Bulletproof Entrepreneur

#82 He Ditched Cash, Bought Bitcoin, Then Listed His Company on the Stock Market: Entrepreneur, Scott Ellam of XCE.

Send a textScott Ellam started with a £13,000 basic salary, cold-called his way into closing a company acquisition at 22, and then built a thriving international executive search firm from his kitchen in 2014.Then he did something almost no UK founder has done - he put Bitcoin on his business balance sheet, and then took the whole thing public - listing it on the stock market.In this episode, Scott tells the full story: Why he believes the £230 billion sitting in UK business bank accounts is quietly losing value every year, How he held his nerve watching Bitcoin drop from £60k to £16k while still buying daily, Why he believes the IPO structure he’s built solves one of recruitment’s oldest problems - attracting and retaining top billing talent.This isn’t really a Bitcoin episode. It’s an episode about what you do with the profits you’ve worked hard to build  - and whether cash in the bank is actually as safe as it feels.Whether you agree with the strategy or not, this conversation will challenge how you think about incentives, capital allocation, and long-term value creation.What’s the “don’t get poor slowly strategy” for your business?Linkshttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/scott-p-ellam-5a097449https://www.spencer-riley.com/about-us/meet-the-team/scott-ellamhttps://xce.io/https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFOxNbmD38https://bitcoincollective.co/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Principles-Bitcoin-Technology-Economics-Philosophy/dp/023122012XThis podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

#81 Rachel Murphy - From £0 to Eight-Figure Exit in 1,042 Days

Send us a textEpisode OverviewRachel Murphy sold her company during lockdown. While building the national COVID-19 digital service. Without ever meeting the buyers in person.This conversation is equal parts masterclass and madness - covering everything from selling timeshare at 13, to negotiating 50% equity in a struggling business, to achieving an eight-figure exit in under three years, to why every founder her acquirer bought has since left.Rachel now runs The Grafter, helping entrepreneurs navigate exits with the playbook and emotional support that didn't exist when she needed it.Guest BioRachel Murphy is a multi-exited entrepreneur and founder of The Grafter, a business that helps entrepreneurs build, scale, and exit their companies. After building and selling her first company in her 20s, she spent 10-15 years as a high-level interim executive (CIO for Department of Education, leading NHS.UK digital transformation and launching the NHS app). In 2015, she negotiated 50% equity in consultancy Difference and sold it for eight figures in 2020 - during lockdown, while simultaneously building the national COVID-19 digital solution. She now leads a community of 200+ entrepreneurs and has helped facilitate 5 exits, 12 revenue doublings, and a £44M non-dilutive raise in just 38 months.Key Takeaways1. Build Your Exit Strategy Before You Need ItRachel had a complete sell pack ready 18 months into the business. When unsolicited buyers called, she didn't scramble - she sent comprehensive documentation immediately, putting her in a position of strength.Action: Start documenting your strategy, financials, and exit roadmap now - even if exit is years away.2. Creative Deals Beat Starting From ScratchInstead of building from zero, Rachel negotiated 50% equity in an existing struggling business by bringing her expertise, network, and turnaround strategy. One plus one equalled ten.Action: Look for businesses adjacent to your skillset that need what you have. Equity partnerships can accelerate your journey.3. Use Objective Frameworks for Emotional DecisionsRachel used Wardley mapping to objectively assess three acquisition offers. The result: she chose the best fit for her team, not the highest bidder or her personal preference.Action: Remove emotion from major decisions with frameworks. Work backwards from outcomes. Be brutally objective.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachthegrafter/?originalSubdomain=uk The GrafterThe 5 Types of Wealth: The life-changing international bestseller, a guide to building a happier, healthier, wealthier lifeThis podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

#80 The 2025 Budget: Hidden Traps Every Founder Must Avoid - with tax guru Malli Kini.

Send us a textThe Autumn Budget landed last week -  and while the headlines were busy talking about ‘black holes,’ and ‘fairness,’ the fine print tells a very different story.Nimesh Shah, The CEO of leading tax advisers, Blick Rothenberg didn’t mince words calling it “the most damaging Budget in living memory”If you own a business, if you’re scaling your company, or if you’re even thinking about an exit in the next few years, this Budget will affect your future wealth more than you realise.And most founders have absolutely no idea.So I’ve brought back one of the sharpest tax brains in the country - Malli Kini -  to unpack the traps, the opportunities, and the moves you need to make right now to stay ahead.We’re talking; • The stealth tax hikes nobody’s mentioning • The dividend and pension changes that hit founders hardest • The EOT crackdown and what it means for successionAnd so many other issues that didn't make the headlines.This is one of those episodes where a single insight could save you six figures - or more -  over the next few years.If you’re a business owner, buckle up.If you’re planning an exit, take notes.And if you care about keeping more of what you’ve built… this one’s for you. Let’s get into it.Ladies and gentlemen, Malli KiniThis podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

#79 The exact playbook to 3 x the value of your business - Graham Stephen of Bizval

Send us a text What if your business isn’t worth what you think it is?What if it’s less than you think? What is it’s more?Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most owner-managed businesses never sell.Not because the founders are lazy or stupid…But because the business just isn’t sellable in the eyes of a buyer.So Today, we’re fixing that.I’m joined by Graham Stephen, CEO and co-founder of a company called Bizval.His team helps entrepreneurs get a proper, defensible valuation.without a £50,000 big accounting firm invoice - or 80 pages of jargon! - and then they break down the key steps you can take to improve your exit valuation.So this episode is a bit different. During our conversation, Graham screenshares a live valuation of a very typical business:It’s a £10m revenue marketing agency, decent profits, happy owners.On the surface, it all looks great.But under the hood?There are a few issues that are keeping the valuation down in the eyes of a potential buyer.He then plugs in the key numbers and data…And you’ll hear how that business comes out at a valuation of around £3.7m today.  Then we apply some smart strategic moves and pull a few specific levers – nothing crazy and all highly achievable as part of a focused strategic exit plan.And suddenly the model shows a path from a £3.7m valuation to over £10m.Same business.Same owners.Very different outcome.And one other thing, Graham has kindly agreed to offer a very useful discount to the standard cost of your evaluation and strategic plan. There’s a link to the discount code below.So, if you’re an entrepreneur and your business is your pension, your exit, your family’s future – this episode will make you think very differently about your business value and how to optimise it.Let’s face it, you’re probably only going to sell once - and it’s likely to be the most significant financial transaction of your life.And so this next hour or so could make all the difference to you when that time comes.Let’s get into it.https://bizvalglobal.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-stephen?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_apphttps://bizvalglobal.com/pricing/ - code Bulletproof This podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

#78 Sir Tom Hunter - The Incredible Journey From Market Stall to Billionaire.

Send us a textToday on The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, you’re going to hear from a man whose story is almost impossible to compress into a single sentence -  because it’s part grit, part luck, part audacity… and entirely remarkable.Sir Tom Hunter grew up in the small Scottish mining village of New Cumnock, where his father ran the local grocery shop. It was there -  stacking shelves, serving neighbours, and learning the value of every pound  - that Tom absorbed the lessons that shaped everything that came next: look after your customers, keep your word, and work harder than anyone expects.From those beginnings, he went on to build one of the most successful retail empires the UK has ever seen. The story isn’t neat. It’s not linear. It’s full of missteps, brass-neck decisions, fake-it-till-you-make-it moments, and an unshakeable belief that the best way to learn is to do.You’ll hear how he started by selling trainers from the back of a van… how he leveraged luck by simply showing up… how a chance encounter led to selling more shell suits than anyone in Europe… and how an almost absurd coin toss sealed a £296 million deal.But you’ll also hear the parts of the journey most people never talk about. The weight of shutting shops. The backlash after the sale. The pressure of the financial crisis. Losing hundreds of millions. And the resilience required to rebuild from the inside out.It’s rare to sit with someone who has not only succeeded at the level Tom has but is also willing to speak honestly about the parts that don’t make the headlines.And today, he goes further  - sharing the philosophies that now guide his work through West Coast Capital and The Hunter Foundation… why he believes entrepreneurs are the engine of the UK economy… what government consistently gets wrong… and the one piece of advice Warren Buffett gave him that changed the way he thinks about family, money, and legacy.It’s a conversation about risk, resilience, humility, generosity, and what true wealth really means.So settle in. This one is special.Links:https://www.thehunterfoundation.co.uk/https://www.westcoastcapital.co.uk/Shareholder LettersThe Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness: Amazon.co.ukBarbarians At The Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco: Amazon.co.ukThis podcast is produced by GR Media Sponsored by Capital Asset Management