--- title: "Episode 167 - Sailing Around the World: Leadership Lessons From Ian Herbert-Jones" description: Dave and Richard offer real business advice from real entrepreneurs. image: https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hubfs/Landscape-Apr-08-2026-03-31-59-7861-PM.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/episode-167-sailing-around-the-world-leadership-lessons-from-ian-herbert-jones#main-content) [![sme-growth-wellmeadow-podcast-logo-white](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sme-growth-wellmeadow-podcast-logo-white.png?width=800&height=353&name=sme-growth-wellmeadow-podcast-logo-white.png) ![sme-growth-wellmeadow-podcast-logo-white](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sme-growth-wellmeadow-podcast-logo-white.png?width=800&height=353&name=sme-growth-wellmeadow-podcast-logo-white.png)](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com) [LET'S TALK](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/podcast-guest) - [Home](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com) - [Episodes](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes) ###### 4 min read # Episode 167 - Sailing Around the World: Leadership Lessons From Ian Herbert-Jones By: [Richard Buckle](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/author/richard-buckle) on Apr 10, 2026, 9:58:22 AM [The SME Growth Podcast](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/tag/the-sme-growth-podcast) ![Featured Image](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hubfs/Landscape-Apr-08-2026-03-31-59-7861-PM.png) In this episode, we discuss what it really takes to build something worthwhile, whether that is a business, a sales function, or even a solo attempt to sail around the world. Through the lens of leadership, sales and entrepreneurship, we explore the shared disciplines behind ambitious ventures: commitment, clarity of purpose, resilience, and the ability to keep going when the path becomes uncertain. What emerges is a grounded conversation about the realities behind growth, and why belief alone is never enough without structure, trust and follow-through. We also look at the practical side of growth in early-stage businesses: identifying a genuine route to market, winning credibility with first customers, avoiding the trap of chasing the wrong big-name accounts, and building something that is genuinely scalable and repeatable. At its heart, this is a conversation about how leaders earn trust, make better commercial decisions, and stay close enough to strategy to shape a business with intention rather than drift. You can listen to the full episode here  ##### Listen to the full episode now [![https://open.spotify.com/episode/0f2ySwQHwCU3vUiZLTCsNT?si=4c7UkeV7QzG9v_Kt6gIRaw](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sme-growth-podcast-home-spotify.png?width=238&height=128&name=sme-growth-podcast-home-spotify.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/7CGj5aUBcOwY3rqd5Ud1FJ)[![https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sme-growth-podcast-by-wellmeadow/id1654715808](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sme-growth-podcast-home-icons-apple.png?width=221&height=119&name=sme-growth-podcast-home-icons-apple.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sme-growth-podcast-by-wellmeadow/id1654715808)[![https://www.youtube.com/@TheSMEGrowthPodcast](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sme-growth-podcast-home-icons-youtube.png?width=228&height=123&name=sme-growth-podcast-home-icons-youtube.png) ](https://www.youtube.com/@TheSMEGrowthPodcast) #### Key Topics Discussed: - The parallels between solo ocean racing and building a business - Building trust and credibility in the early stages of growth - The importance of a clear route to market - Defining your ideal customer before scaling - Why bad-fit contracts can seriously damage an early-stage business - The difference between chasing large logos and choosing the right lighthouse customers - What makes a business more attractive, scalable and repeatable over time #### Who Is This Episode For: This episode is aimed at business owners, managing directors, founders, commercial leaders, and those working across sales, marketing and strategy, particularly in growing SMEs. It will also resonate with anyone trying to build momentum in an early-stage business, make better decisions about customers and growth, or lead with more purpose and perspective.   #### Quotes to Remember: "Fundamental with any business. You got it. It’s got to be scalable and repeatable.” "But also make sure that there is actually a route to that market.” “Then you’re building credibility. You’re building trust.”   #### Actionable Takeaways: 1. Be clear on your level of commitment and ensure there is a genuine, reachable market before pushing ahead. 2. Define your ideal customer early, but stay flexible as you learn and refine your approach. 3. Focus on winning the right early customers and partners, credibility matters more than short-term revenue. 4. Don’t rely too heavily on a single large opportunity; build a balanced and well-informed sales process across all stakeholders. 5. Create systems and ways of working that are scalable and repeatable across teams and markets. 6. Invest in partnerships early and stay aligned to your long-term strategy, not just short-term wins. 7. Build resilience as a discipline, reset quickly and keep momentum when setbacks occur. 🤳 Like & Follow/Subscribe for weekly episodes on growth, marketing, and making smart business decisions. Got feedback or questions? Let us know in the comments – we read them all!  --- 🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | YouTube 📨 For enquiries or speaking requests: contact@wellmeadow.co.uk Share your thoughts and business challenges in the comments section of our community page: [https://www.youtube.com/@TheSMEGrowthPodcast/community](https://www.youtube.com/@TheSMEGrowthPodcast/community) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## [Episode 150 - Is Your Leadership Holding You Back?](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/episode-150-is-your-leadership-holding-you-back) In this episode, we explore the challenges many business owners face when shifting from being the... ## [Episode 170 - Looking Back to Move Forward: Lessons Hidden in Your Business History](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/episode-170-looking-back-to-move-forward-lessons-hidden-in-your-business-history) In this episode, we explore a deceptively simple question: can looking backwards help us make... ## [Episode 133- Why SMEs Should Leverage Vibe Coding](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/episode-133-why-smes-should-leverage-vibe-coding) In this episode, we explore the transformative potential of “vibe coding”, a new frontier in how... ##### Who we are Who we are Dave Parry and Rich Buckle are founders/directors of Wellmeadow.  Having chaired over 3,000 board meetings, and worked with over 100+ companies, they wanted to share their knowledge with a wider audience. The SME Growth Podcast is a vehicle to share insights and practical tips with people working at all levels of SME businesses. ##### Featured Podcast Featured Podcast ###### [Episode 186 - The Power of Strategic Focus: Why Great Businesses Say No More Often](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/episode-186-the-power-of-strategic-focus-why-great-businesses-say-no-more-often) Growth is often associated with doing more: winning more customers, launching more services and... ##### Contact us Contact us #### **Email:** [contact@wellmeadow.co.uk](mailto:contact@wellmeadow.co.uk) #### **Tel:** 01743 367671 #### **Visit Us:** Unit 2 Nexus, Roushill, Shrewsbury, SY1 1PT [![by-wellmeadow-footer](https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hs-fs/hubfs/by-wellmeadow-footer.png?width=250&height=35&name=by-wellmeadow-footer.png)](https://www.wellmeadow.co.uk/) - [Cookie Policy](https://www.wellmeadow.co.uk/cookies) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.wellmeadow.co.uk/privacy) - [Acceptable Use Policy](https://www.wellmeadow.co.uk/acceptable-use) - [Terms of Use Policy](https://www.wellmeadow.co.uk/terms-of-website-use) © 2026 Wellmeadow Limited ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Richard Buckle", "url" : "https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/author/richard-buckle" }, "dateModified" : "2026-04-10T08:58:22.943Z", "datePublished" : "2026-04-10T08:58:22.000Z", "headline" : "Episode 167 - Sailing Around the World: Leadership Lessons From Ian Herbert-Jones", "image" : [ "https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hubfs/Landscape-Apr-08-2026-03-31-59-7861-PM.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/episodes/episode-167-sailing-around-the-world-leadership-lessons-from-ian-herbert-jones", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/hubfs/sme-growth-podcast-logo-white.png" }, "name" : "SME Growth Podcast" } } ```