Leap Academy with Ilana Golan

Sir Richard Harpin put £50,000 of his life savings into a business that nearly collapsed—twice. That company eventually became HomeServe, serving millions of customers globally before being sold for more than £4 billion.

In this episode, Richard joins Ilana to share the lessons behind that extraordinary journey, from finding the business model that saved HomeServe with his final £10,000 to learning how to scale internationally, hire leaders better than himself, and stay focused when entrepreneurs are naturally drawn to the next big idea.
Richard also shares lessons from his book, How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps, including why copying a proven model can be smarter than inventing something new, why every entrepreneur needs a “not-to-do” list, and the two mistakes he sees holding ambitious founders back.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:30 From £50K to a £4 Billion Exit
03:49 Richard’s First Business at Age Five
05:47 What Working at Procter & Gamble Taught Him
07:40 The Problem That Inspired HomeServe
08:37 Losing His Life Savings & Nearly Going Broke
10:12 Why Richard Refused to Give Up
11:19 Finding an Investor When the Business Was Struggling
12:40 The Final £10K That Changed Everything
15:14 Perseverance vs. Knowing When to Quit
16:26 Hiring His Replacement to Scale the Business
17:24 Taking HomeServe International
20:08 Evolution, Not Revolution
23:06 Why Direct Mail Still Works
24:59 Why You Need a “Not-to-Do” List
26:08 How Founders Can Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome
27:46 How Far Is Too Far From Your Core Business?
29:29 Scaling HomeServe Into a Global Business
32:14 Knighthood & Helping the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
35:10 The Nine Steps Richard Wishes He Knew Earlier
37:42 Why Entrepreneurs Need Both a Coach and a Mentor
39:30 Stop Fixing Your Weaknesses—Build Around Your Strengths
40:52 What Holds High Achievers Back
42:52 Why Founders Need the Courage to Hire Expensive Talent
44:08 When to Bring in an Investor
45:44 You Don’t Need an Original Business Idea
46:26 Why Buying a Business May Be Smarter Than Starting One
47:35 Did Richard Ever Buy the Helicopter?

About Sir Richard Harpin
Sir Richard Harpin is the co-founder of HomeServe, the international home repairs and improvements business he helped grow from a struggling startup into a global company serving millions of customers. HomeServe was ultimately acquired in a deal valuing the company at more than £4 billion.
Today, Richard focuses on helping the next generation of entrepreneurs build and scale successful businesses. He is also the author of How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps, where he shares the lessons he wishes he had known at the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

📲 Connect with Ilana:
Facebook ▶️ https://www.facebook.com/IlanaGolanLeapAcademy
LinkedIn ▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilanagolan/
Instagram ▶️ https://www.instagram.com/ilanagolanleap
Website ▶️ https://www.leapacademy.com/

At 18 years old, Shawn Nelson had a crazy idea: build a beanbag so massive it could fill an entire room. That idea eventually became Lovesac, a publicly traded furniture company and major consumer brand.

In this episode, Shawn joins Ilana to share the real journey behind building Lovesac, from taking risks and learning as he went to winning Richard Branson’s The Rebel Billionaire and leading a company at scale.

They also dive into what failure teaches us, why success never means you’ve “arrived,” how Shawn gets through the hardest days, and why his philosophy is to maintain top ambition with infinite patience.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

04:06 – The Idea That Started Lovesac

07:10 – Stop Talking and Start Doing

13:24 – Big Vision, Flexible Execution

17:57 – Risk, Debt & the Fear of Failure

22:36 – Winning Richard Branson’s The Rebel Billionaire

29:11 – Lessons From Richard Branson & Virgin

32:07 – Why You Never Really “Arrive”

40:38 – What Failure Teaches You About Success

43:56 – Taking Lovesac Public & Leading at Scale

50:35 – How Shawn Gets Through the Hard Days

54:16 – The Reality of Entrepreneurship

56:24 – Building Your Career Safety Net & Personal Brand

1:00:59 – Lessons Shawn Wishes He Knew Earlier

1:03:27 – Top Ambition, Infinite Patience

1:05:30 – Redefining What Success Really Means

1:07:58 – Finding Your Personal “Why”

1:09:03 – The Truth Behind the Highlight Reel

About Shawn Nelson

Shawn Nelson is the founder and CEO of Lovesac, the publicly traded furniture company he started at just 18 years old. He is an entrepreneur, inventor, and winner of Richard Branson’s The Rebel Billionaire. Shawn is also the author of Let Me Save You 25 Years: Mistakes, Miracles, and Lessons from the Lovesac Story, where he shares lessons from more than two decades of building, nearly losing, and ultimately growing Lovesac into the brand it is today.

Connect with Shawn

Lovesac: Lovesac.com

Book & Podcast: Let Me Save You 25 Years

Social: @ShawnOfLovesac

Leap Academy
Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a new way for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap into bigger opportunities.
Get started with Ilana’s free career training at leapacademy.com/training.

📲 Connect with Ilana:
Facebook ▶️ https://www.facebook.com/IlanaGolanLeapAcademy
LinkedIn ▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilanagolan/
Instagram ▶️ https://www.instagram.com/ilanagolanleap
Website ▶️ https://www.leapacademy.com/

Manu Sai Bakshi arrived in New York with $2,500, a new wife, and a degree that wasn’t recognized in the U.S. Within weeks, he was applying for a job at Macy’s in Herald Square.

That humbling beginning eventually led Manu into the hedge fund world, where he spent nearly a decade learning how the industry identifies and hires elite talent before launching Preeminence Advisors during COVID.

In this episode, Manu joins Ilana to break down what separates great portfolio managers from mediocre ones, why reputation matters more than a quick fee, and how taking the harder path can become your greatest competitive advantage.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

04:38 – What Is a Hedge Fund? Breaking It Down Simply

07:26 – From IBM to Macy’s: Manu’s First Days in New York

11:13 – The Differentiator: Cold Calling When No One Else Would

14:52 – Almost Fired—and Already Planning His Own Firm

18:24 – The Moment That Proved He Could Place Portfolio Managers

22:32 – What Makes a Great Portfolio Manager

25:17 – Why Reputation Is Everything

33:26 – Launching His Own Firm During COVID

37:22 – Building the First Client: Knock Their Socks Off

42:21 – How People Actually Become Portfolio Managers

46:40 – Manu’s Favorite Interview Questions and Red Flags

48:48 – The Biggest Hiring Mistakes Hedge Funds Make

53:47 – Q&A: How Do You Keep Going When You Feel Defeated?

About Manu Sai Bakshi

Manu Sai Bakshi is the Founder and CEO of Preeminence Advisors, a boutique search firm specializing in placing elite portfolio managers at multibillion-dollar hedge funds.

After immigrating from India, Manu built his career from the ground up before spending nearly a decade leading recruiting inside a systematic hedge fund. Today, he works with senior hedge fund leaders as both a recruiter and strategic talent advisor.

Leap Academy

Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a new way for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap into bigger opportunities.

Get started with Ilana’s free career training at leapacademy.com/training.

Ilana Golan knows what it feels like to lose everything. After climbing from the Air Force to Intel to VP in a Silicon Valley startup, she thought she had made it. But when a trusted co-founder cut her out of their new business overnight, she was left with nothing. No job, no company, no income, and a shattered ego. That collapse became the turning point, forcing Ilana to ask who she was without the titles and what kind of life she truly wanted to build. In this episode, Ilana breaks down the five shifts you need to reinvent your career and the blueprint she used to bounce back from failure, build one of the fastest-growing startups, and land opportunities with leaders like Richard Branson and GaryVee.

Ilana Golan is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, investor, and host of the LEAP Academy podcast. As the founder of LEAP Academy, she teaches professionals how to fast-track opportunities, build portfolio careers, and unlock financial freedom.

In this episode, Ilana discusses:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:11) The Startup Collapse That Changed Everything

(04:24) Losing Her Identity and Rebuilding From Scratch

(06:22) Launching LEAP Academy and Reaching Startup of the Year

(09:10) Reinvention as the Must-Have Skill of Our Era

(10:09) The Power of Adaptability: IQ vs. EQ vs. AQ

(11:29) The Five Shifts to Fast-Track Your Career

(18:30) Commanding Authority: The Three Types of Branding

(23:17) Creating a Portfolio Career for Freedom and Wealth

Ilana Golan is a serial entrepreneur, board director, global keynote speaker, and investor in over 100 companies. As the founder of Leap Academy, she teaches professionals how to fast-track opportunities, build portfolio careers, and unlock financial freedom. Ilana has been recognized as a Silicon Valley Woman of Influence, a Top 40 Woman to Watch, and a CEO World Award winner. Under her leadership, LEAP Academy was named one of Inc. 500’s Fastest Growing Companies.

Connect with Ilana:

Ilana’s Website: leapacademy.com

Ilana’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ilanagolan

Ilana’s Email: info@leapacademy.com

Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW WAY for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap to bigger opportunities. Join us for our free challenge August 11- 13th!

https://workshops.leapacademy.com/challenge

Christina Tosi didn’t have a clear five-year plan when she graduated from college. She tried different majors, worked odd jobs, and kept searching for the thing that felt like hers. Baking became the answer she could not ignore. With relentless persistence, she went from a hostess stand to New York restaurant kitchens, proving herself one dessert at a time. That same drive eventually turned a tiny laundromat space into Milk Bar, the dessert empire known for bold flavors, nostalgic treats, and joyful care packages shipped across the country. In this episode, Christina joins Ilana to share how experimentation leads to clarity, why failure is essential to mastery, and what it really takes to build a business rooted in creativity, community, and joy. Christina Tosi is the founder and CEO of Milk Bar, the iconic dessert brand known for its bold, nostalgic treats like the Compost Cookie and cereal milk soft serve. She is a two-time James Beard Award winner and New York Times bestselling author.

In this episode, Ilana and Christina will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(05:53) How Childhood Baking Sparked a Career

(10:04) Testing Different Paths Until One Felt Right

(17:56) The Embarrassing Failure That Fueled Her

(22:04) Finding Mentors and Moving to New York

(28:10) The Simple Networking Move That Opened Doors

(31:17) The Cookie That Put Milk Bar on the Map

(38:00) Turning Failure Into Fuel for Growth

(45:04) Building Milk Bar in a Tiny Laundromat

(49:47) Pushing Through Criticism, Burnout, and COVID

(1:03:10) The Shift from Pastry Chef to CEO

(1:08:11) Why Discomfort Can Become Your Edge

(1:16:43) Betting on Yourself Before You Feel Ready

Christina Tosi is the founder and CEO of Milk Bar, a nationally beloved dessert brand with locations across the U.S. She is a two-time James Beard Award winner, TED speaker, and New York Times bestselling author of seven cookbooks. Christina also created Bake Club, a free online baking community launched during COVID that continues to bring bakers together around the world.

Connect with Christina:

Website: christinatosi.com/

Christina’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christina-tosi

Christina’s Instagram: instagram.com/christinatosi/

Christina’s YouTube: youtube.com/christinatosi

Resources Mentioned:Bake Club: bakeclub.com/

Leap Academy:

Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW WAY for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap to bigger opportunities.

Check out our free training today at https://bit.ly/leap--free-training

📲 Connect with Ilana:
Facebook ▶️ https://www.facebook.com/IlanaGolanLeapAcademy
LinkedIn ▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilanagolan/
Instagram ▶️ https://www.instagram.com/ilanagolanleap
Website ▶️ https://www.leapacademy.com/