We Have A Meeting

Spencer Matthews has changed since his Made In Chelsea Days.

He was a terrible employee. Hotels, nightclubs, bars, a stint as a forward foreign exchange broker in the City. None of it stuck. Then he got sober, found nothing worth drinking between a gin and tonic and a sparkling water, and built CleanCo to fill the gap. Today he runs CleanCo and the Untapped podcast, is a three-time world record holder, and has run 30 marathons in 30 days and seven Ironmans on seven continents in 21 days. He is also, by his own admission, a little bit ashamed of Made in Chelsea.

Spencer Matthews joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest for one of the most honest conversations we've had about fame, failure and quitting. He explains why he thinks Made in Chelsea makes business harder, not easier, why he doesn't like the persona, the accent, the drinking or the way he treated people on it, and why his wife assumed the worst before she met him.

He breaks down the mistakes behind CleanCo: rebrands, products released before they were ready, recalls, and launching into 44 US states it couldn't afford before pulling back to five. He explains why being a naive founder is a superpower, why he gets bored when the numbers are being hit, and why he delegates everything, including the dishwasher to his children.

Then the bit he didn't have to share. The 10K he bailed on. A heart rate of 140 on the start line, 3:08 pace for the first 400 metres, a big panini and a lot of vomit. He didn't stop because he had to. He stopped because he wasn't going to break 37 minutes. The man who kept going through moments in Antarctica that felt life threatening quit a park 10K, and he explains exactly why that still bothers him.

Along the way: one beer a week rationed across 30 desert marathons, waking at 3:30am ready to run a 31st, sleeping 18 hours on a mess hall floor in Antarctica because his team left him there, why he thinks finishing at all costs is verging on moronic, what Mo Farah told him about effort, the 2:45 he's chasing in Valencia, why he follows exactly three accounts, his brother passing on Uber, and his contingency plan if nature calls at 30km.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Spencer Matthews, From Made in Chelsea to Clean Co Founder
00:01:30 The Problem We Solve: Sophisticated Alcohol-Free Options and Inspiring Human Potential
00:02:55 From Crap Employee to Entrepreneur: Why Spencer Had to Work for Himself
00:06:27 Don't Be Afraid to Fail: Why Reputation Damage Doesn't Scare Spencer
00:07:52 The Made in Chelsea Baggage: Being a Rich Privileged Wanker in Business
00:11:41 Building Clean Co: Mistakes, Product Recalls, and Learning the Hard Way
00:14:50 The Art of Delegation: From Business to Getting Kids to Do Chores
00:17:20 The 10K That Broke Him: Vomiting, Quitting, and Feeling Like a Bitch
00:22:30 Life-Threatening Ironmans vs Park Run Failures: The Mental Game of Endurance
00:29:24 Chasing 2:45 in Valencia: The Hardest Thing Spencer's Ever Attempted
00:34:55 Backyard Ultras and Max Effort: Why Perceived Effort Is All That Matters
00:38:34 Best Business Advice: If a Deal Is Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is
00:39:47 Winning Your First Customer: Go on Made in Chelsea or Just Be Authentic
00:40:54 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle

#SpencerMatthews #CleanCo #Untapped #MadeInChelsea #Sobriety #AlcoholFree #EnduranceMindset #MarathonTraining #Ironman #BusinessPodcast #UKBusiness #FounderMindset #Delegation #Entrepreneur #IdeasFest #FundingCircle #BackedByFundingCircle #WeHaveAMeeting

Connect with Spencer Matthews:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermatthews

CleanCo: https://clean.co

Untapped podcast: https://thehighperformancepodcast.com/untapped

Untapped on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1788474884

Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b

Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b

Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. Learn more at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Sammie Ellard-King cleared £24k of debt in his twenties, then built one of the UK's biggest money education brands. He launched Up The Gains in 2021 and has racked up more than 500 million views, 510,000+ social followers and 750,000+ podcast downloads. He was named Best Money Content Creator at the 2024 British Bank Awards. In June 2026 he launched Gains App, a free personal finance app combining budgeting, cashback and AI money support, to a waiting list of over 15,000 people.

Backed by Funding Circle.

Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Sammie joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain how he went from £24k in debt to building a money brand millions trust, why he walked away from a six-figure job to go all in on content, and how he turned an audience into a business.

Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode].

CHAPTERS

#BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #SammieEllardKing #UpTheGains #GainsApp #IdeasFest #PersonalFinance #MoneyTips #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester

Connect with Sammie Ellard-King:

Gains App: https://gainsapp.com

Up The Gains: https://upthegains.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upthegainsmoney

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammieellardking

X: https://x.com/ellardking

Hear more from the hosts:
Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b
Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b

Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Luke Tobin has built and sold three businesses. The big one was Digital Ethos, which he took from launch to an eight-figure exit in under five years, making it one of the fastest agency growth-to-exit stories in UK history. He sold to Cadastra, South America's largest independent agency group, in late 2022, then ran EMEA for the combined business. He now invests and operates through Unusual Group, Tobin Capital and Succeed, and won the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2020.

Backed by Funding Circle.

Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Luke joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain how he built an agency buyers wanted, what actually drives an agency's valuation, and why most founders undersell their life's work when they exit.

Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode].

CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Luke Tobin, Marketing Agency Founder Who Scaled to Exit
00:00:26 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Why Managing Runway Makes or Breaks Your Business
00:00:56 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Get More Than Just Cash and Service Your Debt
00:01:40 Day One of Your Business: Check Market Fit and Talk to Real Customers
00:02:34 The Best Business Advice: Work Your Current Network Better
00:03:15 Ignore the Easy Money Hype: Entrepreneurship Is Graft, Not Rock and Roll
00:03:39 The Most Underrated Skill: Leverage Self-Doubt and Move Through Fear
00:04:20 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Take the Chance on Yourself
00:04:50 Winning Your First Customer: Solve Their Pain Points and Speak Directly to Them
00:05:15 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle

#BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #LukeTobin #DigitalEthos #UnusualGroup #IdeasFest #AgencyOwner #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester

Connect with Luke Tobin:

Website: https://www.luketobin.com

Unusual Group: https://www.unusualgroup.com

Tobin Capital: https://www.tobincapital.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luketobin

Hear more from the hosts:
Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b
Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b

Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Piers Linney is best known as a Dragon on BBC's Dragons' Den. These days he is building the workforce of the future. The entrepreneur and investor, with a background in law and finance, is Executive Chairman and co-founder of Implement AI, which deploys teams of AI digital workers for businesses and was named AI Start-Up of the Year (London) at the UK Startup Awards 2025. He co-hosts The Implement AI Podcast, is a LinkedIn Top AI Voice, holds an MBE and is an in-demand keynote speaker on AI, technology and the future of work.

Backed by Funding Circle.
Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Piers joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to break down how founders can put AI to work, grow their business and stay ahead of the curve.

CHAPTERS

#BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #PiersLinney #DragonsDen #ImplementAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIForBusiness #FutureOfWork #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting

Connect with Piers Linney:

Website: https://www.pierslinney.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierslinney/

Implement AI: https://www.implementai.io

The Implement AI Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/implement-ai-podcast/id1694738741

Hear more from the hosts:
Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b
Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b

Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.

Backed by Funding Circle.

Funding Circle is business finance that backs you. Business loans, a flexible line of credit and a cashback business card for UK businesses, with a decision in as little as an hour. If you are looking for funding to take the next step, check them out here: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Lea Turner was a tattooed, pierced school dropout who'd worked minimum wage jobs her whole life. In 2019 she was a single mum running a small transcription business and relying on government support. Then she started posting on LinkedIn as herself, and it changed everything. She grew to more than 170,000 followers, built a LinkedIn training business that turned over £500k in its first year, and trained individuals and companies around the world. In December 2024 she hung up her tiara to focus on The HoLT, her membership community for freelancers, solopreneurs and small business owners, and hosts The HoLT's Survival Guide for Small Businesses podcast.

Lea joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest to explain why being yourself is a business strategy, how she turned LinkedIn posts into a half-million-pound business, and why she walked away from it to build a community instead.

Along the way: [three or four specifics pulled from the episode].

CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet Lea Turner, Community Builder Solving Solopreneur Loneliness
00:01:09 The Cash Flow Reality Check: Pay Your Team on Time, Every Time
00:01:51 The Borrowing Money Philosophy: Read the Fine Print and Know Your Limits
00:02:19 Day One of Your Business: Start With Sales Conversations and Real Research
00:03:15 The Best Business Advice: Don't Work With Anyone Who Drains Your Energy
00:04:30 Ignore the Scaling Pressure: Build a Business That Fits Your Life
00:05:37 The Most Underrated Skill: People Skills and Being Likeable
00:06:03 What Separates Winners from Everyone Else: Be Ruthless or Be Genuinely Kind
00:07:00 Winning Your First Customer: Listen More Than You Speak
00:07:34 Closing Thoughts: Business Finance That Backs You with Funding Circle

#BackedByFundingCircle #FundingCircle #LeaTurner #TheHoLT #LinkedIn #PersonalBrand #IdeasFest #SmallBusinessUK #BusinessFinance #FounderStory #Entrepreneur #WeHaveAMeeting #Manchester

Connect with Lea Turner:

The HoLT: https://www.the-holt.com

Website: https://www.leaturner.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner

Hear more from the hosts:
Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b
Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b

Brought to you by Funding Circle: business finance that backs you. See how they could back your business at https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk

Subscribe to We Have A Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.