Business Rescue Without The Shame

Ever wish you could handle a struggling business like a broken leg, get honest advice, clear options, and zero shame? In this no-edit chat, we talk business rescue without the jargon or guilt. Our guest, a rescue specialist who puts empathy before fees, breaks down the real choices: close cleanly, restructure, or keep trading with a solid plan.

We also talk about how problems usually creep in and why acting early matters. Think simple cash check-ins, honest chats with creditors, and quick viability reviews that turn complex issues into practical next steps.

At its core, it’s about transparency, timing, and making decisions you can live with, whether that means saving the business, protecting yourself, or starting fresh. And yes, we keep it real (and a bit imperfect), because you don’t need a polished story to ask for help.

Transcript

Cold Open And Name Mix-Up

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Morning Jam. Welcome to the extra slice.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Extra.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

You're looking at me waiting. I'm waiting for you to go slice, slice. But you've gone you're waiting to go, morning, Nick, and you're like, oh hang on, you're just an extra slice. It doesn't work.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Slice, slice.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Yeah. So Gary.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Gary.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Admittedly, I can't believe I messed up so badly. Gary Rayner. Okay, but in one of them. Gary Rupin.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Gary Rayners in the same building.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

And you do get confused quite easily.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

And I did blag it a little bit. Well, I mean, not being funny, to Gary Ruz.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Ruzz.

No-Edit Philosophy

SPEAKER_00 0:50

They've got to be Yeah. Whatever. Anyway, it doesn't matter. But yes. Gary Ru at least it I I did it on purpose, obviously, just to show people that there's no edits.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Yeah.

unknown 1:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

Because we could have started. That was quite early on. We could have stopped and started again.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Nah.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

But Gary.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

I think it's too easy to then just keep doing it, and then it also encourages the guest to do it as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Yeah, we don't want that.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

But if they get in two minutes and go, oh, I coughed, can we restart?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Yeah, it's not happening.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

No.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Too much work for me.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Yeah, no. But okay, anyway, so Gary.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Do you know what? I we just literally just said it before we came on air, but as a person, I love Gary anyway.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

I love everyone, but can you uh maybe we'll have to ban you from saying that? Oh, I love them.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Okay, what other word? What could I say is dead?

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Hang on, when when we did the guest of the year thing. I loved them, they're so nice. 9.9.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

That was the worst thing for me to ever do. Honestly. My worst thing. I don't know what other word to use for love.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

I think I think Gary was amazing. I do.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Do you know I think Sean Farou, I can to take away the word love, I think he sh he is so approachable.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

And sensitive. And what's the word when you can relate to someone if they're in a bad thing?

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Relatable.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

No, what does that mean? What is the empath empathist empath? Empathy.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Just keep going. He's an emp The guests are loving this.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

He's an empathicist.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

An empathisist. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

You're really not gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

You're gonna emphasize your point here, Jem. So so yeah, Gary is quite empathetic with people.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

You're such a dick. It was more fun.

Why Gary Earns Our Trust

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Because everyone listening is going, empiphicists? Empiphysist, this, this, this, this, this, this. Yeah, okay. Anyway, so yeah, I think, I mean, I've known Gary for a while. I don't have any qualms about giving business, you know, to Gary. But I think it's so important to see, you know, A, these are business rescue people. And a rescue could be shut it down and start again. It could be shut it down and walk away. It could be, you know, get everything done and written off. And it could be keep trading. It could be anything.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

But he'll be honest about it. He'll give you all the things. And there's and there's never this this is the point where I keep talking about it.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

For example, there, he gave someone two options. One was only going to earn him less than 50 quid.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

No, but he doesn't earn that. That's a government.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

That's the fee for the government.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

Trust me, Gary does not get out of bed for 44 quid.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

What I'm saying is he won't always he's not about the money, he's about what is best for that person.

SPEAKER_00 3:23

It's the right thing. It's doing the right thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

And that's that's what I love about Gary, and that's why I never have any problems with peep sending people to him. Because I always hate pitching shitty leads to anyone, I always kind of go, look, you know, your entrance fee is going to be this anyway, but that's if you have to go down that route, you need to talk to him because he can explore different options for you. Yeah. You know, and and I think that, you know, everything has to keep, you know, I'm gonna drum this in, and it might be my like motto for 2026. If I can get one thing into people for their business, it's a case of going, it doesn't matter if it's not going so well. It doesn't matter if stuff's happening to cause you problems. I mean, of course, I'm not saying it doesn't matter, like, you know, who gives a shit. But I'm I you know, it's normal. These things happen. And this is the thing, no one ever qualms about hang on a second, I drove over a nail, let me go and see a mechanic. You know, yeah, of course, it could have been your action. You could have driven over that glass going, it probably won't do anything, and it punches your tire. Yeah. But you never have a problem going to see a mechanic to go, what's my options? How do I sort it?

SPEAKER_01 4:30

It's exactly what we like.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

But but in business, whether it's your fault or not your fault, something happens, and then people go, hang on, I can't go and contact a business person.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Or they feel like they're failed, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

But you puncture your tie, you never think you failed, you broke your leg, you never think you failed.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Failing going to see someone like Gary, because he's there to rescue the business before it It's absolutely a shit happens, there's no judgment.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Come along, be honest, and let's just see what the options are.

What Business Rescue Really Means

SPEAKER_01 4:56

What has happened to one person would have happened to thousands.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

But if you're you know, you just you decide to go skiing and you go reckless and ski pissed and go off the cliff and bust your leg. You don't feel embarrassed about it, you go, hee, what a story I've got. Right. What a legend I was that on that like stagdo. But you know, the same thing happens, you know, people can go along and they make a mistake in business.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

Well we said that before Gary left. I know we say and in terms of accountancy, but people tend to go and see people like Gary from a reactive point of view, like shit's already hit the fan.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

See him before that. But again, it's pride, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Yeah, but if the shit hasn't hit the fan, what are they seeing him for?

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Well, because you're gonna know shit just on hit the fan that overnight, does it?

SPEAKER_00 5:37

L let me just tell you, yeah, yeah, yeah. Life's good. Come to see you proactively. Gary telling to do one.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Yeah, okay. What I'm you're not gonna wake up one day and shit, my business is now in the gutter. It happen it doesn't happen that quickly. You're gonna know things are you're gonna see the signs, aren't you? Correct. But yes, that that's my biggest take from a go and see him.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

Yes, there's no such thing as losing or failure. There's a shit's happened, go see someone.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

You know, there's no no one thinks they fail when they break their leg, they go, shit's happened and go and see a doctor.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Yeah. Even if it was your fault.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

Even if it was your fault, it doesn't matter. You still go, go and see a doctor was my choices. But yeah, you know, you fail in business and people go, Oh, I've got to hide and I can't tell anyone and I have to deal with this myself. You don't deal with a broken leg yourself.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Go see Gary.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

I love Gary. Obviously.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

Obviously.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

Obviously. I loved him, he's 9.9. I'm not doing I don't think 2026 we should rate people.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Okay. Well we're gonna do instead. Just go, you just say, let's see if we can find the guest in 2026. You don't love them?

unknown 6:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

There's not gonna be one.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

You'd love.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

It's just literally a people listening every episode to go, no, Jem loves everyone. I'm gonna find I'm gonna bring someone on that you actually don't like at all.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

There's not many people I don't like.

SPEAKER_00 6:57

Uh if there's people who know the people you don't like, it's me.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

Yeah, but there's not many of them, is there?

SPEAKER_00 7:02

No. But there are some.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Why would you bring them on the show?

Normalising Problems And Getting Help

SPEAKER_00 7:06

Just so you don't just so I can see you squirting when you want to say, What do you think of them, Jem? Do you know what? I had an opinion- d this would what you'd say, right? Do you know what? I had a really strong opinion of them before they came, and nothing's changed. Yeah. If ever you hear Jem play that about you, you know full well you're on our shit list, and there's very few of you.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Yeah, if I'm talking about you and you don't hear the word love, something's wrong.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Anyway, so I'm gonna score Gary.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Okay, what are you gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 7:39

I think he was a nine out of ten. How'd you like that? An absolute out and out score. So that's a bam, nine out of ten. Straight in. Yes. I'm gonna be brutal this year. I'm gonna literally score people on a score of one to ten. And if I think someone is a shitty guest, I'm gonna one out.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Listen, you're gonna be shocked right now.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

Do it.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

I'm giving him an eight point nine.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Do you know why?

SPEAKER_00 8:03

I I don't Do you want to know why? Do you want to justify it?

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Oh, if you don't want to know, I won't tell you.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Well, yeah, but maybe the guests, maybe the listeners do. Maybe you want to share it, maybe you don't.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

I feel like I should share it because 8.9 for me has gone lower than what you said, and that makes me like him.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

It makes you look that you don't like Gary and I do. Or when Gary or when Gary invited you to breakfast and I didn't even go, you're ungrateful for it.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

I've given him an 8.9.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

I hope Gary listens to this.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

This is your fault as well why we give him an 8.9, that you're accountable for this. Because you guys spoke a little bit about accountancy too much. Shh, my head. So when He's talking about audits and what else did you mention?

SPEAKER_00 8:49

Sorry, so let me get this straight. You wanna you wanna talk about Gary's profession without talking about his profession?

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Yeah, just skim over maths and Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

So yeah, so so Gary's thing would have been right, so what I did is at school, yeah, cricket, yeah, not chess, yeah, hockey, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

Yeah. I went to you I'm happy to know he went to uni and what he studied.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Uni, Canada, UK, here I am. Oh, what'd you do in those jobs? Can't tell you.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Involve maths and audit and No, you can say it was it was accountancy, that's fine.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

It wasn't accountancy though, it was business rescue and corporate finance.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

No, before that it wasn't. It was auditing.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Yeah, an audit. Different to accountancy. Hang on, and I'm now gonna go and call you. Yeah, ready for this one? Yeah, mic drop. Sexist.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

How was that sexist?

See A Pro Before Crisis Hits

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Tori Burns came on and spoke about her entire career, which was audit, audit, audit, audit, audit, audit, audit.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

No, you guys started speaking about auditing and maths and stuff. You didn't do that of Tory. You didn't do that at all, because you were more interested in where Tori had travelled.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Audit, audit, audit, that was very different.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

Not that that's not what that's not the same. Not the same at all.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

Well hang on then, why are you giving him an 8.9? Why don't you give him a four?

SPEAKER_01 10:11

Because he's worth way more than a four.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Okay, who would I give him a four? Who would be a four guest to you? And on that note.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Thank you for subscribing.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Thanks for subscribers. And people are commenting.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

They'll comment on this one. Anyway, thanks everyone.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Bye bye.