You don’t need a better plan.

You don’t need more qualifications.

And you definitely don’t need to wait until you've got the perfect plan.

In this episode, we unpack the real reason so many thoughtful, capable people stay stuck at the starting line: fear. Fear of getting it wrong. Fear of being judged. Fear of committing to something that might not work.

Rather than trying to “overcome” fear or force confidence, we explore a quieter, more effective reframe: treating your idea like an experiment.

Drawing on stories from our own journey, we talk about why mistakes and flaws aren’t signs you’re failing. They’re how learning actually happens. And why perfectionism is often less about high standards, and more about self-protection.

In this conversation, you’ll explore how to:

1. Reframe fear and mistakes as useful data, not personal failure
2. Spot when perfectionism is keeping you safely stuck
3. Break through analysis paralysis by doing tiny experiments
4. Move forward without needing full clarity or certainty

If you’ve been sitting on an idea for a while, waiting to feel “ready”, this episode is a gentle nudge to stop polishing and start playing.

👉 Download the Excite Strategy Starter Kit — a simple, practical guide to help you take your first aligned steps without burning everything down.

The average age of an entrepreneur in the UK is 46, and more than a third of businesses are run by people over 50. Entrepreneurship isn’t just for the young; in fact older individuals bring valuable wisdom, experience, and networks to their ventures.

Midlife entrepreneurs are often more thoughtful in their approach, focusing on meaningful work rather than just scaling for the sake of it.

This conversation will help you:

1. Understand that there is no age limit to starting a business
2. Recognise that previous career experience isn't wasted effort but can be creatively applied to new ventures
3. Focus on what truly matters in your next chapter by keeping what serves your purpose and discarding what doesn't

In this episode, we open a new chapter of the podcast.

After years as The Happy Entrepreneur, we’re evolving the show into Happy MBA, a name that better reflects the work we now do and the people we serve. This conversation is about: what’s changing, why it matters, and who this podcast is really for.

If you’ve ever felt a bit out of place in traditional business culture… this one’s for you.

In Episode 171 of the Happy Entrepreneur podcast, Carlos and Laurence talk candidly about:

1. Why Happy MBA felt like the right evolution
2. The kinds of struggles we repeatedly see in founders, freelancers, and solopreneurs
3. Why “knowing the theory” rarely solves the real business challenges
4. The limits of traditional MBA-style thinking
5. Building businesses from the inside out
6. Why energy, fun, and sustainability matter just as much as money

This isn’t a rejection of business fundamentals, it’s a rebalancing. A reminder that businesses are built by humans, with lives, values, families, fears, hopes, and changing seasons.

1. Business problems are often personal problems

Yes, pricing, customers, and sales matter. But what often blocks progress is confidence, isolation, fear, or having too many ideas and no clear place to start.

2. Not everyone fits the “successful entrepreneur” stereotype

If the loud, ruthless, growth-at-all-costs model leaves you cold, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just building something different.

3. Why Happy MBA isn’t an MBA

Traditional MBAs focus on plans, prediction, and scale. Happy MBA focuses on:

1. Action over overthinking
2. Learning by doing
3. Designing a business that fits your life now
4. Defining success on your own terms

4. Sustainable businesses need sustainable energy

Burnout and “bore-out” are real. If the joy goes, the business usually follows. We talk about how to build something that’s financially and energetically viable.

5. Structure as a playground, not a cage

We believe in giving people enough structure to feel safe but enough freedom to play, experiment, and reconnect with why they started in the first place.

This show is for you if you’re:

1. A solopreneur or freelancer without a big team
2. Sitting on ideas but unsure which one to commit to
3. Feeling like the “mad one” for wanting something different
4. In transition from employment to self-employment, or from an old business to a new chapter
5. Wanting to build work that makes money, does good, and feels more like...