Bulletproof Entrepreneur cover art

Bulletproof Entrepreneur

Bulletproof Entrepreneur

By: Alan Smith
Listen for free

About this listen

A podcast for entrepreneurs – reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale and exit. Inspired conversations with world-class entrepreneurs and the specialists who support them.© 2023 Bulletproof Entrepreneur Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • #75 The Nicer Side of Private Equity with Matt Taylor, CEO of Rockpool.
    Oct 2 2025

    Send us a text

    Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast - reverse engineering your successful business scale, sale and life on the other side.

    What I’ve learned over the years is that not every founder wants to sell up and exit their business completely - some prefer to take some ‘chips off the table’ and go again to make the most of the opportunities they see.

    That's where today’s guest comes in.

    Matt Taylor is the founder and co-owner of Rockpool, a different kind of business partner for ambitious owners of SMEs - perhaps a more collaborative version of traditional private equity.

    • During our conversation, he breaks down the secrets to unlocking the real value in your business through recruiting specific people and improving key processes.
    • Matt explained the support and resources his company offers to founders and entrepreneurs, helping them achieve their full potential.
    • We also talk about incentives, employee ownership, and why trust, not regulation, is the real engine of productivity.

    As a seasoned operator in the UK SME market, he’s also got some excellent advice for Rachel Reeves ahead of the next budget - well worth listening to what he’d like to tell her!

    This is a great conversation with a ton of valuable advice if you’re scaling towards a successful exit but not ready to retire and sit on a beach quite yet.

    So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Matt Taylor.


    Links:

    https://rockpool.uk.com/

    Voluntary Exchange: The Simple Truth of Economics: Amazon.co.uk


    This podcast is produced by GR Media
    Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • #74 Serial Entrepreneur Phil Hollingdale - Risk, Resilience and a £170m Exit
    Sep 4 2025

    Send us a text

    What does it take to risk everything — your home, your family’s security, and even walk away from a million-pound payday — in pursuit of something bigger?

    In this episode of The Bulletproof Entrepreneur, Phil shares the raw truth behind decades of building, selling, and reinventing businesses. From sleeping on an office couch to securing one of the UK’s biggest fintech exits, his journey is a masterclass in risk, resilience, and relentless drive.

    We also get into the tough questions:

    • Why most startups never make it — and what separates those that do.
    • How policy decisions can shape the future of entrepreneurship in Britain.
    • The one skill that underpins every business success.

    This isn’t a story of overnight wins. It’s a story of calculated gambles, painful setbacks, and bold moves that paid off in ways few would dare imagine.

    Resources:

    • Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (founder of Nike)
    • Play Nice But Win by Michael Dell
    • Phil's LinkedIn


    This podcast is produced by GR Media
    Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 29 mins
  • #73 Entrepreneurship, AI, and Resilience: Gary Abela on Failure, Success and Exiting Startups
    Aug 21 2025

    Send us a text

    Welcome back to the Bulletproof Entrepreneur podcast

    We’ve got a fantastic episode, which turned out to be a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the real story of entrepreneurship.

    My guest today is Gary Abela.

    Gary grew up in a family of hoteliers, and he was serving breakfast in the family hotel in London’s King’s Cross at the age of seven.

    After uni, he secured a job in the City and became one of the youngest sales reps in a major US investment firm.

    He went on to build a highly successful career in asset management before deciding to walk away from it all to start again.

    Gary takes us inside his journey from Berlin property deals to building an AI startup, to navigating failure, burnout, and eventually exiting his own company.

    Along the way, we talk about:

    • Why sales is the most underrated entrepreneurial skill.
    • What failure really teaches you that success never will.
    • The importance of co-founders with complementary values.
    • And why true wealth is measured in time, not money.

    This is an honest conversation about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to keep going when the odds are against you.

    Whether you’re scaling a business, preparing for an exit, or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is packed with insights on risk-taking, resilience, and building a business that lasts.

    Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Gary Abela


    Links

    https://saturnos.com/

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

    https://adviserpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

    https://allin.com/


    This podcast is produced by GR Media
    Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.