This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by the brilliant Steve Ramona, host of Doing Business with a Servant’s Heart podcast.

Steve is all about the network – he describes himself as a “super connector” specialising in impactful partnerships through personalised introductions. That doesn’t really cover it though. He specialises in the energy industry and is involved in $5bn dollar worth of projects and $125 million in partner deals.

From his early days at his family’s health club in California, to mentoring founders and hosting more than 780 podcast episodes, Steve’s journey is a masterclass in building success through generosity, active listening and genuine human connection.

In this episode, Steve shares:
• Why you can’t do entrepreneurship alone.
• Why it’s vital for entrepreneurs to seek out mentors and guidance.
• His ASLA principle – Ask. Shut up. Listen. Ask
• Why ‘serving without expecting’ is the key to lasting impact.
• How his podcast became a business engine.
• How a moment of kindness at a grocery store changed his outlook on success forever.

It’s a conversation that will leave you feeling re-energised, re-focused, and ready to serve - because as Steve says, “When you bring value and uplift others, the universe always throws the ball back.”

Steve Ramona:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveramona/
Podcast: https://www.servinginbusinesspodcast.com/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m delighted to be joined by Charles Skinner – CEO of Restore plc.

I first met Charles 30 years ago and I have a lot to thank him for. He was the man who gave me my first job in journalism at Management Today magazine.

Charles’s own career and entrepreneur journey is as fascinating as it is varied. From an early career in investment banking and private equity, then magazine editor, then CEO of several quoted companies before returning to Restore as CEO in the last few years.

In this episode, he discusses the zigzags of his entrepreneurial life, the lessons learned when things go wrong and his very candid book - ‘Buy, Run, Build: A Guide to Entrepreneurship through Acquisition’ which is as humble, self-deprecating and funny as Charles is himself.

Key takeaways include:
• Failure teaches us far more than success.
• The importance of people-first leadership.
• How acquisitions can work for both small and large organisations.
• Don’t just rely on your advisors, do your own due diligence too.
• Why you must focus on secure revenues first – stability before scale.

This is a reflective and very human conversation about entrepreneurship, growth and humility in business.

Charles Skinner:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/charles-skinner-43833a1b6
New Book: Buy, Run, Build - A guide to entrepreneurship through acquisition
Restore Plc: https://www.restoreplc.com/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by the fantastic Jenny Garrett OBE – an award-winning Author, Speaker, Thought Leader and Founder of Jenny Garrett Global.

Jenny’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with a grand plan. It started cautiously, carving out one day a week to test her new coaching path. Now, it’s a thriving business that is 20 years strong.

Along the way, Jenny has become a leading voice in inclusive leadership and empowerment, helping women and underrepresented groups break through barriers.

In this episode, Jenny shares wisdom that every entrepreneur and leader can learn from, including:

• Starting small – Why began by coaching one day a week before taking the leap into full-time entrepreneurship.
• Building communities – Creating “jellies” (co-working meetups) to beat entrepreneurial loneliness and launching the UK’s first Diverse Executive Coach Directory.
• Inclusive leadership – How to go beyond the tick-box to create real, long-term impact in organisations
• Empowering the next generation – How and why she’s helped many young people make better choices and grow in confidence.
• AI as a mirror – Why the real danger is having our own biases reflected back at us and how AI can be harnessed for equity.
• Advice for entrepreneurs – Such as playing the long game, charging your worth, protecting your holidays, and not waiting too long to delegate.

Jenny’s story is one of courage, clarity, and commitment to making business a force for equity and empowerment.

Jenny Garrett:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennygarrettreflexion
Coach Directory: https://diverseexecutivecoaches.co.uk/
Podcast: https://aiforequity.world/
Rocking Ur Teens CIC: https://rockingurteens.com/
Website: jennygarrett.global
Email: info@jennygarrett.global

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

This week on The Merri-Cast podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Mindy Gibbins-Klein – Founder of The Book Midwife and Giving 1%.

Mindy describes herself as an “accidental entrepreneur”, but what an accident it turned out to be! Redundancy pushed her into building a career that’s empowered thousands of authors, leaders and entrepreneurs to share their stories with the world.

In our conversation, Mindy shares powerful insights that will inspire anyone thinking about writing a book, growing a business or leading with purpose.

Highlights include:
•Books as legacy - A book is a “sacred part of you going out into the world.” Too many people die with their book still inside them.
•The 90-day book process - Forget the myth that writing a book takes years. With the right mindset, structure and accountability, it can be done in 90 days.
•Thoughtful leadership vs. thought leadership - Don’t call yourself a thought leader. Let the market decide.
•Giving 1% - From her TEDx talk, small and consistent giving can make a huge impact. Could you live on 99% of your income and give 1% to causes you care about?
•Mindy’s advice for entrepreneurs – be clear about where you’re going, check in with yourself often, and don’t let others’ opinions dictate your path.

This episode is full of Mindy’s trademark energy and practical wisdom. If you’ve thought about writing a book, wondered how to stand out as a genuine leader or simply want to make a big difference with small, consistent actions, this conversation is for you.

Don’t let your story, your book or your leadership stay hidden.

Mindy Gibbins Klein:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindygibbinsklein/
Giving 1%: https://giving1percent.com/
The Book Midwife: https://bookmidwife.com/
The Thoughtful Leader: https://mindygk.com/
Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Fft9u69as
Email: mindy@bookmidwife.com

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

This week on The Merri-Cast podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Richard Barkey – Founder and CEO of Imparta.

I first met Richard almost 20 years ago, when his sharp questions about PR effectiveness left a lasting impression on me. Since then, he’s gone on to build and scale a business in a sector that is notoriously difficult to grow.

How has he done it? With curiosity, resilience and innovation at every turn.

In our conversation, Richard shared his journey and valuable insights that every entrepreneur can learn from, including:

• How an engineer’s mindset helped him pivot from McKinsey to founding Imparta.
• Why early investment and serendipity gave him the springboard to build something that would last.
• The importance of reinvention: from the dot-com bubble, through the 2008 crash, to pivoting early during the pandemic.
• His forward-looking approach on AI in sales and coaching, including its potential and the pitfalls of “cognitive offloading”.
• How he managed to break into the US market and scale globally, in a sector where many others have failed.
• His practical advice for entrepreneurs.

Richard’s story is one of persistence, vision and adaptability. If you’re navigating challenges in your own entrepreneurial journey, this episode is for you.

Richard Barkey:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-barkey-72604a4/
Imparta: https://imparta.com/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

After a short Summer break, we’re back with a very special episode of The Merri-Cast. We depart from our usual format to pay tribute to the late, great Charles Handy – social philosopher, visionary thinker and one of the most influential voices in leadership and management.

Charles’s insights heavily shaped my own journalistic and entrepreneurial journey. And his books including The Age of Unreason, The Elephant and The Flea, and The Second Curve, continue to inspire entrepreneurs, leaders and anyone curious about the world in which they live.

To honour his extraordinary life and legacy, I’m joined by three fantastic guests:
•Kate Handy – Charles’s daughter, who shares both personal memories and fascinating insights on his work.
•Mark Goyder – Founder of Tomorrow’s Company, a champion of purposeful business and a long-time admirer of Charles’s forward-thinking ideas.
•Andrew Hill – Senior Business Writer at the Financial Times, who offers an interesting perspective into Charles’s relevance to today’s challenges.

From the value of curiosity, to championing hybrid working decades ahead of everyone else, to keeping organisations human in an age of technology and AI – we explore the man behind the ideas and why his thinking matters now more than ever.

Charles Handy Books:
The Age of Unreason: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Unreason-New-Thinking-World/dp/0099548313
The Elephant and The Flea: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elephant-Flea-Thinking-Looking-Backwards/dp/0099415658
The Second Curve: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Curve-Thoughts-Reinventing-Society/dp/184794132X

What do you do when the career you worked so hard for no longer feels right? And how do you build something new that’s driven by purpose, not pressure?

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by Emily Gill – Co-Founder of human skills platform Levra and a qualified coach.

In this episode, Emily shares her fascinating career journey from lawyer to Oxford MBA student, to entrepreneurs. It’s full of insight, humility and real-world lessons.

Other key highlights include:
• Her father’s influence, particularly his encouragement that “anything is possible”.
• How her career change came from periods of quiet reflection – not a single ‘lightbulb moment’.
• Her perseverance and belief in long-term goals.
• Learning to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.
• Not taking setbacks personally.
• Building a values-led business with long term impact.
… and much more!

Emily’s honesty and grit makes this episode a must-listen for anyone navigating change or wanting clarity in their entrepreneurial journey.

Emily Gill:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygilllevra/
Website: https://www.levra.me/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

We love guests who challenge the status quo – and our latest one does exactly that.

This week, I’m joined by Dani Dufresne – Emmy Award Winning Executive Producer and Founder of The Auxiliary.

Dani’s journey from film school in LA to reinventing how creative production works is inspiring and refreshingly honest. With over 20 years’ production experience across Film, TV, Commercials and Events, Dani’s built an incredible reputation for turning her client’s visions into reality.

In this episode, Dani discusses her experience with burnout, how she found her niche and reinvented herself.

Key insights that Dani shares in this episode include:
• How knowing what she didn’t want helped shape her business model.
• Creating a fractional, creative business that actually works.
• Winning awards, without chasing the spotlight.
• Why brands should rethink how they tell stories.

If you have ever felt stuck in a traditional model – or dreamed of breaking one, then listen to Dani because this episode is for you.

Dani Dufresne:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danidufresne/
Website: https://www.theauxiliaryco.com/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk