What I Learned from Working with Deborah Meaden: A Lesson in Integrity

A few years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Deborah Meaden after appearing on BBC’s Dragons’ Den and securing investment from both her and Steven Bartlett.

The experience was life-changing, not just because of the exposure or the funding, but because of the insight I gained from working alongside someone with true integrity at her core.

Now that that chapter has come to a close, I find myself reflecting on what I really took away from those years. And without a doubt, it’s this:

Integrity isn’t optional. It’s essential.

💬 Not All Investors Are the Same

Over the course of my journey, I’ve met plenty of high-net-worth individuals, and I can tell you this: money does not always equal leadership. Some were exceptional. Others… not so much. Some led with clarity and compassion. Others led with ego.

But Deborah was and is cut from a different cloth.

She holds herself and others to a high standard, not in a loud or performative way, but quietly and consistently. She does what she says she will. She doesn’t chase hype. She shows up with honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable.

It might sound simple, but in a world where smoke and mirrors can sometimes be mistaken for success, that kind of consistency is rare. And when you're building something from scratch, it’s everything.

✍️ Integrity, Observed First-Hand

Working with Deborah meant sitting in on meetings where hard decisions had to be made. It meant discussing business pivots, navigating retailer negotiations, and managing growth under pressure.

In those moments, she never wavered from what felt right, not just what looked good on paper.

She taught me that business is never just about the product. It’s about the people behind it and how they show up when things get tough.

🔍 3 Integrity Lessons That Stayed With Me

These aren’t just business tips. These are principles that shaped how I lead today:

1. Under-promise, over-deliver.
   This sounds basic, but it’s not always followed. In a startup world obsessed with overstatement, being someone who quietly exceeds expectations builds long-term credibility. It’s better to surprise people with results than let them down with promises you never should’ve made.

2. Do the right thing when no one’s watching.
   Your character isn’t built on stage. It’s built behind the scenes, in how you treat your team, how you respond to stress, and how you hold yourself accountable when it’s inconvenient. That’s where your reputation is forged.

3. Be dependable.
   Investors don’t just want passion. They want reliability. They want to know that if they back you, you’ll deliver or communicate transparently if you can’t. That kind of founder is rare. That kind of founder gets funded.

💡 Why This Still Matters Today

Although I no longer work directly with Deborah, the lessons I learned from her continue to shape how I approach business, how I mentor founders, and how I lead.

In today’s noisy startup world, where traction can be faked and metrics can be spun, integrity is the unfair advantage. It's not flashy. It doesn't trend. But it earns trust, and trust is the currency of everything.

So whether you're pitching, raising, building, or just trying to figure out what comes next, start with this question:

👉 Am I someone people can count on?

Because long after the decks have been shared, the logos added, and the pitch rehearsed, that’s the thing people will remember.