Founder to Founder

About Founder to Founder

Founder to Founder is the podcast where founders share the lessons you won't find in a business book. Hosted by Luke Johnstone, founder of PACK'D and Virgin StartUp (https://www.virginstartup.org/) Mentor, each episode brings together inspiring entrepreneurs for honest conversations about building a business, overcoming challenges, securing support, and learning from the people who helped them along the way. From funding and growth to leadership, resilience and decision-making, Founder to Founder explores the realities of entrepreneurship through the stories of founders who have been there themselves. You'll hear practical advice, personal experiences, and the moments that shaped some of the UK's most exciting businesses. Whether you're starting your first venture, growing an early-stage business, or looking for guidance from people who understand the founder journey, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Luke Johnstone Luke is the founder of PACK'D, a disruptive food brand that has generated more than £15 million in sales and reached over one million customers. After launching with support from Virgin StartUp, he now helps the next generation of entrepreneurs as a Virgin StartUp Mentor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Virgin StartUp

Category

business · business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 May 2025

Latest episode

24 Jul 2025

Latest episodes

7 of 7 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   24 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT

   How Abi Selby Took Spabreaks.com From Idea to Industry Leader

   How Abi Selbey grew a £36m business built on inclusivity, purpose, and mission to change an industry This week, we’re joined by Abi Selby, the founder of Spabreaks.com (https://www.spabreaks.com/) — the UK’s leading spa booking platform, sending over 16,000 people to spas every week. Abi shares the full story of how she spotted a gap in the market, made wellness more accessible, and grew her business through sheer grit, strong relationships, and a commitment to purpose. We talk about: Her lightbulb moment (on a golf buggy, no less) Making spa and wellness inclusive for people with cancer, disabilities and beyond Surviving COVID as a founder — and bouncing back stronger The role of mentorship and surrounding yourself with the right people Why founders need to celebrate the small wins — and protect their own wellbeing, too If you’re looking for an honest, inspiring conversation with a founder who’s been through it all and kept her mission front and centre — this one’s for you. FOLLOW ABI: LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abi-selby-uksa-chair-board-advisor-satcc-a7882931/) FOLLOW SPA BREAKS: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/spabreaks/) FOLLOW VIRGIN STARTUP If you’re an early-stage founder looking for support to help you start up, join the Virgin StartUp Community to connect with other founders, mentors and advisors to support you through your journey. Community.virginstartup.org (http://community.virginstartup.org/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virginstartup/?hl=en) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@virginstartupvideos) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@virginstartup) Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virgin-startup/?originalSubdomain=uk) Hosted by Luke Johnstone (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukebjohnstone/?originalSubdomain=uk), founder of PACK’D (https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/DciTC4LQkf7E44LTXIyc4kcoc?domain=packd.co.uk/), Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner and Startup Mentor. Luke started and scaled his disruptive food business, generating over £15M in sales delivering impactful products to more than 1 million customers. PACK'D originally launched with support and funding from Virgin StartUp and now Luke returns to support the next generation of founders as a Virgin StartUp Mentor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   9 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT

   The Peanut Butter Pioneer: Pip Murray’s Startup Journey

   Pip Murray, founder of Pip & Nut, recounts her entrepreneurial journey from blending nut butter at home to building a multi-million pound food brand, in an interview with Luke Johnstone.

3. 

   25 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT

   From Gucci to Digital Guidebooks: Andy McNulty’s Unexpected Startup Journey

   Andy McNulty, ex-CEO and co-founder, recounts his transition from luxury fashion to tech entrepreneurship with Touch Stay, discussing intuition, resilience, and the complexities of building and selling a SaaS startup in an interview with Luke Johnstone.

4. 

   11 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Building Boldly: Grief, Grit and Growing D.LOUISE

   D.LOUISE Co-founder Olivia Jenkins discusses turning grief into purpose and building a sustainable jewelry brand rooted in bravery, simplicity, and joy in an interview with Luke Johnstone.

5. 

   27 May 2025TRANSCRIPT

   The Grind Behind Grind: David Abrahamovitch on Luck, Lessons and Leadership.

   David Abrahamovitch, founder and CEO of Grind, discusses scaling a business, the importance of mentorship, and surrounding yourself with the right people in this interview episode.

6. 

   14 May 2025TRANSCRIPT

   What I wish I knew: ADHD, Anxiety and the Founder’s Mind

   Alex Partridge shares his entrepreneurial journey, including his ADHD diagnosis and mental health advocacy, offering insights into navigating the challenges of a founder's mind in this interview.

7. 

   9 May 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Welcome to Founder to Founder

   Entrepreneurs David Abrahamovitch, Pip Murray, Olivia Jenkins, Andy McNulty, Abi Selby, and Alex Partridge discuss growth, grit, and the impact of mentoring on startup success in this interview episode.

Inside a recent episode

How Abi Selby Took Spabreaks.com From Idea to Industry Leader

Published 24 Jul 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And so I left the hotel and then started my own PR agency for a couple of years just so that I could kind of interview and have case studies with all the other different hotels and spars just so that I could really get a feel for what the business needed to be moving forward for it to work. […]

Who has been a guest on Founder to Founder

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Pip Murray
• Andy McNulty
• Olivia Jenkins
• David Abrahamovitch
• Alex Partridge

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

411,921

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

27

Social presence

97

YouTube

93

Engagement

0

Contact Founder to Founder

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Founder to Founder