The information to Win in Business, the information to Win in Life, all wrapped up in one winning, weekly email. Winformation Weekly.

My 14 years’ experience of growing a business from £0-£100m as well as the life that goes with it.

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Simon Says

Winformation this week...

Some business success stories sound more like fairytales. Cofounders attracting hundreds of millions in investment from a mysterious billionaire, sprinkle some magic funding dust and before the ink is dry on the Forbes articles it's all IPOs and 10 figure exists. Cool story, but hardly useful for real people like us trying to build something from the ground up. Today’s One Idea to Win in Business is all about the real ones. The scrappy self-starters, the bootstrappers, the people who built empires without a Venture Capitalist in sight...and left their playbook open at just the right page for you to copy!

These days, there are so many notifications popping off, so many screens, so much noise. When was the last time you actually fully listened to someone, uninterrupted? There is a huge misconception that being successful, being great at selling, a great friend, you name it....is about the words you say, it’s actually all about the words you hear...I mean really hear. In today’s One Idea to Win in Life, we’re focusing on a vital skill that can transform everything: the art of active listening. Master this, and you’ll see the impact across all areas of your life.

One Idea to Win in Business

The Real Ones: From Zero to Millions - 10 Founders Spill Their Playbooks

10 Builders, 10 Playbooks. No fairy dust here. Just real strategies from real people who made it happen. Let’s dive in.

🎁 1. Holly Tucker (UK) — Turning Indie Makers into Marketplace Moguls - Holly built Not On The High Street by giving small creators a platform and turning their personal stories into powerful brand assets. Early media partnerships and sharp PR moves made her curated marketplace a household name for unique gifts. Heart meets hustle, and the results speak for themselves.

👑 2. Juliette Brindak Blake (US) — Queen of the Tween Scene - Juliette spotted a gap and built Miss O & Friends, a safe space for tween girls before brands even noticed the demographic. She grew a loyal audience first, then monetised through ads and licensing. Niche focus and patient scaling became her winning formula.

🥜 3. Pip Murray (UK) — Spreading the Love (and Nut Butter) - Pip’s energetic brand, Pip & Nut, broke through supermarket sameness with playful vibes and serious hustle. She handed out samples at events and funded growth through crowdfunding, turning customers into champions. Small pots, big tribe.

🪒 4. Michael Dubin (US) — The Man Who Shaved Big Brands Down to Size - With a cheeky viral video, Michael’s Dollar Shave Club took aim at overpriced razors and made shaving a subscription service. His anti-corporate vibe and direct-to-door model struck gold, ending with a billion-dollar exit. Proof that humour and recurring revenue make a sharp combination.

🌱 5. Camilla Marcus (US) — Serving Up Mission with Every Meal - Camilla’s west~bourne won hearts by standing for zero-waste and eco values from day one. She built momentum online before retail and scaled impact through partnerships with green groups. Mission was not just marketing; it was her engine.

✈️ 6. Rob Law (UK) — The Man Who Rolled Over Rejection - Inventor of the ride-on Trunki, Rob turned a simple travel pain point into a global £9M+ brand, despite being rejected on Dragons’ Den. His persistence and export-led focus took Trunki worldwide. A classic case of resilience beating rejection.

🎨 7. Melanie Perkins (AUS/US) — Designer of Democratisation - Melanie made Canva the go-to tool for non-designers by keeping it simple and free to start. Her freemium model built scale, while global reach turned it into a $40B+ platform. Proof that solving a real problem at scale is startup gold.

🚴 8. Simon Mottram (UK) — Pedalling Luxury Into Cycling - Simon’s Rapha didn’t just sell cycling gear, it sold lifestyle and aspiration. With beautiful content and a members-only club, he built a brand that customers didn’t just buy from, they joined. Community was his secret sauce.

💥 9. Tracey Emin (UK) — Art As Empire - Tracey made her raw, bold persona the product, turning controversy into commerce. By licensing her work and owning direct relationships, she built an art business on her terms. A reminder that a personal brand is a business when done right.

💎 10. Jessica Herrin (US) — Building a Selling Army with Style - Jessica’s Stella & Dot empowered women to sell through social events and e-commerce, creating a modern twist on direct selling. Her focus on community and training turned casual sellers into loyal entrepreneurs. The result? Global scale with a personal touch.

One Idea to Win in Life

Learn The Secret Skill That Boosts Your Career, Relationships, and Influence

We have one mouth but two ears, does sounds like the sort of thing an infant school teacher might say to a group of rowdy six-year-olds who are too busy talking to listen. But it can be true of grown-ups too. How many times have we blurted out a response before properly considering what the other person has said? Active listening is a great tool to make you a better leader, parent, friend and just all-around good person. Here are five tips for becoming a better active listener.

1. Stop thinking about your response. If you are doing this, chances are you’re not listening properly. When someone is talking to you, it is not the time to craft your response in your head. This is not a game of tennis, where you are ferreting around a court trying to return a ball. Resist the temptation to avoid any silence and take the time to properly listen to what they are saying and how they are saying it.

2. Act like a parrot. More often than not, people just want to know they've been understood. It can be a good idea to say back to them what they’ve just said. Just paraphrase what they’ve told you. It’s an effective way of clarifying that you have understood exactly what they have said.

3. Focus on the what. Understand what is important to the person you are speaking with, what they need, what you need more clarity on and what the mutual goal is. This helps you find shared ground.

4. Actions speak louder than words. Try to avoid interruptions whenever possible. But more importantly still, show that you are listening. Put away all distractions, provide eye contact, and be present.

5. Approach with compassion. This isn’t about listening so you can wait to pounce on the person at the right moment, so as to win an argument. It is to reach a common understanding. So come into the conversation with the right mindset, which is to have a positive attitude.

Until next week! 

Let’s win, together!