An exploration into the multifaceted responsibilities and perceptions surrounding the role of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) unfolds in this discourse. The conversation delves into the often misunderstood essence of the CEO position, where the speakers articulate that the true value of a CEO does not solely reside in operational oversight but rather in the nurturing of an organizational culture, the maintenance of a compelling vision, and the fostering of an environment conducive to innovation and growth. Furthermore, they reflect on the evolution of personal interests and how the growth of one’s own soul can influence the capacity to provide value to the marketplace, emphasizing the importance of aligning personal passions with professional endeavors.

Takeaways:

• The role of a CEO encompasses more than just management; it requires a clear vision and the ability to foster a strong company culture.
• Achieving entrepreneurial success necessitates a deep understanding of one's own health, as physical and mental well-being directly influence performance.
• Creating space for reflection and creativity is crucial for effective leadership; without this, innovation can stagnate.
• The importance of nutrition cannot be overstated; a balanced diet fuels both physical and mental capacities essential for business success.
• Time management is vital; reducing meeting durations can lead to increased productivity and clarity in decision-making.
• Understanding financial metrics is essential for sustainable growth; businesses must navigate their finances carefully to avoid pitfalls.

Links referenced in this episode:

• awesome supplements.co.uk
• your diet advisor.co.uk

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• awesome Supplements

What if the secret to scaling your business isn't working more hours — but sleeping better ones?

In this episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, business strategist Paul Avins sits down with Sammy Margo, chartered physiotherapist, bestselling author of "The Good Sleep Guide", and founder of SmartPhysio — a successful 27-person physiotherapy practice in London.

Discover how Sammy went from working 15-hour days as the first female physiotherapist in professional football to building a thriving healthcare business while mastering the science of sleep optimization. This conversation reveals why sleep isn't a luxury for entrepreneurs — it's a strategic advantage.

Together, Paul and Sammy unpack the 10 evidence-based sleep strategies that can transform your cognitive performance, decision-making ability, and business results. From sleep architecture and strategic wind-downs to bedroom optimization and caffeine timing, this episode provides practical tools for high-performing entrepreneurs who want to scale their businesses without sacrificing their health.

If you're a business owner struggling with fatigue, making poor decisions due to sleep deprivation, or wondering how to maintain peak performance while scaling, this episode is essential listening.

• How sleep quality directly impacts entrepreneurial performance and business decision-making
• The 10 strategic sleep optimization techniques every CEO should master for peak cognitive function
• Why tracking your "sleep architecture" with wearables can unlock better business performance
• How to create a strategic wind-down routine that transitions your brain from work mode to recovery
• Sleep cycle science: Why 4-6 complete 90-minute cycles are crucial for entrepreneurs
• The bedroom environment formula: Cool (16-18°C), dark, quiet, and clutter-free spaces for optimal rest
• Strategic caffeine and alcohol management to maximize sleep quality without sacrificing productivity
• How power napping strategies can boost afternoon performance for business leaders
• Why "lose the snooze" — and how the snooze button destroys sleep quality and morning productivity

Sammy Margo is a chartered physiotherapist, sleep optimization expert, and founder of SmartPhysio, one of London's premier physiotherapy practices with 27 team members. She pioneered her field as the first female physiotherapist to work in professional football at Barnet FC, and has worked with elite athletes across the world.

Sammy is the bestselling author of "The Good Sleep Guide" (featuring a foreword by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson), and regularly contributes sleep and wellness content to major UK publications including Daily Mail, Telegraph, and Observer. She has appeared on QVC, consulted for Dreams Beds, and speaks at high-level business events about the connection between sleep optimization and executive performance.

Her expertise combines sports physiotherapy, sleep science, and business scaling — making her uniquely positioned to help entrepreneurs optimize their health while building successful companies.

• Get "The Good Sleep Guide" by Sammy Margo →

Why do so many successful entrepreneurs get stuck doing everything themselves?

In this episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins sits down with Graham Brown, founder and CEO of 2iC Search and author of the upcoming book "Too Many Hats", to explore one of the biggest constraints to scaling: finding and hiring the right second-in-command.

Graham shares his remarkable journey from Gulf War trumpet player to executive search specialist, and reveals why so many senior hires fail, and how to get it right. Together, they unpack the seven types of COO, the three pillars of successful hiring, and why treating team performance like military operations can unlock millions in hidden productivity.

If you're a CEO drowning in operational tasks, struggling to find the right senior hire, or ready to build a business that doesn't depend on you doing everything, this episode is essential listening.

• The seven types of second-in-command and which one your business needs now
• Why most entrepreneurs fail at hiring senior talent (and the costly mistakes that follow)
• The three pillars of successful hiring: skills, energy alignment, and cultural fit
• How to shift from doing the work to having the work done through others
• The military mindset that helps Graham stay calm under pressure and solve complex hiring challenges
• Why 50% team engagement costs businesses hundreds of thousands in lost productivity
• The difference between competency-based interviewing and the amateur hour approach most founders use

Graham Brown is a military veteran, executive search specialist, and founder of 2iC Search, helping CEOs and scale-up founders find their perfect second-in-command. With over 24 years in recruitment and a background serving in the Gulf War, Graham has helped over 10,000 servicemen and women transition to civilian careers.

He specialises in placing COOs, Operations Directors, and Chiefs of Staff who combine operational excellence with cultural fit. Graham is also the author of the upcoming book "Too Many Hats", designed to help overwhelmed CEOs stop trying to do everything themselves and build teams that scale.

His approach blends military discipline with behavioural profiling to ensure leaders don't just hire capability, but find the right operational partner to unlock growth and reclaim their time.

• Download Graham's hiring guides and frameworks → FREE Resources
• Learn about Graham's executive search services → www.2icsearch.co.uk
• Connect with Graham Brown on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/exmilitaryrecruitment
• Pre-order "Too Many Hats" (releasing Winter 2025)
• Follow Paul Avins for Scale Up insights on LinkedIn → Paul Avins | LinkedIn
• Transform your business at the Grown Up Business Retreat → The Grown Up Business Retreat 2025

Action Now: Write down the 3 biggest operational tasks you're still doing that should be delegated, and commit to addressing them in the next 72 hours.

Think Bigger: Ready to hire your perfect 2iC and stop wearing too many hats? Download Graham's free hiring guides and job description templates at

Think you're ready to sell your business? Think again.

Selling your business is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make — second only to marriage and kids. But how do you know when you’re actually ready to sell?

In this episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins speaks with Ken Gorman, Regional Director at Transworld M&A and author of three books on selling businesses, to uncover the reality behind preparing your company for a successful exit.

Together, they break down the myths, including why most business owners aren’t ready to sell, how accountants can unknowingly sabotage deals, and why 75% of businesses that go to market never sell at all. Ken shares his personal story from California to London and his 8+ years in sell-side M&A, with over 60 closed deals under his belt.

If you’re a CEO or founder thinking about exit planning or simply wanting to build a grown-up business worth buying, this episode is a must-listen.

• The “Switch in the Heart”: You’re ready to sell when the emotional shift happens — the moment you know it’s time to do something else in life.
• Profit is the #1 Value Driver: Buyers don’t buy passion, they buy predictable profits — and your job is to maximise and prove them.
• Get yourself out of the business: If the company can’t function without you, it isn’t ready to sell (or worth as much as you think).
• The truth about deferred deals & earnouts: Why the “wedding cake” model of deal structures (cash, deferred payments, earn-outs, rolled equity) matters, and how to protect yourself as a seller.
• Accountants can derail deals: Not through incompetence — but because they often lack deal experience, especially around working capital negotiations.
• 75% of sales fail: Selling is as much about EQ as IQ — success depends on managing people, egos, and expectations at every stage.
• Not all buyers are equal: You don’t want just a buyer, you need the right new owner who can fill the leadership void you leave behind.

Ken Gorman is a seasoned M&A Advisor, Certified Business Valuer, and Regional Director at Transworld M&A, one of the world’s largest global dealmaking firms. With over three decades in business across the US, UK, and Europe, Ken has personally been involved in 100+ project teams and 60+ closed transactions.

He specialises in helping owner-operators prepare their businesses for sale, find the right new owners, and secure life-changing exit deals — all while keeping heart and human dynamics central to the process.

• Grab Ken’s book “Selling Your Business” → Selling Your Business
• Connect with Ken Gorman on LinkedIn → linkedin.com
• Learn more about Transworld M&A → Transworld
• Follow Paul Avins for Scale Up insights on LinkedIn →

From family start-up to global brand: the Wolf Eyewear growth story.

Paul Avins sits down with CEO Tom Wolfenden to unpack the exact moves behind building a world-class sales team, scaling across borders, and keeping values intact while chasing exponential growth.

Discover how Wolf Eyewear scaled from a family business into a global brand with 2,000+ retailers. CEO Tom Wolfenden shares lessons on sales teams, culture, and scale-up strategy with Paul Avins.

What does it take to transform a family-run brand into a global scale-up with thousands of retail partners—while never losing sight of your values or community?

In this episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins sits down with Tom Wolfenden, CEO of Wolf Eyewear Group, to unpack how he took over the family business and steered it towards ambitious growth, culture, and global expansion.

If you’re a CEO ready to quadruple your business, build a world-class sales team, and expand across markets without losing culture, this is your playbook.

• Mindset matters: The bold shift from hustler to scale-up CEO.
• Sales engine = growth engine: Why building and leading a 17-person sales team unlocked Wolf Eyewear’s growth.
• Resilience in crisis: How they survived Covid by loaning over £500k of stock to support customers — building loyalty money can’t buy.
• Leadership at scale: How to deal with underperforming team members while protecting business culture.
• Investment in yourself = investment in the business: Why Tom doubled down on coaching and retreats to accelerate Wolf Eyewear’s expansion.

This isn’t just a story of scaling eyewear. It’s a blueprint for any ambitious CEO who wants to build a grown-up business that wins globally

Tom Wolfenden is the CEO of Wolf Eyewear Group, a UK-based independent eyewear company stocked in over 2,000+ retailers and expanding internationally. Known for bold design and strong community values, Wolf Eyewear is a flagship example of how a family business can scale into a global brand—without losing its heart.

• Connect with Tom Wolfenden on LinkedIn → Tom Wolfenden | LinkedIn
• Explore the Wolf Eyewear Group brand → UK Eyewear Brand | Wolf Eyewear for Independent Opticians
• Follow Paul Avins for scale-up insights on LinkedIn → Paul Avins | LinkedIn
• Transform your business at the Grown Up Business Retreat → The Grown Up Business Retreat 2025

Action now: Write down the 3 actions from this episode you’ll apply in your business over the next 72 hours.

Think bigger: Ready to build your own “grown up” business that scales globally? Explore free resources at ScaleUpCoaching.com.

Scale Up: Get actionable tips from Paul in your inbox every Saturday, Subscribe to Scale Up Saturday Newsletter

Level Up: Book a Call with Paul and Get ready to level up your business...

What happens when a five-year-old girl changes the entire course of your life?

In this thought-provoking episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins sits down with High-Performance Coach and former JP Morgan derivatives head Rich Waterman to explore one of the most powerful transformations you’ll hear on the show.

Rich shares the moving story of Leonor — his friend’s young daughter whose battle with a terminal illness became the catalyst for his life’s work. Helping to raise emergency funds for her treatment opened his eyes to the power of community, commitment, and the extraordinary impact of turning pain into purpose.

Together, Paul and Rich unpack how entrepreneurs can channel suffering into fuel for growth, how presence is the new currency of leadership, and why sometimes the shortest lives leave the greatest legacies.

If you’ve ever wondered how to reframe setbacks into rocket fuel, or how to build a business and life truly aligned to your legacy, this episode is essential listening.

• Turning Pain into Purpose: The most powerful catalyst for personal and professional growth is learning how to transform suffering into service.
• The Power of Commitment: Rich’s moment of saying “we’ll make this happen” for Leonor’s treatment shaped his philosophy on leadership and focus.
• Past, Present, Future Model: How to reframe your thinking by using the past as a resource, the present as practice, and the future as full-colour vision.
• Presence is Leadership: Top performers plateau when they fail to manage switching “on” and “off.” Learning to be present is now a strategic advantage.
• Legacy is not Time-Based: The measure of a life well-lived isn’t length, it’s the scale of impact on others. Leonor remains a profound example of this truth.

Rich Waterman is a High-Performance Coach, mentor, and speaker with a unique background that bridges finance, sport, and psychology.

After a decade as Head of Derivatives Structuring at JP Morgan, Rich went on to launch sports analysis businesses working with the England Rugby World Cup-winning team and international cricketers. He later became the first UK-based Senior Trainer for Tony Robbins, coaching teams and teaching leadership at global events.

Today, Rich runs Get Rich Coaching, helping entrepreneurs, executives, and athletes unlock performance, presence, and purpose.

• Connect with Rich Waterman → richwaterman.com
• Connect with Rich Waterman on LinkedIn → linkedin.com
• Follow Paul Avins for Scale Up insights on LinkedIn → Paul Avins | LinkedIn
• Transform your business at the Grown Up Business Retreat → The Grown Up Business Retreat 2025

Action Now: Write down the 3 actions from this episode you’ll apply in your business over the next 72 hours.

Think bigger: Thinking about selling in 2–3 years? Start now. Building enterprise value takes time — get your free resources at Paul Avins

Scale Up: Get actionable tips from Paul in your inbox every Saturday, Subscribe to Scale Up Saturday Newsletter

Level Up:

“How can one video generate $12 million in 10 months?”

That’s exactly what happened for Jason Graystone — and in this episode, he reveals to Paul the mindset, money frameworks, and freedom principles that made it possible.

Jason is a renowned entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Graystone Education, and he’s on a mission to help people become Always Free — creating lives of freedom through smart money systems, mindset mastery, and intentional action.

In our conversation, Jason breaks down exactly what Always Free means, and why mental, mobility, and financial liberation must all align if you truly want lasting independence. We go deep into building assets (both tangible and intangible), how to delegate effectively, and why defining what freedom means to you personally is the real unlock.

This episode isn’t about hustle hacks — it’s about clarity, leverage, and building a business and life around your values so you can live with purpose.

• A single video can change everything — Jason’s $12M YouTube case study proves the power of effective assets.
• Financial literacy is an essential life skill — freedom begins with understanding how money works.
• Delegation and knowing your true value are the levers that unlock scale and sustainability.
• Freedom has three dimensions: mental, mobility, and financial — all must be developed in tandem.
• Assets create independence — whether intellectual property, digital content, or recurring systems.
• Defining your personal goals and values is what ensures business growth aligns with fulfillment.

• Grab Jason's book “Always Free” → Selling Your Business
• Follow Jason to learn more → Jason Graystone - YouTube
• Learn more about Jason Graystone → jasongraystone.com
• Follow Paul Avins for Scale Up insights on LinkedIn → Paul Avins | LinkedIn
• Transform your business at the Grown Up Business Retreat → The Grown Up Business Retreat 2025

Action Now: Write down the 3 actions from this episode you’ll apply in your business over the next 72 hours.

Think bigger: Tired of chasing revenue but never feeling free? Stop trading time for money. Freedom starts when you build assets that generate income without you. Start building the life you want now — get your free resources at Paul Avins

Scale Up: Get actionable tips from Paul in your inbox every Saturday, Subscribe to Scale Up Saturday Newsletter

Level Up:

What do you do when 12 years of building gets wiped out overnight?

For Nicolas Manuel, Founder of Aim Graphics London, that nightmare became reality. After building a multi-million-pound family print and signage business, a combination of bad debts, soaring material costs, and the Russia-Ukraine war led to its collapse almost overnight.

But instead of staying down, Nick fought back. Within just 12 months, he rebuilt from zero to seven figures — all while carrying the weight of personal guarantees, family responsibility, and the lessons of painful failure.

In this episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins sits down with Nicolas to reveal the hard-earned lessons of resilience, scaling under pressure, and why systems and financial controls are non-negotiable for any founder who wants to survive and thrive.

• Collapse to Comeback: Why business failure doesn’t have to define you — it can fuel your most successful chapter.
• Systems over Stress: The hidden cost of not having financial forecasting and operational controls in place.
• Rebuilding at Speed: How Nicolas rebounded to seven figures in under 12 months by focusing on core systems, leverage, and team culture.
• The “Yes Team” Mentality: Why building a client-first, can-do culture is the ultimate differentiator when scaling.
• Resilience is a Skill: Health, mindset, and being part of a supportive community are what get you through the darkest days of entrepreneurship.
• Sales First: Founders should delay stepping out of sales too early — being able to sell remains the ultimate survival skill.

About Nicolas Manuel

Nicolas Manuel is a creative entrepreneur and the founder of Aim Graphics London and Trade Workspace Films, businesses dedicated to simplifying print, signage, and production services with speed, flexibility, and a client-first culture.

Starting as a teenage apprentice in the signage industry, Nicolas worked his way into the high-pressure world of London’s creative agencies, serving major brands from Nintendo to Virgin. After co-founding and growing his own family print business to nearly £3m turnover, he endured the devastating collapse of the company during Covid’s aftermath and the global cost crisis.

Learning from failure, Nicolas rebuilt stronger and faster — scaling Aim Graphics back to seven figures in just 12 months, with a renewed focus on systems, forecasting, and the “Yes Team” mindset that defines his client relationships.

• Connect with Nicolas Manuel on LinkedIn → linkedin.com
• Discover Aim Graphics London → aim-graphics.co.uk
• Follow Paul Avins for Scale Up insights → linkedin.com/in/paulavins
• Build a grown-up business at the Scale Up Retreat → paulavins.com

Action Now: Write down the 3 actions from this episode you’ll apply in your business over the next 72 hours.

Think bigger: Do you have the right systems and forecasting in place, or are you relying on luck? Start strengthening your foundation now — get your free resources at Paul Avins

Scale Up: Get actionable tips from Paul in your inbox every Saturday, Subscribe to Scale Up Saturday Newsletter

Level Up: