction for Future Leaders

(17:02) - Defining Good and Making a Lasting Impact

(18:07) - Journey into Angel Investing

(20:24 - Establishing London Fields Venture Capital

(21:18) - Shift from Underrepresented to Underprivileged

(24:39) - Transition into Content Creation

(25:38) - Building Trust and Value in Venture Capital

(27:33) - The Broken Model of Content Marketing

(27:58) - Creating Commercial Value for Content Creators

(29:34) - Tying it All Together: Helping UnderprivilegedPeople

(31:13) - Turning Social Value into Corporate Value

(32:04) - Democratization of Social Media

(33:25) - Supporting Underprivileged and New Creators

(35:05) - Expanding Opportunities for New Talent

(37:16) - Maintaining Focus on Purpose and Accountability

(39:55) - Envisioning a Content, Business, and MediaEcosystem

(40:15) - Expanding into Different Areas of Engagement

(40:48) - Advice for Content Creators

(41:15) - Importance of Trust and Right Advisors

(43:43) - Contact Information

#buildinggenerationalwealth

-----

The Story Club

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thestoryclubpodcast⁠

Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@iamjonnyrose⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnysrose

In this episode, we break down how to build a marketingstrategy that actually drives business growth. The marketing strategy you’lllearn here focuses on clarity, focus, and scaling what works: not chasing shinytrends.

Andrew Davies, CMO of Paddle, shares the principles behindtheir success, revealing how narrowing your focus can unlock explosive results.

You’ll learn how to align your team around one clear goal,define your ideal customer, and create a marketing strategy that compounds overtime.

We also explore how Paddle used segmentation, long-termbrand building, and product-led messaging to reshape their marketing strategyand outperform competitors.

Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or creative, thisepisode gives you a framework to build a marketing strategy that scales withoutburnout.

-----

The Story Club

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thestoryclubpodcast⁠

Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@iamjonnyrose⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnysrose⁠

Andrew Davies

Website: https://www.paddle.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andjdavies

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:07) - Andrew's Role at Paddle

(00:44) - Paddle's Business Model and Growth

(02:15) - Challenges and Changes at Paddle

(03:18) - Marketing Challenges and Changes

(05:47) - Reflections on Past Marketing Strategies

(07:09) - Advice on Navigating Marketing Challenges

(07:29) - Examples of Being Early, Late, or Wrong

(11:31) - Improving Marketing Strategies

(11:55) - Importance of Market Segmentation

(14:18) - Expanding Market Segments

(15:45) - Understanding the Market and Customer Segmentation

(16:56) - The Strategic Purpose of Marketing at Paddle

(19:21) - The Importance of Face-to-Face Interactions

(19:44) - The Role of Marketing in Building Relationships

(22:38) - The Value of Networking and Peer Learning

(23:33) - The Current State of B2B Marketing

(25:03) - Bold Marketing Campaigns at Paddle

(25:48) - The Value of Brand Building

(28:26) - The Impact of Entrepreneurial Mindset on Marketing

(29:36) - Advice for Marketers Seeking to Understand TheirTarget Market

(30:30) - Gaining Insights from Customer Conversations

(31:16) - The Launch of Paddle Building

(31:50) - Current Marketing Trends and Opportunities

(32:25) - The Impact of AI on Marketing

(32:45) - Advice to Younger Self

(33:49) - How to Follow Andrew's Journey

I can confidently say that the fitness coaching industry is evolving rapidly, and understanding the nuances of online coaching is crucial for success.

In this podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with David Hatt, the owner of MTN Coaching, who has been a coach for over a decade and has built a thriving online fitness and lifestyle coaching company.

David shares his journey from being a personal trainer to becoming a comprehensive coach who focuses on mindset, training, and nutrition—the three pillars of his coaching philosophy.

Throughout the episode, David candidly shares his experiences, including the challenges he faced while building his business and the lessons learned from his mistakes.

He highlights the significance of having a solid support system and the value of continuous learning and adaptation in the ever-changing fitness landscape.

One of the key takeaways from our conversation is the importance of communication and genuine care for clients.

David believes that successful coaching goes beyond just providing workout plans; it involves building relationships and offering unwavering support to help clients achieve their goals.

This approach has led to remarkable transformations for many of his clients, proving that fitness coaching can be a life-changing experience.

-----

The Story Club

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestoryclubpodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamjonnyrose

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnysrose

David Hatt

Website: https://widgit.bio/mtncoaching

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dhatt_mtn

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Background

(00:28) - The Difference Between a Personal Trainer and a Coach

(01:22) - Importance of Mindset, Training, and Nutrition

(03:45) - Career Progression in the Fitness Industry

(08:46) - Starting Online Coaching

(10:00) - Building the MTN Brand

(10:53) - Misunderstanding of MTN Brand Name

(12:26) - Learning from Mistakes in Business

(13:57) - Biggest Business Mistakes

(15:03) - Challenges of Working with Friends

(15:41) - Importance of Good Accountancy in Business

(16:51) - Current State of the Fitness Industry

(18:10) - Common Mistakes in Fitness Coaching

(19:39) - Impact Beyond Fitness

(20:13) - Evolution of MTN's Online Coaching Programs

(23:47) - Scaling the Business and Team

(26:51) - Maintaining Community in a Growing Business

(28:43) - Dealing with Imitations and Copycats

(30:30) - Dealing with Imitations and Copycats Continued

(31:26) - Maintaining Quality and Customer Satisfaction

(32:24) - Importance of Customer Feedback

(34:21) - Dealing with Business Failures and Setbacks

(36:00) - Coping with Personal Setbacks

(37:36) - Strategies for Recovery and Building Confidence

(39:08) - Advice for Aspiring Coaches and Entrepreneurs

(40:30) - How to Connect with MTN

Jane Kisnica, a self-taught graphic designer, shares her inspiring journey from a corporate job to freelancing.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestoryclubpodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamjonnyrose

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnysrose

Jane Kisnica

Chapters:

Meet Alina and Dini, CoFounders of the Wonki Collective

In this episode, Alina and Dini discuss building a business with a POSITIVE impact, their mission to stop supply chain food waste, and their journey of building the Wonki Collective to the point where they were able to partner with Nestle.

Thanks for joining me on the Story Club Alina and Dini!

Go and check out what Alina and Dini have built!

➡️ https://www.thewonkicollective.com

-----

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction

0:24 - Alina's Background and Journey

1:03 - Dini's Background and Journey

2:45 - How Allie and Dini Met

4:02 - Alina's Transition from Law to Entrepreneurship

7:47 - Dini's Experience in the Food and Drinks Industry

10:51 - The Problem of Supply Chain Waste

14:08 - The Evolution of Their Business Idea

15:29 - Pivot from B2C to B2B Model

18:36 - Partnership with Nestle

20:00 - Challenges in Implementing New Processes

21:31 - Nestle's Sustainability Initiatives

23:29 - Regulations in the Food and Drinks Industry

24:41 - Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

25:31 - Experience as Female Founders

29:40 - Seeking Investment as Female Founders

30:53 - Balancing Business and Motherhood

32:07 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

32:40 - Passion Driving Work Ethic

34:06 - Plans for the Next Year

35:17 - Following the Wonky Collective

Meet Callum Woodcock, CEO of WineFi.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestoryclubpodcast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamjonnyrose LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnysrose

Website: https://www.winefi.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock

Meet Rory Codrington, the Founder of Trust Keith&.

In this episode, Rory discusses his entrepreneurial journey and reflections on building a boostrapped business to £1,000,000 annual recurring revenue.

With that growth and success, he's started asking himself some big questions, that all Entrepreneurs will at some point.

It's about starting out with clear intentions. What does success look like to you personally? Not being blindsided by all these other shiny objects.

(0:00) - Introduction to Rory and his entrepreneurial spark (03:50) - Problem-solving mentality for business and lessons (05:35) - Reflections on building a £1,000,000 ARR business (09:58) - Setbacks and understanding things are meant to be hard (14:50) - The power of coaching and having a sounding board (16:09) - I don't care what happens, but I have a preference (21:26) - Being intentional and measuring progress (25:29) - Starting out with clear intentions and defining success (28:11) - Benefits of funding versus bootstrapping (32:13) - Thinking about what it means to build a long term business

Dive in for Rory's reflections, insights and some answers too.

Watch/listen to my client's podcast with Rory I mention in the episode:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestoryclubpodcast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamjonnyrose LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnysrose

Website: https://www.trustkeith.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-codrington

Meet Sam Kitching, The Founder of WIT and Friday&.

Sam's experience truly is at the intersection of fitness, retail, and brand building.

Covering all his experience navigating the retail landscape, his commitment to authentic physical experiences, and his vision for the future of fitness brands.

"You can't do everything yourself... It's about finding people who complement your skills and letting them shine."

Dive in for Sam's journey of transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and connection.