Business Growth Talks
Business Growth Talks is a show about what it really takes to build and grow a business. Hosted by Mark Hayward, each episode goes beyond the polished success story to explore the decisions, setbacks and turning points behind the results.
Mark talks with founders, business leaders and experts about the challenges they have faced, what they learned and what they would do differently. From finding customers and leading people to adapting when a plan stops working, the conversations bring you ideas you can use in your own business.
If you want honest business stories, useful lessons and questions that make you think differently about growth, you’re in the right place.
Recent Episodes
637
Nov. 2, 2026
Paid to Sound Like Elton John. Then He Found His Own Voice
When you sound like everybody else, you get treated like everybody else. You get compared, haggled with and forgotten. Jason Hewlett knows this better than anyone, because for years his job was to sound like somebody else. He was a full-time impersonator in Las Vegas and played every major casino as Elton John and more. He then turned down a lifetime casino headline deal that would have broken his promise to himself. It got him blacklisted from the city. He went on to build a keynote business d
636
Oct. 30, 2026
70,000 Small Businesses Could Pay No Business Rates. What’s the Catch?
70,000 UK small businesses just stopped paying business rates. Meanwhile, America's central bank refused to cut interest rates, and Microsoft is spending $500 million a day on AI while paying staff to leave. This is the week in business: the five stories you need to know if you run a business, whether you're in London, Leeds, Los Angeles or anywhere in between. Plain English, no jargon, and you won't need an economics degree to understand why they matter. This week: 1. UK Budget 2026 – what...
635
Oct. 28, 2026
The AI Bubble Is 2008 All Over Again. Here's Your Plan
Wall Street is buying insurance against AI companies going bust, the same move that made billions in The Big Short in 2008. In this episode I break down why the AI boom looks like the credit crunch, who really pays when it pops, and five things business owners can do this week to come out stronger. The cost of insuring CoreWeave’s debt has more than doubled in a year. Oracle is sitting on around $160bn of debt. And the five biggest tech companies are spending more on AI than they bring in, with
634
Oct. 26, 2026
Short on Cash? You’re Fixing the Wrong Thing, with Ollie Austen
Your business is short on cash, so you chase sales and cut costs. But what if cash was never the real problem? Ollie Austen ran Grosvenor Contracts London for 18 years, growing it from two people to around 60 before exiting in 2018. Today he's co-founder of Startup to Stand Up, a peer community for founders. Ollie explains why tight cash is usually a client relationship problem, and how visiting his top clients cut payment times from 60 days to 30. We also cover founder loneliness, bootstrappi
633
Oct. 23, 2026
Barclays Made £2.3BN, Then Cut 5,000 Jobs for AI
Barclays just made £2.3 billion in three months – and it's cutting 5,000 jobs anyway, because of AI. Here's what that means for your business, plus four more stories every founder needs this week. I'm Mark Hayward, and every week on Business Growth Talks I break down the 5 business stories that matter if you run a business – in plain English, no jargon. This week: • Barclays cuts 5,000 jobs while profits rise 12% – and what smart founders are doing with AI instead • An urgent hacking alert ...
632
Oct. 21, 2026
Why I Wasted Weeks Waiting for Permission (and How to Stop)
The most expensive habit in business isn’t overspending. It’s waiting. When I left corporate, I finally had no boss, no sign-off, total freedom… and for weeks I did absolutely nothing. In this episode I share the three things I wish someone had told me back then, plus the five words that finally snapped me out of it. If you’ve been sitting on an idea, waiting for the right time, more money or to “feel ready”, this one’s for you. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 The most expensive habit in business  ...
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Recent Blog Posts
Nov. 2, 2026
Why You Need to Stop Sounding Like Everyone Else to Stand Out
Welcome back to the podcast companion blog. In our ongoing mission to help you grow your business and elevate your personal brand, we often look at strategies that challenge conventional wisdom. Today, we are tackling a trap that countless entrepren…
Oct. 26, 2026
Why Chasing Sales Won't Fix Your Cash Flow Problems
Welcome back to the blog extension for the podcast. Every week, we dive deep into the real, unvarnished realities of building and scaling a business. If you are running a company right now, there is a very high probability that at some point in the …
Oct. 19, 2026
Why Most Founders' Businesses Don't Outlive Them (And How to Fix Yours)
Every founder dreams of building something that outlives them. We pour our blood, sweat, and countless sleepless nights into nurturing a company from a mere concept into a thriving, revenue-generating enterprise. We envision a lasting legacy. We ima…
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