Lewis Ellis | Beyond the Boardroom: Entrepreneurship, Self-Improvement, and the Reality TV Trap

Lewis Ellis, former Apprentice star and founder of Hussel Marketing, joined Aleksandra King on the Beyond the Boardroom podcast to discuss his unconventional path to business success. From his time on Reality TV, Lewis is known for his bold, unapologetic persona , but his success stems from a calculated approach to self-improvement and a dedication to his core goals.

The Power of Self-Improvement: Why Quitting Drinking Was Essential

On this episode, Lewis revealed what he considers to be the "darkest side" of his past: excessive drinking and partying. After 17 years of regular drinking, he had a "moment of realisation" at 34 that he was finished with this lifestyle. Rather simply, he moved on from the group chat of his old friends, noting that much of their socialising was "done around alcohol and partying". Being "hung over for two or three days" meant he was not working on Monday and Tuesday, hindering his success and therefore he made the decision to change. Since quitting drinking, Lewis noted his "energy is through the roof" and he is "way ahead of myself in my workload".

"I just thought it's like when people become work friends and you go out with work friends and then when you change jobs they're not your friends anymore. I don't want to I didn't want friends of circumstance or necessity. I'd like to choose who I want to be friends with..."

Learning and Skill Acquisition as an Entrepreneurial Imperative

For Lewis, entrepreneurial success isn't just about the business itself, but about cultivating a life of continuous learning and growth. He recognised that his biggest mistake in the first year of business was letting his hobbies and the things he wanted to learn "fade away". Instead of centring his life around partying and alcohol, Lewis is 4 years into playing guitar, he is currently learning German and is now halfway through obtaining his pilot's license.

The Reality TV Trap: The Apprentice's Difficult Environment

Lewis candidly spoke about the challenges of appearing on The Apprentice. The filming environment, he describes as a "prison". Contestants were not even allowed to leave the house on their own, needing to book every outside interaction, including a haircut a week in advance. Lewis, who is naturally defiant, often broke the rules, once crawling down the corridor past producers to go out for the day.

Not only this, Lewis claims the show deliberately tried to make contestants "look like idiots". Allegedly, producers used runners to "purposefully get in the way of things or sabotage things". The biggest problem for him was being "gas lit to believe that what you believe is wrong" and that he was "imagining it".

"If you lose your [ ] again at the production crew, Lord Sugar will go mad. So don't do that again."

– Claude Littner's warning to Lewis after he "lost his rag" at the production crew.

Key Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs:

• Prioritise Energy: Quitting destructive habits like excessive drinking immediately frees up time and energy, allowing for massive increases in productivity.
• Curate Your Inner Circle: Surround yourself with people who align with your goals, not just friends of "necessity" or "circumstance".
• Own Your Content: Lewis's biggest piece of advice for reality TV is to "own my own content" and to be "very careful who you give your brand to" due to the power of editing.
• Embrace the Process: Success involves being ignored, laughed at, and fought against, but pushing through this process leads to victory.

The full episode along with so many others is available now on The Aleksandra King YouTube Channel or discover more about When Lewis Ellis said "Ok Boomer" to Lord Sugar...

Published by Aleksandra King Media