The Business Take-Away Podcast

About The Business Take-Away Podcast

The Business Takeaway is for founders, business owners and leaders who want practical ideas they can use. Ben Payne speaks with founders and operators about the decisions, failures and turning points behind real businesses — covering leadership, culture, sales, growth, careers and business exits. New full episodes every Monday, with short practical clips throughout the week. Subscribe for honest business conversations without the polished success-story version.

Publisher

Ben Payne

Category

business · business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Sept 2021

Latest episode

2 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

42 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Nov 2026

   The Man Behind Boost: From a £30K Loan to a £75M Business - Ep 42 Simon Gray

   Ben sits down with Simon Gray, the Leeds-born founder of Boost Drinks. Simon launched Boost in 2001 while still running a food wholesale business, built it into a £75M brand with no outside investors, and sold it to AG Barr in 2022. They cover how Boost grew through independent wholesalers instead of supermarkets, why Covid pushed Simon to think seriously about an exit, and the emotional side of selling that founders rarely talk about, from a 7am announcement to his team to breaking down in tears the morning he signed. The conversation starts with Simon's route from a marketing degree into food wholesale. It ends with his new venture It's Giving, the lessons he's carrying over from Boost, his advice for founders thinking about selling, and his golden rule for business. What You'll Hear How frustration with expensive energy drinks as a student became the idea for Boost Why Boost was almost called Blast, and who changed it 24 hours before launch Why Simon never tried to take on Red Bull head-on How independent wholesalers, not supermarkets, built Boost's distribution How Northern Ireland became one of Boost's strongest markets Why watching profitable businesses disappear during Covid changed Simon's thinking on timing How the AG Barr deal came together, and what AG Barr saw in Boost How the Liz Truss turmoil in 2022 stretched a six-month deal to nearly nine Why earn-outs can drive the wrong behaviour on both sides The 7am announcement, the silent office, and the tears on the kitchen floor How Simon helped redundant staff find new roles through LinkedIn Why he came back with It's Giving, a gut-friendly soda at around half the price of the market leader What he's doing differently this time: distribution before marketing, and leadership that isn't a popularity contest Simon's golden rule: trust your gut This Episode Is For You If You've Ever Asked How do you find a gap in a market dominated by big brands? Can you build a national brand without investors? How do you know when it's the right time to sell your business? What does an acquirer look for when buying a brand? How long does due diligence take, and what do buyers ask for? Should you tell your team you're selling the business? Are earn-outs good or bad for founders? What does selling a business actually feel like? What happens to your team after an acquisition? What would a founder do differently the second time around? 00:00 Intro and Welcome 00:55 Simon's Background 02:27 Boost Was Almost Blast 02:51 Spotting the Gap 05:07 Taking On Red Bull 06:52 The Wholesale Route 09:45 Going National 13:46 Covid and the Exit 17:42 The AG Barr Deal 23:17 Due Diligence Delays 26:55 Telling the Team 32:07 Earn-Outs 34:52 The Day After Signing 37:51 Having a Boss 39:23 Integration and Redundancies 45:00 Life After the Exit 46:36 Launching It's Giving 50:25 Doing It Differently 54:11 Advice on Selling 55:33 Simon's Golden Rule 56:20 Rapid Fire THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY STAYZEE Every hotel stay, any brand, organised in one app. Download Stayzee on the App Store or Google Play. Connect with Simon Gray: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-gray-9b36802b (https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-gray-9b36802b) website: https://www.itsgivingdrinks.com (https://www.itsgivingdrinks.com) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingdrinks (https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingdrinks) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsgivingdrinks (https://www.tiktok.com/@itsgivingdrinks) Fizz With Purpose website: https://fizzwithpurpose.com (https://fizzwithpurpose.com) Connect with Ben Payne: Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/939700f41026/new-sign-up-page (https://mailchi.mp/939700f41026/new-sign-up-page) Ben Payne’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-payne-55936416/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-payne-55936416/) Contact page: https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com/contact (https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com/contact) Listen to The Business Takeaway Podcast : Website: https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com (https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YKy1X9rFMBmpnori9qaWr (https://open.spotify.com/show/1YKy1X9rFMBmpnori9qaWr) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-takeaway-podcast-leadership-business-advice/id1586530197 (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-takeaway-podcast-leadership-business-advice/id1586530197) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thebusinesstakeawaypodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@Thebusinesstakeawaypodcast) RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-business-take-away/ (https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-business-take-away/) Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1798dfe5-f5ee-4b84-ba76-e7905ef004c5/the-business-take-away-podcast (https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1798dfe5-f5ee-4b84-ba76-e7905ef004c5/the-business-take-away-podcast) Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0GSCHYYB6 (https://www.audible.com/pd/B0GSCHYYB6)

2. 

   26 Oct 2026

   AI's Biggest Challenges: Energy, Cost & What It Can't Solve | Ep 41 Tyler Hochman

   Ben sits down with Tyler Hochman, a Stanford-trained engineer and serial entrepreneur from LA. Tyler has built businesses in consumer products, public safety, and AI consulting. They cover SafeStop, the traffic stop app that went viral before it was ready, and how FORE moved from predicting employee turnover to building data architecture and helping companies cut their AI costs. Tyler also explains his ERR framework for deciding where AI belongs in a business and why a human is often still the cheaper option. The conversation starts with what makes Tyler want to start something new. It ends with ocean and space data centers, the lesson he wishes he’d learned 10 years earlier, and his golden rule for leading a team. What You’ll Hear Why Tyler starts businesses from problems he’s personally passionate about Why he now plans for the exit before forming a business The SafeStop thesis: a 30-second video call that lowers tension at traffic stops How SafeStop went viral before it was ready, and what that taught Tyler about upside and downside How FORE predicted employee turnover, then pivoted when 90% of the time went into fixing client data Why token optimization is the next wave of AI The ERR framework: is the problem expensive, repetitive, and repeatable? Why a human is often still cheaper than AI, and where AI falls short How AI is changing sports scouting and injury prediction Why Tyler thinks AI’s next big job is solving its own energy problem, with data centers in the ocean and in space Tyler’s golden rule: lead from the front This Episode Is For You If You’ve Ever Asked How do serial entrepreneurs decide which problem to solve next? Should you plan your exit before you start a business? Can a startup go viral too early? What does it take to make a two-sided marketplace work? How do you know when it’s time to pivot? Where should a business start with AI? When is AI worth the cost and when is a human cheaper? What can’t AI do well yet? How is AI being used in sports scouting and injury prevention? How will AI deal with its energy and data center problem? 00:00 Intro and Welcome 01:18 What Drives Tyler to Start New Businesses 02:59 Why Tyler Builds Across Industries 04:23 Building a Business With the Exit in Mind 06:58 SafeStop: Making Traffic Stops Safer 09:45 The Problem With Going Viral Too Fast 11:03 Insurance Partnerships and SafeStop Today 12:44 What Chasing Virality Taught Tyler 13:47 FORE and Predicting Employee Turnover 17:11 Why Data Became the Real Problem 19:15 Pivoting to Data Architecture 20:32 From AI Solutions to Token Optimization 23:28 The ERR Framework: Where to Start With AI 25:39 AI Risk and Data Privacy 26:28 When a Human Is Cheaper Than AI 28:12 Where AI Still Falls Short 30:29 AI in Sports Scouting 32:15 Which Sports Suit AI Best 34:25 Predicting Athlete Injuries 36:18 What’s Next for AI: Energy 37:09 Data Centers in the Ocean and in Space 39:07 What Excites Tyler About AI 40:11 What Tyler Wishes He Knew 10 Years Ago 41:31 Tyler’s Golden Rule: Lead From the Front 42:21 Where Tyler Sees Himself in 10 Years 42:56 Rapid Fire Questions ****Connect with Tyler Hochman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-hochman-83b547130/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-hochman-83b547130/) FORE Enterprise website: https://foreenterprise.com (https://foreenterprise.com) FORE company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fore-enterprise (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fore-enterprise) SafeStop website: https://www.safetrafficstop.com (https://www.safetrafficstop.com) Connect with Ben Payne: Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/939700f41026/new-sign-up-page (https://mailchi.mp/939700f41026/new-sign-up-page) Ben Payne’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-payne-55936416/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-payne-55936416/) Contact page: https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com/contact (https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com/contact) Listen to The Business Takeaway Podcast : Website: https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com (https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YKy1X9rFMBmpnori9qaWr (https://open.spotify.com/show/1YKy1X9rFMBmpnori9qaWr) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-takeaway-podcast-leadership-business-advice/id1586530197 (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-takeaway-podcast-leadership-business-advice/id1586530197) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thebusinesstakeawaypodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@Thebusinesstakeawaypodcast) RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-business-take-away/ (https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-business-take-away/) Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1798dfe5-f5ee-4b84-ba76-e7905ef004c5/the-business-take-away-podcast (https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1798dfe5-f5ee-4b84-ba76-e7905ef004c5/the-business-take-away-podcast) Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0GSCHYYB6 (https://www.audible.com/pd/B0GSCHYYB6)

3. 

   19 Oct 2026

   How to Stop Competing on Price - Ep 40, Jesse Wroblewski CEO Decommoditized

   Why do so many businesses claim to be different while looking and sounding exactly like their competitors? Jesse Wroblewski explains how meaningful brand differentiation can help a business escape price competition. Jesse has spent nearly 30 years running a New York marketing agency. He is the founder of Decommoditized and author of Marketing for Supervillains, a series built around the idea that challenger brands should outthink larger competitors rather than imitate them. In this conversation, Jesse explains why trying to appeal to the widest possible audience can make a business forgettable, why some customers should be filtered out and how a company can find a point of difference that competitors cannot easily copy. Ben and Jesse also discuss the commercial risk of bold positioning, why social content has become harder to discover, the test Liquid Death applies to every piece of content and whether AI will make smaller brands look increasingly alike. In this episode: The warning signs that your business is becoming a commodity Why differentiation is a reductive process How rejecting bad-fit customers can strengthen the business The 12 routes in Jesse’s “universe of differentiation” Why challenger brands should not imitate market leaders What makes social content worth sharing How AI increases the risk of generic marketing Where marketing ends and the customer experience begins Timestamps 00:00 Every brand can stand out 00:40 Meet Jesse Wroblewski 02:01 Becoming the Marketing Supervillain 07:05 Can being different damage your credibility? 09:12 Why most brands only think they are different 13:15 Stop trying to appeal to everybody 17:12 The warning signs of becoming a commodity 18:08 Why business leaders choose safe marketing 20:43 What decommoditisation actually means 21:52 Making a “boring” business stand out 27:27 Using data to manage creative risk 31:26 The dream spokesperson exercise 34:20 Can a brand go too far? 36:25 Marketing stunts versus brand DNA 40:09 Why ordinary social content is disappearing 42:24 The test every social post should pass 44:37 Can provocative marketing go too far? 47:30 How challenger brands beat bigger competitors 49:30 What marketing cannot fix 51:43 Will AI make every brand look the same? 56:07 Content overload and the future of discovery 59:14 Jesse’s warning about Google advertising 1:00:45 Jesse’s Business Takeaway 1:01:21 Rapid-fire questions 1:04:31 Closing conversation Guest links: Decommoditized (https://decommoditized.com/) Jesse Wroblewski on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-wroblewski/) Marketing for Supervillains (https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-SuperVillains-Diabolical-Differentiation-Decommoditization/dp/B0CLBNDVLF/) Marketing for Supervillains Volume 2 (https://books.google.com/books/about/Marketing_for_Supervillains_Volume_2.html?id=D2eO0QEACAAJ) Listen next: Your Logo Is Not Your Brand — Jason Clark (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0XqWF841xrfMPlVeivIZoR): the commercial foundations of brand strategy, trust and why AI can make businesses look similar. T. Christian Helms — Building a Brand That Isn’t Trying to Be for Everybody (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vdqCB0UYSvbOFgoZWB2M0): a complementary discussion about memorable brands, choosing the right audience and creative differentiation. The Hard Truth About Building in a Niche Market — Mats Karlsson (https://open.spotify.com/episode/2eIUh2ERYyJiYJ2WwKbddA): how specialisation, reputation and a clearly defined market shape a resilient business. More episodes and guest books (https://thebusinesstakeawaypodcast.com/) Follow The Business Takeaway Podcast for a new conversation every Monday.

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

9 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

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