Luke Nihill, Managing Director of Qurated, sits down with business leaders to discuss not just the why, but the how and the what of business success. Deep diving into the leadership challenges they have faced and providing insight and guidance that can be useful at both a strategic and a tactical level.
Philip Belamant, Founder & CEO of Zilch, joins us to share the story behind one of the UK's fastest-growing fintech companies. We discuss his journey from learning to code in South Africa to disrupting consumer credit, scaling through rapid growth, raising capital, building company culture, and his vision for the future of finance.
If you're interested in entrepreneurship, fintech, leadership, startups, and scaling high-growth businesses, this episode is packed with insights and practical lessons.
00:00 – intro
(01:12 – builder and problem solver rather than founder
(01:39 – growing up in south africa
(01:57 - getting into tech and computer programming
(02:25 – the draw of coding; possibilities are endless in code, you can fix anything
(02:47 – tangible vs intangible problems
(03:34 – burgeoning era of early mobile devices
(04:01 – influence of coding on pocket sized device
(04:55 – building first company
(05:30 – advancing to multiplayer gaming
(06:30 – falling into fintech
(07:36 – moving away from the boring mobile money apps
(08:30 – connection to social welfare distribution
(09:50 – technology changing lives
(11:20 – the move to the UK
(12:35 – sparking the question around consumer credit
(13:52 – the credit card is fundamentally against people
(15:11 – the zilch product
(17:30 – relationship with advertisers
(19:19) – default position: just make it better
(20:03) – the lessons learned from challenges in Africa
(21:17) – keeping conviction
(22:50) – selling the dream to others
(23:39) – sales is the key
(24:51) – missing first real fundraising round
(27:50) – pivoting to family offices & HNW
(30:33) – coming out of covid with 135 more employees
(31:14) – a viral campaign
(32:04) – the funding boom
(33:20) – building at pace
(34:00) – recruiting & the war on talent
(35:23) – adapting to a growing team and business
(37:40) – the founder struggle; getting out of the way
(38:42) – staying curious
(40:20) – the business as a team
(42:55) – leading from the front
(43:36) – how friction can be beneficial
(45:25) – leave the ego at the door
(46:11) – consumer credit today
(47:40) – moving from manual to automatic
(48:30) – removing the gearbox
(49:40) – the future of finance is zilch
(50:20) – building trust
(53:45) – one piece of advice for entrepreneurs
(54:50) – the balance between personal and professional
(55:37) – be a dreamer
Follow:
Philip Belamant (https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-belamant/)
Luke Nihill (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukenihill/)
17 Sept 2026
England Rugby Champion Dr Leon Lloyd: The Secrets To Success In Anything You Do
Former England international rugby champion and leadership expert Dr Leon Lloyd shares lessons from his journey in international sport.A must-watch for business leaders, entrepreneurs and anyone looking to build a resilient, high-performing mindset.
(00:54) - Achieving great things in two different careers
(1:29) - The importance of pressing pause
(2:07) - Failed footballer turned pro rugby player
(3:40) - Realising the opportunity in front of you
(4:30) - Sliding doors moments
(5:14) - The drive to work and succeed
(6:05) - The mindset shift
(7:10) - First match for England as a schoolboy
(8:04) - Moving to the next level in sport
(8:53) - Being around people that shape your mindset
(10:33) - Competitive dynamics within the team
(12:19) - Creating a standard
(16:34) - Earning respect
(18:51) - Everyone has their own role to play
(20:54) - Preserving harmony within the team
(22:27) - Career ending injury
(24:37) - A state of denial
(25:10) - Switching on the business brain
(27:36) - Losing athletic identity
(29:32) - The adjustment period
(31:11) - False perceptions on social media
(31:47) - Becoming an author
(32:08) - Extending Plan A
(33:10) - From Boot Room to Boardroom
(35:56) - We've all got a World Cup in us
(38:44) - Play to your strengths
(41:04) - The hedonic treadmill
(43:35) - Becoming a keynote speaker and the BEST programme(
(45:49) - Lessons for the business world
(48:13) - The positive impacts of pressure
(50:34) - Building culture from sport
(52:48) - Importance of empathy
(53:31) - Self-awareness is key
(55:00) - What elite sport gets wrong
(56:31) - The Kubler-Ross change curve
(1:02:14) - Imposter syndrome and self doubt
(1:04:26) - How businesses should approach leadership
(1:05:33) - Biggest regret
(1:09:01) - One piece of advice for younger self
Follow:
Leon Lloyd (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-leon-lloyd-b409201a/)
Luke Nihill (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukenihill/)
20 Apr 2026
The Non-Linear Path to Leadership | Lynda Clarke Nayax Interview
Most people assume a seat at the top table of a global fintech demands a degree, a corporate ladder, and a clean, upward trajectory. Lynda Clarke's story proves otherwise. From managing recruitment offices through the 2008 recession to leading UK and Ireland operations for a NASDAQ-listed payments business, Lynda's path has embraced change at every juncture.
On the latest episode of the Action, Impact, Growth podcast, she sat down to talk through the career decisions, the leadership philosophy, and the deeply personal moments that shaped who she is as a leader today.
(00:33) - An unconventional path to leadership
(01:28) - Leadership traits as a child
(02:32) - The "I'll do it" girl
(03:45) - Early career foundations
(05:53) - The people side of leadership
(06:58) - Keep challenging yourself
(09:27) - You can study at any time in your life
(10:28) - Is a degree really an advantage?
(11:50) - The grad hiring balance
(13:13) - Starting out in recruitment: The values
(15:06) - Managing people at a young age
(16:23) - Becoming a stay-at-home parent
(19:00) - Work hard to give you choices
(20:15) - Building a breadth of experience
(21:29) - Going back to work as a parent
(23:02) - Work life balance: it's give and take
(24:07) - Delegating at C level
(28:09) - When your team doesn't meet expectations
(30:21) - Autonomy + feedback = fulfilment
(32:40) - The art of giving hard feedback(
34:34) - The psychology of feedback: female vs male leaders
(36:46) - Playbooks and processes
(39:14) - What to do when you join a new C-suite
(40:30) - Serving your customers and your colleagues
(45:03) - Joining Nayax: the culture appeal
(47:43) - The role of a General Manager
(48:53) - Key learnings from a Product career
(49:47) - Leaders have to keep learning
(52:53) - Don't have a long-term plan
(53:56) - A passion for coaching
(55:26) - Empathy moves people forward
(57:34) - Vulnerability creates stronger leaders
(59:04) - Making the difficult decisions in your career
(01:01:15) - Best practices as a leader
(01:02:56) - High standards start with you
(01:04:07) - No regrets
(01:06:16) - Pressure and privilege as a General Manager
(01:07:52) - Slow down to speed up
(01:08:22) - Don't be afraid of feedback
(01:09:07) - Chase growth, not prestige
Follow:
Lynda Clarke - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-clarke-payments/
Luke Nihill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukenihill/
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
43,516
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
38
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
60
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