Today’s episode is a deep dive into grit, gut instinct, and the kind of entrepreneurial vision that reshapes an entire industry.

Vanita Parti launched Blink Brow Bar in 2004 — back when threading was virtually unheard of on the British high street, let alone in department stores. What started as a single chair tucked between lingerie rails in Fenwick has since become a nationwide brand, credited with bringing brows into the beauty conversation in a completely new way.

We talk about everything from cultural shifts and copycats to customer loyalty and scaling with soul. Vanita shares what it was like to pitch an unproven idea, face rejection from big-name retailers — and then get those same calls back once word started to spread. We also get into the intensity of founder obsession, the reality of growing a service brand at scale, and why the post-pandemic world pushed her to rethink everything from store footprint to DTC.

It’s a conversation about branding, bravery, and building something that lasts — and one that proves you don’t need to be first to everything, but you do need to do it differently.

This episode sponsor is Happy Mammoth. Head to www.happymammoth.com for 15% off with code SMARTER.

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Today’s guest is someone who has built a career not just on killer plots—but on a deep understanding of what it means to be human.

Gregg Hurwitz is the bestselling author of 26 thrillers, the creator of the Orphan X series, and a writer whose work spans everything from comics and screenplays to Shakespearean tragedy. Yes, really. He holds a master’s from Oxford in exactly that.

Gregg has written for Marvel and DC, consulted on blockbuster films, helped script the World Cup opening ceremony, and still manages to release a novel a year—each one tightly plotted, psychologically rich, and wildly addictive.

We talk about everything from how he turned a teenage obsession with storytelling into a life’s work, to what thrillers can teach us about morality, masculinity, and the “strange language of intimacy.” He opens up about creative discipline, the reality of Hollywood deal-making, the evolution of the Orphan X character across ten novels—and why, if you’re writing fiction, it better be the story you have to tell.

This conversation spans from fifth-grade mystery novels to Shakespeare, from childhood dictionaries to stunt-plane research trips—and somewhere in the middle, we even manage to touch on Bond, Measure for Measure, and what it takes to write something truly timeless.

Here’s Gregg Hurwitz.

Today's episode sponsor is Happy Mammoth. Head to www.happymammoth.com with code SMARTER for 15% off.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is someone I’ve been so excited to speak with: Sabina Nawaz. Sabina is a global CEO coach, TED speaker, and now, the author of the brilliant new book You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be and Others Need. With decades of experience coaching senior leaders in over 30 countries — from Fortune 50 companies to nonprofits and government agencies — Sabina has seen it all when it comes to what makes great managers thrive... and what quietly undermines them.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Why being promoted is actually the riskiest moment in your career
• How pressure — not power — corrupts leadership behaviour
• The fine line between action and micromanagement
• And how the best bosses stay human, even under extreme stress

Sabina also shares her own journey — including how she once went from “best boss ever” to “boss from hell” almost overnight, and what it took to turn that around.

This episode is full of hard-earned wisdom, practical tools, and compassionate insights for anyone navigating leadership — whether you’re a first-time manager or a founder scaling fast.

So if you’ve ever struggled with delegation, wrestled with feedback, or wondered why leadership sometimes feels a little bit lonely… this one’s for you.

Head to www.happymammoth.com with code SMARTER for 15% off.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.