Secret Leaders
Dan Murray-Serter and Chris Donnelly are two serial entrepreneurs who've built, sold, scaled & failed companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In Secret Leaders we get inside the greatest minds and greatest moments in business, because we believe the best way to learn about business is to hear from the people who make it happen. Sponsored by Wise Business and Vanta. Contact: hello@secretleaders.com
Episodes
May 20, 2025 • 12 mins
Millions of downloads, 400+ episodes and 7 years, it's time for a break.
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Mark as Played
May 14, 2025 • 92 mins
What if the secret to happiness, clarity, and success took just 5 minutes a day?
In this episode, we sit down with Alex Ikonn — co-founder of the viral sensation The Five Minute Journal, used by the likes Emma Watson, Tim Ferriss, and millions of others. From being fired at a bank to building a 7-figure business and redefining personal fulfillment, Alex shares the mindset hacks, journaling techniques, and life lessons that transf...
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May 6, 2025 • 74 mins
In this episode of Secret Leaders, we sit down with Alex Kendall, co-founder & CEO of Wayve AI — the $1B+ British startup taking on Tesla in the race to build a driverless future.
From raising $1.05 billion from Microsoft, SoftBank, and NVIDIA, to reimagining cities with AI-powered vehicles, Alex shares how his company is changing how we live, commute, and move goods.
- Why do 1.2 million people still die on roads every year?
- ...
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April 23, 2025 • 98 mins
From pouring tea to billion-dollar deals — Frank Smith's rise to CEO of Matchroom Boxing is nothing short of legendary. In this exclusive podcast, Frank opens up about building global stars like Anthony Joshua, sealing game-changing partnerships with DAZN, and navigating boxing’s Saudi-powered evolution.
We dive deep into:
The making of Connor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr
Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar impact on global boxing
Dana ...
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April 15, 2025 • 63 mins
What does it take to go from thinking "I’m not the type to start a company" to building a $2.5B startup that serves over 10,000 businesses? Christina Cacioppo, founder & CEO of Vanta, shares her raw and remarkable journey in this episode of Secret Leaders
In this candid interview, we dive into Christina’s path from Stanford to Silicon Valley royalty—funding startups like Twitter and Etsy, then jumping into the deep end to teach he...
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April 8, 2025 • 85 mins
Discover how Tom Kerridge went from washing dishes to building a £40M hospitality empire. In this episode of Secret Leaders, we dive into the raw truth behind restaurant success (and failure), why most places don’t make it, and how Tom hustled his way to the top—without any business background, investors, or MBA.
Pre-order Tom’s new book: "The BBQ Book: 80 Delicious Recipes for Fire and Coals"..
What You'll Learn:
The real eco...
Mark as Played
April 4, 2025 • 15 mins
From the first banner ad in 1994 to programmatic mobile ads, the internet as we know it was built on one thing: advertising. In this explosive episode of Secret Leaders, we break down the untold story of how ads didn’t just fund the web—they engineered it.
You will learn:
The birth of banner ads with AT&T’s legendary 44% CTR
Google AdWords’ rise and the search ad revolution
How Facebook’s targeting reshaped elections
Mobile & ...
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April 1, 2025 • 80 mins
Is this the man who could end the global credit card crisis?
In this explosive episode of Secret Leaders, we sit down with Philip Belamant, the visionary founder of Zilch — the UK fintech unicorn that’s rewriting the rules of credit, debt, and how we pay.
Most people know Zilch as a "Buy Now, Pay Later" app — but it’s way more than that. It’s an interest-free payment model that flips the credit card industry on its head… all whil...
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March 28, 2025 • 10 mins
You've seen them—the red-faced, power-tripping, emotionally disconnected CEOs barking orders while morale sinks. But how did we get here? And more importantly… how do we fix it?
This isn't just another workplace rant—it's a deep dive into the dark psychology of leadership, the gendered traits that dominate boardrooms, and the systemic bias that keeps emotionally intelligent leaders out of power.
In this video essay, we expose, why...
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What does "toxic masculinity" really mean?
In this powerful episode, Sam Conniff dives deep into the crisis of modern masculinity, exploring how society has shaped a generation of men caught between weakness and toxicity.
Sam shares his growing concern for younger men, especially after experiencing Andrew Tate’s controversial online course first hand. With Tate’s influence surging, amplified by the recent Netflix hit Adolescence,...
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March 21, 2025 • 25 mins
Ever wondered how Burger King pulled off one of the slickest marketing stunts ever—racking up 1.5 MILLION app downloads in just ONE WEEK by targeting people standing INSIDE McDonald’s stores?
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Mark as Played
March 18, 2025 • 89 mins
Are your daily habits killing your motivation?
Neuroscientist TJ Power, once a self-confessed dopamine junkie reveals how phones and quick fixes tanked his focus and ambition.
He broke free from phone and alcohol addiction with his D.O.S.E framework (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins) which has helped him reduce stress, boost sleep by 54%, and turned ambition into action with his 30-minute rule to reboot your brain and re...
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March 14, 2025 • 28 mins
Imagine losing 8,000 Bitcoins—now worth over half a billion pounds—because someone threw out your hard drive.
In this episode of Leaders Chat, Dan and Chris dive into this jaw-dropping story, dissect Tony Khan’s daring strategy to keep AEW a family-run powerhouse, and dish out must-know entrepreneurial tips for aspiring business owners.
What’s your opinion on family businesses—smart move or risky gamble?
Hit subscribe and drop yo...
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March 11, 2025 • 59 mins
Savile Row is one of the most prestigious shopping streets in London, and with just £10,000, Sean Dixon transformed his brand, Richard James, into one of the city's most sought-after tailors.
From designing Sir Alex Ferguson's iconic coat to hosting Elton John and Oasis in his shop at the same time, Sean shares the journey of relentless hard work and dedication it took to break into such an elite market.
He reveals how Richard Jame...
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March 7, 2025 • 41 mins
Has anyone seen how CASUAL Elon Musk's text messages were when trying to convince billionaire to invest in X?
We will be discussing how common this actually is as well as how Elon's Grok 3 has emerged has the top AI platform despite behind 5 years behind ChatGPT
Then Dan and Chris finish of by answering some of your business questions to help you on your entrepreneurial journey
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ht...
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March 4, 2025 • 81 mins
Want to build a killer marketing campaign?
Look no further than our interview with PR expert Emily Austen who does exactly that for global giants Red Bull.
She takes us some through some of the most successful PR campaigns ever including how Barbie and Oppenheimer clashed on purpose?! and the powerful hacks that you can start using right now to make your campaigns go viral and stand out from the crowd.
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February 28, 2025 • 14 mins
Rolex is one of the most iconic and prestigious brands in the world, generating an incredible $11 billion in annual revenue. But here’s the shocking twist—Rolex doesn’t make a single dollar in profit.
So, where does all that money go? And how does Rolex continue to dominate the luxury watch industry without traditional profits?
In this episode of Secret Leaders, we uncover the fascinating truth behind Rolex’s unique business model...
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February 25, 2025 • 83 mins
Meet the man behind CRAFTD, the Shopify hit that has made him $100 million.
This is a man who has experienced it all on his entrepreneurial journey. From car boot sales, to buying out his bosses, creating the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo billboard and ending up in $300k worth of debt.
He will be sharing with us everything he has learned along the way and the unique steps he has taken to build an E-commerce powerhouse in CRAFTD
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February 21, 2025 • 33 mins
Did you know Domino’s used to give out Rolex watches to top-performing franchise owners? Or that LEGO rewarded its employees with solid gold bricks? Some companies go above and beyond to take care of their people. In this episode of Leaders Chat, we break down some of the most surprising employee perks—from Airbnb’s $2,000 annual travel credit to Zappos’ bold “Pay to Quit” policy.
Dan also shares his full-body health analysis, cov...
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February 17, 2025 • 77 mins
From a humble bricklayer to building a $40 million honey empire, Scott Davies is living proof that with relentless determination and a never-say-die mentality, anything is possible.
Scott’s journey, which began with self-doubt and uncertainty, evolved into the story of an entrepreneur who overcame immense challenges to transform his business into what it is today. Now, his honey is stocked in over 500 Tesco stores across the UK, an...
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