Focus on Founders

Duncan Di Biase (Brillband): Burnout, Raising £670k, and Selling Your Business

Duncan built a broadband company from the worst point in his life - and most founders won't tell you a story like this one. After burning out running his first business, Duncan was diagnosed with anxiety and depression just as lockdown hit. During a broken therapy session - interrupted by the very broadband provider that had been overcharging him for months - he decided to build something better. That became Brillband, a Glasgow-based broadband provider built around fairness and transparency. In this episode, Duncan talks about what it took to raise £670k pre-revenue, why he thinks VC funding is the wrong path for most founders, and what it actually felt like to sell the business he'd poured everything into - walking away with nothing. This is a founder conversation about mental health, resilience, investment mistakes, and what success really means. With thanks to our podcast sponsor: dussl. dussl is a Glasgow-based skincare brand built around high-performing, multi-tasking products,with a core focus on what makes the biggest difference to our skin health: UV protection.This is simplified skincare for all. Minimal effort. Maximum results. dussl's Founder,Fraser, is also part of the Focus on Founders community. Use code "FOCUS15" at dussl.com for an exclusive discount.

The Business of Belonging: Jared Keir on Building Fellow Humans Across 20+ Cities

Jared Keir, founder of Fellow Humans, joins Focus on Founders to discuss building a global community movement designed to tackle modern loneliness through real-world events. From growing up near Glasgow to launching events across 20+ cities, Jared shares how rejection, travel, and self-reflection led him to build a business centred around connection. This episode explores: * The loneliness epidemic * Community as a scalable business model * Founder resilience and mindset * Scaling events internationally * Why belonging is becoming the next major industry Hosted by Matthew Adams. With thanks to our podcast sponsor: dussl.  dussl is a Glasgow-based skincare brand built around high-performing, multi-tasking products, with a core focus on what makes the biggest difference to our skin health: UV protection. This is simplified skincare for all. Minimal effort. Maximum results. dussl’s Founder, Fraser, is also part of the Focus on Founders community.  Use code "FOCUS15" at dussl.com for an exclusive discount.

How to Start a Tutoring Business at 17 | Joshua Adams

Joshua Adams started a tutoring business at 17 while still in school. In this episode of Focus on Founders, we break down: * How to start a tutoring business as a teenager * Getting your first paying clients * Building trust with parents * Managing school and business * Lessons from launching an education startup If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, tutoring, or starting a business young, this episode gives a realistic breakdown of what it takes. With thanks to our podcast sponsor: dussl.  dussl is a Glasgow-based skincare brand built around high-performing, multi-tasking products, with a core focus on what makes the biggest difference to our skin health: UV protection. This is simplified skincare for all. Minimal effort. Maximum results. dussl’s Founder, Fraser, is also part of the Focus on Founders community.  Use code "FOCUS15" at dussl.com for an exclusive discount.

Why This Founder Never Pitched, Never Networked - And Still Built a Marketing Agency

Adam Stewart, founder of Waves the Agency, joins Focus on Founders for a brutally honest conversation about what it really takes to build a marketing agency - without pitching, cold outreach, or traditional networking.Adam didn’t set out to start a business. He fell into social media at 17, built relationships before he understood their value, and quietly created an agency powered by collaboration, community, and trust - not funnels or sales scripts.In this episode, Adam breaks down the parts of agency life most founders don’t talk about.We cover:- Why Adam removed his own name from his agency - and why it was necessary- How Waves grew without ever pitching a single client- Why most networking events feel empty (and what actually works instead)- The hidden downside of personal-brand-led businesses- Why founders struggle to say no and when it finally becomes possible- The biggest mistake brands make on social media: posting without community- Why time freedom, not money, is the real end goal- How collaboration replaced competition in Adam’s business modelYou’ll also hear how:- Early freelance work with media brands shaped his entire career- COVID accelerated the agency faster than any strategy ever could- One relationship changed the trajectory of Waves almost overnight- Most founders massively underestimate the long-term value of genuine connections🎧 Focus on Founders goes beyond surface-level success - exploring how businesses actually work behind the scenes.👉 Subscribe for weekly founder conversations👉 Share this episode with a founder who’s tired of playing the “sales game”Guest: Adam Stewart - Founder, Waves the AgencyHost: Matthew AdamsWith thanks to our podcast sponsor: dussl. dussl is a Glasgow-based skincare brand built around high-performing, multi-tasking products, with a core focus on what makes the biggest difference to our skin health: UV protection. This is simplified skincare for all. Minimal effort. Maximum results. dussl’s Founder, Fraser, is also part of the Focus on Founders community. Use code "FOCUS15" at dussl.com for an exclusive discount.

Doctors Gave Him 1 Year to Live… Then He Built One of the UK’s Fastest Growing Brands | 2B Tanned

What does it really take to build a modern consumer brand? In this episode of Focus on Founders, Matthew Adams sits down with Ricardo Napolitano, co-founder of 2B Tanned, to unpack a founder journey defined by risk, resilience, and radical honesty. Ricardo shares how he went from growing up with very little, struggling in school, and rejecting traditional work, to building one of the UK’s fastest-growing social commerce brands. Along the way, he survived heart failure after being told he had just one year to live, an experience that permanently reshaped how he views money, time, and success. In this conversation, we explore: * The real story behind scaling 2B Tanned through influencers and TikTok Shop * The viral moment that took daily orders from double digits to the thousands * Why early success destroys more businesses than failure * How to spot real opportunities - and when to say no * The realities of working with family as co-founders * What founders should focus on if they want to build something that lasts This episode isn’t about overnight success or motivational soundbites. It’s about how businesses actually work, the mistakes founders don’t talk about, and the mindset required to keep going when everything is on the line. If you’re an aspiring founder, early-stage operator, or experienced business owner, this episode will make you think differently about how you build. With thanks to our podcast sponsor: dussl. dussl is a Glasgow-based skincare brand built around high-performing, multi-tasking products, with a core focus on what makes the biggest difference to our skin health: UV protection. This is simplified skincare for all. Minimal effort. Maximum results. dussl’s Founder, Fraser, is also part of the Focus on Founders community. Use code "FOCUS15" at dussl.com for an exclusive discount.