In this interview for his ‘SuperConnector Show’ podcast, Paul Lancaster was joined by Simon Woodroffe, Founder of the YO! Sushi restaurant chain, YOTEL & all things YO!, to discuss his wide-ranging career, life philosophy & new autobiography ‘YO! Man’ which is released on 4th June 2026.
The Journey of Constant Reinvention
Simon Woodroffe’s career before launching YO! Sushi was defined by multiple reinventions, often following what he describes as “crash & burns”. His early life included roles as a theatre manager in the West End of London, a roadie & stage designer for iconic musicians & bands including Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Queen, Led Zeppelin, ABBA & Rod Stewart before he became a TV executive, producing & licensing live events.
Before that, Simon had a difficult childhood & left school at 16 with just two O Levels but views his early struggles, including a three-month prison sentence for drug dealing, as “grit in the oyster” & a powerful motivation to prove himself in life & in business.
Although he went on to have huge professional & financial success, the ultimate driver for his ambition was not simply to be super rich but rather a motivation not to be poor. He says that money does make you happy but his true fulfilment comes from seeing an idea he has in his head actually happen & building something new.
Essential Business & Life Philosophy
Simon shared several key principles that guided his success:
- Over-deliver: He strongly advocates for always exceeding expectations in whatever you do, regardless of the pay, as this makes people want to keep & reward you.
- Be Likeable: Developing a likeable personality is a practice & a skill, which he calls “acting as if”. He suggests aiming to “blow people’s minds” with surprisingly exceptional work.
- Focus & Control: In his experience, a new venture requires “megalomaniac control” at the outset (the first 1-3 years) to bring the idea to life. However, the key to scaling is the ability to completely let go & allow others to execute the plan in their own way.
- Embrace Change & Impulse: The moment you think about making a change – such as firing someone – is the time to act. He is impulsive, knowing he can always correct mistakes later.
- Solving Problems: There is always a solution, no matter how stuck you feel. He advises asking people for advice & filtering it, but never asking if you should do something. The solution often requires a change within yourself, not expecting others to change.
- Dealing with Failure: Failure should be embraced as part of the process; he used to play a game where he aimed to have “six failures today” to get through difficult times. When faced with obstacles (showstoppers), the mantra is to “go around stone walls & build golden bridges”.
When it comes to offering & listening to advice, he noted that when he was on BBC Dragons’ Den, he got his fellow Dragons to privately agree they weren’t magicians & the entrepreneur pitching usually knew the most about their own business.
The Genesis & Growth of YO!
Simon started YO! Sushi at age 45, putting everything on the line, including £200,000 that was tied up in his flat & using a government loan guarantee. After two initial weeks with no customers, the restaurant saw a queue down the block on the second Saturday!
The brand’s expansion, which included openings at high-profile locations like Harvey Nichols & Selfridges, was not initially planned but happened organically. Under the operations director Robin Roland, YO! Sushi expanded to 125 conveyor belt sushi bars.
The company now has nearly 500 outlets globally, including kiosks with dedicated staff in UK supermarkets (Tesco & Sainsbury’s), defining the business as much about retailing as it is about restaurants.
Simon’s personal creative pursuits continue, exemplified by an album of songs he wrote & recorded with his favourite band, The Blockheads, titled ‘How I Got My YO!‘ which he says is a perfect example of putting an idea out there without fear of shame or embarrassment.
Want to know more?
Simon is now focused on sharing what he’s learned along the way so we recommend buying his brilliant new autobiography ‘YO! Man‘ which is due out on 4th June 2026 (you can pre-order / buy it on Amazon here).
You can also find details on how to buy a personally inscribed & signed copy of Simon’s book & find links to all of his excellent social media content at https://yo.co.uk
ps You can also listen to this interview (& more) on Paul’s ‘SuperConnector Show’ podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible or Spreaker via our ‘Podcasts‘ page.
