In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Elizabeth Williams, a highly experienced scale-up specialist with decades of leadership experience across cosmetics, beauty, supplements, and luxury brands. Elizabeth shares her journey from working with global names such as Estée Lauder, Revlon, and Shiseido to advising founder-led businesses on how to scale from low single-digit millions to £20m+ and beyond.

The conversation explores what early-stage founder businesses often look like at the £2–5m revenue mark — typically driven by strong product ideas and social traction, but lacking the leadership structure, financial planning, and investment mindset required for sustainable growth. Elizabeth explains that many founders underestimate the level of investment needed to scale, particularly in marketing, senior talent, and operational discipline.

Using real-world examples from her career, including the rapid scale-up of a supplements brand from under £1m to £10m in just two and a half years, Elizabeth highlights the importance of identifying a clear USP, changing market narratives, and being willing to spend money to unlock growth. She challenges the common belief that businesses can scale purely through word of mouth or organic traction, stressing that intentional marketing investment is essential.

A major theme of the episode is people — hiring experienced leaders, building the right senior team, and balancing creative marketing ambition with strong financial control. Elizabeth emphasises the value of robust financial forecasting and collaboration between CFOs, marketers, and founders to support confident decision-making.

Finally, the discussion touches on legacy, purpose, and responsibility within the luxury and cosmetics industries, particularly the role these sectors can play in supporting women and underrepresented groups. Elizabeth shares her belief that truly great brands are built not just for exit, but with long-term impact in mind.

Contact Elizabeth here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-williams-452b7053

In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Michalis Michael, Founder of Listening 247, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping digital advertising and market research for small and medium-sized businesses.

Michalis explains how Listening 247 differs from traditional ad creation tools. Rather than relying on human prompts or generic AI inputs, the platform uses real customer conversations from social media to generate advertising ideas. By analysing millions of posts and comments across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit, Listening 247’s proprietary AI models identify sentiment, topics, and brand signals, which are then transformed into data-driven ad concepts grounded in what customers are actually saying.

The discussion brings this approach to life through a real client example from the health and wellness sector. Michalis explains how the platform can generate hundreds of advertising ideas in a single refresh cycle, dramatically increasing creative output while combining market research and ideation into one continuous process. While the product is still in beta, early results show clear efficiency and cost benefits, with the longer-term goal of proving that customer-led ads outperform intuition-based campaigns.

Michalis also shares his background, from aerospace engineering to a 20-year career in global market research, and how that experience shaped the evolution of Listening 247. The business has recently completed its seed funding round and is now preparing for a wider rollout, including an upcoming launch as a Shopify app—opening access to millions of online merchants.

The conversation also touches on the realities of startup growth, including managing cash flow, operating as a remote-first global team, and navigating funding decisions. Michalis explains how the company balances legacy revenue from its social listening product with investment in its new advertising platform.

The episode concludes with a look ahead to future growth plans, including further fundraising, platform expansion, and a forthcoming book on AI-powered insights—highlighting how customer-driven data may define the future of marketing and advertising.

Contact Michalis here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michalisamichael

In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Enver Kannur, Partner at Accounting Direct Plus (ADPL), a London-based firm of chartered certified accountants supporting owner-managed businesses across the service sector.

Enver explains how ADPL goes beyond traditional compliance work to act as a strategic partner for its clients. Rather than focusing solely on accounts and tax filings, the firm positions itself as a “signpost” for business owners—connecting them with the right specialists when challenges arise, whether that involves cash flow management, funding, ESG requirements, insurance, or exit planning. This collaborative, network-led approach allows clients to access broader expertise without relying on a single adviser for everything.

The conversation explores the typical challenges business owners face before working with ADPL. Enver highlights poor communication as one of the most common frustrations, with many clients struggling to reach their accountant or get timely answers as their businesses grow. He also discusses how some firms outgrow their original accountants and need a more proactive, commercially minded adviser who can support them at the next stage of growth.

A key theme of the episode is cash flow. Enver and Tom discuss why many accountants don’t actively manage cash flow unless it is explicitly agreed, and how ADPL offers tiered service levels—from basic compliance to hands-on, ongoing financial support. Enver stresses that while not all clients initially want this level of involvement, early intervention is often critical to avoiding serious financial issues later on.

The episode also touches on preparing businesses for sale, with Enver explaining how accountants can add significant value if owners involve them early enough. By addressing potential due diligence issues in advance, businesses can be better positioned for a smoother and more successful exit.

The discussion concludes with Enver’s perspective on recent economic uncertainty, why 2025 proved challenging for many businesses, and why he remains cautiously optimistic about improved conditions heading into 2026—reinforcing the importance of communication, planning, and proactive financial management.

Contact Enver here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/enver-cavit-kannur-fcca-b182736