Never in his wildest dreams did Sanjay think he would one day be interviewed by retail tycoon and former Dragons’ Denstar Theo Paphitis.
Yet that is exactly what happened when Sanjay was invited to join Theo for a fireside chat as part of the Small Business Saturday Virtual Business Bootcamp, supported by NatWest Business and #SBS.
The conversation focused on “Scaling globally from local roots”, giving Sanjay the opportunity to talk about the experiences, decisions and occasional mistakes that have shaped Spice Kitchen over the years. It also explored the realities of preparing an independent retail business for the busy festive season.
It was an incredible opportunity, and Sanjay was more than a little nervous!
Those who know him well will understand that meticulous preparation does not always come naturally. Sanjay is much more comfortable following his instincts, responding to what is happening around him and seeing where a conversation takes him.
However, being interviewed by one of the country’s most recognisable business figures apparently called for a slightly different approach.
There were notes. There were questions. There were even more notes. In fact, Sanjay arrived with pages of preparation, determined to remember everything he wanted to say and ready himself for every direction the conversation might take.
Naturally, the comment that resonated most with people was one he hadn’t written down at all:
“Bring in a more experienced person for one day a week rather than a less experienced person for five days a week, and pay them well.”
It was said in the moment, but came from more than a decade of experience building a business and learning when to ask for help. Sometimes growth is not about finding more hours or more people. It is about recognising the value that the right person can bring, even if they are only part of the team for a short amount of time.
It has been wonderful to read the comments shared after the interview and to see people taking their own lessons from the conversation. Sanjay hoped that speaking honestly about his experiences might be useful to other founders, but seeing particular comments and ideas travel beyond the event made the opportunity feel even more worthwhile.
That willingness to share is one of the things Sanjay values most about the small-business community.
Running an independent business can be exciting and deeply rewarding, but it can also feel lonely. There is rarely a perfect answer, a straightforward path or somebody waiting to hand you an instruction manual. Communities such as Small Business Saturday and #SBS give founders a place to exchange ideas, celebrate one another’s progress and speak honestly about the parts that don’t always go to plan.
Supporting other small businesses matters enormously to everyone at Spice Kitchen. Every independent brand represents someone’s idea, livelihood and leap of faith. When small-business owners share their knowledge rather than guarding it, the entire community becomes stronger.
As for Theo, Sanjay needn’t have worried quite so much. He was warm, generous and genuinely interested in the realities of growing Spice Kitchen. What could have felt like an intimidating interview soon became a relaxed and thoughtful conversation between two people who care deeply about retail, entrepreneurship and helping small businesses succeed.
Spice Kitchen is hugely grateful to Theo, Small Business Saturday, NatWest Business, Jackie Lehane and the #SBS team for the invitation—and to everyone who watched, commented and shared what they took away from the discussion.
There is not much time for Sanjay to recover from this particular pinch-me moment, though. Next, he and Shashi will be joining another former Dragon, Tim Campbell, for an interview on his Reworking podcast.
From Dragons' Den to Theo Paphitis to Tim Campbell, it has been quite a few weeks.
Watch this space…