What does success actually mean?

Not the Instagram version. Not the LinkedIn version. Not the version that tells you success is six-figure months, luxury cars, 5:30am starts, and an endless grind.

Just success. For you.

In this episode, Dani and Si explore how our definition of success has evolved from a simple measure of outcomes into something heavily tied to money, status, and external validation. Along the way, they unpack the psychology behind happiness and fulfilment, challenge some of the biggest myths around wealth and wellbeing, and look at why people who win the lottery often end up no happier than before.

The conversation explores alternative perspectives from around the world, including Japan's concept of ikigai, Bhutan's focus on Gross National Happiness, and Māori ideas around community, contribution, and purpose.

As always, the discussion gets personal. Dani and Si share their own experiences as business owners, including the reality of chasing income goals, working with the wrong clients, and discovering that freedom and autonomy can sometimes feel more valuable than a bigger bank balance.

At the heart of this episode is a simple but powerful idea: you can't follow someone else's definition of success. You have to create your own.

Whether you're building a business, changing careers, or simply questioning what you're working towards, this episode will leave you reflecting on what success really looks like once the noise is stripped away.

Grab a brew and join the conversation.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

This one is difficult listening at times, but it’s a story that needs to be told.

Dani and Si take a closer look at the vaginal mesh scandal, one of the biggest medical controversies in recent UK history, and a stark example of what can happen when systems fail the very people they’re supposed to protect.

What began as a seemingly simple solution for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse was promoted as a quick, minimally invasive procedure for thousands of women. Instead, many were left facing chronic pain, life-changing complications, loss of mobility, damaged relationships, and years of fighting to have their experiences believed.

We explore how vaginal mesh became widely adopted despite significant concerns, why so many women found their symptoms dismissed or ignored, and the role major manufacturers played in bringing these products to market. We also unpack the findings of the Cumberlege Review, which exposed serious failings in consent, reporting, regulation, and patient care.

Along the way, we discuss accountability, product liability, the slow progress towards compensation, and the campaigners who refused to stay silent. Most importantly, we examine the wider question at the heart of this story: what happens when profit, convenience, and institutional self-protection outweigh the responsibility to put patients first?

A powerful conversation about trust, transparency, and the women whose persistence forced a system to listen.

Proudly sponsored by Tina Engelmann

When it comes to pelvic health, too many women are told that leaking when they laugh, living with prolapse, pain during intimacy, or struggling after birth is simply something they have to put up with. Tina Engelmann as a C-Section & Hysterectomy Transformation Coach is on a mission to change that. Tina is the top specialist in C-section recovery and pelvic floor health, she helps women understand what’s really happening in their bodies, busting myths and providing evidence based support for issues including incontinence, prolapse, pelvic pain, and postnatal recovery.

Through her educational content and practical guidance, Tina is helping women feel informed, empowered, and confident in seeking the support they deserve.

To learn more, visit c-sectionrecovery.co.uk and follow Tina's work on Instagram and Facebook for expert advice, myth-busting insights, and practical support for your pelvic health journey.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

Grab a brew and a custard slice, because this one is proof that sometimes the prettiest shop window hides the messiest books. ☕🍰

Dani and Si dig into the very British scandal behind Patisserie Valerie, the high street favourite that looked like the perfect success story right up until a £40 million black hole appeared in the accounts.

We start with the nostalgia. Strawberry tarts, fancy coffees, little French café vibes and queues out the door. On the surface, the business looked polished, profitable, and booming. Behind the scenes, fictional finances and serious questions about oversight were quietly building for years.

We unpack how the company grew from a single Soho patisserie into a national chain backed by entrepreneur Luke Johnson, and how everything unravelled almost overnight after a routine bank check uncovered a winding up petition no one seemed to know about. We get into the alleged role of a small group inside the finance team, why prestigious auditors Grant Thornton missed warning signs for so long, and the millions Luke Johnson poured in trying to stop the collapse.

Along the way, we talk about the human fallout too. Store closures, lost jobs, wiped out investments, and a legal case that still hasn’t reached trial despite the scandal breaking back in 2018. Because apparently corporate justice moves slower than the queue for brunch on a Sunday morning.

And somehow, despite all of it, Patisserie Valerie still survives in a handful of locations. Cakes and all.

A conversation about growth, greed, blind spots, and why sometimes the numbers behind the counter matter a lot more than the pastries in the window.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.