The Life Of A Business Leader

Hosted by Royston Guest

Business

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Episodes

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

Welcome to 'The Life Of A Business Leader', hosted by Royston Guest, CEO/Founder of the Business Growth Pathway, Author, Speaker, Business Strategist and Executive Coach. The Life Of A Business Leader looks beyond the Boardroom and digs deep into the psyche, motivations, challenges and opportunities faced by today's business owners and leaders. Join us as we unravel the strategies, decisions and personal stories that shape the professional lives of these trailblazers, providing you with valuable lessons and inspiration on your own leadership and business journey.

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38 recent

November 5, 2026Episode 1848 min

Episode 19 - Still Standing. Still Leading. Still Growing

A brain tumour diagnosis changed everything for successful entrepreneur Sanjay. But what happens when a business leader who has spent decades building companies suddenly faces a life-or-death challenge? In this powerful episode of The Life of a Business Leader, business growth expert and bestselling author Royston Guest sits down with entrepreneur Sanjay to explore business success, leadership, resilience, mindset, personal growth and the true meaning of life. After more than 40 years in business, Sanjay shares how he went from a 21-year corporate career to launching his own business with just £500, building successful companies, developing high-performing teams and creating long-lasting customer relationships. Then, at 55, everything changed. Sanjay was diagnosed with an extremely rare brain tumour. Suddenly, the business strategies, financial achievements, and professional ambitions that had defined much of his life came into perspective. What followed was an extraordinary journey involving four surgeries, complex medical treatment, difficult decisions and a complete reassessment of what success really means.

October 5, 2026Episode 181 hr 1 min

Episode 18 - BUILT TO GROW REWIRED: Why The Rules of Business Growth Have Changed. Have You?

Register NOW!👇 https://builttogrowrewired.com/bigreveal The rules of business have changed, but have you changed with them? In this episode of The Life of a Business Leader, Royston Guest is joined by Chris Brindley for a deep conversation about modern business growth, leadership, scaling, AI, customer experience, strategy and the thinking behind Built to Grow Rewired. Ten years after the original Built to Grow, the business world looks completely different. The pace of business is faster, customer expectations are higher, employees expect more, technology is transforming entire industries, and global uncertainty has become part of everyday leadership. In this episode, Royston and Chris explore why the old rules of business growth are no longer enough and why business leaders need a more complete approach to building a high-performance organisation. One central idea in the conversation is simple: if you want to build a business that grows faster and scales beyond you, you cannot remain the bottleneck. Before you can rewire your business, you may need to rewire yourself as a leader. The episode challenges business owners and senior leaders to ask difficult questions about their own leadership, including whether people follow them because they want to or because they have to. Royston explains why high-performance businesses are built by leaders who create the right environment, empower their teams, develop leadership capability and allow great people to perform at their best. If you are trying to grow your business, scale your team, improve leadership, increase performance, improve customer experience, use AI effectively or build a business that can succeed without being completely dependent on you, this conversation will give you plenty to think about.

November 19, 2025Episode 171 hr 2 min

Episode 17 - 7 Fatal Mistakes to Avoid when Growing and Scaling your Business

If you’re serious about growing and scaling your business, this episode is your ultimate blueprint. Welcome to Episode 17 of The Life of a Business Leader featuring a powerful conversation between Royston Guest and business growth expert Chris Brindley, who brings more than 40 years of real-world, sleeves-rolled-up operational leadership, advising, scaling and transforming businesses across multiple industries. In this exclusive masterclass, Royston and Chris dissect the 7 Fatal Mistakes that cause 20.8% of businesses to fail in year one, 40% by year two, and more than 65% by year three. Drawing directly from the Seven Fatal Mistakes report, this episode serves as a practical playbook for entrepreneurs, business owners, founders, CEOs, and leaders looking to scale sustainably and profitably. Together, they unpack why so many business owners unknowingly sabotage their own growth and how you can avoid the traps that silently destroy companies from the inside. These aren’t theoretical lessons—these are real, battle-tested insights used inside top-performing organisations worldwide.

September 15, 2025Episode 1648 min

Episode 16 - One Year In: Lessons, leaps & learns from the first 365 days of building a business

Welcome to Episode 16 of The Life of a Business Leader 🎙️ — where we dive into the real-life stories, struggles, and successes of entrepreneurs and leaders shaping their own path. In this episode, host Royston Guest sits down with Nikki Freeman, founder and managing director of Tempo Media, to explore the raw truth behind the first 365 days of running a business. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a small business owner in your first year, or a leader looking to scale, this episode is packed with lessons, insights, and strategies you can apply right away. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The Leap of Faith: What inspired Nicky to leave corporate life and start her own business. Facing Fear Head-On: How to recognise when “false expectations appearing real” are holding you back. Mindset Matters: The psychology of success and why feeling “uncomfortably comfortable” is key to growth. Mentorship & Support: How surrounding yourself with the right people accelerates progress. Critical Lessons from Year One: From managing cash flow to avoiding shiny object syndrome. Sales as Oxygen: Why revenue is the lifeblood of every business, and how to prioritise it over busywork. Work-Life Balance: Protecting your energy, avoiding burnout, and building sustainable routines. Too often, entrepreneurship is glamorised — success stories are told as if they happened overnight. But the truth is, the first year in business is the hardest. It’s an emotional rollercoaster filled with uncertainty, self-doubt, wins that feel incredible, and failures that test your resolve.

May 6, 2025Episode 1544 min

Episode 15 - High-Stakes Growth | The Brutal Truth About People Strategy That No One Tells You

Welcome to another game-changing episode of "Life As A Business Leader", where we’re diving deep into one of the most critical and misunderstood aspects of business growth: People Strategy. In this eye-opening interview, host Royston Guest sits down with disruptive People & Culture expert Abigail Wilmore, a former leader at iconic global brands including Stella McCartney, Gucci, and Alexander McQueen, to expose the brutal truths about what’s broken in HR and how to fix it. If you’re a CEO, founder, HR leader, or business strategist, this conversation will reshape your perspective on talent, culture, infrastructure, and high-stakes growth.

April 3, 2025Episode 1451 min

Episode 14 - No More Sh*t Managers

In this powerful and candid episode of The Life of a Business Leader, host Royston Guest sits down with Jo Wright, author of the bold and best-selling book “No More Sh*t Managers”, to uncover the real challenges facing modern-day leadership and why building a coaching culture isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a business necessity. If you’re a business leader, manager, or HR professional wondering why performance is stalling, why feedback isn’t landing, or why team culture feels fractured, this episode delivers practical insights with real-world examples.

March 4, 2025Episode 1347 min

Episode 13 - The Frictionless Business Leader

Are you a frictionless business leader, or is unseen resistance slowing your growth? In this game-changing episode of The Life of a Business Leader, Royston sits down with Ryan Chute, a strategic marketing expert who reveals how to eliminate friction, accelerate profitability, and create a business that runs effortlessly. For Business Leaders Who Want to Remove Friction & Scale Faster Watch now and start building a business that runs smoothly, scales easily, and drives unstoppable success!

February 7, 2025Episode 1252 min

Episode 12 - Speak up. Stand out. Master the Art of Public Speaking

Public speaking is one of the most feared skills in the world, yet it is also one of the most valuable. Whether you’re delivering a business presentation, pitching an idea, speaking at a conference, or simply trying to communicate more effectively, the ability to speak confidently in front of an audience can set you apart. In this episode of The Life of the Business Leader podcast, host Royston Guest is joined by Hannah Shellswell, a former journalist, TV broadcaster, and expert in public speaking, to uncover the secrets behind speaking with confidence, engaging an audience, and overcoming the fear of public speaking

January 26, 2025Episode 1150 min

Episode 11 - Beyond Gut Feel | How Critical Thinking Shapes Great Leaders

Leadership in today's fast-paced world demands more than just gut instinct—it requires thinking critically, planning effectively, and making informed decisions. In episode 11 of The Life of a Business Leader, Royston Guest is joined by Chris Brindley to explore how critical thinking shapes leadership success. From understanding the fundamentals of critical thinking to developing practical strategies, Chris shares invaluable insights on mastering this essential skill. He emphasises the importance of "gold time"—dedicated moments for strategic thinking—and explains why leaders must create space in their schedules to harness the power of their "neck-top computers." From his experience, Chris highlights success modelling, cognitive diversity, and the role of intuition in decision-making.

December 10, 2024Episode 1054 min

Episode 10 - Powering Performance | The role of diversity, inclusion & cultural empowerment

Welcome to episode 10 of The Life of a Business Leader podcast, where we explore the critical topics shaping successful leadership today. In this episode, Royston is joined by Claire Harvey, MBE, a recognised diversity, inclusion, and cultural empowerment expert. Claire brings a wealth of experience, having worked in both the public and private sectors, including roles at the FSA, KPMG, Disney, Vodafone, and more. She is also a Paralympian and a passionate advocate for inclusive leadership. In this insightful conversation, Claire shares her journey from the prison service to the corporate world, reflecting on how environment and culture shape people's behaviours and outcomes. She discusses the importance of diversity in driving performance and highlights how leaders can effectively manage multi-generational teams with different motivations and needs.