In this episode of Stake and Soul, Barry speaks with Simon Morton, founder of Eyeful Presentations and author of Employee Ownership: A Guide to Transitioning from Boss to Benefactor, about the real story behind stepping away from a business he spent nearly two decades building.

Simon shares an honest look at the emotional and strategic realities of succession, including burnout, failed handovers, leadership lessons, and the mindset shift required to step back from running the business.

He explains why employee ownership ultimately became the right path, how he prepared his team for the transition, and what surprised him after stepping back.

This is a thoughtful conversation for founders, leaders, and anyone thinking about legacy, succession, and building something that continues to succeed after they step back.

What’s covered in this episode

• Simon’s journey from fintech to founding Eyeful Presentations and discovering the power of storytelling in business communication.
• The personal and professional catalysts that led him to consider succession and eventual exit.
• Early succession attempts, lessons learned, and the importance of a gradual and transparent leadership handover.
• Why employee ownership emerged as the preferred route over trade sale or private equity.
• The role of culture, community, and trust in building a business capable of transitioning successfully.
• Communicating the transition: preparing the team, addressing concerns, and ensuring understanding beyond the workplace.
• Governance in practice: trustee boards, employee voice, and maintaining accountability without micromanagement.
• Sustaining an ownership mindset and avoiding the trap of treating EO as merely profit sharing.

Moments to listen out for

• The failed managing director handover and the hard lessons it revealed about succession readiness.
• How the pandemic reshaped Simon’s perception of his business and revealed its true community spirit.
• The concept of the “magic number” and knowing when you have enough.
• The moment Simon realised he recognised his business less and less - and why that was a sign of success.

Quickfire highlights

• Employee ownership is: the best business decision Simon ever made.
• Biggest surprise: the ongoing work required to keep communication clear and engagement high.
• Recommended reads: Upside Down Management (John Timpson), Good to Great (Jim Collins) and Not Fade Away - How to Thrive in Retirement (Celia Dodd)

Employee ownership is often discussed in structural or financial terms. This episode highlights something deeper: the human transition required to let go, trust others, and allow a business to evolve beyond its founder - while remaining true to its purpose.

Disclaimer:

The following podcast is intended to be of a general nature, will not be suitable for everyone, and should not be treated as a specific recommendation. We recommend taking professional advice before entering into any obligation or transaction.

Paradigm Norton Financial Planning Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our FCA Register number is 455083.

Registered in England. Reg No 4220937, VAT Reg. No 918550904.

Barry is joined by Bella, founder of Salad, a Dorset-based creative agency built around brand strategy, visual identity, and websites, for a candid conversation about why she chose employee ownership and what it has actually required on the other side.

This episode is especially relevant for founders who are thinking about succession and want a route that protects culture, rewards the team, and still keeps the business commercially grounded.

What’s covered

• How Salad grew over 24 years, why they stay consciously small, and what “mindful ambition” looks like in practice.
• The succession trigger that made Bella and her co-director question the default “grow to sell” path, and what shifted once EO entered the conversation.
• Why EO felt like a genuine win-win, without pretending it’s a magic wand.
• What Bella would do differently: choosing advisers, using the EOA as a starting point, and the one thing she wishes she’d done far earlier.

The communication reality

Bella shares a very honest view of what “good comms” actually means in EO:

• Why she was advised not to rush and tell the team immediately, and how they handled early questions and anxiety.
• The importance of repeating information, and adapting to different communication styles (from presentations to one-to-ones).
• A reminder that EO is not a one-off event, it’s an ongoing cultural investment.

Making owner mindset tangible

Practical examples of what changed post-transition, including:

• Sharing financial information with the team (with clear boundaries).
• Involving the team in key planning and long-term goals, rather than keeping strategy “upstairs”.
• Quarterly Vision Days designed to help the whole team “look up and look forward” together.
• The role of beneficiary payments as a meaningful signal, while keeping the culture about more than money.

Leadership and succession, unfiltered

Bella speaks openly about the tension many founders feel after an EO transition: loving the business, but also wanting the freedom to build a different kind of future. She also shares what Salad is working towards next, including succession planning and a longer-term shift in her own role.

Quickfire highlights

• Employee ownership in one sentence: Bella frames it as an antidote to widening wealth inequality.
• Biggest surprise: how much she’s valued the EO community.
• Book recommendation: Radical Candor (for anyone leading through change and feedback).
• CEO confessional: “I want to leave, but I don’t want to leave.”

If you’re exploring employee ownership, this episode will help you think more clearly about the human side of the transition: communication, identity, leadership, and what it takes to keep EO meaningful after the paperwork is done.

Disclaimer:

The following podcast is intended to be of a general nature, will not be suitable for everyone, and should not be treated as a specific recommendation. We recommend taking professional advice before entering into any obligation or transaction.

Paradigm Norton Financial Planning Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our FCA Register number is 455083.

Registered in England. Reg No 4220937, VAT Reg. No 918550904.

Barry is joined by Rob Haward (Riverford) for a practical conversation that links employee ownership with the realities of running a large, values-led organisation, including what has to change in leadership, communication, and culture for EO to actually “work” day-to-day.

Riverford’s transition is discussed in the context of protecting purpose long-term (and avoiding the business ending up “in the wrong hands”), while still staying commercially sharp and operationally disciplined.

What’s covered in this episode

• Rob’s route into food and farming, and how those early experiences shaped his values and leadership.
• The why behind the move to employee ownership, including legacy, purpose protection, and long-term stewardship.
• How Riverford approached the transition, including exploring other ownership models before landing on an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
• The importance of over-communication, engaging people early, and tackling misconceptions head-on.
• Governance in practice: Riverford’s democratically elected co-owner council, how it gathers input, and how agendas are shaped.
• Making EO real beyond the legal structure: listening culture, closing the loop, and building systems that encourage an “owner mindset”.
• The tension points: decision speed, risk aversion, information flow, and why middle management can be either the blocker or the unlock.

Moments to listen out for

• The long-running internal conversations about ownership (including a memorable board meeting setting).
• “The Founder’s Wishes” and why documenting purpose and values matters more than most founders realise.
• Riverford’s continuous improvement approach: “Improve Tomorrow Together (ITT)”, built on lean thinking and designed to turn motivation into action.

Quickfire highlights

• Rob’s take: employee ownership as a “much needed” model that can balance society, planet, and commercial success.
• Biggest EO surprise: how well the founder handled selling the business while staying positively engaged.
• Book mention: Turn the Ship Around (as an accessible leadership read relevant to empowerment and engagement).

If you’re a business owner exploring employee ownership, this episode gives you a clear view of the operational and leadership work that sits behind the headline benefits, without pretending it’s effortless.

Disclaimer:

The following podcast is intended to be of a general nature, will not be suitable for everyone, and should not be treated as a specific recommendation. We recommend taking professional advice before entering into any obligation or transaction.

Paradigm Norton Financial Planning Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our FCA Register number is 455083.

Registered in England. Reg No 4220937, VAT Reg. No 918550904.