Confessions of an Entrepreneur

In this episode of Confessions of an Entrepreneur, Carl sits down with entrepreneur, investor and BBC The Apprentice interviewer Linda Plant - a business leader whose career spans decades of building, scaling and exiting companies across many sectors.
Many will recognise Linda as Sir Alan Sugar’s trusted aide and one of the programme’s most formidable interviewers, but behind the television persona is a founder who started from humble beginnings running a market stall and went on to create a major international importing and retail business.
Linda shares how those early experiences shaped her instincts in business, teaching her the importance of selling, understanding your product and believing in what you offer. From those foundations she scaled a global operation, later selling the company, buying it back and eventually taking it public; a journey that demanded resilience, focus and relentless determination.
Carl and Linda discuss what truly makes a strong business plan, the traits she looks for when interviewing The Apprentice finalists, and why clarity and confidence are essential for any entrepreneur seeking investment or growth.
The conversation also explores the importance of honesty and integrity in business, not overselling yourself, not pretending to be something or someone you’re not, and having the courage to back yourself fully when making decisions.
Linda reflects on the power of authenticity, explaining that long-term success often comes from trusting your instincts, staying true to your values and presenting your real self to the world.
This is an insightful and practical episode offering lessons from one of the UK’s most experienced entrepreneurs, covering confidence, credibility and the mindset required to build sustainable success.
Connect with Linda
LinkedIn: Linda Plant | LinkedIn
Website: Linda Plant
Connect with Carl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-swansbury-fca-33b21923/?originalSubdomain=uk Website: https://ryecroftglenton.com/team/carl-swansbury/
This podcast is brought to you by Recognition PR.

In this episode of Confessions of an Entrepreneur, Carl sits down with serial entrepreneur, business coach and mentor Mike Ames, a founder who has built, scaled and exited multiple businesses worth tens of millions of pounds, and now dedicates his time to helping other entrepreneurs achieve their own value events.

Mike shares his journey from launching and growing his first business through to its eventual sale, including the profound personal and professional challenge of losing his business partner and unexpectedly stepping into the CEO role. Forced to learn fast and lead through adversity, the experience shaped his leadership philosophy and approach to decision-making.

Applying those lessons to his second venture, Crimson, Mike explains how relentless clarity and “focus, focus, focus” became the defining strategy behind scaling successfully. He reflects on the power of marginal gains, consistency and compounding improvement, doing the same things slightly better over time to produce dramatically different outcomes.

The conversation also explores a side of entrepreneurship rarely spoken about openly: the emotional aftermath of a successful exit. Mike discusses the anticlimax of selling a business, the reality that financial success alone does not create fulfilment, and the importance of purpose beyond the balance sheet.

In a candid discussion, Mike speaks honestly about work-life balance, and the sacrifices entrepreneurs sometimes only recognise in hindsight, particularly the time missed with family while building a business.

Now working as a coach and advisor to founders scaling their companies, Mike emphasises the importance of having support around you - mentors, coaches, partners and peers - people who can challenge, guide and listen through both setbacks and wins.

This thoughtful and honest episode offers practical and personal lessons for founders at every stage of their journey, from start-up to scale-up and beyond exit.
Connect with Mike
LinkedIn: (2) Mike Ames | LinkedIn
Website: https://www.flair.co.uk/
Connect with Carl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-swansbury-fca-33b21923/?originalSubdomain=uk Website: https://ryecroftglenton.com/team/carl-swansbury/
This podcast is brought to you by Recognition PR.

In this short end-of-season episode of Confessions of a…, Carl Swansbury takes a moment to say thank you to everyone who has tuned in, listened, shared and supported the podcast over the past year.

Across the 2025 season, Confessions of a… has welcomed an inspiring mix of founders, leaders and entrepreneurs, each sharing their stories with honesty, humility and insight. This wrap-up episode brings together some of the standout moments and key lessons from the year, offering a snapshot of the ideas that have resonated most with listeners.

We hear from Sara Davies on the reality of work–life balance and the importance of letting go of perfection, reminding us that life and business are a constant compromise, and that’s okay. Bill Scott reflects on why culture is the thing he is most proud of, reinforcing the idea that successful businesses are ultimately built around people.

Kevin Fasting shares a powerful perspective on forgiveness and empathy in leadership, speaking candidly about maturity, compassion and the belief that people can change. Nigel Mills then brings the focus back to strategy, longevity and adaptability, highlighting the need to stay one step ahead in an ever-changing business landscape.

The episode also revisits Helen Trueman-Howe’s honest reflection on redundancy as a catalyst for change, showing how adversity can often be the push that leads to growth, reinvention and new opportunity.

The montage closes with Gary Goldsmith’s bold reminder that not fitting in can be a superpower, leaving listeners with a strong message about authenticity, individuality and embracing what makes you different.
Together, these moments capture the heart of Confessions of a… – real conversations, real experiences and practical lessons from people who have built, led and learned along the way.

As the podcast looks ahead to the 2026 season, Confessions of a… will continue to explore the realities of leadership, entrepreneurship and growth, with more honest conversations, fresh perspectives and new voices from across the business community. Carl and his team are already lining up a strong slate of guests, and the aim remains the same, to create space for thoughtful reflection, practical insight and stories that resonate long after the microphones are switched off.

Whether you’ve followed every episode or dipped in along the way, thank you for being part of the Confessions of a… journey. Carl looks forward to welcoming you back for the next chapter in 2026.
Connect with Carl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-swansbury-fca-33b21923/?originalSubdomain=uk
Website: https://ryecroftglenton.com/team/carl-swansbury/
This podcast is brought to you by Recognition PR.

In this episode of ‘Confessions of a…’, Carl meets with businessman, politician, media commentator and charity campaigner, Andy Preston, an entrepreneur who places philanthropy and community at the heart of his personal ethos.
Born in Middlesbrough, Andy has become one of the North East’s entrepreneurs who’s drive and enthusiasm for life and business, has not only made him successful, but helped him be in position to make important contributions to society.
An investor in a number of start-up businesses and commercial property schemes, Andy has also had a career in politics, holding the position of Deputy Mayor of Tees Valley for Business Growth and the directly elected Mayor of Middlesbrough.
After a career in the RAF, Andy studied at Edinburgh University before working as an international fund manager becoming involved in several charities before founding the Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation in 2011.
He launched his second charity, CEO Sleepout, in 2013 to alleviate homelessness and poverty, which continues to hold successful events across the country.
Andy went on to launch a charity restaurant in Middlesbrough, The Fork in the Road, providing employment opportunities for ex-offenders, recovering addicts and long-term unemployed.
As someone who hates to conform, likes to rebel or being told what to do, Andy has run his life to the beat of his own drum, which has been a fundamental part of his business and life success.
Andy and Carl talk frankly about the decisions Andy has made in his life and the passion for helping people and his community that has driven him to never be satisfied with his achievements and strive for greater success that helps others, and all the activities that give him happiness.
This is a very fascinating and revealing episode of Confessions of an Entrepreneur, which offers some interesting life and business lessons from an entrepreneur who’s wanted to achieve as much as possible, in as little time as possible, while taking nothing for granted.
Connect with Andy
LinkedIn: Andy Preston | LinkedIn
Website: www.ceosleepout.co.uk
Connect with Carl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-swansbury-fca-33b21923/?originalSubdomain=uk
Website: https://ryecroftglenton.com/team/carl-swansbury/
This podcast is brought to you by Recognition PR.

In this episode of ‘Confessions of a…’, Carl discovers a unique, moving and inspiring story from entrepreneur and North East personality Anthony Hutton.
Best known as the winner of TV’s Big Brother, Anthony has also had a successful career in business.
From his humble beginnings in the North East, and despite not succeeding at school, he was always ambitious. With his heart set on a career as a professional footballer, which didn’t materialize he was looking for a break to set his life on a better path.
That path led him to not only appearing on Channel 4’s Big Brother, but actually winning the programme, which was his clear objective from the moment he was accepted on the reality show.
It gave him the platform he wanted for success. Although not knowing what success would look like, it did make him a celebrity. However, fame doesn’t always last, and in Anthony’s case it didn’t and caused him to lose pretty much everything.
This was another opportunity in his life where Anthony learned from adversity while battling depression and personal trauma when cancer affected his family.
He found a purpose by training to become a barber, building a business and a new support network, while also helping others who had experienced mental health issues as he had.
This led to a new business, Never Throw In the Towel, to provide support and coaching for people with mental health challenges.
Anthony’s open and honest conversation with Carl offers real insight into his personal and professional challenges, which makes for a fascinating listening experience, offering both inspiration and plenty of food for thought.
Connect with Anthony
LinkedIn: Anthony Hutton | LinkedIn
Website: Never Throw In The Towel Project | Darlington | Facebook
Connect with Carl
LinkedIn: Carl Swansbury FCA | LinkedIn
Website: https://ryecroftglenton.com/team/carl-swansbury/
This podcast is brought to you by Recognition PR.