The Launch

Sweat Equity, Startups & the £75 That Changed Everything

Guest: 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 Businesses What 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 startups The #1 trait all successful founders have (it’s not what you think) Why most startups fail — and how YOU can avoid the same fate Behind-the-scenes access to how deals get done with angel investors, VCs, and the British Business Bank Insider tips on startup funding, exit strategies, and scaling smart Plus: 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.

Boost Drinks Founder Simon Gray Spills All on £70 Million Exit

How 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 sold This 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.

Bootstrapped to Exit: Phil Fraser’s Start up success story

What 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 marketing Navigating hiring, culture, and painful layoffs How to sell a business and actually walk away Building a business around lifestyle vs scale This is real talk from someone who's been through it all—no fluff, just valuable insight for anyone building or scaling a startup.

Prison, Rugby, Redemption: Q & Suaia’s Journey to Save Lives

In 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 loss Creating their foundation from simple coffee chats Speaking in schools, prisons, and boardrooms to save lives Why vulnerability is a superpower, not a weakness The “Three Cs”: Clarity, Consistency, and Check-ins Using elite sports mentality to build resilience and purpose Embracing cultural identity as a bridge for connection This 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.

Behind the Screams: How GrimmFest Built a Horror Empire

In 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 festival The making of Past Life: a thriller about past life regression, murder, and mystery Behind the scenes with Jeremy Piven, Pixie Lott & Tim McInnerny Building a production company + audience from scratch Lessons from over a decade in horror filmmaking Why 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.