Episode Details

In this insightful episode, Brad sits down with Paul Bulloch, as they dive deep into the evolution of business over the last 25 years. Paul shares his journey of founding and scaling Concept, a specialist vehicle leasing brokerage, and the eventual sale of the company to Rivervale. From the early days of ‘fire in the belly’ ambition to navigating the 2008 financial crisis, Paul discusses the fundamental shift from traditional marketing to the AI-driven landscape of 2026. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Despite the rapid acceleration of AI and digital communication, business remains fundamentally relationship-based. Real trust is earned through face-to-face interaction and consistent touchpoints.

The 2008 financial crisis forced a strategic shift from consumer leasing to a B2B focus. Embracing constraints can lead to discovering a more profitable and sustainable niche.

Maintaining a team for 10-15 years requires more than just high salaries; it’s about structure, clear progression paths, and small, consistent acts of recognition that make employees feel valued.

Selling a business is a multi-year process. Paul suggests a five-year window to refine systems, clean up credit control, and ensure the business is attractive to potential acquirers.

Success in 2026 requires consistent habits, such as regular strategy sessions out of the office and staying ‘present’ in the business while leveraging AI to handle operational heavy lifting.

BEST MOMENTS

"No trust, no transaction."

"You've got to celebrate the wins, little and often, just making sure you take stock, look at what's worked well."

"As business owners, quite often the best ideas or best solutions to problems come when you're taking yourself out [of the office]."

"You've got to be the best version of yourself, you need to work on yourself massively before the business."

"If you're in a hole, the only way to deal with that is to try and grow out of it."

HOST BIO

Brad Staines is a founder in the thick of it - but by design, not by default. As the face of Aquamark Cleaning, he’s built a multi-million-pound operation with 30+ team members, strong systems, and a culture that gives people space to grow.

He’s still involved in the business a couple of days a week - but only doing the parts he genuinely enjoys: building relationships, growing the brand, spending time with the team, and spotting new opportunities. The day-to-day grind? That’s been handed over to a structure that runs without constant firefighting.

Brad’s also found his rhythm outside of business - with a deep commitment to physical and mental training. Whether it’s strength work, early morning runs, or cold plunges, he’s a believer that how you show up for yourself shapes how you show up as a leader.

Working On It is where he brings it all together - growth, grit, and getting better every week.