In this episode, host, Eddie Whittingham (founder of GoFounder.com) is joined by Alice Lyons, where they talk with brutal honesty about the realities of startup fatigue. Alice is the founder of Dark Coffee - a Manchester-based workplace wellbeing company. Having herself experienced poor mental health including burnout, depression and suicidal thoughts throughout her twenties, Alice is in her third year of running her business. And the shine of being a startup is starting to fade. What do Eddie Whittingham and Alice Lyons talk about? How starting a startup can change from feeling scraps and cool over time What it's like when you’ve been running your business for a couple of years and the honeymoon period has well and truly worn off How you're linked identity can be linked to your startup and why that can be both good and bad And much more… Like this show? Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/. Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Jordan Wilson s the founder of Stigma Clothing, a startup fashion brand. There’s no denying that starting and growing a business is tough. It’s something a lot of people are driven to for a variety of reasons – sometimes that’s because you want a new challenge, a change of lifestyle, to regain control of your future or perhaps just to prove you can do it. But, starting and running a business whilst managing your own mental health is a tricky balance.  There’s self-doubt, imposter syndrome and stress to deal with – and that’s just the start.   That said, being your own boss can have a positive impact on your mental health too.   What do Eddie Whittingham and Jordan Wilson talk about? What mental health challenges you face when starting up a business How you can manage your mental health The pressures that come with running a small business And much more… Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://gofounder.com/podcasts/business-nobs/bipolar/ Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/. Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Episode Notes Vic Edwards is the founder of VLAN, an IT services provider. Standing out in a busy market place is tough. But, there are ways to do it. Even if when you first start out, you’re inevitably drawn to the safety of doing what everyone else is doing. And, just how much attention should you pay to your competitors?   What do Eddie Whittingham and Vid Edwards talk about? What mistakes Eddie and Vic made when they were starting out How can you stand out from your competitors Whether paying attention to your competitors is a good thing or not What other challenges a founder might face when standing out And much more… Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://gofounder.com/podcasts/business-nobs/standing-out Signup for access to the GoFounder platform – our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS – at https://gofounder.com/early-access/   Like this show? Please leave us a review here – even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Episode Notes Elena Manukyan is the founder of The Injury Solicitor – a boutique firm that she started in 2020 during the pandemic. We’ve all seen those entrepreneurs working from the beach, sipping a Pina Colada as they tap away on their laptops as they build their 7-figure-empire…. But, surprise surprise…the reality of starting a business couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, people start out with aspirations of being their own boss, working hours that suit them and working towards their dreams, yet there’s often so much more blood, sweat and tears involved in getting up and running in the first place. Sometimes naivety is a blessing…   What do Eddie Whittingham and Elena Manukyan talk about? What their perceptions of starting their respective businesses was vs the reality What sort of wage a new business owner can expect to take Problems that might occur by fast growth What challenges a founder might face And much more… Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://gofounder.com/podcasts/business-nobs/expectation/. Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/. Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Episode Notes In this episode, we're joined by Lewis Kemp, founder of Lightbulb Media. Lewis is 3-years into his journey as the founder of Lightbulb Media, a digital marketing agency in Manchester and, by his own admission - he has and continues to have to wing different parts of his everyday.   This episode is packed full of the usual honest look at the startup community and what all founders are likely to face.   What do Eddie Whittingham and Lewis Kemp talk about? How 'winging it' is something all founders face Why winging it shouldn't be seen as a bad thing Misconceptions in the startup community Their stories on how they got to where they are today, even with a bit of improvisation. And much more… Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/ Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!o here

Episode Notes Dan Kelsall returns for a second episode. Why? Well, because Dan and Eddie both have an axe to grind with the weird obsession with investment in the startup community. Dan is the founder of Offended Marketing. He's straight talking, northern and a somewhat divisive marketing 'expert' (although don't let him know we described him as one) and author of Fucking Good Content. This episode is packed full of brutally honest reflections and anecdotes on startup investment, as well as an honest look at the pros and cons. What do Eddie Whittingham and Dan Kelsall talk about? Why they think there's an obsession with investment in the startup community Whether most startups need investment The pros and cons of investment The realities of getting investment And much more… Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://gofounder.com/podcasts/business-nobs/investmentment. Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/. Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Episode Notes Alice Stephenson is the founder of Stephenson Law - a law firm that she started in 2017, despite being told she'd never be able to. But, Alice has been told a lot of times through her life that she couldn't do things. She's been told: She'd never manage a baby at 18 years old She couldn't go to university with a 1 year old She couldn't go to law school with a 7 year old She'd never have her own law firm ...only to prove her doubter wrong. This episode is a must listen to anyone thinking about starting their own business, as Alice provides an open and honest account of the challenges she's faced along the way and how she overcame them. What do Eddie Whittingham and Alice Stephenson talk about? How the challenges they faced has helped shape them into who they are today How to take negativity and turn it into a positive driver The drive, determination and often sacrifice needed to succeed Advice for people looking to start their own business, but not being sure where to begin And much more... Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/ Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Episode Notes Mike Winnet is the founder of IAM Productions and the much acclaimed Contrepreneur series on YouTube. Prior to that, he was the co-founder of a business which he went on to sell for a seven-figure-sum. This episode is packed full of honesty on what it's really like to sell your own business and what 'success' means to two people, who have sold their respective business, which you don't want to miss. What do Eddie Whittingham and Mike Winnet talk about? What selling a business is really like and how it impacts you Why people seek 'success' in the wrong places The problems with 'get rich quick' shortcuts to success The realistic factors that come into play when selling a business (spoiler... it includes an element of luck!) Advice for people looking to start their own business, but not being sure where to begin And much more... Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/ Like this show? Please leave us a review here  - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Episode Notes Craig Brookes is the founder of Correct Choice Windows. He's a normal, working-class bloke who wears his heart on his sleeve and tells it just like it is. This episode is rammed full of honesty (and swears) on what it's really like to start your own business, which you don't want to miss. What do Eddie Whittingham and Craig Brookes talk about? How mistakes made along the way to starting your own business often help shape it What pressures founders face when starting and running their business What emotional attachment founders have with their business ideas and the impact failure can have Why founders place pressure on themselves to succeed, especially other people's perceptions What it's like going back into employment having had a failed business venture And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://gofounder.com/podcasts/business-nobs/making-mistakes/ Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/ Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!

Shelina Begum is an award-winning journalist - a title she’s held for over 20 years. Only, Shelina isn’t an employee anymore. She’s founded her own company, Shelina Begum Media. We join Shelina just weeks into her journey as a startup owner to talk about what it’s really like transiting from being an employee to the CEO of a one-man band, overnight. This episode is packed full of open and honest reflection, as well as a heap of anecdotes on what it’s really like to start your own business, which you don’t want to miss. What do Eddie Whittingham and Shelina Begum talk about? What reservations founders are likely to have when thinking about leaving their job What the triggers are that make you likely to start your own business How that perception of starting a business differs from the reality The early-stage concerns and fears when starting a business Whether it’s possible to find a work-life balance when starting a business How starting your own company compares to the pressures of being an employee And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://gofounder.com/podcasts/business-nobs/employee-to-ceo/ ‎ Signup for access to the GoFounder platform - our online tool to help you start, grow and scale your business, without the BS - at https://gofounder.com/early-access/ Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even just a quick one liner helps a lot! If you want to leave your Twitter handle, we can thank you personally!