The Alchemy of Alignment Podcast Episode 34 – Keeping all the plates spinning How to scale, lead with integrity, and build a business that actually fits your life, with Danny Simpson FIOD
In today’s episode, we’re asking the big question – how do you keep all the plates spinning when you’re running a business? And who better to answer that than someone who is currently doing it across seven of them?
Suzy is joined by Danny Simpson – CEO of the MID Group, entrepreneur, investor, fractional leader, non-executive director, and trustee. Danny built the MID Group from the ground up into the largest multi-award-winning O2 franchise in the Northwest, with 16 stores, 180 staff, and a business turning over £22 million. Today, his portfolio spans investment, active leadership, fractional roles, and voluntary non-executive positions – all driven by a passion for growth, impact, and doing the right thing.
But this conversation goes far beyond the business metrics. Danny opens up about the real cost of success – the ego that needed checking in his late twenties, the burnout that crept in when he was giving everything to everyone else, and the wife who stepped in at 29 and reminded him who he really was. He also shares one of the most quietly powerful leadership stories you’ll hear – a chance encounter on a plane that brought home just how far the ripple effect of great leadership can travel.
This is a conversation full of honesty, humour, and hard-won wisdom. Danny talks about the loneliness at the top, why culture eats strategy for breakfast, how to find a mentor without making it formal, and why the single biggest barrier to scaling your business might just be looking back at you in the mirror.
Whether you’re juggling a growing team, thinking about your first hire, or wondering if you’ll ever feel like you’ve ‘made it’ – this one is for you. Pop the kettle on. This is a good one.
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