Podcast
The Launch
Hosted by James Smethurst · EN
The Launch is a podcast for founders, by founders, with unfiltered conversations from entrepreneurs across tech, property, wellness, AI, sport, and beyond. In each episode, our host James Smethurst dives into the real stories behind building a business, from first ideas to fundraising, exits, setbacks, and everything in between. It’s lighthearted but honest, giving founders space to share what they’ve learned, what they’re building, and why it matters.
Whether you’re interested in starting a business, raising investment, exiting, or the founder journey, this podcast shares real life stories and insights from people who have been there and done it.
With a growing guest list featuring AI innovators, filmmakers, athlete-founders, and more, The Launch offers powerful founder-focused content curated by founders for their interesting stories and insights. The podcast aims to become a leading voice in the UK’s startup ecosystem—helping founders learn, connect, and grow through real, unscripted storytelling.
8episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Sweat Equity, Startups & the £75 That Changed Everything
Jun 2700:34:16Tap to summarizeGuest: Colin Glass – Entrepreneur, investor, accountant, and mentor to hundreds of startups🔥 He Turned £75 into a Startup Empire: How Colin Glass Helped Build & Back Hundreds of BusinessesWhat does it really take to build a successful startup—and back the next generation of founders?In this powerful episode of The Launch Podcast, we sit down with investor, accountant, and startup legend Colin Glass, who shares how a £75 punt on the stock market sparked a lifelong journey of founding, funding, and scaling startups across the UK.🚀 You’ll learn:How Colin used sweat equity to grow massive returns from early-stage startupsThe #1 trait all successful founders have (it’s not what you think)Why most startups fail — and how YOU can avoid the same fateBehind-the-scenes access to how deals get done with angel investors, VCs, and the British Business BankInsider tips on startup funding, exit strategies, and scaling smartPlus: Hear real war stories from the companies that made it big—and the ones that didn’t.💥 Whether you're an aspiring founder, startup operator, or early-stage investor, this episode is packed with actionable advice, unfiltered insights, and hard-earned wisdom.
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Boost Drinks Founder Simon Gray Spills All on £70 Million Exit
Jun 2700:53:54Tap to summarizeHow did a rejected uni student with a 20% attendance rate turn a simple idea into a £70 MILLION brand? 👀In this explosive episode of The Launch Podcast, we dive deep with Simon Gray, founder of Boost Drinks, on how he built a household brand from scratch—without owning a factory, warehouse, or even delivery vans.Simon shares how:💡 He spotted a gap in the market and trademarked "Boost" overnight🚚 Built a lean, outsourced empire in convenience retail📈 Scaled to £70M turnover with zero supermarket sales🤝 Cultivated a killer team and culture💼 Successfully exited to AG Barr (makers of Irn-Bru)He also opens up about:🧠 Leadership growth📚 Game-changing books like The Chimp Paradox💔 The emotional cost of redundancies🔥 And what it really takes to go from startup to soldThis one’s packed with lessons, laughs, and real talk every founder needs to hear.👉 If you’re building a brand, scaling a business, or thinking about your exit strategy—DON’T MISS THIS.
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Bootstrapped to Exit: Phil Fraser’s Start up success story
Jun 10, 202500:44:36Tap to summarizeWhat happens when you quit accounting, stumble into the internet boom, and accidentally build one of the UK’s first online bingo empires? In this episode of The Launch Podcast, Phil Fraser, founder of the Leeds Business Podcast and online gaming veteran, shares how he went from clueless graduate to digital trailblazer—bootstrapping a business from his living room to a multi-million pound exit.💡 Learn about:Making bold career pivots (and surviving them)The early days of online gaming and affiliate marketingNavigating hiring, culture, and painful layoffsHow to sell a business and actually walk awayBuilding a business around lifestyle vs scaleThis is real talk from someone who's been through it all—no fluff, just valuable insight for anyone building or scaling a startup.
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Prison, Rugby, Redemption: Q & Suaia’s Journey to Save Lives
Jun 10, 202500:52:59Tap to summarizeIn one of our most powerful and emotional episodes yet, we sit down with Q and Suaia's—professional rugby players and founders of the Talk Your Walk Foundation.Their stories are raw, real, and deeply inspiring.From troubled pasts, personal loss, and prison time… to international rugby careers and a mission to transform lives through mental health advocacy—Q and Siri prove that rock bottom can be the start of something extraordinary.💬 They open up about:Battling depression, anxiety, and identity lossCreating their foundation from simple coffee chatsSpeaking in schools, prisons, and boardrooms to save livesWhy vulnerability is a superpower, not a weaknessThe “Three Cs”: Clarity, Consistency, and Check-insUsing elite sports mentality to build resilience and purposeEmbracing cultural identity as a bridge for connectionThis episode is about hope, healing, and the power of speaking your truth. Whether you’re facing challenges or leading others through them, this conversation will move you, motivate you, and maybe even change you.
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Behind the Screams: How GrimmFest Built a Horror Empire
May 27, 202500:35:28Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Launch Podcast, we dive into the world of indie horror and genre cinema with Rachel and Simeon Halligan, co-founders of GrimmFest and creators of the upcoming psychological thriller Past Life.From producing their first horror feature to launching one of the UK’s leading genre film festivals, Rachel and Simeon share their journey through the highs and horrors of independent filmmaking. You'll hear how they pivoted into running a festival, built a global audience, attracted A-list talent like Jeremy Piven and Pixie Lott, and stayed fiercely committed to original storytelling.🎥 What We Talk About:How they started GrimmFest & pivoted from indie film to full festivalThe making of Past Life: a thriller about past life regression, murder, and mysteryBehind the scenes with Jeremy Piven, Pixie Lott & Tim McInnernyBuilding a production company + audience from scratchLessons from over a decade in horror filmmakingWhy story always comes first📅 Past Life is expected to release in late 2025—don’t miss the inside scoop before it hits screens!Follow for more founder journeys, filmmaking insights, and creative inspiration.
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Rugby to Real Estate: How They Built a Property Empire
May 27, 202500:50:11Tap to summarizeIn this inspiring episode of The Launch, we sit down with Joe and Tom—two ex-rugby players from West Yorkshire—who left behind their sports careers to tackle the world of property development.With nothing but grit, hustle, and a shared vision, they went from living off maternity pay and using a broken-down Hyundai as a work van… to sourcing and managing over 50 properties in just one year. No trust funds. No safety nets. Just relentless work ethic and a belief that “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”🎙 Hear how they:Survived 10 months with no incomeBootstrapped their first projects with pure graftBuilt a reputation around honesty, resilience, and relationship-first businessLearned that mindset is everything in both sport and entrepreneurship🔥 If you’ve ever thought about quitting your job, starting your own business, or overcoming the fear of failure—this one’s for you.
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How this former Race Driver is disrupting the track experience world, and bootstrapping a business to generating revenue in 6 weeks
May 13, 202500:44:50Tap to summarize• A racing driver from Barnsley breaking into motorsport with zero connections• Track days that are more than just a few laps on an airfield• And a business quietly rewriting the rulebook on how to drive productivity.James Merrills has built Raidillon Racing & Race Competitions, both startups; one turning high-performance track days into a serious customer engagement tool, the other a high-end exclusive ‘day in the life of a racing driver’ experience with the ultimate concierge experience.Think UHNWI-level racing experiences, VIP guests arriving by helicopter, and 1:1 coaching in actual race cars. Not Lambos in car parks.We talk:• Why first-time founders obsess over product — and why second-time founders don’t• What it’s really like to race with Jenson Button (and fail at golf)• How pricing too low made him look like a scam• And what happens when you go from 0 to revenue in just 6 weeksThis episode’s for anyone building a niche business, raising investment, or just trying to do something different, properly.If you’ve ever dreamed of being a racing driver, or you’re bored of the same old steak and golf invites… give it a listen.
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Raising investment & replacing frustrating phone systems with Neural Voice ft Jeremy Smith and Harry Finch
Apr 22, 202500:48:06Tap to summarizeRaising investment, replacing frustrating phone systems and being on hold with AI - Inside Neural Voice’s AI Revolution with Jeremy Smith and Harry FinchIn this episode, we chat with Jeremy Smith (CEO) and Harry Finch (Lead Engineer) from Neural Voice, a UK startup building AI that replaces traditional phone systems with smart, human-like conversations.They’re on a mission to scrap the rubbish call centre scripts and press one for this two for that. They have reimagined how businesses talk to customers, making things faster, smarter, and way less painful.We get into: • Why phone systems are still stuck in the '90s • How you can call up and speak to an AI agent who actually knows what it's doing • What it takes to build a deep-tech startup from the ground up • Lessons from hiring, scaling, and solving a problem everyone hates• How they started their business• About their investment raiseIf you’ve ever waited on hold for 40 minutes plus, this one’s for you.
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