Confessions of an Entrepreneur

In this episode of Confessions of an Entrepreneur, Carl sits down with North East entrepreneur, author and CEO Sophie Milliken MBE, a founder who has built, scaled and successfully exited a business, and now dedicates much of her time to helping others achieve success in their own careers and ventures.
Born and raised in the North East, Sophie shares the journey that led her to leave her role as Head of Graduate Recruitment at the John Lewis Partnership and return to the region to start her first business. What began as an entrepreneurial instinct soon developed into a fast-growing company, originally built with a business partner, which Sophie later sold to a private equity-backed acquirer.
Sophie reflects on what that exit meant both financially and personally, and the realisation that the acquiring company’s purpose and direction differed from her own ambitions. After stepping away from the business, she went on to launch her next venture, Moja Group, where she now works with entrepreneurs and senior leaders to help them raise their profile and become recognised authorities in their industries.
The conversation also explores Sophie’s experience as a single female founder and single mother, and the determination and sacrifices required to build a successful business while creating financial independence and opportunity for her daughter.
Carl and Sophie discuss the challenges women can face in business, including moments earlier in her career where gender-based barriers were placed in her path. Sophie explains how confidence, experience and self-belief have enabled her to challenge those behaviours and advocate for change.
Alongside running Moja, Sophie now dedicates significant time to supporting the North East business community. She serves as a non-executive director for a number of organisations and charities, including the North East Combined Authority and the Business and Innovation Centre, and is Chair of Smart Works North East, helping women across the region access opportunities through clothing, coaching and interview support.
This inspiring episode explores ambition, resilience and the importance of staying true to your values in business. Sophie shares why integrity matters above all else and why success ultimately comes from being honest with yourself, backing your instincts and helping others succeed along the way.
Connect with Sophie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-milliken/
Website: Sophie Milliken MBE
https://thisismoja.com
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 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.