Mark Roberts is an entrepreneur, investor, innovation coach and now a published author. Listen as Mark explains the unique trigger that made him quit corporate life to launch his start up, how appearing on This Morning created huge problems for his business and a secret fact you never knew about Pringles. There’s also a brilliant ‘How to’ if you're looking to scale your start up.
INTRODUCING MARK ROBERTS
Mark co-founded Beer Hawk in 2012, which he scaled from two mates in a shed, to a team of over 170 beery enthusiasts on a mission to inspire customers to find their next favourite beer.
He’s won numerous business awards including Great British Entrepreneur of the Year, and Business Person of the Year at the SME National Business Awards.
As well as being the author of The Entrepreneur Within, he’s also Chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, Trustee and Chair of the Finance & Resources Committee for Red Kite Learning Trust, Operational Partner for Praetura Ventures VC, Non-Executive Director of Ocula Technologies AI and an active angel investor.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:01:00] Mark’s early career
[00:04:00] The trigger to launch the business and the first few years
[00:14:00] Angel investment and the growth of the business
[00:20:00] The missteps and mistakes
[00:23:00] The unexpected exit
[00:32:00] Becoming an intrapreneur, Covid and the LEP
[00:40:00] the book ‘The Entrepreneur within’ and the F.O.R.G.E methodology
3 KEY TAKEAWAYS & BUSINESS LEARNINGS
- Do not underestimate the power of naivety and optimism
- Watch out for the Innovation paradox
- The more original the idea the easier it its to cut through
3 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR
“We had a list of thousands of friends and family…. And very few bought from us”
“Would you consider stepping out and becoming an intrapreneur?”
“It was one of the most well-funded start-ups you could get”
VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOU
Website: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/
Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk
Website: https://markroberts.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdroberts/
Shout out: https://www.leedsangels.co.uk
Buy the book - The Entrepreneur Within
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https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/tsb-the-square-ball/
https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/mark-costello/ - also beer related !
https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/phil-fraser/
ABOUT YOUR HOST
Phil Fraser went from an accidental kitchen table start up, with no investment, all the way to multi-million pound sale to a PLC 18 years later. He’s travelled the full SME business journey of launch, growth, scale and exit.
As well as hosting the Leeds Business Podcast, Phil now works with ambitious SME-owners as a Business Sounding Board (think somewhere between Business Coach and Business Mentor). In simple terms, he’s ‘a pair of ears and an extra pair eyes’ for SME Owners helping them to be better at what they do. Phil’s mantra is It doesn’t need to be ‘lonely at the top’. He helps Business Owners to be better business owners, by helping with their clarity and focus.
As a Business Sounding Board, he gives SME Owners the time & space to regularly discuss their challenges and opportunities, with no sense of judgement or bias, and in complete confidence. This allows them to explore their options in full, culminating with a list of issues to address/clarify, a clear target in mind, a roadmap to success, and a renewed enthusiasm and confidence for the challenges ahead.
Want to work with Phil to help you? See www.philfraser.co.uk.
LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST
Leeds, Business in Leeds, Leeds Business, Business in Leeds,
Nous of Fraser, Business Sounding Board, Business Coach, Business Mentor,
Email: phil@leedsbusinesspodcast.com
