Chewing the Channel

From law to tech: Leadership, culture and finding your place in the channel

What do a law degree in Australia, a career in mergers and acquisitions, Mercedes-Benz and the world of cloud communications have in common? They’re all part of the journey that led our latest guest to where he is today.

In this special Chewing the Channel Live episode, recorded on stage at our partner Eclipse Wholesale’s Partner Day, we sit down with the Chief Strategy Officer at 8x8 to talk about the twists and turns that shaped his career, the lessons he’s learnt along the way and why great leadership starts with the right culture.

We also look at the pace of change across the tech industry, what it means for the channel and where MSPs and ISPs can find opportunities to help their customers navigate an increasingly complex world.

Plus, we get personal with a look at his Scottish-Italian roots and find out what makes his ideal Come Dine With Me menu.

No scripts. No corporate waffle. Just honest conversations about people, careers and what’s next for the channel.

Arise, the King of Connectivity! From playground firecrackers to a purpose-driven business

Will sits down with Zen Internet CEO Richard Tang for a conversation that’s been a long time in the making.

Like many of our guests, Richard’s entrepreneurial streak started early, selling Chinese firecrackers in the playground. Fast forward through software engineering, his first business in a rented pre-fab office and eventually the founding of Zen, now home to more than 500 staff and wearing the crown in the UK’s independent, purpose-led telecoms space.

Richard talks openly about those early days, from renting his first office and discovering what an invoice actually was, to working seven days a week and learning what it really takes to build a sustainable business.

But the conversation goes beyond the usual entrepreneurial success story. Richard shares why Zen was founded with a long-term focus on people and planet, and how his thinking around happiness, culture and purpose has evolved over the years.

There’s also plenty on the telecoms industry, including Zen’s approach to sales commission, the rise of altnets and aggregation, and why Richard believes you have to be in the system if you want to help change it.

A candid conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, leadership and the journey from a playground side hustle to one of the UK’s best-known independent ISPs.

From bar manager to mobile expert; Lisa Chapman-Smith’s always been the hardest worker in the room

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In all honesty, Will and Lisa’s relationship didn’t get off to the very best start… a now-infamous "un-invitation" to an Elevate Wholesale darts night meant Lisa wasn’t Will’s biggest fan to begin with. But a rocky start has turned into a mutual respect, and a perfect segue into the honest and frank discussion in our latest podcast. 

‍Listen now to hear…

• How Lisa accidentally found her way into sales, and never looked back
• Why resilience and a strong work ethic have been the foundations of her career
• The three essentials for building lasting partner relationships
• Why face-to-face conversations matter even more in a digital-first world
• Lisa's thoughts on leadership, imposter syndrome and developing future sales professionals.

Lisa shares stories from her 16 years at Currys, her passion for the IT channel, and the lessons she's learned from decades of building high-performing teams and trusted partnerships.

Lessons in leadership, partnerships and building a channel business to last

In this episode of Chewing the Channel, we’re joined by Gamma Channel MD, Will Morey, to explore the experiences, challenges and lessons that have shaped his career.

From the influence of his family and growing up around an entrepreneurial mindset, to discovering that the traditional academic route wasn’t the path for him, Will shares how early experiences helped shape his approach to business and leadership.

The conversation follows his journey from selling diesel at 16 and learning through early entrepreneurial challenges, to building a successful channel business and understanding what it takes to create strong, lasting partnerships.

Will shares his perspective on why relationships matter, why the best channel businesses put partners before products, and the lessons that come from embracing challenges, taking risks and learning along the way.

A thoughtful conversation covering leadership, resilience and the realities of building a business, with plenty of stories and insights along the way.

From property to telecoms: A journey of growth, leadership & the power of saying no

In this episode, Will heads to London to sit down with Chaim Grunfeld, Co-Founder of Prime Connect, for a conversation packed with entrepreneurial lessons, leadership insights, and honest business advice.

From travelling solo to Philadelphia at just 14 years old, to building a successful property business before making the leap into telecoms in just three days, Chaim shares the experiences that shaped his approach to business.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why people are the most important part of any business
• The three pillars every business needs to get right
• Why sales and marketing should always be driving growth
• The power of staying niche rather than trying to serve everyone
• Setting clear boundaries and empowering your team
• Why sometimes the best decision is to say no
• The "Happy Customer Pot", a simple but powerful idea for building long-term trust

Chaim also reflects on being one of the very first Elevate Wholesale partner to meet with us, offering honest feedback that helped shape our journey from day one.

A special live episode of Chewing the Channel takeover, recorded at this years Women in Channel event

From accidentally finding her way into the industry to becoming a senior leader, Stacey reflects on the people, mentors and moments that have shaped her career. She shares the importance of seeking out opportunities rather than waiting for them, building a strong support network, and investing in your own development.

Stacey also reflects on navigating personal challenges alongside her career and shares why supportive workplaces, can make all the difference. Together, they explore how the industry has evolved, the role leaders play in driving inclusion, and why meaningful change comes from many small actions over time.

It's an honest and inspiring conversation about resilience, self-belief, sponsorship and the power of lifting others as you climb. Enjoy listening

The human side of leadership, law & entrepreneurship

Well, what a genuinely kind, intelligent and partner-driven guest we have in our latest episode of Chewing the Channel. Will’s been talking to Sharon McDermott, Founder and Managing Director at Trenches Law for a much needed ‘outsider’ insight into the UK channel. This is a good one, exploring her remarkable journey to becoming one of the telecoms industry's most respected legal specialists. 

In a wide-ranging chat covering everything from wayleave woes to personal inspirations, watch now to hear Sharon discuss…

• The power of kindness and how true partnerships are tested not when things are going well, but when organisations face their toughest moments.
• An unconventional pathway into law
• Transforming an industry and her 17 years at Virgin Media, shaping major infrastructure projects and driving transformational change 
• How spotting an opportunity in the market during the Altnet boom led to the founding of Trenches Law
• The importance of continuous learning
• Why wayleaves matter and how as networks grow and consolidate they become a critical asset

‍Identity, ambition & telecoms

In this episode, Will sits down with Raza Baloch to explore a deeply personal and thought-provoking journey, from growing up with a Pakistani heritage in 1980's Britain through to building a successful career in the telecoms industry.

We dive into his early career in high-pressure telecoms recruitment, where a relentless work ethic was forged in “boiler room” environments, and how those experiences shaped his leadership style today. From international business studies in France to operating across global markets, Raza reflects on the influences that defined his path.

The conversation doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. Raza opens up about race in the workplace, the challenges around representation.

Alongside personal insight, the episode explores major industry themes, from channel strategy and partner ecosystems to the growing role of consolidation across the altnet landscape.

An honest, insightful and challenging discussion on identity, ambition, and the realities of building a career in telecoms today.

Exploring altnet consolidation

Will’s latest conversation is with Paul North, Managing Director at Zen about his journey from technical support, to sales, to channel leadership.

A seasoned channel champion, Paul also had a lot to say about the rapid evolution of the industry and what it means for businesses and partners alike.

Listen now to hear Paul’s insights on topics such as: 

• The consolidation of telecoms and the rise of altnets
• Wholesale growth strategies and the professionalisation of the channel
• The challenges some altnets face in becoming fully wholesale-ready
• Exciting innovations and transformations shaping the next five years

Plus, first-hand insight on driving wholesale partnerships, balancing leadership with life and shaping a business ethos that puts people and the planet first.

In an industry first, we took our podcast on the road and streamed live from the floor of this year’s Channel Live

We made sure our Women in Channel x Chewing the Channel takeover didn’t miss out on the excitement. Alongside Will, who was joined by a host of high-profile names throughout the day, Teigan also stepped in to host a session. She was delighted to welcome Natalie Strange, Managing Director of RPS and Co-Chair of the Women in Telecoms community, to the stage.

Natalie shares candid insights on navigating a male-dominated industry, balancing motherhood and leadership, and the importance of building inclusive, supportive spaces for women.

Listen in as Teigan and Natalie discuss:

• Finding your place in an industry you “accidentally” fell into
• Lessons on leadership, authenticity, and resilience
• The impact of supportive workplace environments and shared parental responsibility
• How mentorship and networking empower women to take the next step

In an industry first, we took our podcast on the road and streamed live from the floor of this year’s Channel Live

Among a host of high-profile names, Will was joined by Vincent Disneur of FuseGenie® to explore one of the biggest topics in the channel right now, AI. Together, they explored what AI really means for resellers and where the real opportunities lie.

Alongside the AI discussion, the conversation also touched on entrepreneurship, and how innovation and mindset are shaping new opportunities across the industry.

A timely conversation on technology, entrepreneurship, and the future of the channel.

In an industry first, we took our podcast on the road and streamed live from the floor of this year’s Channel Live

Among a host of high-profile names, Will was joined by friend of the pod Jay Ball (Flotek Group) and Dave Rogers (Planet Technology). With close to 20 mergers and acquisitions between them, the conversation focused on M&A and its impact on the channel, alongside broader industry insight and experience.

Jay has led Flotek Group through 18 acquisitions in 4 years, building one of the fastest growing managed IT providers in the UK

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In an industry first, we took our podcast on the road and streamed live from the floor of this year’s Channel Live.

Among a host of high-profile names, Will was joined by long-standing channel voice Dave McGinn, who shared insights from a telecoms and technology career spanning almost three decades.

Having played a key role in scaling Daisy, Dave has seen first-hand how the channel market has evolved. Together, Will and Dave explore where the industry is heading and the opportunities ahead for resellers.

Altnets, regulation and the future of telecoms

In the latest episode of Chewing the Channel, Will is joined by Sam Weller, Head of Sky Business Wholesale for a very in-depth chat covering some of the hottest channel topics today. 

Listen and watch now to hear Sam’s views and insights on…

• ‍Legacy vs. future-facing networks: how legacy Ethernet is being challenged by agile, innovative altnets, and what it takes to stay competitive.
• Market consolidation and smart partnerships: why, with hundreds of altnet providers, success comes from partnering with the right players.
• Regulatory and structural shifts: from the PSTN switch-off to exchange closures, the implications of regs changes and to stay ahead of them.
• ‍Culture as competitive advantage: why supportive, high-performing teams still can drive the most success.

Will and Sam discuss why strategic thinking matters more than ever, what’s keeping them awake at night - and what the Telecoms Access Review might mean for the industry.

Scaling is harder. Margins are tighter. AI is everywhere; but is it actually delivering?

In Will’s conversation with Sam Hasson, the conversation explores both Sam’s career journey to date, and the realities shaping the channel. From the pressure on businesses to scale efficiently, to the real-world impact of AI, automation and data-driven decision making. 

Sam’s seen the industry from the ground up: moving through sales, start-ups, scale-ups, and into community building. So he’s very well-placed to discuss the structural challenges businesses face and how technology can be used intelligently to solve them.

Challenges such as…

• The changing economics of growth: Businesses today are under more pressure than ever to reduce the cost of sale and the cost of scaling. Traditional reseller models are struggling, margins are tight and ‘doing more of the same’ no longer works. 
• Using AI intelligently: AI is transforming how the channel operates, particularly across sales, customer support and service delivery. Will and Sam discuss where AI genuinely adds value; and where it falls short. 
• Proving ROI in a noisy market: One of the biggest challenges with new technology is demonstrating ROI. The podcast dives into how to think about value beyond short-term metrics and why human behaviour ultimately determines success or failure.
• Customer experience as the real battleground: As products become more commoditised, support and service are emerging as the true differentiators. We explore how AI can enhance CX, but never at the expense of the personal, human touch.
• Community, collaboration and regional tech growth: Beyond individual businesses, the conversation highlights the importance of building strong local tech ecosystems.

‍Farming, cultural fit and keeping the faith

In the new episode, Will’s talking to Paul Reames, Director, Bluecube Cloud Services. His best advice? “Take all the advice you can get… and decide afterwards if the advice is good or not.”

From selling advertising space in London to his pivotal first role in telecoms, Paul discusses the value of the right guidance, relentless improvement and surrounding himself with the right people. 

But it was a deeply personal moment, the passing of his father, that sparked the founding of Bluecube in 2008, beginning with nothing more than a small IKEA desk, a laptop and a mobile phone.

Today, Bluecube offers full-service tech and IT solutions under one roof, solving a key problem for businesses: consolidating multiple providers into a single, streamlined service. Paul shares insights on the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of company culture, and his views on industry issues such as long-term service contracts.

The journey to Chief Commercial Officer

From introverted physics and biology graduate to leading figure in telecoms, Nisreen’s journey is actually, genuinely, inspiring. 

In the latest Women in Channel podcast takeover, Teigan talks to Nisreen about the challenges of navigating a male-dominated industry, being underestimated despite often being the smartest person in the room and turning fear into fuel for success.

Listen or watch now to hear insights from Nisreen on…

• Learning to use underestimation to your advantage
• How stepping outside of your comfort zone can help shape your career
• Breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry - how persistence and resilience pay off
• Empowering women in telecom and tech; how we can encourage the next generation Staying true to your values and how authenticity, self-belief and confidence can help you command respect

From apprenticeship to entrepreneurship

‍In our latest episode of Chewing the Channel, Will sits down with Jonathan Walker, CEO of Access4, to unpack his journey from youngest-ever business apprentice at JCB to customer-centric excellence in UCaaS and SASBOSS.

‍Jonathan shares invaluable insights on:

‍The hustle mindset: finish school, get experience, and start earning.

• How interpersonal skills and the way you treat people shape your career.
• Loving early roles while knowing they’re stepping stones, not forever jobs.

‍Jonathan also speaks on the criticalities when setting up a new business; the importance of cracking on and generating revenue when launching, rather than waiting for perfection and potentially missing opportunities. Recruiting with honesty and defining your lane with co-founders and colleagues.

‍Jonathan also touches on the current market dynamics, the pressure to constantly be building recurring revenue streams, diversifying and mastering multi-vendor selling. As well as the challenges of evolving from an ISP to an MSP, especially for engineering and service teams.

From door-to-door to £1.5M deals‍

In the latest episode of Chewing the Channel, Will’s talking to Paul Anslow, CEO at Triangle Networks about drive, resilience and the criticality of relationships in lasting success.

From working door-to-door as a teenager to launching Triangle in 2004, Paul built his career on principles of communication, trust, continuous learning and the belief that if you want something, you have to work for it.

Listen now to hear more about Paul’s journey, including… 

• ‍The birth of Triangle: the trials and tribulations of launching a telecoms company in a mature market.
• A £1.5M leap of faith: committing £1.5 million to secure exclusivity on Bristol’s City Fibre network.
• Scaling up with resilience: From navigating economic crashes and a pandemic to scaling from 8 to 65 staff in just two years.
• Scaling down with integrity: When it was time to reduce the size of the business, Paul ensured that every team member had another opportunity lined up through strong industry relationships, completely avoiding redundancies.

People, property & plenty of wayleaves

Neither particularly impressed by nor suited to the school system, Darren built his career through a combination of creativity, hands-on experience and a real knack for connecting with people.

Inspired by his dad’s adaptability - Elvis impersonator, jeweller and burglar alarm installer - Darren started his career early. After waking up at the crack of dawn on weekends to get into the carboots early and find the best tech, he joined an estate agency at just 15, learned quickly and successfully on the job, and set his sights on becoming a chartered surveyor.

Seventeen years later, Darren is now Equity Partner and Head of Digital Connectivity at Cluttons and deeply involved in the property side of network rollouts and fibre installation. Darren has a unique perspective on property, people - and, importantly, wayleaves.

Confidence, competition & taking chances

From early days in frontline sales to leading a business at the highest level, Claire shared candid insights about resilience, mentorship and navigating the challenges of gender bias in tech and telecoms.

Highlights include: 

• What Claire learned from her early career in sales at Orange, EE and Experian, and how moving into leadership encouraged her to embrace opportunities even without feeling fully prepared.

• The importance of asking for help, trusting others’ belief in your potential, and growing into new roles despite self-doubt.

• Discussion of Claire’s competitive edge, which was a natural and somewhat unsurprising result of having a Dad that never let his children use bowling bumpers!

Claire also reflected on the broader challenges of being a woman in such a male-dominated field. Early in her career, she was overlooked for promotions and even labelled as ‘too opinionated.’ 

While we’re seeing an overdue shift towards more inclusive and supportive environments, Claire’s observed an important difference in how men and women approach risk-taking. Men often leap at opportunities, while women wait until they feel completely ready. Watch or listen now to hear Claire’s thoughts on building the confidence to seize the moment, even when your brain’s telling you not to.

No tears, no tiaras

In our latest episode of Chewing the Channel, Will’s be talking about entrepreneurship, resilience and the need to embrace change with James Drake, MD at Eclipse Wholesale.

Listen now to hear the highlights (and some of the lowlights) from James’ journey from entrepreneurial schoolboy to budding lawyer to successful business founder. 

At Eclipse, James has cultivated a rare culture where staff tenure averages over seven years. He credits this to his focus on leadership, consistency and learning quickly from failure.

In this episode, he shares candid reflections on career choices, business growth, and the mantra that guides him: “No tears, no tiaras.” 

Built on graft: The power of work ethic, authenticity & connection

In our latest episode of Chewing the Channel, Andrew Wilson, a seasoned channel professional and current Sales Director at CityFibre, shared insights from his 27-year journey in the industry. Andrew talks us through his career journey to date, the importance of connection and the importance of work ethic over ego.

‍Andrew credits his grandfather for planting the seeds of his relentless work ethic early on. Doubling his pocket money when he had a job, encouraging both hard work and the value of earning. As the first in his family to attend university, he studied law with intentions of becoming a solicitor. But a passion for sales soon emerged when he worked in motor advertising and quickly became a top performer.

‍His career from there has been firmly rooted in the channel, where he’s built a reputation for results, people-first leadership and a refreshing lack of ego. For Andrew, success stems from being authentic and finding environments where you can truly be yourself. “If being yourself doesn’t fit in with the organisation you work for, then there is a disconnect.”

‍Mentorship has also played a huge role in Andrew’s journey, both in the traditional sense and through everyday interactions with colleagues. He maintains WhatsApp groups with former team members, to keep mutual support alive long after roles have changed. 

‍Listen to the podcast for more about Andrew’s leadership style, and his thoughts on what makes CityFibre such a success.

Built from the ground up: Grit, growth & the fear of failure

Flotek CEO Jay Ball,  discusses everything from starting out washing cars and working at the fairground, his first role in sales through to building multi-million-pound businesses, Jay credits his journey to grit, growth and - importantly - staying grounded.

Flotek is the very first strategic partner we collaborated with in our newest Hypercity of Cardiff and now delivers full fibre broadband and leased lines across the Cardiff Hypercity network, as part of its business internet services for SMEs across the UK. In this episode of Chewing the Channel, Will’s spoke with CEO and our good friend Jay Ball.

From managing a team of 30 people at the age of just 17, to moving in and out of his grandad’s footsteps as an electrician, to ultimately establishing Flotek with the ambition of becoming the go-to for all South West SMEs looking for trusted cloud technology.

Listen now for Jay’s insights into work ethic, fear of failure, and continually moving forward even when you experience a set back. 

Lessons learned from sales, mentorship and the football pitch

In this episode, Roan Pratt, shares how growing up with entrepreneurial parents fuelled his work ethic and resilience.

Roan cut his teeth in recruitment, learning to handle rejection and the importance of motivation in sales. Listen now to hear his reflections on his journey from desk-based selling to field sales (and the perks of swapping a Golf for a BMW), the vital role of process, and how setbacks are best met with reflection and a walk.

Engineering at the heart of the business: The people, principles & work ethic behind success

In the latest episode Will is joined by Ben Ganley, MD and Founder of LIV Unified Comms. A founder and leader who’s an engineer at heart. He’s talks engineer-first, work ethic, and how to maximise the ROI on a paper round…

And perhaps most importantly, he’s talks about the value of apprenticeships and the responsibility in business to help the next generation get started.

Listen now to hear more about Ben’s priorities as a business leader, and how he keeps his mind clear in such a demanding role.

Changing the game: Opportunity, diversity & building a better channel

In episode 5 of Chewing the Channel, Will talks to his friend and former manager, Krystal Gayle about her journey from England netball player to personal trainer to telecoms pro. 

With Krystal leading Clear Business’ customer retention team, she and Will chatted about the difference Krystal wants to make, and how the industry can think differently to support working parents and keep diversity in the workforce. 

Krystal discusses maintaining her attitude of seeing everything as an opportunity and central ethos of treating everyone the same. And talks about how her brilliant Mum inspired and instilled her work ethic.

Connecting communities: Digital inclusion, infrastructure & the future of Greater Manchester

Episode 4 Will sits down with the one and only John Duncan—widely regarded as the nicest man Will knows and lover of bright shirts!

With a career spanning both the public and private sectors, John brings a wealth of experience and insight. As the Connected Places Lead at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, he’s spearheading efforts to develop world-class digital infrastructure across the region. But it’s more than just tech—John speaks passionately about building resilient, connected, accessible, and sustainable communities, with inclusion at the heart of GMCA's mission.

From championing digital equity in the North West to shaping initiatives that bridge the digital divide, John’s insights are as inspiring as his wardrobe!

Friends, founders & finding the way: Building a business through uncertainty

In this episode, host Will Goodall sits down with  Adam Wilson from IPEX technology, where the duo discuss Adam's journey to becoming a business owner. An interesting path that saw three friends join forces to become business partners.

During the pod, they cover a wide range of topics from COVID (and the impact this had on a fledgling business and the key business lessons it provided), the importance of mentors, focus on building a strong, positive business culture and much more.

And as it becoming his signature question, Will wraps up the episode with the question Which three dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite?   which provided an interesting guest list.

Sit back and enjoy the pod.

The journey to Elevate: Cold calls, channel building & big ambitions

In this episode, host Will Goodall sits down with Elevate® Chief Revenue Officer Andy Tatlock to explore his career journey and the experiences that have shaped it.

From memorable jobs abroad and early days cold calling in the telecoms industry, to successfully launching and growing wholesale channels, Andy shares the up's and down's that defined his path and lessons learned along the way.

The conversation also dives into the recent rebranding of Telcom to Elevate®, uncovering the inspiration behind the change and the company’s future focus and ambitions.

As always, the episode wraps up with Will’s signature “getting to know you” question: Which three dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite? So grab a seat, relax, and enjoy the podcast!

From market trader to channel trailblazer: The unconventional route through the channel

In our inaugural episode, we’re joined by friend and special guest Jonny Rae, who shares his career journey and insights into the evolving channel market. Host Will Goodall keeps Jonny on his toes, flipping the usual interview roles in a fun and dynamic exchange.

Tune in as Jonny takes us through his eventful career path, from his early days as a market-stall trader (a true “Del Boy” experience) and life on the road (“van life”), to his first steps in telecom, his time at Blizzard, and the network he built at Union Street.

Each chapter has played a role in shaping Fibrenews. They also discuss the significant changes in the channel over recent years.

With Chewing the Channel, we aim to deliver a podcast that stands apart, and Jonny was the perfect guest to kick it off!