Julian Metcalfe On Going From From Zero to $2 Billion: The Tenacity and Grit Behind Building a Successful Business

Disruptors

Rob Moore

Careers, How To, Business, Self-improvement, Society & Culture, Marketing, Investing, Education, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 14 September 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Visit Coinbase to learn more: https://coinbase-consumer.sjv.io/xLq4qv This episode is sponsored by Coinbase, Visit www.coinbase.com to learn more. Crypto comes with unique risks, take 2 minutes to learn more. https://coinbase-consumer.sjv.io/xLq4qv Rob meets the incredible Julian Metcalfe, who shares insights from his journey of building and selling Pret-a-Manger for $2 billion! Julian talks frankly the realities of entrepreneurship, the importance of resilience, tenacity, and the inevitability of facing failures—which he refers to as "bumps" along the way. Julian also reflects on the challenges of navigating the business landscape, particularly in the UK, where high operational costs can stifle new ventures, and examines the significance of product quality, customer relationships, and the value of a supportive team BEST MOMENTS "There is no success without the bumps. It just doesn't exist." "If you're going to try and change anything or add value to anything, it's not going to come that easily." "I've never feared going bust. I fear letting my customers down." Exclusive community & resources: For more EXCLUSIVE & unfiltered content to make, manage & multiply more money, join our private online education platform: Money.School →⁠ ⁠⁠https://money.school⁠ And if you’d like to meet 7 & 8 figure entrepreneurs, & scale to 6, 7 or 8 figures in your business or personal income, join us at our in-person Money Maker Summit Event (including EXCLUSIVE millionaire guests/masterminds sessions) →⁠ ⁠⁠https://robmoore.live/mms⁠ 🔗 CONNECT WITH ROB 📸 Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/robmooreprogressive/?locale=en_GB⁠ 📸 Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/robmooreprogressive/⁠ 👨‍💻 Linkedin:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmoore1979?originalSubdomain=uk⁠ 🌍 Website: ⁠https://robmoore.com/⁠ 🎙 A NOTE FOR THE #DISRUPTORS: The world is on the edge of a revolution. Wealth, power & information are being disrupted. Mainstream media is dying. Your freedom is being challenged. Your money is being debased. #Disruptors & Rob Moore asks the questions others dare not to ask. Disruptive & diverse guests speak out on topical world issues & their areas of success & influence. As the world has changed, Disruptors has evolved to diverse global movers, shakers & change makers who stand out & speak up. Want to start your own podcast? Get in touch - Disruptive Media. ⁠⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠ If you don’t risk anything, you risk everything.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Everything begins and ends with the product. And if things go wrong, you're in real, real trouble.
0:04.7	A prayer to know you've got it's a... Two billion dollars, prep yourself, I believe. Did you have a big tax bill on your two billion sale? I'm sorry, criminal. What's the most disruptive thing anyone's ever said or done to you? We had a very bad review 20 years ago, I remember. I take that pretty damn seriously. But what if you go bus?
0:20.4	I've nearly gone bus a few times,
0:21.9	but there is no success without the bumps.
0:24.2	Do you think
0:24.6	Labour could do more to support businesses in the UK? Rates are now often more than rent.
0:29.7	So it's become very difficult for people to start a business, to employ people, terribly damaging.
0:35.7	What are the biggest mistakes you see entrepreneurs make?
0:38.6	The only answer, surely, to that, is the...
0:43.5	Julian, is it true you love failure?
0:46.6	God, have I said that.
0:48.5	No, of course I don't love failure.
0:49.7	I hate failure.
0:50.7	But I embrace it and I'm realistic about it,
0:53.5	that if you're going to try and change
0:54.9	anything or add value to anything, it's not going to come that easily, so you're bound to make
0:59.3	mistakes. And those mistakes equals, I suppose, failure. But there is no success without the
1:07.1	bumps. It just doesn't exist. It's just impossible. And no one will tell you they've been successful without the bumps.
1:12.6	It's like saying you're an Olympic athlete without training.
1:15.5	It's crazy.
1:16.8	So somewhere clearly on the internet, you've been interviewed and you've said you love failure.
1:22.4	And I find this a paradox.
	...

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