SOBRE ESTE EPISÓDIO
How did a rock & roll stage designer with no restaurant experience go on to create YO! Sushi?
In this episode of Bridging Talks, Majid Hashmi sits down with Simon Woodroffe — entrepreneur, designer, founder of YO! Sushi and YOTEL, and one of the original Dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den.
Simon shares his journey from leaving school at 16 and working in rock & roll staging to creating one of Britain’s most recognisable restaurant brands.
We explore the Japanese conversation that sparked YO! Sushi, why having no restaurant experience became an advantage, and how Simon combined conveyor-belt sushi with ideas from theatre, technology and show business to create something completely different.
We also discuss:
- Why being an outsider can become an advantage
- The Japanese origins of YO! Sushi
- Rock & roll, theatre and building memorable brands
- Simon’s three rules for life
- Leadership, failure and reinvention
- Japan, Thailand and cross-cultural thinking
- YOTEL and the wider YO! vision
- AI, robotics and the future of technology
- What Simon learned from Dragons’ Den
- Why listening became one of his most valuable habits
A conversation about connecting the dots, doing things differently and continuing to reinvent yourself.
CONNECT WITH SIMON WOODROFFE
Instagram: @yosimonwoodroffe
Facebook: Simon Woodroffe
YouTube: @yosimonwoodroffe
Website: yo.co.uk/simon-woodroffe
YO! MAN by Simon Woodroffe
Buy the book
ABOUT BRIDGING TALKS
Bridging Talks explores entrepreneurship, technology, global business and cross-cultural ideas through conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, investors, creators and professionals around the world.
Hosted by Majid Hashmi, founder of Bridging Connect Ltd.
Website: bridgingconnect.com/podcast
LinkedIn: Bridging Talks
Instagram: @bridgingtalkspodcast
YouTube: @BridgingTalks
Guests & partnerships: podcast@bridgingconnect.com
MUSICMusic includes work by Chill House, Oleksandr Stepanov and penguinmusic. All rights remain with their respective creators/licensors.
