What really drives a founder to endure decades of pressure, setbacks, and responsibility? In this deep, no-fluff conversation, Michael Howard — the CEO of Maris Interiors, who scaled a seven-person outfit into a 250-strong national interiors firm — unpacks the mindset and maths of business. He talks candidly about a broken home, being briefly homeless at 17, and why his primary fuel has always been “away from pain” motivation rather than the trappings of success. If you’re building a company in the real world — where cash flow, margins, and people decisions make or break you — this episode will hit home.

Why this episode matters:

A rare, unpolished blueprint from a multi-millionaire who doesn’t chase fame or social media.
Exactly how to think in numbers: capacity, conversion, average order value, and repeat custom.
The difference between challenges and problems, and how to build a plan for both.
Hiring for character over skill, creating a culture that admits mistakes, and walking away from bad clients.
Resilience without crutches: operating under stress, staying sober, and keeping standards high.

Episode highlights:

From broken home to boardroom: the “away from pain” engine that never switched off.
The seminar moment in his 40s–50s that reframed self-belief after decades of graft.
Business is maths: best-case, worst-case, most-likely — then market and sell to hit the target.
Shops, restaurants, barbers: live examples of capacity planning, upsell, and funnel thinking.
Sales done right: diagnose the customer’s problem, earn trust, play the long game.
Culture and people: reward honesty about mistakes; hire decent humans, train the rest.
Clients and investors: you can’t do a good deal with a bad person; raise the minimum, aim for profit.
Stress and stamina: why resilience beats optics, and why time becomes the ultimate currency.

Search topics in this episode:

Broke to millionaire, away-from-pain motivation, business maths, capacity planning, sales funnel vs marketing funnel, average order value, conversion rate, repeat customers, hiring for character, company culture, admitting mistakes, walking away from clients, raising capital vs profitability, stress management for CEOs, sobriety and leadership, Pret case study, Tony & Guy operations, retail examples, service business margins, entrepreneurship mindset, self-education tapes, resilience, leadership standards, customer experience design.

Join the conversation:

What part of Michael’s playbook will you implement this week — numbers, hiring, or client selection? Drop your takeaway in the comments.

About the host:

Beyond the Boardroom is hosted by Aleksandra — direct, challenging, and relentlessly practical. If you’re serious about building, you’ll feel at home here.

Watch more

Shorts playlist → https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3iQHE-qteJKLAM8h1jjycYqgqXx37Wqo&feature=shared

Full episodes → https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3iQHE-qteJING9jXVVuVUdDa-9qqer7J

Connect

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Website → https://aleksandraking.com
Business enquiries → aleksandra@aleksandraking.com

Disclaimer

The views expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of Aleksandra, the podcast, or its producers. This show is for entertainment purposes only.