Business Advice from a Former Dragon with Piers Linney | Backed by Funding Circle

James Smith knows a lot of people think he’s a prick. He’s fine with that.

Spencer Matthews has run 30 marathons in 30 days in the desert. He’s done an Ironman on every continent in 21 days, Antarctica included.

How do you win new clients when every competitor is shouting the same thing? Three founders who have built businesses from nothing give you their best sales and marketing advice in one room. No theory. Just what actually brings in new business.

Madonna changed the lights, the seating and her outfit before the cameras rolled. Ben Shephard won her over with one question. That’s the skill behind 26 years in broadcasting. He’s presented This Morning and Tipping Point and done film junkets where he had four minutes to get a Hollywood star to open up. He calls himself a frustrated professional sportsman who never made the Ryder Cup, so he became a communicator instead. Now, at 51, he’s a founder. He co-founded For Skin, a men’s skincare brand, with Joel Dommett. He also helped set up Sweetspot, a venture studio that builds businesses celebrities actually own. Ben joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest. They talk about purpose, gratitude and why being interested beats being interesting every time. He explains why a quiz show still matters, and why he gets his dad to text him every night with three things he’s looking forward to tomorrow. He also explains why 80% of men’s skincare is bought by women. He breaks down how Sweetspot works. Every celebrity goes through a questionnaire on their motivations and passions, and the audience helps build the product. For Skin’s community picked the name, the price point and the packaging. He also explains why he will always ask the stupid question in a meeting about burn rates. And why a skincare brand needs a name people argue about, but products good enough to outlive the famous faces behind it. Then comes the masterclass in connection: the Simon Cowell name trick he recommends to everyone, and why he forgets most of the pitches he hears unless someone finds a way to connect with him personally. Along the way you’ll hear about Zac talking to his moisturiser, a 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder with his two sons, a six-year-old called Greg who taught him a lesson in manners, why golf teaches you that the next shot matters most, and the best advice Tim Campbell ever gave him: if it ain’t broke, break it. Chapters

Your sales team has more AI tools and more data than ever. So why are they doing less with it? And what should you never, ever let an AI agent do for you? Mel Smith has a one-question test for that, and most teams fail it. She also has a rule for her SDRs: book a meeting on a cold call in under five minutes and you'll be getting a message from her.