Happy MBA

What’s stopping you from getting started?

07 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Am I too old to start a business?

31 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Welcome to Happy MBA

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 bet...

Unlock the magic of nature's boardroom

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered what 500 million years of mountain wisdom could teach you about where you take your business or work from here?Laurence and Carlos explo...

Showing up without the cringe

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sharing on social media can feel like stepping into the spotlight with nowhere to hide. No wonder so many of us shrink from it.How do we show up brave...

The authenticity dilemma

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The idea of "personal branding” can be a bit exhausting. The thought of carefully curating a version of yourself that’s optimised for engagement f...

Tiny Experiments – Unlocking big possibilities

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if we reframed failure as a step toward clarity rather than away from success?In this episode, Laurence and Carlos sit down with Anne-Laure ...

Sharing your voice – Vision Tribe Summit 2025

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos, Laurence, and Lana present the fourth and final session in their Vision Tribe Summit from February 2025.This conversation will help youReframe...

Making happy money – Vision Tribe Summit 2025

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos, Laurence, and Lana present the third session in their Vision Tribe Summit from February 2025.This conversation will help youDevelop a healthie...

Your story of change – Vision Tribe Summit 2025

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos, Laurence, and Lana present the second session in their Vision Tribe Summit from February 2025.This discussion will help youShift from traditio...

Redefining success – Vision Tribe Summit 2025

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos, Laurence, and Lana present the first session in their Vision Tribe Summit from February 2025.In this session they explore four key dimensions ...

The midlife renaissance: navigating purpose and professional transitions

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chip Conley is the founder of the Modern Elder Academy and author of Learning to Love Midlife: How to Embrace What’s Next. In this discuss...

How to commit to action

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Feel like you’re stuck in a loop of fear, overwhelm, and endless faffing about? You’re not alone. Making a big change, whether in life or work, ca...

Nurture your inner rebel

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if it’s punk to pause? To quote the Nap Bishop Tricia Hersey, that “rest is a form of resistance”?Caro Turlings and Jobbe Holtes are multi-...

How to make your idea real

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos and Lana dive into the concept of creating Minimum Lovable Products: products that "thingify" your thoughts and turn your ideas into tangible, ...

Eat well, lead well

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Bayliss is the author of Do Nourish: How to Eat for Resilience. She combines expertise with lived experience, helping professionals an...

Social media when unclear

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We know that people will benefit from what we do, and one way to help others find us is through posting on social media.But what do you do when you do...

When values meet reality

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A question submitted by our community sparked this conversation: "How are your values embodied with real examples in your current business? How have y...

Lovely messy startups

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you change direction without a map? By reconnecting to your inner navigation system.But many of us fall shy of it, because it means engaging wi...

Embracing everything: From loss to aliveness

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You probably know about 4,000 weeks. It’s what Oliver Burkeman suggests is the average time we all have on this earth. But do you know about 90...

Wayfinding your path to success

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Laurence and Carlos started the Happy Startup School, they didn’t have a business plan. Instead, they focused on what felt important: comm...

Finding your second wind

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve exited your business or you’ve left your job. What next?You’ve gone from being busy and feeling like you had direction to now floating ar...

Leadership based on feeling, not just thinking

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Michelle Grant is an alumna of our Vision 20/20 program and was part of Tribe 2 that started in September 2020.She’s the founder of T...

Build your career like an entrepreneur

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can you learn to be more creative, courageous, and resourceful when it comes to pivoting your professional life?On this episode, Carlos and Laurence a...

The automated entrepreneur: embrace AI and stay creative

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a solo founder curious about AI? Do you want to know how it could help you be more impactful, more effective, and free up your time? Or are yo...

The art of resilient living

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you take the time to design for your own wellbeing?When we’re being the change we want to see in the world, it’s easy to focus on hard metrics:...

It’s not about business plans, it’s about belief

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve decided to change. You’re driven to find a new professional path, but you’re struggling to take the next step.As an experienced professio...

Pathway to purpose: Stories of change

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tribe 8 of Vision 20/20 ended their journey together. On this episode, a few of the cohort share their stories and projects that have emerge...

Navigating change by mastering uncertainty

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Taking the entrepreneurial path requires taking risks. And the rewards we'll encounter are never certain.The choices we make create real consequences ...

The great balancing act: finding joy in doing good

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever felt like there was more that you could do but didn’t know what to commit to?You're not alone.When it comes to thinking about meaning, Laurence...

Making good in the ruins

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While we can’t avoid the inevitable, we can still find agency. When we’re navigating a professional or personal transition, it may seem like we’...

Can I be paid to be me?

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When people join the Happy Startup School’s Vision 20/20 program and talk about what they want to do, one phrase pops up again and again:“...

Go live to share your expertise

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to empower others to act and not just fill their heads with facts, Crowdcast is a platform that can help you do that. It was founded by Sa...

When it's time pause on purpose

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Pritchard was the founder of Pala, a brand driven by purpose. The mission was to produce high quality, long-lasting eyewear whilst making a commi...

Boss like a mother; mother like a boss

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Professional women are under overwhelming pressure to achieve it all – career, kids and caring partner.And to do it with an effortless smile.But it ...

Summercamp 2023 unpacked

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s hard to put into words what happens at Summercamp. And that was never truer than in 2023.There’s an enormous amount of love, growth and conne...

Unlocking the effortless leader

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In an age where meaningful leadership and authentic connection are more crucial than ever, Jerry Colonna, coach, entrepreneur, and author of the trans...

How your mind works on mushrooms

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it's problem-solving an issue, coming up with a new product, or making a mark on the world, our personal vision of success often needs new ide...

Build a human-to-human business

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Forget thinking about business in terms of B2B or B2C – It’s time to think H2H; human to human.As much as lawyers and accountants will tell you th...

Elegant simplicity in business

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a world that wants to keep hustling and believing that “bigger is better”, we’ve always had a different measure of success.For Laurence and C...

Minimum loveable big ideas

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On our previous episode, Laurence and Carlos spoke with John Parkin about big ideas: what they are; where they come from and how to spot them. He...

How to have a big idea

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Parkin knows a good idea when he sees one. As a formed Creative Director of one of the most innovative and exciting advertising agencies of the 1...

Finding lasting colleagueship in business

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Laurence started out in business, he was a company of one. For 5 years he found his own clients, did sales and marketing, managed his finances. I...

Belonging matters

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if you were unapologetically you? What impact would that have on your work, life and relationships?Unfortunately, too many of us aren’t prepare...

Three real stories of change

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our previous episode covered the theory along with Laurence, Carlos and Lana’s own stories of change, both small and large. On this e...

Stories of change

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The master storyteller. One of the most valuable things we’ve learned from him is about stories of change and how stories can motivate our own actio...

Why we need to end things

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Everything has a time to burn because it invites new life.”During his talk at Summercamp 2022, Ben Johnson shared his thoughts on the importance ...

Feel the fear but don't believe it

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At Summercamp 2020, coach David Papa gave a personal, entertaining and vulnerable talk about how to be scared.He believes that the only thing that can...

Turning apathy into action

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a complex fast paced world it’s all too easy to think that we’re unable make any impact. But this isn’t true.At Happy Startup Summercamp 2022...

9 lessons for living a life you love

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Ayse Birsel gave her talk at our Happy Startup Summercamp she was shocked that she only had 20 minutes to speak. Not only that, we told...

Starting a workstyle revolution

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst are the cofounders of Hoxby, a community and social enterprise that provides companies with the best talent and helps peop...

Re-rooting for nourishing change

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“We are all part of this massive wood wide web. We are all connected, we are all entwined.”Life is full of changes, some are unexpected and trauma...

Say something no-one else can say

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"When you’re writing something about your business. Anything. If it could be used – intact and just as coherently – by any of your competitors.&...

Which type of entrepreneur are you?

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Carlos was a teenager, he never thought he could be an entrepreneur. He had very specific beliefs around what it mean to be an entrepreneur or bu...

How to harness your story of change

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the core models shared with participants of the Vision 20/20 programme is the Story of Change. Based on the Satir Change Model developed b...

See how you feel

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mood is a mobile app that lets users track their mood with one tap a day. It was invented by Gareth Dauncey, a Welsh architect specialising in low-imp...

Life’s lived forward but understood backward

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re like Laurence and Carlos, following a squiggly life isn’t just a matter of circumstance, it’s in your nature.Sarah Ellis, cofounder of...

Get energised and not exhausted by your newsletter

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most powerful ways we've found to connect with our followers is through our newsletter. But how do you do it so that it's energising and no...

Don’t wait until you’re 40 to explode your life

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anniki Summerville is a broadcaster, author, journalist, and speaker specialising in telling positive and authentic narratives about women in their fo...

Create space to listen to yourself

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we have to be to create a new world that sidesteps the mistakes of the old?What do we need to learn about relating differently and more compass...

Rediscover hope and help create a kinder world

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kindness, compassion, and playfulness can create positive ripples in the world. This episode’s guest, Bernadette Russell, has a daily intentional pr...

Time management for mortals, with Oliver Burkeman

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s never enough time, and the work is never done. On this episode, author and journalist Oliver Burkeman shares his insights on how we can bett...

Feck Perfuction, with James Victore

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To cultivate creativity and authenticity, we have to be be willing to take risks and face the fear of rejection.James Victore is a designer and author...

Being the true you

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the things Laurence and Carlos are really passionate about at the Happy Startup School is helping entrepreneurs build businesses that are align...

Design the long life you love

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For those of us born in the West today, living to 100 will be the norm, not the exception. Living longer is clearly a gift, but the simple truth is th...

The truth about money

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We believe that money is a law of nature and is as real as the metal or paper it’s made of. We give it power and even say it makes the world go roun...

Street-level altruism

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the last 7 years Joshua Coombes has been a man on a mission. In 2015, while working at a London hair salon and feeling a little disillusioned, he ...

Awe is the antidote to society's malaise

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Laurence has been a big fan of Tim Frenneaux's work since he first discovered Gather Outdoors, a blog and online store he launched back in 2015. He's ...

How to discover what customers really want

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you starting something new? Are you on the hunt for customers? If so, stop thinking of your customers as just buyers, and start thinking of them a...

How to live a more meaningful life

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the summer of 2009, brothers Dave and Mike Radparvar decided to quit their jobs in the heat of the recession to go all-in on their passion project ...

Do you have goals that excite you?

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Ben Hunt-Davis' book Will it Make the Boat Go Faster, the gold medal winning rower talks about four layers of goals: the crazy, the concrete, ...

Doing business on purpose

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to build a purpose driven business? For many it means doing something that has social or environmental impact. It's about serving so...

Getting to know you, with Anna Kolak, and Beccie D’Cunha

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How much do you know yourself?Sometimes the choices we make in life are dictated by unknown forces that seem outside of us. But what if they're actual...

What does it mean to flourish?, with Luke Swann

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every Friday Luke Swann spends time doing nothing. He creates space for rest, wellbeing and focussing on what he feels is important. He calls it his F...

What does it mean to be a good dad?

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be a good dad?Carlos has two kids; Gabriel is 13 and Esmé is 9. And for nearly a decade and a half he’s been trying to work ou...

Resetting in nature, with Sally-Anne Airey and Arno de Jong

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's something about being in nature that helps us reset our nervous systems.Maybe it's the wonder and awe it can create in ourselves. Carlos likes...

Maybe how you think the world works isn’t how it really is

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is stopping you from doing what you’d love to do?When Chris Packe quit his well paid job he was told that he was in a privileged position and t...

Don't just think your way to success, feel your way there

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you're like me (or the me 10 years ago) you believe in mind over matter.As a hyper rational human I used think that thinking was all there was.My b...

How to balance being a visionary with being vulnerable

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As a leader of a business it’s up to you to tell everyone where you’re going.It’s your responsibility to create a clear vision for everyone to b...

The secret to resilience is self compassion

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Shamash Alidina is a mindfulness and ACT trainer. And is also the author of mindfulness for dummies.ACT stands for acceptance and commitment therapy a...

Thinking differently in business

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Think Different" is the famous slogan used by Apple to differentiate themselves from the grey PC boxes that IBM were churning out in the 80s and 90s....

How to build a business connected to your soul's purpose

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marianne is training as a Purpose Guide™ and on this Friday Fireside we're going to explore with her what it means to discover our true purpose.It's...

Serendipity, collisions and the art of success in business

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What's your 10 year plan? What's you 5 year plan? What are your goals for next year? WTF are you actually going to do tomorrow?In business people are ...

Business doesn't have to be a battle, so put down the armour

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do we put down our armour of self-sufficiency and competence?While it protects us from challenges and shields us from criticism, it also cuts us o...

How to write useful books, with Rob Fitzpatrick

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Writing a book takes time and effort.And life's too short to write a book that no one will read.On this episode, we invited someone to help us underst...

Stop closing the deal and get to the truth, with Tad Hargrave

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by Tad Hargrave, founder of Marketing for Hippies, who shares his thoughts on how to market well so that sales becomes effortless....

More business, less effort, with Alan Wick

26 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most creative and purpose-driven entrepreneurs love coming up with new ideas and working with their customers and clients.But they hate sales, marketi...

Realising worthwhile ideas, with Tom Nixon

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do we realise worthwhile ideas in the world? Define a goal, create a plan, build a great team? That's how we're told to do it. How about instead, ...

Being a Late Bloomer with Kendra Patterson

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What if you don’t agree with mainstream definitions of success?What if, when looking at what everyone seems to value and strive for, you start to fe...

Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Francois Souyri, founder of Paperblade

28 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a company of one?From Paul Jarvis’ book of the same name a company of one is a founder who does not believe in growth for growth’s sake.Th...

The kindness rebellion with Christina Kisley and Graham Allcott

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How can we challenge the idea that in business only the unkind and ruthless rise to the top while the caring and compassionate get overlooked.In this ...

How can kindness and generosity make a better world with Ole Kassow?

10 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of the podcast is a recording from our Friday Fireside way back in November last year.We were joined by our good friend Ole Kassow, an in...

Making sense of my silly life with Eiji Han Shimizu

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eiji Han Shimizu is a purpose driven filmmaker and creative entrepreneur who discovered the many different ways we find happiness by making the movie ...

Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Simon Batchelar, cofounder of the Marketing Success Club

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of the podcast is another window into our community where you get to know our members and what they do.Today I’m talking to Simon Batch...

How false harmony can damage your business and your friendship with Will and Joel

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Will and Joel are friends from university who went into business together. They put all their enthusiasm and energy into it and it grew. They worked h...

Stop doing business start being human with Kees Klomp

18 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of the podcast is another recording from our weekly Friday Fireside show. It was recorded on October 2nd and features our good friend Kee...

Happy Startup Member Spotlight - Remeny Armitage, cofounder of Brilliant and Human

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the podcast we shine a light on one of our members, share their work and find out what it’s been like to be part of the Happy Sta...

Storytelling to supercharge your startup pitch with Haje Kamps

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you ever find yourself pitching to a VC or for any kind of funding it’s important to know how to tell a compelling story.When it comes to pitchin...

Reimagining and reinventing yourself with Eleanor Tweddell

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of the podcast is another recording from our live Friday Fireside webinar. On this week’s show we were joined by Eleanor Tweddell.Elean...

10 pitfalls to avoid as a first-time freelancer with Will Lyth

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Will LythWorking for yourself for the first time can seem like a scary step. You go from the safety of a regular pay check to the uncertainty of not k...