Secret Leaders with Dan Murray-Serter
This is the entrepreneurial education I wish I’d had. A few years ago, I thought I'd made it as a Founder. My app was topping the charts, I was winning awards, having drinks with the Queen at Buckingham Palace (she laughed at one of my gags, sure), but as my business started to fail, I realised I had so much more to learn. The trouble was I found most business chat too stuffy, surface level or braggy so I started Secret Leaders to get behind the mask of entrepreneurship. I speak with the best Founders and business experts to learn how great companies are built - especially the things that normally get left out, like their mistakes. We cover the most important stuff, from fundraising to hiring, habits to mindset, so you can learn how to build a successful business. And no, you don’t need to get into an ice bath at 5am either... https://www.instagram.com/danmurrayserter https://twitter.com/danmurrayserter https://uk.linkedin.com/in/danmurrayserter Contact: hello@secretleaders.com
Episodes
April 25, 2024 • 8 mins
Jerry Rosengarten is a seasoned, serial entrepreneur and designer who, somewhat unexpectedly, created a revolution in menswear when he designed the leisure suit. However, the leisure suit's success was short-lived. Jerry reveals how knockoffs and cheaper fabrics flooded the market, ultimately leading to the downfall of his business.
Through his experiences, Jerry imparts valuable lessons for entrepreneurs, emphasising the importanc...
Mark as Played
April 23, 2024 • 72 mins
As a founder, uncertainty is the air you breathe.
Sam Conniff, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and co-creator of the Uncertainty Experts, shares his invaluable insights and strategies for navigating the unknown and transforming your relationship with risk.
Drawing from his experience and the Uncertainty Experts program, Conniff breaks down the mental models and techniques that can help you find stillness and comfort in the face o...
Mark as Played
April 18, 2024 • 17 mins
Alison Caffrey opens up about the perfect storm she faced as a new mom and entrepreneur. With her business reliant on her time and her husband losing his income, Alison found herself answering client emails mere hours after giving birth. She shares her emotional journey, from using alcohol to cope with stress to the realisation that her business needed a complete overhaul.
…
Sponsors
Vanta - get 20% off security certifications l...
Mark as Played
April 16, 2024 • 77 mins
As a leader, your number one job is to be an effective communicator.,
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg shares his incredible insights and practical strategies for mastering the art and science of effective communication.
Drawing from his new book, "Supercommunicators," Duhigg breaks down the techniques that set apart those rare individuals who seem to have a magic touch when it comes to conversations an...
Mark as Played
April 11, 2024 • 27 mins
Tom McLeod, a serial entrepreneur, shares his wild journey of building 5 companies and surviving a dozen failures. From spy camera apps to failed iPhone tossing games, Tom's story is a masterclass in resilience and failing fast. He reveals the gut-wrenching story of his startup Omni, which despite a successful exit, fell short of his ambitious vision. Tom's key lesson? Take loads of shots, learn from failures, and avoid getting kno...
Mark as Played
April 9, 2024 • 54 mins
There is a problem.
Lawyers and Founders have misaligned incentives.
Daniel van Binsbergen, lawyer turned founder, shares his perspective on tackling legal challenges in the startup world. Having Founded and exited Lexoo, a legal marketplace, DVB bridges the gap between the legal world and the entrepreneurial mindset.
From prioritising legal matters and managing risk tolerance, to fostering a productive relationship with your law...
Mark as Played
April 4, 2024 • 10 mins
Failing Forward! An Opera Singer's Lessons in Resilience and Reinvention
From the opera stage to executive coaching, Caroline Dowd Higgins exemplifies resilience and courage. She recounts her promising opera career's harsh realities, including a pivotal breakdown and questioning if the sacrifices were worth the suffering. With wisdom, Caroline shares lessons on recognising when to pivot, seeking feedback, and embracing her mantra: ...
Mark as Played
April 2, 2024 • 77 mins
“99% of successful businesses don’t have a strategy”
Alex Smith, a renowned business strategist who argues that real strategic skill isn't about getting caught up in overwhelming complexity, but about identifying key differences that set you apart from competitors. To bring these ideas into reality, Alex and Dan break down brilliant yet straightforward strategies used by companies like Southwest Airlines, Nintendo, Grenade bars, an...
Mark as Played
March 28, 2024 • 15 mins
Jess Dante, the Founder of Love and London, shares her company's cautionary tale of attempting to launch a new product based on customer demand. Despite months of hard work and a compelling marketing push, the much-anticipated launch fell flat, leaving them with a mere single booking in the first 24 hours. What went wrong?
…
Sponsor
Check out Personio - the all in one HR platform: https://personio.com/secretleaders
Mark as Played
March 26, 2024 • 69 mins
What if the secret to getting more done, is having more fun?
In this episode we speak with Ali Abdaal - YouTuber, doctor, author and Founder who has built a business around his own personal brand. Ali shares his approach to being more productive by simply making work feel like play.
Ali explains the science behind why we're more motivated when something feels like a game rather than a chore. He provides practical tips for turning b...
Mark as Played
March 21, 2024 • 9 mins
Andrew Wordsworth is the Managing Partner of Sustainable Ventures, an investment fund which has developed Europe's largest cluster of sustainability startups. But the first venture he backed (and was the Chairman of) was a disaster - and what’s strange is it had all the ingredients to be a mega business...
--
Check out Personio - the all in one HR platform: https://personio.com/secretleaders
Mark as Played
March 19, 2024 • 62 mins
Finding the ideal Co-Founder is one of the most critical decisions a Founder will make.
In this episode, Alice Bentinck, CEO and Co-Founder of Entrepreneur First, shares how to create world class productive partnerships and finding your market edge. With over a decade of experience building entrepreneurial teams that have created businesses worth billions, Alice has seen what it really takes to get a business of the ground in the f...
Mark as Played
March 14, 2024 • 13 mins
Mussayab Ehtesham sunk $30,000 of his savings into an e-commerce product that completely flopped. Instead of quitting, his obsession with entrepreneurial freedom drove him to learn from that costly failure and iterate relentlessly until he cracked the code and built a $1M private label business.
--
Check out Personio - the all in one HR platform: https://personio.com/secretleaders
Mark as Played
March 7, 2024 • 10 mins
Mike Connelly was a top telecoms salesman who decided to strike out on his own. His new venture, Simple Cloud Communications, quickly landed clients thanks to Mike's sales prowess. But he struggled immensely to service those customers without strong technical operations skills.
Mike learned first-hand that even star employees can falter as solo Founders if their skillsets are too one-dimensional, but by embracing the right partner ...
Mark as Played
February 29, 2024 • 17 mins
After winning The Apprentice, Joseph Valente expanded his plumbing and gas business to a national scale. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the markets changes and Joseph had to rebuild his new business from the ground up.
He followed in the footsteps of his mentor, became his apprentice, and has gone on to teach others how to avoid his failures and replicate his successes.
--
Check out Personio - the all in one HR platform: http...
Mark as Played
February 27, 2024 • 56 mins
Leading a team to peak performance begins within.
In this episode, Lara Menke; business Psychologist, CEO and Co-Founder of leadership coaching firm CAIA, gives us the keys to unlock our self-awareness and reach peak performance.
From feedback and coaching techniques, to the confidence conundrum, to striking the ideal inclusive yet decisive leadership balance - expect practical models you can instantly apply paired with thoughtful...
Mark as Played
February 22, 2024 • 17 mins
Tom Foxley, Founder of the Adventurepreneur Collective, spent years building his lifestyle and coaching business. He had reliable clients, a team he loved and the business was bring in six-figures. All of this felt like "success", until a breakdown on his honeymoon revealed the deep misalignment between his work and his passion for adventure.
This is when he fully realised that; If you don't do what is meaningful, you won't regret ...
Mark as Played
February 20, 2024 • 84 mins
Building a thriving business takes more than just getting the economics right - it requires truly understanding human psychology and what motivates people.
In this episode, Paul Lindley, Founder of kids' healthy food brand Ella's Kitchen, provides a rare glimpse into the human dynamics, vision and motivation at the heart of one of the biggest success stories in the UK startup space.
Paul reveals his secrets for:
- Mastering com...
Mark as Played
February 15, 2024 • 10 mins
In the midst of the dot-com bubble, Sharath Jeevan OBE, Founder of Intrinsic Labs, was convinced by investors to pursue rapid growth and prioritise the consumer market.
However, after the dot-com bubble popped; he realised that as a leader, he had to learn to follow his internal compass not just the funding market
--
To get a better handle on your security, check out https://npsa.gov.uk/innovation and download their free Quick Star...
Mark as Played
February 13, 2024 • 70 mins
Founders have a lot on their plates - how do they navigate it all without losing track of what’s important? In this episode, we chat with Sophie Scott - a Founder and psychotherapist who’s on a mission to help Founders discover their purpose, cultivate sustainable self-care practices, and answer the question, “why do Founders need therapy?"
Just as a disclaimer; Sophie mentions some of her clients' experiences. These accounts are ...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.