Why would someone sell a business for a reported 9-figures… and then buy the same business back in one of the toughest markets imaginable?

John Vincent is the co-founder of LEON Restaurants, bestselling author of Winning Not Fighting, and one of the most original thinkers in British business.

He explains:

▪️Why he felt he had to buy LEON back

▪️Why most businesses get purpose completely wrong

▪️How rising rents, VAT, National Insurance and the government are crushing hospitality

▪️Why chasing money as the main goal often makes businesses worse

▪️How LEON was built to prove that business can be based on love, purpose and profit

▪️Why the UK High Street is being damaged by policy, not just market conditions

▪️How founders should think about money, mission, control and long-term value

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SHOW HERE https://buildingthebrand.co.uk

KEY MOMENTS:

0:00 Buying LEON back

01:12 “Petrified and excited” at the same time

03:30 From idea to execution of the buy-back deal in under a year

04:39 Why John doesn’t believe in combative negotiation

06:40 Why he fully walked away after selling

08:49 The moment he realised LEON wasn’t right

11:03 Why owning less than 50% means you don’t own the business

12:07 The equity mistakes he made early on

15:49 Why hospitality is such a capital-intensive business

17:32 From Bain to building LEON

21:26 “McDonald’s in heaven” - the original LEON vision

23:14 Why restaurant rents have become unsustainable

25:28 Why John believes the government is killing hospitality

27:15 “I had to do it” - why he bought LEON back

35:08 Why he believes business should start with love

42:31 Why life is not a journey or destination

44:49 How purpose and profit can coexist

48:45 Why John thinks of money like water

52:27 The externalities LEON actually cares about

54:20 Can you do the right thing and still make money?

52:27 The externalities LEON actually cares about

55:07 Can you do the right thing and still make money?

55:21 Where John’s worldview comes from

1:05:28 Why founder-led, purpose-driven businesses matter more than ever

1:06:05 How to build real purpose into a business from day one

1:12:10 What happened immediately after the deal was done

1:14:16 The secret pre-deal planning and day-one execution

1:16:06 Rebuilding the leadership team around LEON

1:30:11 The three biggest policy levers UK government should usethat could help hospitality fast

1:34:03 The family sacrifices behind building - and buying back - LEON

1:36:26 Why having honest people around you matters

1:43:31 The influence of John’s mum, mindset and personal belief system

1:45:15 John’s self-awareness, anger, and where he feels he still falls short

Follow John:

https://leon.co/

https://www.instagram.com/johnv_leon

Read John's Book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/John-Vincent/author/B00I50RNPW?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true