Talking Business: Recent Episodes
GB
I’m George and I run a mental health company called Sanctus in London 🏃♂️🥇
I upload my personal voicenotes on here and share what I'm thinking and how I'm really feeling as I run the company
I also upload longer episodes and get guests / friends on the podcast to ‘talk business’ with me too, from entrepreneurs and athletes to dancers and youtubers
‘straight from the heart’ ❤️ - listener 2019
GB x
@georgebettany @sanctus @talkingbusinesspodcast
Growing up on Cannock Chase to winning the 2024 Half Marathon🥇 Trailside w/ Lewis Lydiard 🌳
5am, 5km, EVERYDAY“People thought we were joking”Trackside with Grant Dempsey @gd.ptFounder of Sunday Running Club (SRC)@src_sundayrunningclub Episode 9
8 marathons in 8 weeks | Episode 5 w/TPA | in this one I’m joined by @tpafitness who is running 8in8 for a special cause - I ask why he’s doing it, what training has been like and how he’s feeling 2 weeks out Ⓜ️ make sure to go to @tpafitness or @mararunclub on instagram for all the details on how to donate, support, or get involved 🏃♂️
Yesterday I ran my fastest 10K in an event and finished in the top 3 for the first time🥇Ⓜ️ in this one I share how it felt and how I prepared for it | Episode 3
Supporting a Stranger | Talking Business w/Jamie Bell | Episode 20 In this one I'm joined by @jamiebell_13 I saw him dancing on the street a few weeks ago, I shouted across and got his name, found him on insta and since then we’ve been chatting in the DMs and just felt we had to meet and get on the podcast together to talk life and everything - so this conversation is the first time we’ve properly met! Amazing amazing guy - such a special conversation His journey - the ups and downs - dancing with Madonna - everything His talent is next level too make sure you follow him on insta @jamiebell_13 Wow - what a guy Enjoy GB x
'Stepping down as CEO, not up' (Part 2) | Talking Business w/ James Routledge
In this episode we follow on our conversation from last week after the update James shared on stepping down as Sanctus CEO - we talk about the response he’s had since he shared it publicly and how it’s felt for both of us since - enjoy :) GB x
Talking Business | Episode 20 'Stepping down as CEO' w/ James Routledge In this one I talk to my best mate and co-founder James about his decision to step down as CEO at Sanctus, why it's happened, how it's felt and also what that means for him and for both of us. GB x
In this one I talk about how I accidentally started the Sanctus Fun Run How we had 48 people from all over the world sign-up!! And how it made £700 and supported people's lives
At the beginning I share the story, and at the end I share my three lessons ... 1. How to start something 2. How to create value for yourself first + solve a problem for you 3. How to make GOOD money* Email me on george@sanctus.io or DM on insta @georgebettany if you have any questions :) GB x
Good as in GOOD, not good as in loads Good noun 1. that which is morally right; righteousness *Good noun 2. benefit or advantage to someone or something Here's the link to the SFR: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sanctus-fun-run-tickets-122882630255
In this one I talk about grief. I talk about my experience of lockdown. I talk about my experience of the 'grief cycle' ... from denial and anxiety to depression And I talk about running the Marathon and how training for it got me out and changed my life *I also talk about crying my eyes out at Mile 16 lol GB x
In this one I talk about how we were losing too much money, losing £20-30k / month, and how we got back to profitability - I also talk about the investment we’ve raised along the way and how I feel about the decisions we’re now having to make during lockdown - Quarantine Diaries Day 48
The Quarantine Quiz of Life is a quick-fire quiz where contestants get 10 minutes to answer 10 deep, meaningful questions on life :)
In this episode I'm joined by some very special guests, there's 4 of them this week, meet the Millers! Mills, Lisa, Gracie & Louis - the most creative family I know!
Quarantine Quiz of Life
Episode 2
Meet the Millers!
starring
@millsustwo
@lisamiller
Gracie
Louis
prod. by
@henrybettany
@shutefilms
The Quarantine Quiz of Life is a quick-fire quiz where contestants get 10 minutes to answer 10 deep, meaningful questions on life and you can watch this episode and others on IGTV on my instagram @georgebettany - it's worth a watch :)
After the quiz Mills and the family also came on the podcast so have a listen to the last episode on Talking Business to hear how they’re getting on during quarantine, and why Mills is dancing on instagram!
Enjoy
GB x
In this one I'm joined by Mills and we're talking about:
-
Why he’s been dancing on instagram
-
What he’s doing with his podcast, JFDI Cast
-
How he’s been getting on during Quarantine
-
The pressure of creativity and making the most of this time
-
We talk about Joe Wicks and Zac & Jay too - legends
To be honest, after recording the Quarantine Quiz of Life with the family, we kept talking so I kept recording and thought I’d upload it!
Make sure you follow Mills on insta and youtube too
@millsustwo
youtube.com/millsustwo
Hope you enjoy :)
GB x
In this one I talk about the virtual founders groups I've been running over the last few weeks and share some of things that have been discussed and what I've learned from others
If anyone listening would like to join the next one message me on george@sanctus.io GB x
82 The more I know myself, the more I can be myself
Quarantine Diaries Day 30
In this one I check-in, talk about my morning routine and my new book and I talk about the link between my mental health + creativity
Quarantine Quiz of Life Episode 1 Zac & Jay
starring @zacalsop @jamierawsthorne @zacandjay
prod. by @henrybettany
--
The Quarantine Quiz of Life is a new quick-fire quiz where guests on the podcast have 10 minutes to answer 10 deep, meaningful questions on life
For the first episode I'm joined by Zac & Jay!
In this episode I talk to Zac & Jay about how they're getting on during the lockdown, how they're managing and coping spending 24hrs a day together and how the business of YouTube has been affected
Zac & Jay run one of the fastest growing channels on YouTube ‘The Zac & Jay Show’ with over 600k subscribers and counting and they’re bloody good lads too - up the show
Watch the lads take on the Quarantine Quiz of Life on IGTV @georgebettany
81 Losing customers + signing new customers (Quarantine Diaries Day 26)
In this one I talk about:
the founder groups I’ve been running over the last few weeks and what I’ve learned how much I trust the team our revenue and where the business is at the customers we have lost and signed over the last few weeks
In this one I talk about the five things I'm doing to manage my mental health during lockdown ... 1. Sleep "Get up early, go to bed early" 2. Exercise (HIIT / run / yoga) 3. Rearranging my set-up 4. Trying things, being creative 5. Friends and family What's working for you? What’s your top five? #topfive GB x
Getting into running and training for a marathon w/Stu (my run coach)
In this one I talk about my marathon training and how the quarantine has changed my plans and I ask Stu about how people can get into running during the lockdown
If you want to get in touch with Stu and find out more about the Milestone Pursuit you can find him on:
Twitter: @stuholliday
Insta: @focusedmindcoaching
www.themilestonepursuit.com
In this one I talk about the impact Coronavirus has had on my life and the business (Quarantine Diaries - Day 20)
Live for the week ❌ Live for the weekend ❌ Live for the WHOLE week ✅ Mon - Fri ❌ Sat - Sun ❌ Mon - Sun ✅ Live to work ❌ Work to live ❌ Work AND live ✅
It’s Sunday night, I’m in bed eating ice cream, tomorrow’s the first Monday of 2020 - in this one I talk about my feelings going into this year and I’m feeling ‘loose’ - 2020 / the year of doing 🏃♂️
75 In this one I talk about the stress of renewing all of our customers during the Christmas period
74 In this one I talk about how I’m feeling as the year comes to an end and telling my therapist that I want to stop working with him
I record this one straight after therapy - another entry to my therapy diary - I went in this time thinking ‘I’m not sad!’ but the minute I sat down he absolutely nailed me - GB x
Out the way Gary Vee, watch out Tim Ferris ... we’re going right to the very top of the business charts - GB x
In this one it’s Monday morning and I’ve just come out of a great meeting with one of our partners :) GB x
In this one I talk about my first week back in the office and how it feels working with people that encourage you and want you to do well - GB x
In this one I talk about taking a month off work after feeling extremely burnt out and how it feels coming back to London and back into the company - GB x
What even is therapy
I don’t know what is going on in there
I recorded this straight after my last session
Something special is happening but I have no idea how
In this one I talk about my last voicenote ’I’m feeling depressed’ and why I’m taking a break
In this episode I invite George and Vic, early employees at Sanctus, on the podcast to answer some difficult questions ...
Am I a good boss?
What’s the most difficult thing about working with me?
What was your first impression of me?
How would you rate me as a boss /10?
—
GB x
In this episode, I talk about my “why” - why I love business, why it’s my passion and why I want to do it differently
I’m joined by Scott and George and I didn’t really like this episode at first because it’s all about me and I get interrogated on the difficult stuff - failure, rejection, struggles with my own mental health - it’s the first time I’ve ever talked about any of this
They ask me how I got to Sanctus, from playing professional football and doing magic tricks, to setting up my businesses, dropping out of Uni and then running away from it all - I’ve never shared any of this before either and it gets pretty dark to be honest
It’s my story so far so hopefully it explains how I got here and why I care so much about finding your purpose, your passion and being yourself - GB x
Ive been cruising, going through the motions, I’ve been on autopilot and on Monday it all came crashing down - GB x
In this one I talk about the fact that Sanctus is losing money
I talk about why we’re losing money and how it feels telling the team and talking about it publicly
GB x
In this one I talk about doing ‘couples therapy’ for the last 2 years and how weird it’s been for me to get used to and understand - at first I was sceptical and didn’t think it would be a good investment, but I’m now starting to see the impact - GB x
This week I found out that one of our investors has been listening to my voicenotes ... I also know that some of our biggest customers follow me on insta and most of my employees follow or listen too - In this one I talk about how it feels to know they’re listening and how me being real on here has impacted me and the company - GB x
60 This one is a big update on my role (and James’ - my cofounder) that I shared internally with everyone in the company ahead of our Q2 strategy meeting last month.
This is the first time I’ve ever publicly shared one of my internal voicenotes so I’ve debated putting this one out as it feels very personal and quite exposing
It’s a proper look into what I do and the company so let me know what you think :)
GB x
In this episode we’re talking business with Haydn Elliott
Haydn is the host of The Inspiration Space Podcast and co-owner of F45 Oxford Circus
I met Haydn for the first time in 2017 when he asked me to come on his podcast and since then we’ve become good friends
In this one Haydn talks about how starting his podcast and building it on his own from nothing helped him rebuild his confidence and self-belief after struggling with his mental health
He describes it as just ‘exhausting’ and like ‘going 12 rounds every day’ and as Scottie asks more questions I can tell it’s the first time he’s spoken about some of this stuff ...
Haydn also talks about what he’s learned about himself building F45, his gym in Oxford Circus that he runs with his best mate Tristan Smith, and we talk about everything from what drives him, to what he’s proud of and how he balances his ‘inner chimp’ with being himself
Haydn’s pure passion for life and for health & fitness (both mental & physical) is pretty special and his realness in an industry that is often criticised for lacking authenticity is inspiring
Absolutely top guy and one of the people I feel lucky to have got to know and met through doing what I do - hope you enjoy :)
GB x
In this one I talk about how a shift in my role at Sanctus has impacted me and how the last few weeks have probably been the hardest I’ve ever had to work through. Completely lacked belief in myself, didn’t really want to go to work, and didn’t want to talk about it when I got home. I didn’t know what to do and I had no idea where to start - GB x
58 In this one I talk about how I’m feeling on the last day in the office before we move into our new one ... we’ve been in here since the very beginning when it was just me and James sharing a desk so it’s a weird feeling - GB x
57 In this one I reflect on the impact this podcast has had on me and on some of you who listen ... YES - GB x
In this episode we're Talking Business with Howard Kingston
Howard is the founder of Velocity Academy and Adludio (formerly Future Ad Labs)
In this episode Howard talks to us about:
- How he was driven by fear and a willingness to prove that he wasn't a 'f*ck up' in the early days
- How his education and being kicked out of school impacted him
- How the energy of what drives him today has changed as he's learned more about himself
- What it felt like building and running one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the country
- How he is still learning to be more real and vulnerable in business
I've known Howard since 2012 when we were both starting out and were on the same tech accelerator together
Back then Howard was a huge inspiration for me and to see how his journey has played out since then has been amazing - for some reason I got quite emotional in this episode as we talked about how far he’d come and what he’d been through
Howard is one of the best I've ever met, and possibly the most driven, ambitious, determined individual I know, and it was an absolute pleasure catching up with him - hope you enjoy :) GB x
In this one I talk about working with my best mate, how an event last week that upset him also massively impacted me, and the ups and downs of working together for 7/8 years - GB x
54 In this one I talk about how I’m feeling tired, and how I’ve been speaking to the team and other founders who are also feeling the same way - GB x
53 In this one I talk about our quarterly review (Q1, 2019) and what it feels like running it and being in charge - GB x
In this episode we’re Talking Business with Joanna Montgomery
Jo is the founder and CEO of Little Riot
Her first product Pillow Talk went viral online as a project at University and over the last 9 years she has built the company and launched the product to 1000s of customers
In this episode Jo talks about:
- the emotional struggle of building the company on her own
- how she has dealt with the hate-mail
- the toll the last 9 years had on her physical/mental health
- how she became Britain’s strongest woman (?!)
- her shocking experience of working with investors as a female entrepreneur
This has been the most personal episode we’ve recorded and it was amazing to hear more of Jo’s story and what she’s learned about herself along the way ...
Super honest, absolute grafter and a genuinely caring person who just wants to do good in the world and have a positive impact on people’s lives
Have a listen, let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy :)
GB x
In this one I’m pissed off after hearing about another business going bust - on the outside / social media they looked like they were smashing it - the founder has since written an open letter explaining what was really happening on the inside - why can’t we be fcking real in business? We need to cut the bullsht, change the culture and show that honesty and authenticity is good - GB x
In this one I talk about the good stuff that’s going on in my life at the minute, why I feel happy and fulfilled and how I also feel scared that I could lose it all tomorrow - GB x
Quick follow-up to my last voicenote now I’ve had some time to calm down and process it - GB x
In this one I record a quick voicenote moments before my first ever therapy session to capture how I’m feeling and I talk about how I’m now worried that I’ve told too many people about it ... including my Dad! GB x
In this one I talk about why I haven’t uploaded our last talking business episode and why I love business so much - GB x
In this one I explain why I didn’t really want to go to work on Monday and why I bottled saying it on here until now - GB x
In this one I talk about why I’m doing therapy, how I’m feeling about it and why/how I’m going to document the process - GB x
In this one I talk about some of the things I’m having to think about at the minute from finding a new office to hiring and running a comedy club! - GB x
In this one I talk about how the business is expanding and how we’re balancing fast organic growth with high extremely high standards of quality and safety - GB x
In this episode we’re talking business with James Connelly
James is the founder of Fetch, a company he started back in 2009 when he was just 23, and in 2014 the company was acquired by Dentsu Aegis for a reported $48m.
Fast forward to today, and 10 days ago James announced that he was stepping down from the company and in his own words ‘having a gap year’
In this episode James talks about:
- why he decided to step down
- how it feels not having a job anymore
- how it felt running a big company in his 20’s
- how he balanced his ‘polished’ image vs. being his real self at work
- what it feels like to make a lot of money (‘James are you a millionaire?’)
- how he’s trying to be more open and honest online for the first time and what that feels like
—
James has been a big inspiration for me as a young entrepreneur and I absolutely loved talking to him about business and life in this episode - I hope you enjoy too :)
Ps. Make sure you follow James on insta @iamjamesconnelly
GB x
In this one I talk about how my role is constantly changing, and how me and James have to think about our roles as co-founders, and think about the roles of the team - GB x
41 Why I’m not drinking for 2 months
What started this? Why am I telling everyone? Why my mates don’t understand and how I’m feeling about it all - GB x
In this one I talk about public speaking, how much I love it, and how I want to do more - GB x
In this episode we’re Talking Business with Jason Stockwood
Jason is the Vice Chairman of Simply Business and it’s difficult to sum up his career in a paragraph ...
Vice-Chairman & CEO at Simply Business (acquired for £400m in 2017) Non-Exec at Skyscanner MD of Match.com & Lastminute.com
Simply Business won ‘best place to work in the UK’ in ‘15 & ‘16 Jason was voted ‘Best Leader in the UK’ in 2016 and in 2018 he published his first book ‘Reboot’
Jason has also invested in 25 companies, including Sanctus.
In this episode Jason talks to us about:
- how making money isn’t the end goal
- how growing up on a council estate and studying philosophy translated to being good at business
- why the existential question ‘who are you?’ drives him so much
- how it felt to make a life-changing amount of money
- why genuinely caring about people has been good for business
—
Jason is one of the most successful people I know but also one of the most genuine and I felt lucky to get the chance to sit down and talk business with him for an hour - hope you enjoy :)
GB x
In this one I talk about what it’s been like getting to know some of the most successful people I’ve ever met and how it feels to get the chance to sit down and talk business & life with them on the podcast - GB x
In this one I talk about how I’m actually starting to believe that I’m good at my job ...
In this one I talk about my teeth and why they’ve affected me so much | #36 I finally got my teeth fixed
In this episode we’re Talking Business with James
James is my best mate and co-founder @sanctus and in this one we talk about one topic in particular ...
‘How you do business is more important then why you do business’
We started by talking about the concept of a ‘glassbox brand’ and how companies have nowhere to hide anymore now that people get to see behind the scenes through social media and platforms like Tripadvisor, Glassdoor and even Netflix.
We talk about companies like Revolut, SportsDirect, Boohoo and Qantas and Scott asks us about how we run Sanctus and what that’s been like for us - we also do a round-up of our last 3 guests ... Tom, Damien & Mills
This is the kind of conversation me and James have every day so it was fun to get him on the podcast and Talk Business - it won’t be the last time we have him on!
I’d love to know what people think about this topic - email me on george@sanctus.io if you have any thoughts/feedback - hope you enjoy :)
035 I’m scared of giving away our finances
In this one I talk about building the finance team, giving away control and how I feel about it 😱💰*
I also talk about avoiding finance with my last business and looking back, although others managed it, I wish I’d been more involved - GB x
Talking Business with Mills | Episode 9
Mills is the co-founder of ustwo, a company he has built w/ best mate Sinx over the last 15 years, with 100s of employees and studios all over the world
More recently Mills has built and invested in many different companies and last year he also launched his podcast ‘THE JFDI CAST’
In this episode Mills talks about:
- how it feels putting your purest, realest self out online and at work every day
- what he’s learning about himself working with his therapist
- what it’s like being yourself when running a big company and you’re losing millions of £££s
Mills has been a huge inspiration for me ... he was the first person to show me that you really can be yourself in business and this is probably the most excited and emotional I’ve been on the podcast ...
There’s some serious nuggets of wisdom inside Mills’ brain and the more he talks the more gold we find so it’s worth listening all the way through to the end and I hope you enjoy :)
GB x
In this one I talk about who has inspired me most when it comes being yourself in business ... #33 Is being yourself good/bad for business?! (my inspiration)
In this episode we’re Talking Business with Damien Lane - Damien is a partner at Episode 1 VC and a prolific angel investor - in this one Damien talks about what it’s like ‘being himself’ as an investor, how he’s made his money, stories from some of his favourite investments and Damien is also an investor in Sanctus so we talk about our relationship and how great/challenging we are to work with - Hope you enjoy! GB x
In this one I talk about how some of my friends (and me) are developing new levels of self-awareness and theres a huge upside ... it’s a superpower | #32 Self-awareness is a superpower
Last night I went to an event and unexpectedly got thrown in front of Gary Vee ... GB x
Yesterday in the gym I got approached by a PT but his approach wasn’t what I expected - Play the long game - GB x
Today I met one of the biggest brands in the world and I was nervous ... not much more to say on this one! - GB x
FROM PLAYING AT GLASTONBURY TO DRAGONS DEN • . In episode 7 we’re talking business with one of our investors ... . Tom is an entrepreneur + angel investor and has an amazing story where he started his career in a band playing at Glastonbury ... . Tom talks about how he made his money and got to where he his building his most recent company profitably from the ground up . Scott asks the questions and asks Tom ... - Why he invested in Sanctus? - Does he want to make money or have social impact? - Does he want us to sell the company? . I absolutely loved getting to know Tom more and I hope you enjoy it :) . GB x
I’ve met with a few people this week who have all said the same thing to me ... I’m scared of failing ... something that’s held me back a lot and holds everyone back ... it’s a massive topic that I’ll cover in a full episode on Talking Business at some point but I wanted to get my thoughts down in this voicenote first - GB x
In this one I talk about how recording the next episode of Talking Business with Tom, one of my investors, and Scott, has reminded me why I’m doing this podcast - GB x
In this one I talk about some of the feelings I’ve been keeping below the surface, some of what I’ve learned about myself recently, and how the experience of Sanctus coach @valentina has helped me see things differently - GB x
In this one I talk about my new morning routine - 6am wake up, 7am gym, 8am ice shower - and I talk about what this has done for my mindset at work - GB x
In this one I talk about how long it took to get 1000 listeners compared to 2000 listen(er)s ... I talk about what life’s like at Sanctus right now & how I’m keeping the right frame of mind, and I have some exciting news GB x
In this episode we’re Talking Business with my best mate/co-founder @jdroutledge - we talk about our 50-year vision and business plan, why a 5-year exit plan can cause problems, and what we’d do if we were offered £10m tomorrow - WOULD WE SELL SANCTUS? | Ep. 6 w/ @jdroutledge
GB Voicenotes #022 | Selling Sanctus £££ - In this episode I talk about selling mental health, and selling Sanctus to get my Rolex and Ferrari
My first voicenote of 2019 - in this one I talk about how being at home with friends and family gave me perspective on things ... it was also a reminder of how much more work we need to do at Sanctus
I recorded this one last Friday after a long week and didn’t upload it because I didn’t think it was any good ... but that’s not very Talking Business so f*ck it I’m uploading it now and I don’t care what you think 👀 ... (here’s a few snippets) ... ‘It’s a Decathlon not a sprint’ ‘Don’t start a business’ ‘AVOID AT ALL COSTS!’ 😂 - GB x
It’s 2 years today since we incorporated Sanctus as a real company but the last few months have been really tough and I need a break ...
In this episode I ask Scottie ... 'Am I a good boss?' ... for the first time I say why I really hired him and we talk about the importance of being honest - GB x
GB Voicenotes #009 | My 8am Sanctus Session (nervous) ... In this one I'm about to have my 1-1 session with my Sanctus coach and I'm nervous ...
In this one I talk about why we now need a business plan more than ever, how it’s constantly changing, and how in the early days having a 42 page business plan with a SWOT analysis and 5 year financial projections really didn’t matter ...
In the first episode of Talking Business I talk to Scottie about why the podcast has already failed, why I want to do it, and whats next ... GB x