What does it take to build a travel business from nothing?

How Two Backpackers Built A Travel Empire

In this powerful episode of The Business Growth Podcast, recorded live at Sky Studios, Alastair Donnelly and Simon King, co-founders of Inside Travel Group, share how they went from teaching English in Japan to leading an £80 million global company employing nearly 300 people and sending tens of thousands of travellers around the world each year.

This isn’t a story of overnight success. It’s a story of grit, friendship, purpose, and doing whatever it takes to survive.

Alistair and Simon open up about:

- The moment a life-changing trip inspired their business idea

- Building a company from a spare bedroom with no experience or money

- Surviving financial crashes, inefficiencies, and a pandemic that almost wiped them out

- Finding the right systems, advisors, and people to create sustainable growth

- How purpose and profit can coexist when you truly care about people

“Business is about people. You have to care about them - your customers, your team, your suppliers, your community. If you really care about people, success will follow.”

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Why Your Marketing Strategy Isn't About You - Lessons from Neil Martin

In this episode of the Business Growth Podcast, powered by ActionCOACH UK, host James Vincent speaks with Neil Martin, Director of Marketing & Edutainment at ActionCOACH UK, a multi-award-winning coach and author of Done Beats Perfect.

This is more than a conversation about marketing. It’s a deep dive into why most strategies fail, what really drives results, and how personal resilience shapes professional success. Neil opens up about his early life, the impact of losing his father, and the lessons he learned about building businesses that can survive without depending on a single person.

Alongside his personal story, Neil shares practical marketing strategies that every business owner can use today. From understanding attention spans to balancing creativity and analytics to building campaigns that connect through story, this episode is packed with insights you can put into action.

Key Insights from Neil Martin

On attention:

“Attention spans are shorter now than they’ve ever been. If you’ve got 4 million views and only 12 of them are your ideal customers, are those 4 million views worth anything other than vanity?”

On marketing as strategy, not chance:

“Marketing is like going to the casino, only this time the odds are stacked in your favour. But until you place your bet, you can’t win.”

On storytelling:

“The best presentations are built of two things: frameworks and stories. Frameworks give the structure, and stories fill in the gaps.”

On edutainment:

“All business needs some show business. People don’t just buy products; they buy emotions. Education through entertainment makes your message unforgettable.”

On ego in communication:

“If you make it about you and making yourself look good, it disconnects. Ego doesn’t connect. Confidence attracts, arrogance repels.”

On resilience and growth:

“My life has been both a warning and an example. Every morning, I remind myself, I want to live today as an example.”

On marketing’s true purpose:

“The purpose of marketing isn’t to sell. The purpose of marketing is to start the conversation. Sales is what sells—but you can’t sell to someone if they’re not talking to you.”

Why You Should Watch

This is more than marketing theory. Neil’s journey—from being made homeless at 18 after his father’s business collapsed, to later losing his dad at just 56, to becoming a successful entrepreneur and coach—shapes the way he sees business.

He reminds us that:

- Businesses too often depend on one person, and when that person goes, so does the business.

- Real marketing success isn’t about vanity metrics; it’s about connecting with your customer.

- The line between confidence and arrogance is intention, and people feel the difference.

- Success doesn’t guarantee happiness; you have to choose happiness along the way.

As Neil puts it:

“The hardest lesson I’ve had to learn is that it’s not about me.”

👉 Subscribe to the Business Growth Podcast for more conversations with leaders and experts.

👉 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear why marketing is never about them- it’s about their customer.

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Simon Squibb: Money is Not as Important as You Think | The Business Growth Podcast

What really matters in business and life - money, purpose, or freedom?

In this episode of The Business Growth Podcast, Simon Squibb shares the raw truth behind his entrepreneurial journey. From starting his first business at 15 to building, selling, and investing in over 100 companies, Simon brings decades of wisdom. But he insists: “Money is not as important as you think.”

Simon opens up about the biggest misconceptions entrepreneurs face:

Why most people believe you need money to make money, and why that belief is wrong.

How limiting beliefs, often shaped by education and society, stop people from taking risks.

Why purpose and freedom should come before profit.

He also unpacks his mission to fix the broken education system and why teaching financial literacy, creativity, and resilience matters more than traditional classroom learning. As Simon puts it: “School taught me nothing about money, but debt taught me everything.”

You’ll also hear Simon’s take on AI, the future of work, and why owning your time is the ultimate wealth. This is more than a conversation about business growth - it’s a roadmap for redefining success on your own terms.

Whether you’re a start-up founder, an experienced CEO, or someone questioning the way society defines success, Simon’s insights will challenge the way you think.

About Simon Squibb

Simon Squibb is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and the founder of HelpBnk. He is on a mission to give away his knowledge, network, and money to help others start businesses for free. With over 3 million followers across social platforms, Simon inspires people to challenge old systems and take control of their futures.

Some of his core beliefs include:

- Money is just a tool. What matters is how you use it.

- Freedom of time is real wealth.

- Entrepreneurship is for everyone. You don’t need permission, funding, or the perfect plan to start.

- Education needs disruption. Real-world experience and problem-solving matter more than rote learning.

Why Watch This Episode?

- To rethink your relationship with money.

- To learn why purpose-driven businesses outperform profit-driven ones.

- To discover how AI and technology will reshape entrepreneurship.

- To hear how community, role models, and love all tie into success.

As Simon says:

“If you want to change your life, change what you believe about money.”

💡 If you’re serious about business growth, purpose, and building a life on your own terms, this episode will give you insights you won’t find in textbooks.

🎧 Subscribe to The Business Growth Podcast for weekly conversations with top entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders.

This episode is sponsored by COnstant Contact: Digital & Email Marketing Platform.

https://www.constantcontact.com/uk

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