Scale-Up Sessions

Scaling a business is not just about increasing revenue. If key relationships, decisions, processes and knowledge remain dependent on the founder, growth can make a business more fragile and ultimately more difficult to sell.

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore what it takes to build a business that is valuable, transferable and ready for an eventual exit. From reducing founder dependency and documenting the way the business operates to creating a data room and understanding potential buyers, we unpack how founders can build resilience today while creating more options for the future.

Joining...

Cyber attacks are an increasing risk for growing businesses, but protecting your organisation isn't simply an IT responsibility. Cyber resilience means being able to prepare for, respond to and recover from incidents while keeping your business running and maintaining customer trust.

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how growing businesses can build cyber resilience, prepare for the critical first hours of an incident, manage third-party risk and respond effectively when things go wrong.

Joining us is Jenny Pirault, Cyber Risk and Resilience Manager at Sodali & Co. Jenny works with organisations and leadership teams...

AI is transforming the way businesses operate, but simply adopting more AI tools doesn't automatically create more value. The real opportunity lies in knowing where AI can genuinely improve the way your business works.

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how growing businesses can move beyond AI experimentation and start using it to create real commercial advantage. From identifying the right use cases to redesigning workflows and avoiding unnecessary complexity, we unpack what it really takes to use AI as a lever for sustainable growth.

Joining us is Yinka Fasawe, AI Go-To-Market Lead...

Growing a business isn't just about getting more attention. It's about making sure the right people find you, trust you, and know exactly how to buy from you.

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how founders can turn visibility into sustainable growth. From building meaningful relationships and creating a clear market position, to systemising sales and reducing founder dependency, we unpack what it really takes to build a business that can scale.

Joining us is Molly Ruland, Founder of Heartcast Media. Molly has spent more than two decades building businesses rooted in art...

What stops businesses from scaling? More often than not, it's not the market or the strategy - it's founder bottlenecks, misaligned leadership teams, and decisions made under pressure.

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we unpack the leadership challenges that emerge as businesses grow and become more complex. From struggling to let go of control to building alignment across senior teams, we explore what really gets in the way of sustainable scale.

Joining us is Kate Waterfall Hill, leadership coach, advisor, and author of How to Lead. You may also know her alter ego, Linda...

Is access to finance really drying up for growing businesses, or has the SME lending market simply become more complex?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how the UK SME lending landscape is evolving and what business owners need to understand before raising finance. From the rise of fintech and alternative lenders to the growing importance of brokers and long-term planning, this conversation cuts through the headlines to reveal what’s really happening on the ground.

Joining us is Jim Higginbotham, CEO of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB), the UK’s la...

According to Product Talk’s 2026 CDH Benchmark survey, only around 20% of product teams describe themselves as truly outcome-focused, while roughly 30% are still primarily measuring outputs rather than real impact.

So, are you measuring what truly drives growth — or just tracking activity?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we’re joined by Sam Collett, Chief Innovation Officer at Eventus.do. Sam introduces the concept of “outcome engineering” — starting with what success looks like and working backwards to identify the actions that truly drive results. He explains why so many organisations fall into the trap of measuring activity ins...

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore another compelling Scale-Up Story, diving into the realities of building and scaling a business rooted in culture, community and authenticity.

Joining us is Tom Bott, Founder and Managing Director of Signature Brew, a brewery built at the intersection of great beer and live music. What started as a creative way to connect with audiences has grown into a brand with a fiercely loyal community and a clearly defined purpose.

Tom shares how building a community-led brand shaped Signature Brew’s growth strategy, influenced key commercial decisions and he...

When is the right time to bring finance into your business, and how do you know you’re truly ready for it?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how founders can choose the right type of finance and make sure their business is in the right position to use it effectively. From understanding whether funding is the real solution, to avoiding common scaling traps, this conversation offers practical insight to help you grow with confidence.

Joining us is Dave Golding, Managing Director at Cynergy Business Finance. Dave oversees how the business supports companies wi...

Search is changing, and the way customers find your business is evolving fast.

So the question is: are you still showing up?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how shifting search behaviour is reshaping visibility for growing businesses, and what scale-ups need to do to stay discoverable in an increasingly fragmented landscape.

Joining us is Rick Talbot, Director of Digital at Totally Digital. Rick works across marketing, product and engineering teams to help organisations navigate complex changes in SEO, content and digital discovery, to help B2B and B2C businesses...

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore another fascinating Scale-Up Story, delving deep into the realities of scaling an AI-driven business.

Joining us is Chandini Jain, co-founder and CEO of Auquan, a fintech company that creates autonomous AI agents designed to automate complex, knowledge-intensive workflows in financial services.

Chandini shares how she identified a widespread industry problem, validated what customers truly needed and navigated the challenges of selling into highly regulated environments. She also tells us more about the evolution of Auquan’s product, from early search-based tools to fully orchestrated AI agents, and wh...

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we dive into our first ever Scale-Up Story, exploring the real journey of building, growing and leading a business through the highs, lows and pivotal turning points that only experience can teach.

Joining us is Devika Wood, CEO of Brain+, a tech-enabled home care platform that raised millions in funding and scaled rapidly in the UK’s growing elderly care sector.

She shares the early signals that can tell you whether your business is actually working, the unexpected challenges of transitioning from founder to CEO of a listed company, an...

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how growing businesses can protect and strengthen their customer experience as they scale. From spotting early warning signs, to fixing the right problems first, this conversation is packed with practical strategies to ensure growth doesn’t come at the expense of satisfaction or trust.

Joining us is Louise Coles, Director of Operations & Service Transformation at Cynergy Bank. Louise specialises in designing and evolving operating models so they continue to deliver great service. Her work focuses on aligning people, processes, and technology to create consistently strong customer experiences.

PR is changing, and getting attention is harder than ever. With newsrooms shrinking and competition growing, how do you cut through the noise and get the right people to care about what you’re building?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how growing businesses can use PR as a powerful growth lever — building trust, credibility and visibility in increasingly crowded markets. From understanding what journalists actually want, to choosing the right media placements and turning coverage into real commercial impact, this conversation is packed with practical advice for scaling brands.

Joining us is Matt...

Is discomfort a sign that you’re failing or growing?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how founders can build resilience, empower their teams, and create a culture of transparency and psychological safety that drives high performance. From reframing discomfort to giving honest feedback without breaking trust, this conversation is packed with practical strategies for scaling under pressure.

Joining us is Tom Emery, leadership coach and performance specialist who works with founders and executive teams to build resilience and high-performing cultures.

Can you grow your brand without blowing your budget?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we dive into how scaling businesses can make every marketing pound count. From prioritising the right channels to proving ROI and adapting when budgets shrink - this conversation is packed with actionable advice that your business can put into practice right away .

Joining us is Haly Berni (formerly Haly Brill), Head of Marketing at Here East, who helps businesses maximise impact through smart, data-driven marketing strategies.

Is your company’s purpose just words on a wall, or is it actively driving business growth, performance, and real-world impact?

In this episode of Scale Up Sessions, we're joined by Becky Willan, co-founder and CEO of Given, the agency for purpose-driven businesses. Becky works with ambitious brands to define and activate purpose across their organisation, moving it beyond statements and into everyday decisions that create value for both business and society.

we explore how leaders can embed purpose into business strategy so it genuinely shapes decision-making, engages teams, and fuels sustainable growth as organisations sc...

Is AI the ultimate growth hack, or a shortcut to costly mistakes?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how businesses can harness AI to boost efficiency without risking compliance or customer trust. From identifying the right processes to automate, to setting guardrails and keeping humans in the loop - this is your roadmap to safe, smart AI adoption.

Joining us is Rana Bhattacharya, Chief Digital Information Officer at Cynergy Bank, who leads the Bank’s digital strategy and AI innovation.

Is burnout the hidden cost of rapid growth?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how fast-growing businesses can maintain momentum without exhausting their teams or damaging their bottom line. You’ll learn why constant high performance is a myth, how to anticipate pressure points, and the simple shifts that help to create sustainable growth.

Joining us is Leanne Spencer, workplace well-being and resilience expert, bestselling author and keynote speaker.

Is your leadership team ready for the next stage of growth, or are they holding you back?

In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we unpack how to hire, evolve and align your senior team so they can take your business where you want it to go. From creating clear job scorecards to avoiding the trap of abdication, we discuss the practical steps to building a stronger, more aligned leadership team.

Joining us is Dominic Monkhouse, CEO mentor & Founders coach at Monkhouse & Company, who helps leaders build high-performing teams and scale without chaos.

Welcome to Scale Up Sessions, your roadmap to scale your business.

I’m Martin Kennington, and every week, I’ll be joined by experts from across finance, entrepreneurship, and investment to help you craft pitches that win, make smarter financial decisions, and scale your business with confidence.

We’ll share the key to all areas of modern business strategies, decode what investors are really looking for, and bring you stories from leaders who’ve been exactly where you are now - and made it happen.

Because scaling up isn’t just about ambition- it’s about...