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Podcast
The Strive & Thrive podcast is a series of discussions designed to inspire and provide insights for entrepreneurs, business owners, and leadership teams of growing SMEs. Strive & Thrive is hosted by Romesh Jeyaseelanay of The FD Consultant and Mike Oliver of Easol (business innovation).
Our expert guests share key insights for founders, business leaders, and entrepreneurs in fun, friendly conversations covering a broad range of topics.


How to Speak with Impact| Strive & Thrive #28
Chris Wilson works on enabling others to use their voice to create impact and influence. He is an executive coach, competition winning speaker, and accredited NLP practitioner. Chris works with techniques and frameworks to make words resonate. Be it a C-suite executive, or a solopreneur, when you speak - you want your message to matter. Join Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam, Mike Oliver and guest speaker Chris Wilson at 12pm on 15th January, as they discuss how to speak with impact

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jan 121 min read


What insights can SME business leaders take into 2026?| Strive & Thrive #27
Join Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam and Mike Oliver at 12pm on 1 st January, as they discuss the insights they have gained from the Strive & Thrive podcast in the past year, and what can be taken into 2026. What insights can SME business leaders take into 2026?| Strive & Thrive #27 What is Strive & Thrive? Strive & Thrive is a series of discussions aimed to inspire and provide insights to Entrepreneurs, Business owners and the Leadership teams of growing SME businesses - hosted b

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jan 121 min read


Storytelling, AI, and Marketing | Strive & Thrive No. 26
David Sloly runs a B2B sales and marketing growth agency Harvey David . He started life as an entrepreneur, sold his business, travelled, and then trained as a journalist. He ultimately fell in love with broadcasting, producing, advertising, and marketing. A non-career conformist, author of several books, including Zoom!, which was in the Independent's top ten business books, David is the creator of the world's first AI-assisted sitcom, 'Made in AI' and also author of a week

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jan 51 min read


Are you an Entrepreneur or a Business Owner? | Strive & Thrive No. 25
We are excited to welcome Peter Mols and Sarah Mols as our guests on Strive & Thrive Episode 25: Are you an Entrepreneur or a Business Owner? Sarah Mols is the co founder of Mastermind9 and Outside Ideas , where she helps small business owners get clearer, more confident, and better supported. Alongside her coaching and planning expertise, Sarah has a serious knack for systems. Peter Mols is the Entrepreneur in Residence at Oxford Brookes University and founder of Outside I

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jan 21 min read


The Best Leaders have Social Intelligence | Strive & Thrive No. 24
We are excited to welcome Geoff Bird as our guest on Strive & Thrive Episode 24: The Best Leaders have Social Intelligence. Professor Geoff Bird is a cognitive neuroscientist, holding professorships at the University of Oxford, University College London, and a visiting post at Radboud University, The Netherlands. Author of around 240 papers, his work explores the neuroscience of individual and group performance, decision-making, social interaction, mental health, and neurodi

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Dec 6, 20251 min read


The Strive & Thrive Podcast Advent Calendar is packed full of insights for SME businesses
Strive & Thrive is excited to invite you to close out the year with our very first Advent Calendar - 24 Days of Insights. Each day, you will discover a curated quote of wisdom, a foundational insight, or a strategic takeaway for SME business leaders from one of our most impactful past episodes. This is a perfect opportunity for a quick, daily dose of inspiration and practical advice as you prepare for the new year. Advent Calendar Link What is Strive & Thrive? Strive & Thrive

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Dec 6, 20251 min read


What does the Budget mean for my business? | Strive & Thrive No. 23
We are excited to announce a Strive & Thrive Special episode this week (28th Nov, 12pm) where co hosts Romesh & Mike unpack the Budget, and discuss what it really means for SME businesses. What does the Budget mean for my business? | Strive & Thrive Number 23 Romesh is the Founder of The FD Consultant , a group of fractional Finance Directors who support growing organisations. Mike Oliver is the Founder of Easol and focuses on innovative solutions. They both share a passi

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Nov 25, 20251 min read


Riding the Scale Up Rollercoaster | Strive & Thrive No. 22
We were really pleased to have Raj Thiruchelvarajah as our guest on Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Riding the Scale Up Rollercoaster | Strive & Thrive Number 22 Raj Thiruchelvarajah is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hytro , a leading human performance business which produces Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearables. After 15 years in banking and consulting, Raj left the corporate world to build something more purposeful - bringing a proven but complex scientific concept ou

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Nov 23, 20251 min read


AI Alone Won’t Grow Your Sales | Strive & Thrive No. 21
We are really pleased to have Maggie Sarfo as our guest on Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Strive & Thrive Number 21: AI Alone won’t Grow Your Sales Maggie is an award winning consultant driving revenue growth for SME’s, entrepreneur, writer and speaker. Join us, Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam ( The FD Consultant ), Mike Oliver (Easol) , and Maggie Sarfo at 12pm on Thursday as we discuss the intersection of Revenue Growth, AI, People and Processes. What is Strive & Thrive? St

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Nov 9, 20251 min read


The Strive & Thrive podcast for SME leaders celebrates its 1 Year Anniversary!
Can you believe it? Strive & Thrive is celebrating its one-year anniversary and over 20 episodes! Time flies when you're having fun (and learning a ton!). We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our audience, phenomenal guest speakers, and the friends and colleagues who've supported us every step of the way. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. We've evolved, we've polished things up, and we've gotten better, but the mission remains the same: to help entrepreneurs

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Nov 7, 20251 min read


The Hard Truth About Bullying in Your Business | Strive & Thrive No. 20
We are really pleased to have Frances Holmes as our guest on Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Strive & Thrive Number 20: The Hard Truth About Bullying in Your Business Frances is the founder and CEO of Speak Out Revolution , a mission-driven venture using data to shake up how workplaces tackle inclusion. She has built a career in STEM while carving out space as a female entrepreneur driving change. By day, she’s an Account CTO at Microsoft; by night (and every other sp

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Oct 14, 20251 min read


Women in Business | Strive & Thrive No. 19
We are delighted to welcome Debbie Gilbert to Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Strive & Thrive Number 19: Women in Business Debbie is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and marketing expert with over 25 years of experience supporting SMEs. She is the founder of Viva Business Support (Business Education programmes), Businesswomen UnLtd (Events services), and the Best Business Women Awards , which celebrates exceptional female entrepreneurs across the UK. Passiona

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Sep 30, 20251 min read


Strive & Thrive podcast - new Linked In page
The Strive & Thrive podcast for Founders recently set up a new Linked In page. Come on over and join us! Strive & Thrive is a series of discussions aimed to inspire and provide insights to Entrepreneurs, Business owners and the Leadership teams of growing SME businesses. Romesh of The FD Consultant co hosts Strive & Thrive with Mike Oliver of Easol, and we bring on board various guest speakers with great experience and expertise. Easol , The FD Consultant , Mike Oliver , Rom

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Sep 28, 20251 min read


The Value of Time in your Business | Strive & Thrive No. 18
We are delighted to welcome David King to Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Strive & Thrive Number 18: The Value of Time in Your Business Dave is the CEO of Lbox communications , a B2B provider of print and marketing solutions. Passionate about growing a business with a positive impact, David spends his time trying to provide added value solutions for clients and staff - giving people more time to focus on meaningful and enjoyable tasks for them, whatever they may be. I

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Sep 17, 20251 min read


Strive & Thrive 10 episode recap
Earlier this summer, the Strive & Thrive podcast achieved our milestone 10 episodes! Easol , The FD Consultant , Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam , Mike Oliver , and the rest of the Strive & Thrive team sincerely thank everyone who has tuned in to Strive & Thrive. And of course a huge thanks to all our amazing guest speakers for coming on the journey with us and sharing their invaluable insights! In celebration of this milestone, here are some highlights from all 10 Strive & Thrive

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Sep 8, 20251 min read


Good Processes, Good Business | Strive & Thrive No. 17
We are delighted to welcome Claire Butcher to Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Strive & Thrive Number 17: Good Processes, Good Business Whether it's leading through chaos, managing difficult people, or scaling a team without losing momentum, Claire is in the trenches with her businesses, helping them to figure it out quickly and achieve excellent results. Join us, Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam, Mike Oliver , and Claire Butcher at 12pm on Thursday as we discuss how businesse

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Sep 2, 20251 min read


Entrepreneurship v Regulation | Strive & Thrive No. 16
We are delighted to welcome Callum Condé MRAeS on Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Strive & Thrive Number 16: Entrepreneurship v Regulation Callum is passionate about the future of uncrewed aviation and autonomy. From running his own drone company to overseeing flight operations for a major defence organisation, he’s built a career at the forefront of innovation. Today, Callum is poacher turned gamekeeper and now runs a team at a national regulator. Regulatory frame

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Aug 18, 20251 min read


Why Middle Management Sucks | Strive & Thrive No. 15
We are delighted to welcome Lisa Robyn Wood on Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Strive & Thriv Number 15: Why Middle Management Sucks Lisa is the founder of GRIP Coaching, and is a coach and trainer focused on empowering businesses to enhance their managers' capabilities for improved growth, performance, and culture. Drawing on her extensive experience leading teams in fast-paced environments within the Energy and FMCG sectors, Lisa has been helping business owners and

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Aug 6, 20251 min read


Redefining Entrepreneurship | Strive & Thrive No. 14
We are delighted to welcome Dave Jarman on Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Dave is an Associate Professor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Bristol 's multi-award-winning Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Dave also leads the Discover and Launch programmes for the ARC Accelerator , a programme supporting the sustainable commercialisation of academic research. Join us, Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam, Mike Oliver , and Dave Jarman at 12pm on Th

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jul 23, 20251 min read


From Solopreneur to Entrepreneur – Lessons from Latin America | Strive & Thrive No. 13
We are really pleased to welcome Jose Trujillo on Thursday’s episode of Strive & Thrive! Jose is the founder and CEO of International Learning, an organisation that empowers Latin American students to access global education opportunities. With over 10 years of experience in international education and student mobility, he specialises in designing growth strategies, scholarship pathways, and advisory programs that connect academic goals with long-term life plans. Join us,

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jul 10, 20251 min read


Key Learnings as a Founder | Strive & Thrive No. 12
Romesh is delighted to be the guest on the next episode of Strive & Thrive! He set up The FD Consultant in 2020 and am celebrating the 5th anniversary of the business by reflecting on my key learnings as a business founder. Building The FD Consultant has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done. It’s challenged me in all the right ways, and reminded me that it’s never too late to keep growing and developing. The FD Consultant offers high-level fractional Finance Dire

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jun 24, 20251 min read


An Investor's Perspective | Strive & Thrive No. 11
We were thrilled to host Sid Vasili on today’s episode of Strive & Thrive! An entrepreneur for almost 50 years, Sid founded and led successful companies like HMSL Group and Invapay Payment Solutions , delivering cutting-edge solutions for Working Capital Optimisation, Finance, and Global Shared Services. Sid is now an investor who mentors and guides founders and their teams. He is also a recognised thought leader and speaker.. This episode aired on 5th June, but you can cat

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jun 10, 20251 min read


Turning Expertise into Opportunity | Strive & Thrive No. 10
We were excited to have Alexander Preece on our 10th episode of Strive & Thrive! Alex Preece is the founder of Be Known , a strategic personal brand advisory helping founders, athletes, and experts turn clarity into commercial leverage. With nearly two decades of experience across agency, brand, and talent, Alex has worked with everyone from elite athletes to startup CEOs - crafting positioning that earns trust and opens doors. This episode aired on 23rd May, but you can cat

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jun 10, 20251 min read


The Start Up Experience | Strive & Thrive No. 9
We were excited to welcome Kimberley Abbott as a guest speaker for Strive & Thrive Episode 9: The Startup Experience Kimberley Abbott is CEO and founder of Vested Impact , which was founded with the mission to 'redefine millionaire to be a person who impact millions of lives'. Vested Impact is an award-winning data platform that automatically assesses and quantifies the positive and negative effects of companies' products, services and activities on people and the planet

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
Jun 10, 20251 min read
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