They hit December with no money left.

No salary. No backup plan.

Just one decision to make:

quit... or remove the option to quit completely.

Simon Gardiner built Carrington West from a garage during the worst recession in decades.

But the real turning point wasn’t the start.

It was the moment there was no way out.

In this Bite-Sized episode of Screw It Just DO It, Simon shares the moment he and his co-founder James sat in a pub at Christmas with no funds, no revenue, and a stark choice: fold the business or grind it out from scratch. They chose to grind.

That decision built what is now a £100 million revenue business and the UK’s recognised best employer.

We talk about why Simon wants it to take 10 years, why early struggle is not something to hide from, and why building a facade of success before you have earned it is one of the most dangerous things a founder can do.

Key Takeaways

• Why there is no substitute for the resilience built in the early years

• What happened when they reframed the entire business at Christmas with no money left

• Why Simon never wants to sell and what European founders understand that UK founders often miss

• The danger of flooding your environment with luxury before you have earned it

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They Had No Money Left. So They Removed the Option to Quit

Screw It Just DO It with Alex Chisnall