In this episode, I chat with Ethan Golding, Founder of The Blueprint (an agency that helps founders sign clients through LinkedIn). This episode maps the journey from Ethan's first business at 9 years old - to today - as he's on track to hit 7-figure revenue in 2025.

We delve into the man and mindset behind the money and discover what mistakes Ethan kept making, why he quit his business multiple times and what finally turned things around.

This is a masterclass in cultivating a winner's mindset to help you succeed. Watch the episode to discover...

How Ethan built his first business at 9 years old

The impact of privilege, parents & pressure

The reason Ethan's businesses kept failing

How he made his first £10K (+ what it felt like)

How to build and retain a top 1% team

The blueprint for signing clients on LinkedIn

What mistakes to avoid if you want to build wealth

How to find "your thing" and chase purpose

The importance of investing in mentors

Why London is the hardest place to thrive in

How visualisation skyrocketed Ethan's success

Why you should spend money to make money

Connect with Shoaib (host):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaibahmed21/ Website: www.yellohippo.co.uk

Connect with Ethan Golding:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-golding/

In this episode, I chat with David Walsh, a 3x Founder, dad to 3 year old and business mentor, with 10+ years B2B SaaS experience under his belt. This is a masterclass in growing a business - the do's, don'ts and the realities of entrepreneurship.

Before his current company, David co-founded Mathison, raising $34M USD investment, achieving 300%+ ARR growth and securing 250+ new clients like Bank of America, HelloFresh, TripAdvisor and more. After scaling that to a 100+ person team, David exited at the age of 30, for a multi-7-figure sum.

Before this, David founded Chase West USA, a luxury watch company and held leadership roles at Indeed.com and Jobbio. Today, he's building Limelight, the first-ever B2B creator partnership platform (with 500+ brands signed up and 4000 B2B content creators - in less than 7 months).

Watch the episode to discover...

Why it's important to fail (and how to do it)

How to know if your idea is good enough to succeed

Why the USA is a great place to build your business

Why it's less risky to build a business vs being an employee

How to build resilience when you want to quit

Why execution matters (and how to do it fast)

The blueprint to finding product market fit

How to build agility and efficiency into your business

The top 3 things to look for when hiring employees

Pros vs cons of raising investment (& tips)

How burnout happens (and how you can prevent it)

How the creator economy is changing entrepreneurship

The marketing hack B2B brands MUST follow in 2025

Why every startup needs to have content creators

Connect with Shoaib (host): LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaibahmed21/ Website: https://www.yellohippo.co.uk/

Connect with David Walsh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dw1232/

Check out Limelight Website: https://www.limelighthq.com/

In the 3rd ep of Season 2 of REBELS we chat with Niall Ratcliffe, CEO & Co-Founder of Noticed. (formerly 'Ratcliffe Brothers), a B2B storytelling & marketing company.

Niall shares his story of the kid who couldn't afford a haircut, to the man who's built a 7-figure, 14-person agency that's generated over £4.25 million in revenue for their clients.

In this episode, Shoaib and Niall delve into the critical role of storytelling in business, sharing their secrets, strategies and techniques for crafting compelling narratives that steal attention and get eyeballs on your brand.

This is a storytelling masterclass packed with practical exercises you can immediately implement to enhance your brand marketing. Niall also explains how to create effective lead magnets, how to launch products and how to build a truly engaged audience.

Connect with Shoaib Ahmed (host):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaibahmed21/ Website: www.yellohippo.co.uk

Connect with Niall Ratcliffe (guest):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niall-ratcliffe/ Website: https://noticed.co/

Don't forget to check out Niall's newsletter, 'Growing Viral': https://www.growing-viral.com/

Lewis Kemp is one of the UK's most outspoken marketers and Founder of Lightbulb Media, a hugely respected performance marketing agency. In this episode, Lewis savagely tears apart stereotypes and misconceptions about entrepreneurship (a word he admits he hates).

This episode is a free MASTERCLASS in all things copywriting, content and digital, with tons of actionable advice to put your marketing campaigns on steroids. He breaks down the anatomy of good copywriting (across websites, emails, socials, etc), revealing how to leverage 'humour' across your content and convert words into cash!

His no-bullsh*t, unorthodox approach to business sees Lewis offer some brutally honest takes on personal branding, the agency world and "self-care". He doesn't hold back. Not in his spicy opinions about today's business landscape or in the vast amount of free advice he gives away.

Connect with Shoaib Ahmed (host):

LinkedIn: / shoaibahmed21 Website: www.yellohippo.co.uk

Connect with Lewis Kemp (guest):

LinkedIn: / lewis-kemp-manchester Website: https://lightbulbmedia.co.uk/

In the first episode of SEASON 2, we chat with Karla McNeilage, Owner of Wave Socials, Copywriting Specialist and Healthy Hustle Advocate!

Karla has worked with 30+ clients - from big corporates, e-com businesses and agencies, to service providers, CEOs and founders. ⁣She's an expert at making brands stand out through story-led marketing. ⁣

This episode unpacks her journey in the industry, how she built the confidence to leave a toxic boss, which one book SAVED her life, the impact of her ADHD diagnosis, how exercise is therapy, why the 75 Hard changed her life, the power of relatable social media content and the true impact of self-care!

We explore how ADHD impacts Karla's day-to-day (from midnight mental health walks to manic midday breakdowns). This is a brutally unfiltered, honest, but hugely inspiring episode.

Expect practical takeaways to help you build your confidence, accelerate your personal AND career success and ultimately, live your best life.

Timestamps:

0:00 Trailer

1:06 The untapped power of LinkedIn

5:57 How to use social media positively

9:11 The pros and cons of starting your own business

11:38 Finding purpose in your career

15:28 Ditching the 9-5 to freelance

20:21 The art of healthy hustle

22:03 The 75 hard challenge

27:45 How is the gym therapy?

30:00 How Karla's ADHD diagnosis saved her life

34:33 Are you a potato or a tornado?

37:08 Is burnout real? (Luke Matthew response)

39:52 What to do when you are in a rut

43:39 Why you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone

45:35 How to make your goals a reality

53:10 Advice for going freelance

56:52 Karla's 90-year-old gran's advice

58:16 Outro & thank you

Connect with Shoaib (host):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaibahmed21/

Instagram: @theshoaibahmed_

Website: https://www.yellohippo.co.uk/

Connect with Karla (guest):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlamcneilage/

Instagram: @wave.socials

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@karlamcneilage

In this BONUS episode of REBELS Season 1 we chat with Luke Matthews, Viral LinkedIn Ghostwriter and AI writing specialist! Luke is one of the most controversial figures on LinkedIn. He's been banned 7 times already. This episode unpacks Luke's career as a Christian preacher, a construction worker, an Instagram model and now a multi-6-figure entrepreneur. Tune in to hear his ruthless advice around mindset, burnout and why "most people watching this podcast will fail at life." As well as delving into his struggles with insomnia, alcoholism and chasing 'purpose', you'll discover LOTS of practical tips for LinkedIn ghostwriting and how to use AI to get ahead. Brace yourself. This is a spicy one. 00:00: Episode trailer 01:20: Why Luke "f*cking hates" podcasts 02:42: Starting out as a construction worker 08:30: Dabbling in crypto, coding & poker 09:32: Becoming an Instagram influencer 12:05: How to quit your job and start again 17:06: Why LinkedIn keep banning Luke 20:42: Helping people heal through religion 24:50: Why should people use LinkedIn 27:06: How to use LinkedIn (for beginners) 30:18: Leveraging AI to be a better ghostwriter 35:50: Will AI destroy personal branding agencies? 36:54: Luke's LinkedIn predictions for 2024 38:19: Marketing is about manipulation! 40:49: The benefits of NOT having a plan 43:30: Should we all be more delusional? 44:30: The realities of digital nomad lifestyles 48:00: Dealing with chronic insomnia 51:10: Is Luke in a LinkedIn engagement pod? 55:23: "I love arguing. I f*cking love it" 1:03:15: Burnout isn't real 1:15:19: "Most people will never win in life" Connect with Shoaib (host): LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaibahmed21/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshoaibahmed_/ Website: www.rebelsbyshoaibahmed.co.uk Connect with Luke: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukematthws/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd29iXfs9vYaHCVDByX6_tA?app=desktop Subscribe to his newsletter: https://lukematthws.beehiiv.com/

In the final episode of REBELS Season 1, we are joined by Mitch Clayton and Ashleigh Holmes - co-founders of Flowd, an award-winning and multi-7-figure marketing brand. In just 2.5 years, Mitch and Ash have built an international team of 26, launched 2 offices and generated £6M in revenue for their clients. From working-class backgrounds and with no A-Level or Degree qualifications between the two of them, Mitch and Ash are the definition of 'the underdog.' This episode tracks their journey to success from their tiny bedroom in Bolton and delves into the struggles they've faced along the way. This is a raw and honest insight into entrepreneurship. Tune in to get some SERIOUS inspiration!

Connect with Shoaib (host):

LinkedIn: @Shoaib Ahmed | Instagram: @theshoaibahmed_Website: www.rebelsbyshoaibahmed.co.uk

Connect with Ashleigh (guest): LinkedIn: Ashleigh Holmes

Connect with Mitchell (guest): LinkedIn: Mitch Clayton

Ashleigh’s & Mitchell’s website:  https://www.flowd.co.uk/

Episode Sponsor: Get 10% OFF Fabric's 12-Week Master Strategy Programme [use code: REBELS10] Don't miss out: https://www.fabric-academy.com/rebels-fabric

In this seventh episode of REBELS we chat with Lewis Ellis, British media personality and entrepreneur. He's best known for being a finalist on The Apprentice UK, his viral social media stunts and running the UK's most disruptive marketing agency. Shoaib unpacks Lewis' turbulent journey to success, why he never wants to grow up and his no bullsh*t approach to personal growth. Find out how the Pandemic nearly destroyed Lewis' career, why he hit national headlines for his Twitter spat with Lord Sugar and what *actually* goes down on reality TV shows... Not your typical business owner, Lewis also gives his unfiltered opinions on the hypocrisy of higher education, the current marketing landscape and what he predicts for the future. It's the most energetic episode yet!

Connect with Shoaib (host):

LinkedIn: @Shoaib Ahmed | Instagram: @theshoaibahmed_Website: www.rebelsbyshoaibahmed.co.uk

Connect with Lewis (guest): LinkedIn: Lewis Ellis | Instagram: @lewis_ellis_ Twitter: @ImLewisEllis

Episode Sponsor: Get 10% OFF Fabric's 12-Week Master Strategy Programme [use code: REBELS10] Don't miss out: https://www.fabric-academy.com/rebels-fabric