The Evolving Accountant: Recent Episodes
Harlands Accountants
Accountants are boring - but not this one!! We look to learn from those that have been down the same route, this podcast refuses to talk trial balances, forecasts or profit and loss but getting ripped jeans into the boardroom.
DMN GOOD are on a mission to empower you to feed DMN GOOD in your own skin. They're about DMN GOOD cookies for DMN GOOD moments.
Fueled by the founders own troubled relationship in earlier life, Evie Waxman created damn good to kick toxic diet cultures ass.
Did you know that 70% of us struggle with body image and self-doubt? it's time to fight those demons and embrace our worthiness. Because you are D*MN GOOD no matter what!
- 46% are struggling with self-confidence - and more than a third 37% claim their levels of self-belief are at an all time low.
- 1 in 3 under 18 years olds suffer with low self worth & mental health issues
- Eating disorder cases have double in the last 5 years
During the interview with Evie, we discuss:
- Evie's drive and ambition to get out of a bed in the morning
- Evie's career to date
- More about the D*MN GOOD brand
- Inspiration to start the business
- Challenges linked in building the business
- Advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out
- Evie's thoughts for the future of the healthy snacking industry
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
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Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting a distinguished guest, Louise Maclean, Director of Signature Pubs and Cold Town Beer, a leading figure in the FMCG sector.
Cold Town Brewery has a rich and captivating history deeply intertwined with Scotland's brewing heritage. Their story begins with a nod to the brewing legacy of Edinburgh's Calton Hill Brewery, which pioneered lager production in Britain way back in 1835. Nestled in the chilly shadow of Arthur's Seat, the brewery's neighborhood earned the moniker "Cauld Toon," eventually evolving into "Cal-ton." This evolution of language gave birth to the name Cold Town Hill, serving as the foundation for the brewery's identity.
In early 2018, Cold Town Brewery embarked on its journey, starting as a modest microbrewery within the walls of an abandoned church in the heart of Edinburgh's historic Grassmarket district. Despite humble beginnings, their dedication to crafting exceptional brews was unwavering, supplying local venues and gaining a foothold in the city's vibrant bar scene. Their full range of beers was refined through collaboration with industry professionals who reveled in the art of fine libations. After numerous iterations and feedback, they proudly introduced their signature creation: Cold Town Lager.
As their reputation grew, more establishments welcomed Cold Town Brewery into their fold, prompting the need for expansion. They established their main operations on Dunedin Street in order to cater to a diverse array of bars and restaurants throughout Scotland. In early 2019, their journey came full circle as they transformed their original microbrewery location into Cold Town House, a place that not only houses an evolved brewing facility but also offers breathtaking views of Edinburgh Castle beneath the imposing castle rock. It's a story that reflects their unwavering commitment to crafting exceptional beer in the heart of Scotland's capital.
Join us as we explore Louise's remarkable journey, gaining insights into her illustrious career. In this conversation, we'll uncover:
- Louise's FMCG Sector Journey: Delve into the experiences and pivotal moments that have shaped Louise's career in the fast-moving consumer goods sector.
- The Brands in Focus: Learn about the fascinating brands that Louise oversees, including Signature Pubs, a conglomerate of venues with hundreds of dedicated staff, navigating the hospitality sector's challenges.
- The Birth of Cold Town Beer: Uncover the intriguing origins and motivation behind Cold Town Beer, a venture that adds a unique flavor to the beverage industry.
- Customer-Centric Approach: Discover how Cold Town Beer places customer satisfaction at the core, with a commitment to refining their offerings based on real-time feedback.
- Navigating Industry Shifts: Explore the dynamics of running brands in an evolving landscape, including insights into the differences between the on-trade and off-trade segments.
- Launching New Drinks Brands: Gain valuable tips and advice from Louise about launching new drinks brands in the ever-changing landscape of 2023/24.
- What Lies Ahead: Peer into the future as we discuss the exciting developments and prospects on the horizon for Signature Pubs and Cold Town Beer.
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
Flavour, an integral part of our daily lives, takes center stage at Besmoke. They understand the pivotal role that complex, clean, balanced, and bold flavours play in making your products truly stand out. Thepassion lies in bringing these flavours to life, enhancing any application they touch.
Since the inception in 2004, they have been on a relentless quest to redefine smoked food ingredients. Huw has pioneered state-of-the-art patented technology, which removes a staggering 95% of carcinogenic PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) from smoke. This innovation has allowed them to craft fresh, complementary, and well-rounded flavours. They've even engineered smoke volatiles to transform the culinary landscape, offering clean grill flavours, umami-enhancing taste modifiers, and reductions in salt and sugar content, among other innovations.
Now, let's dive into the remarkable benefits of Besmoke:
- Authentic smoke and grill flavours that elevate your culinary creations.
- A revolutionary process that eliminates over 95% of PAHs, ensuring a natural, clean, and safe experience.
- Say goodbye to acrid smoke tar – the technology removes it entirely.
- They're committed to sustainability and promoting healthier choices.
The product journey began with the introduction of our SmokeCreate™ range, utilising traditional smoking techniques to produce rich, deep, and irresistibly savoury ingredients.
But the true essence of Besmoke lies in their PureTech™ lineup. This collection harnesses the power of the patented technology to deliver balanced smoke, grill, or umami flavours in their purest form. It's a game-changer, allowing them to enhance flavour profiles and reduce salt and sugar levels while maintaining quality and purity.
The story of Besmoke is woven with the passion and dedication of the founder, Huw Griffiths. His fascination with flavour science ignited in 2004 when he embarked on smoking garlic in an old tin ballot box. Endless experimentation led to the creation of high-quality smoked garlic that gained popularity at delis and food markets across the country. With the addition of smoked salt and smoked pepper, Besmoke was born.
In our conversation with Huw Griffiths, we delve into:
- Huw's personal journey and career.
- The core mission of the Besmoke brand.
- The inspiration that drove Huw to enter the FMCG sector.
- What sets Besmoke's products apart in the market.
- Defining moments that have shaped the brand's significant growth in the FMCG sector.
- Unexpected pivots or adaptations made along the journey.
- Exciting developments on the horizon for the Besmoke brand.
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of flavour and innovation with Huw Griffiths.
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
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Thanks for listening!
Hailing from Staffordshire, two beer aficionado brothers, Keith and Dave Bott, known for their unwavering standards when it comes to a good pint, take the helm at Titanic Brewery.
Their commitment to beer excellence led them to an unconventional path – acquiring Stoke's brewery and personally overseeing its operations.
With three decades of brewery management under their belts and a workforce of approximately 250 locals, Keith's dedication still sees him mashing in each morning at the brewery (provided you're an early riser to witness it), while Dave is frequently found constructing bars and giving our pubs, both existing and newly added to our portfolio, a fresh coat of paint.
In this episode, we sit down with David Glenwright of Titanic Brewery to delve into the world of beer. Our conversation explores:
- David's journey into the drinks industry
- The brand's underlying purpose
- Titanic Brewery's unique bod cafe-bar concept and the reasons behind its creation
- Strategies for maintaining the brand's appeal to younger generations year after year
- The remarkable growth story, going from 7 barrels to over 4 million pints annually
- A glimpse into what lies ahead for the brewery's future endeavors.
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we speak to David Ferguson, Commercial Director of Lochlea Distilling Co.
Lochlea had always been a dairy farm, up until 2006. They farmed pedigree beef cattle until 2014, when they decided that for a farm of this size to be viable, they needed to do something very different.
Barley had historically been grown on the farm, mainly as livestock feed, and so in 2015 they embarked on an experiment: growing 50 acres of malting barley.
Construction began in 2017, converting the former piggery, byre, and midden in the heart of the farm steading into the distillery, and repurposing the cattle sheds into bonded warehouses.
They secured all of the licenses in 2018, and the distillery was commissioned in August 2018.
Since then, they have been growing the barley and the distillery team have been skillfully and patiently making spirit.
During the chat with David, we discuss:
- David's journey to Lochlea
- Understanding the brand
- The challenges the brand has faced as starting up
- Growing everything in-house
- Limited edition bottling - the process and challenges
- Release plans and age statement casks
- What's next for Lochlea
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode we speak to founder of Glass of Bubbly and Champagne Collectors, Christopher Walkey.
Christopher has a passion for Champagne and sparkling wines along with pairing them with foods. A multi award winning marketeer with a string of successful start-up and investment concepts. Now focused on a passion that is Glass of Bubbly and travelling internationally reviewing sparkling wines, pairing menus and venues.
Glass of Bubbly has evolved to become one of the biggest names promoting the glorious and ever expanding world of Champagne and sparkling wines. From a simple start up idea via a husband and wife team with big hearts and passion for the subject, they have become one of the busiest names showcasing some of the finest fizz from around the globe, helping to highlight wonderful sparkling wine regions, the diversity of producers and the amazing aromas and flavours each corner of our earth can provide us.
Champagne Collectiors, Founded by Christopher and a small group of first round investors with a unique online concept enabling:
- Multi-level auction formats from non-disgorged direct from original cellars to consumer sales with no history.
- Quality controlled review notes and scoring to guarantee expert tasting notes from fellow connoisseurs across an in-depth database of Champagne House vintages.
- Member profile building including tokens towards purchases via reviews and article submissions. The ranking system not only gives members the opportunity to discovers some of the rarest vintage labels, but also exclusive invites to once in a lifetime Champagne and food experiences.
During the conversation with Christopher, we discuss:
- Getting into the fizz sector
- How a brand makes bottles famous
- The fizz awards
- Investing in wine and the demand
- Expectations of the marketplace for the future
- Next stages for the brands
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
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Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Maria Whitehead MBE, Director at Hawkshead Relish Company,
The story of how they went from a cafe in the Lake District, to a multi Award Winning Artisan Food Producer shipping products worldwide.
In 1999, from a busy cafe in the Lake District Town of Hawkshead, 2001 being impacted by the foot and mouth outbreak and everyone being told to stay away from the countryside.
Having started with a small range of 2-3 products, they found out that Mark had the knack for coming up with great new recipe ideas and the success of the Relishes and Preserves lead to an increased production which meant the little shop was groaning at the seams as the range kept growing to 100 products. Mark's imaginative and great tasting products lead to Hawkshead Relish also winning over 60 Great Taste Awards.
During the chat with Maria, we discuss:
- 2001 from today, making a drastic pivot due to foot and mouth
- Deciding to not work with the supermarkets and actually pulling out of a deal
- 'Greedflation' - As a business deciding to not put prices up on ever increasing supply challenges
- THE B WORD - As an export champion of the North West with D.I.T and the impact that the business had immediately from Brexit and currently
- Next steps for the family business
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
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Thanks for listening!
Elephant Gin was born from adventurous trips across Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
Unsure what the future held, they decided to take action and make an impact to help protect the African elephant - even from afar. Back in Europe, they came up with the idea for an African-inspired gin while reminiscing about the so-called ‘sundowner’ G&Ts they enjoyed during the trips.
Our Elephant Gin sundowners bring like-minded people together - and 15% of bottle profits or 2% of revenue (whichever is higher) are donated to elephant conservation projects!
For this episode, we are joined by James Le Grys, Sales Director. and during the chat we discuss:
- James career, drive and ambition
- Building a brand on sustainability and it being at the heart of each decision
- The different products and the unique values each of the bottles brings with flavours.
- The acquisition of Elephant Gin
- The Elephant Gin Foundation
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we are joined by Candice Bannister, MD of Candy's Cupcakes.
Candy's Cupcakes was formed from a Kitchen but now in a designated unit and selling thousands of cupcakes per week via their website and TikTok Shop.
Candice began making cupcakes and cakes as a hobby from her home kitchen in 2011 and grew a local loyal customer base via social media.
In February 2012, Candice decided to turn her passion for bakery and art into a business and gave up her full-time job in social housing. Candy's Cupcakes was open to all.
During the global pandemic in 2020, the online store began to grow in popularity with customers opting to ship gifts nationwide when they were unable to be with loved ones and friends.
Over the years, Candy's have been honoured to make a wide variety of bespoke orders, wedding cakes and large branded orders working with well-known companies and celebrities like Blue Peter and will.i.am.
During the conversation, we discussed:
- The journey of the business, from side hustle to full time role.
- The various stages of a growing business and the challenges that comes with it
- Being a female leader and the support network around Candice.
- Selling cupcakes via the TikTok Shop
- What the future looks like for Candy's Cupcakes.
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
If you’re thinking, not another plant-based company, then you’re exactly right! Earth’d is something truly different and what makes them so truly different is their Foodlosophy.
This is essentially the belief that food should taste delicious, be nutritious, and not only do no harm, but contribute positively to wellbeing of the planet. Simple, right? So, why isn’t everyone doing it?
Dr. Adrian Massey. Founder, a food technologist with a PhD in Food science and a 1st Class (Hons) in Food Science & Nutrition and, most proudly, a father.
When his first child was born at 29-weeks, Adrian received a shock to the system that made him change the way he thought about the food we eat, the world we live in, and the future we hope for.
Travelling back-and-forth to NCIU, he subsisted on convenience foods that offered neither the taste nor the basic nutrition he needed to keep his energy and hopes up. He realised that we all need and deserve more, and he knew that with his expertise and experience, he could, in a small way, create a big change that was positive and absolutely necessary.
And that’s how Earth’d started. Just a new dad wanting more – more deliciousness, more nutritiousness, and a healthier, happier world for his family to live and thrive in.
During the chat with Adrian we discussed:
- Adrian's career and journey to date
- More on what the brand does and why it was created
- Biggest challenges of a new FMCG brand
- Getting British Airways as a first customer
- Next stages for the business journey
- Maintaining a strong company culture durng periods of growth
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Jack AKA The Balding Reefer on Youtube and owner of Reefer Oasis Koi Farm in the UK. With over 35,000 subscribers on YouTube currently and growing at a very fast rate.
During the chat with Jack, we discuss:
- Why failing gets Jack out of bed in a morning.
- Jack's career before the koi days.
- Understanding Koi farming and why you need to be insane to keep high grade koi.
- How being a YouTuber has influenced the business.
- The most expensive being sold for $1,8M
- Day to day challenges of running a heavy cash to heavy stock swing business
- Lessons that other business owners can take from a YouTuber or Social Influencer
- Reflecting on given the opportunity, would Jack do it all again
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we speak to Michael Goldstein, Founder of Prosecco Ventures.
As the founder of Prosecco Ventures and an experienced entrepreneur, He is dedicated to the mission to make Bella Principessa a household name and a global lifestyle brand that’s more than just bubbles in a bottle.Michael's journey into the world of Prosecco began after tasting the good life during a visit to Venice BUT despite Prosecco outselling Champagne more than 2 to 1, he was surprised how few people could name their favorite Prosecco brand.
Michael believe's that presentation is just as important as the quality of our wine, and recognised this was lacking in what competing wines had to offer.
This inspired Michael to create Bella Principessa, a brand that captures the essence of Italian hospitality and charm.
Michael wanted his customers to feel proud to display the bottle on their shelves, to offer it as a gift to their loved ones, or to enjoy it on a special occasion.
During the recording, we discuss:
- Michaels' career and journey to developing Bella Principessa including a cease and desist notice
- Nothing accepting being told no
- Italian prosecco vs what arrives in the UK
- Getting the most for your pennies
- Growth hacking and memorable moments
- Exciting developments for the brand over the coming year
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we speak to Rachel Hicks, Co - Founder of Sky Wave Gin.
It took over 6 months, more than 40 recipe variations, and over 300 expert testers to get to the smooth flavours you can now enjoy in Sky Wave’s award winning Signature London Dry Gin -–officially The World’s Best Contemporary London Dry Gin.
Sky Wave Gin distil exactingly to the London Dry style using the ‘one shot’ method to create their multi-award winning signature gin. The perfect quantity of 13 botanicals from around the world for each single batch are added directly to the wash, resulting in a fabulous, full-flavoured mouth feel. They add absolutely nothing afterwards except the finest Oxfordshire natural mineral water from Blenheim Palace, so that they can absolutely guarantee the flavours going in to your glass. It is distilled gently in very small batches, only a few hundred bottles at a time allowing them to manage the flavour precisely and results in a remarkably smooth gin.
During the recording, we discuss:
- Rachel's career from being a journalist in the BBC to creating the worlds best gin
- Challenges faced while building the brand and product
- Defining moments that impacted the brands growth
- Making sure the brand resonates with consumers and stays relevant in an ever-changing market
- Innovative strategies and unique marketing approaches to promote your brand
- Stepping up to a super premium Gin brand
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode we speak to Paul Hayes, Co-Founder of Vivir Tequila.
VIVIR Tequila was born from the love of the Agave based spirit that two good friends (Paul and Nav) shared. A number of years ago they started to question why it was so difficult to find quality 100% Agave Tequila in the UK without going to a specialist bar or retailer. This was especially important for Paul as cheaper Mixto Tequilas are the only thing in the world he’s allergic to meaning he found it hard to drink any Tequila in the UK full stop.
Paul had already been working with Agave for over 16 years and knew the industry well. In 2016 they finally made the decision to change perceptions of Tequila in the UK and create their own line of premium 100% Agave Tequilas. It took them 3 years to develop as they wanted to get it right and in 2019 they finally introduced VIVIR Tequila to the UK.
During the recording, we discuss:
- Paul's journey through the FMCG sector until the launch of Vivir
- The Tequila boom on 2022 and 2023
- The GOOD Tequila and the BAD Tequila
- The community spirit of the FMCG sector
- Supporting other start-ups and the challenges that some have faced
- Having unexpected pivots due to COVID
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we speak to Mark Harrison, Managing Director of The Protein Partners and producer of CNP Products.
At CNP they have one mission, and that is to support you in reaching your goals. Whether that’s powering through your next training session, keeping on top of your health focused nutritional needs or when it’s time to get serious and take your sport to the next level.
They know achieving goals like these becomes part of a lifestyle, your lifestyle, and that it is important to get the right sports nutrition made convenient, great tasting and formulated to be as effective as possible so reaching them is that one step closer. Which is why they have taken the high end formulas provided to athletes and made them theirselves in house, meaning you get the best quality products at affordable prices.
During the conversation with Mark, we discuss:
- Mark's career to becoming the MD of The Protein Partners
- Formed by British Bodybuilding Champion Kerry Kayes and 'that' famous photo of Kerry being between Ricky Hatton & Floyd Mayweather at the weigh-in before the fight during the time Kerry was training Ricky.
- Bad decisions and money being wasted
- The Business Journey and recovering from a £1.1M EBIDTA LOSS in 2018
- Deciding on your marketing budget, spliting it between on and offline
- Best marketing tactic vs ROI in the last 12 months
- Forgetting about your customers whilst other products on the market are targeting them
- 2023 product launches and info on a future product release - the CNP marketing team are now hunting us down!!
- Taking the next step in your own personal development
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Kathryn Bricken, Founder of Doughlicious.
Doughlicious aims to be inclusive. Every cookie dough flavour is 100% gluten-free thanks to our unique blend of gluten-free flours. There are also dairy-free, organic and vegan flavours. Everything is made with the finest ingredients and no artificial additives or preservatives.
They produce cookies that are better for you and the environment (in a factory powered by renewable energy). Their ingredients are sourced from reputable suppliers who adhere to high standards of quality, animal welfare and sustainable production methods. The dough is individually portioned so you only bake what you need in order to minimise food waste (from chilled or frozen).
Kathryn Bricken, Mum and now entrepreneur, has a passion for baking. From an early age she understood how food is more than fuel; it is a way of bringing people together and making magical memories. After moving to London, Kathryn became famous amongst her friends for baking the best American-style cookies using the finest natural ingredients. She was often asked to make extra dough so that her friends could bake cookies at home. In 2014 Kathryn decided to share her secret with the rest of the UK … Thus, Doughlicious was born.
Whether you’re a cookie lover wanting to get your hands on their Ready-To-Bake Cookie Dough, a keen chef waiting to get your bake on with the Savoury Biscuits, a dessert fanatic looking to cool down with their Dough•Chi or a busy body trying to satisfy your cookie cravings on the go with Snackable Cookie Dough – there’s a lot of Doughlicious products for everybody!
During the chat with Kathryn, we discuss:
- Founder Fatigue
- Trying to launch a Female led brand and the challenges that it brings
- Challenges that come when launching frozen products into hot countries (Australia & Saudia Arabia)
- The B (Brexit) Word and the challenges that it brings to a FMCG business
- Running a business whilst battling breast cancer
- Question from a previous guest
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Laura Rosenberger, Co-Founder of Laylo.
Laylo was created to make environmentally conscious drinking a no-brainer... Delicious wine, fresh for 6 weeks in beautifully designed packaging - which just so happens to be better for the planet. We know we still have further to go, and we’re busy working on ways we can reduce our impact even further.
The design of glass wine bottles has barely changed in 200 years. But the amount of bottles and how we ship them around the world really has - and it has become unsustainable.
Laylo believe that drinking great wine is a joy we all deserve. Boxed wine is the smartest alternative, and improvements in the materials used to create the bags means great quality wines will stay tasting great.
Wine in glass bottles doesn't work for how we drink wine today.
The half empty bottles turned to vinegar in the fridge door… The guilty hangovers because you felt obliged to polish off the last drop… And (the worst!) the I-wanted-wine-but-couldn’t-justify-it G&Ts.
After working together at one of the UK’s largest wine companies, Laura and Laura decided to search for a better solution. The answer had been under our noses the whole time - boxed wine!
So they set out to make boxed wine better, by sourcing fantastic wine and creating beautiful boxes you’d be proud to share with friends.
Since then they have won awards, been featured in national newspapers, and sold boxes at Selfridges.
During the chat with Laura, we discuss:
- From Zero to business in the FMCG Sector
- The opportunites, fundraising and challenges of running your own business
- Focussing on 3 things as a business owner to make sure your business is going in the correct direction
- Sustainability - the decision to not use glass bottles
- What the next 12 months for Laylo look like
- Listening to advice, but you don't always have to take it
- Question from a previous guest
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Mike Bagshaw, Founder & Managing Director of I.T.S (International Taste Solutions).
I.T.S stand for bringing innovative, tailor-made and bang-on-trend natural flavours to food and drinks. For making healthy food and drink taste better – and already-delicious food and drink even healthier. Getting products in more stores, more baskets and more Instagram feeds.
Specialising in Bakery, Dairy and Beverage, with clients from a mix of large, established brands through to small start-ups. Mike shares his thoughts and insights into having a braver flavour in 2023 and beyond.
During the chat with Mike, we discuss:
- Mike's impressive journey from side hustling at school to going on your own
- How each market sector is impacted by flavours
- Some of the challenges for brands when inventing a product
- Top tips for a start-up brand in the FMCG when inventing a product
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Brandt Maybury, Co-Founder & Managing Director of TASTEHEAD.
TASTEHEAD are a food development agency with expertise in developing food and drink products that taste outstanding, managing innovation projects from concept through to launch, and supporting brands to reach new consumers and grow their businesses.
Some of the brands that TASTEHEAD have supported and developed products for include; Vegan Pig, Whole Earth, Green & Blacks, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Heinz, Costa Coffee, Cawston Press, Pringles and New Covent Garden Soup Co.
During the chat with Brandt, we discuss:
- Brandt's career to date
- Talking about the campaigns of 3 of Heinz's products - Heinz & Cadbury Creme Egg Mayo, Heinz Pasta Sauce Range and Heinz X Absolute Vodka.
- Brandt's favourite projects
- The day to day challenges of running a fast paced business like TASTEHEAD
- 5 top tips for a successful food and beverage brand starting out in 2023
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this epsiode, we talk to Ben Stewart, Sales Director of Wemyss Family Spirits.
An independent family-owned company with a long-standing history, we make exceptional Scottish spirits with an ever-growing portfolio of award-winning single malts, blended malts and natural gins.
Brother and sister team; William and Isabella Wemyss, started their spirits journey in 2005 when they founded WEMYSS MALTS. William was inspired by his experience at the family's French vineyard and with the family's Scottish roots began exploring the blending of quality single malt whiskies. Whisky, new make spirit, oak casks and mature whisky are expertly sourced by William's sister, Isabella, to produce superior, small-batch blended malt Scotch whiskies.
During the chat with Ben, we discuss:
- Ben's career to date
- A moment in time that's made Ben make the change
- The history of Wemyss Family Spirits
- The love behind each bottle, the timelines and process going from grain to glass
- Looking back, life lessons
- Previous guests question
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
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- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Duncan O'Brien, Founder of Dalston's.
Staying true to their roots, the soda making process and the integrity of the liquids they use, all of our recipes are developed in-house by Duncan for people to enjoy. A recipe man at heart, Duncan felt that there had to be a way to challenge convention and make delicious drinks that didn’t use the refined sugar or sweeteners that were prevalent in the soft drinks world- working closely with our farming partners, Dalston's were very proud to launch their range in 2019 which is made from just delicious fruit and sparkling water, and less than 50 calories a can.
During the chat with Duncan we discuss:
- The functionality in food & drink and new product development
- The demand for new products
- Getting your products on the shelf of the supermarkets
- What's around the corner for Dalston's
- Advice for when you started out
- A previous guests question
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Larry Kotch, Co-Founder of Flybox.
Our food system is broken. But not beyond saving.
Flybox® was founded to give our growing population certain access to adequate food.
We’re in a protein crunch: The globe is predicted to experience a shortage of 60 million tonnes of protein/year by 2030. Our food supply needs to grow 70% by 2050 to meet this rising demand without depleting our natural resources.
Water and land-intensive conventional proteins like Soy simply won’t cut it. Flybox® harvests existing organic waste on-site, transforming it into a protein rich larvae that can feed our livestock, fish and pets.
Farmers, food producers and supermarkets that deploy the Flybox® Grow feed the world by turning organic waste into a new source of sustainable food supply. That’s why we exist—to help feed the world.
During the chat with Larry we discuss:
- Growing his own Black Solider Fly Colony since 2019
- Understanding what Flybox does and why
- Can Agri tech solve the supply issue
- Personality traits to be a success
- Advice for when you started out
- A previous guests question
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, Darren is joined by longtime friend Sam Reynolds, who by day is a chartered engineer but by night is doing something special in the North East with supporting men on their journey with mental health.
Sam is one half of the recently launched The Head Shed alongside The Head Shed Podcast seeking to improve the mental wellbeing of men across the North East and the UK now via the Podcast, Meetings and social events.
In a recent survey, the stats behind the condition are not good reading;
- 77% of men polled have suffered with common mental health symptons like anxient, stress or depression
- 40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health
- 29% of those who haven't done so say they are "too embarrased" to speak about it, while 20% say there is a "negative stigma" on the issue
- The biggest cause of mental health issue in men's lives are work (32%), their finances (31%) and their health (23%)
- 40% of men polled said it would take thoughts of sucide or self-harm to compel them to seek professional help.
- Three times as many men as women die by suicide
- Men aged 40 to 49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK
During the episode Darren and Sam talk about;
- Sam's journey from being in a succesful band, being played on Radio 1 by Fearne Cotton, touring the UK and supporting well known bands across Europe to suffering with depression and not understanding it.
- The counselling process and the ship analogy.
- The story behind the group, the drive and ambition
- Strategy going forward, why the podcast was launched and what the podcast will evolve into and the opportunity to connect and support people without them having to attend a face to face session.
- Sam's recommendations for other listening and books to read on the topic
Useful links:
- The Head Shed Podcast Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-head-shed-the-relatable-mental-health-podcast/id1664761391
- The Head Shed Podcast Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/show/24hbj3ajjsXjs5QaeInfsD
- The Head Shed Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheHeadShed
- The Head Shed Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/theheadshedgroup
- The Head Shed Instagram Page -https://www.instagram.com/theheadshedgroup
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we talk to Matthew Walker, Co-Founder of Savora Drinks.
Every spirit has a mixer such as gin & tonic or rum & coke, yet tequila has no recognised mixer. Tequila-based cocktails such as margarita, paloma and tequila sunrise are amongst the most popular cocktails in the world. However, tequila is very rarely consumed with a mixer.
This ignited our concept, creating a premium mixer which is specifically crafted to compliment the flavours of tequila. After many experiments they arrived at a pairing which was always meant to be: Tequila Savora.
Savora is a premium mixer expertly crafted for pairing with Tequila. Born in Edinburgh, they strive to create a culture of sippin’ not slammin’ this beautiful spirit.
Created to provide a sophisticated Tequila long serve, perfect for all occasions. The first mixer in the range is zesty lime & sweet agave, retaining the familiarity of Tequila being served with lime; whilst also adding subtle undertones of agave, the sole ingredient of all premium Tequilas.
Savora puts sustainability at the forefront of our brand. They acknowledge that no individual’s environmental footprint is flawless. However, we must all play our part in considering the impact of our consumption habits.
During the chat with Matthew we discuss:
- The journey from Accountant to Tequila Confinados
- A defining moment that made Matthew change
- The creation of Savora Drinks
- Matthew's list of ideas ... that didn't make it
- Winning Scotlands best soft drink - AHEAD OF IRN BRU!
- Indespensable tools and productivity hacks
- Learning from others and learning from failing.
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
Since 2012, Mon Dessert have been curating and collecting the most exquisite dessert recipes and ingredients from around the world, so you can create them yourself at home.
Started by self-taught patisserie chef, Samina Courtin, Mon Dessert was founded upon her passion for baking. Having realised there was an opportunity to teach the everyday person how to make complex treats easily at home, the Mon Dessert kit was born.
Mon Dessert are on a mission to be as sustainable as possible whilst delivering you perfection. That's why they're in the midst of ensuring that everything in our kits is either recycled, recyclable or reusable and aim to use responsibly sourced, fairtrade ingredients wherever possible.
What's more, they give back 1% of their revenue where it is most needed. This means that 1% of everything you spend with us goes towards our planet and our future. As a new company, they know we still have a way to go.
During the chat with Samina, we discuss:
- Samina's journey to date
- Taking investment quicker
- Challenges of listing in offline stores
- Strengths required for working in the FMCG sector
- Business reflection and what's around the corner for Mon Dessert
- Recommended reading and mindset
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
Caspar Rose, Co-Founder of The Wellness Group, Fresh Fitness Food and The Detox Kitchen
From producing 12 meals a day in a pokey Notting Hill flat, Fresh Fitness Food has grown into the UK’s #1 bespoke nutrition brand. Now they deliver cooler bags of nutritious food every single day, helping transform the lives of busy people, just like you.
They are on a mission to help people see, understand and consume food in a totally new way. They hope that their food inspires people to eat healthier for good, to make better choices and to be conscious of where their food comes from.
To the Wellness Group food isn’t just food. It is a pathway to better energy levels, sharper mental clarity, improved mood, better health and well being.
During the chat with Caspar, we discuss:
- The journey of Caspar and The Wellness Group
- Serving 100,000 meals a month across 4 plans; Lean Gains, Fat Loss, General Health and Build Muscie.
- Getting the best from yourself with productivity hacks.
- What's around the corner for The Wellness Group
- Recommended reading, podcasts and mindset
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
Alex Smith founded Alara in 1975 with £2 he picked up in the street. Now he makes half of the UK's organic museli.
Along with others, Alex was very active in the squatting movement of the 1970s and he decided to live without money for almost a year. The day after he decided to start using money again, Alex found £2. He spent the money taking a van around New Covent Garden Market to gather fruits and vegetables which were to go to waste and sold them on in a squatting shop. That shop became one of the first health shops, selling flakes, fruits, dried fruit, seeds and nuts. By 1977, they were producing a mix of these ingredients that became the first muesli recipe with no added sugar.
Alara’s focus has always been on clean, healthy food. In 1988, Alara was licensed by the Soil Association to produce the first Organic certified cereal in the world.
Alongside environmental sustainability, social fairness was also a key consideration for the company. In 1993, Alara produced the first certified Fair Trade cereals for both Traidcraft and the Alara brand.
The focus has always been on health. Dealing with gluten-containing ingredients made it clear that this type of food causes health problems for some people. Wanting to serve those with sensitivity to gluten, Alara became the first company to be licensed by the Coeliac Society in 1996 to produce gluten free cereals.
Food waste and packaging waste had been long-term concerns for the company. Working with Southbank University under the Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Alara developed processes and systems to eliminate all waste, transferring them into other materials. In 2008, the Alara factory in King’s Cross became the first Zero Waste food manufacturer on earth.
By 2018, They had started using home compostable packaging and we’re presently challenging themselves daily to be the ‘Most Sustainable Food Manufacturer on Earth’.
During the chat with Alex, we discuss:
- The journey of Alex and Alara
- Creating a business from £2
- Fishing in the Pacific for a year
- Being the first organic certified cereal in the world
- Being the Most Sustainable Food Manufacturer on Earth
- Investing in software and data
- Getting the best from yourself with productivity hacks
- What's around the corner for Alara
- Recommended reading and mindset
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
Founder, Andrew Gibb, started Coldpress over ten years ago when cold-pressing fruit and veg for juice was a radical idea, with their bestselling Pink Lady apple juice hitting supermarket shelves way back in 2011. The love for fruity, delicious, nutritious juice has grown since then (if that’s possible) – and now they have nine fruitastic flavours in the Coldpress family.
From single-orchard, hand-picked fruit juices to rainbow smoothies, each Coldpress flavour packs a real ‘true to the fruit’ punch, with added vitamins to help keep you as fit and healthy as possible.
Coldpress aim to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible by pressing the fruit on-site at orchards, and over 60% of our bottles are made of recycled plastic (which we always striving to improve) – so their juices are good for you, and the planet.
During the chat with Andrew, we discuss;
- Andrew's journey to date
- Understanding the processs of cold-pressed (HPP) juice
- What it takes to be in the FMCG market
- Reflecting on business success and dealing with curve balls
- Recommended reading and mindset
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
Maki & Ramen was founded by Teddy Lee. His journey began as a Chef, studying in a sushi academy in Tokyo, with an aim to introduce high-quality ramen and sushi to our local communities. With hard work, resilience, and a solid team, he founded the first MAKI & RAMEN in 2015. It is proudly standing today alongside other branches, serving hundreds of hungry customers each and every day.
Now that they have extended their reach around the UK, Maki & Ramen’s objective is simple: to provide delicious, accessible, and high-quality dishes to all their guests. Teddy believes they can get there, one bowl, or one sushi plate at a time.
During the conversation with Teddy, we discuss:
- Teddy's journey
- Opening the first restaurant
- Being 'Insta' Ready
- Followed by opening many more (quickly)
- Behind the scenes in the factory with production speeds
- What's coming soon for Maki & Ramen
- Recommended reading
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!
White Peak Distillery is Derbyshire’s first full-scale craft distillery, making award-winning whisky, gin and rum with a proud Derbyshire provenance.
Founded in 2016, they're still close to the beginning of their whisky journey. They released their first Wire Works Whisky in February 2022 and have been humbled by the response. With real excitement for the future, with plenty of whisky releases planned throughout the year.
An extract from the White Peak website from Max - In mid-2016 we had no premises, no partners or staff, no permits or consents, nowhere near enough funding and no track record in the drinks & spirits industry. But I had a dream that I’d been carrying for years, of making whisky and other spirits in Derbyshire. I was fortunate to find some investors who liked my ideas, I met two great distillers and I found the perfect premises. I decided I’d reached my now.With a life-long passion for whisky inherited from his Dad, Max wanted to build a distillery to produce authentic English whisky and establish a destination to celebrate the craft of distilling. Six years down the road, White Peak is established, the first whisky has come of age, and Max heads up a growing team of 10.
Max’s White Peak drink of choice is of course Wire Works Whisky, neat, full-on strength, no ice.
During the chat with Max, we discuss:
- His very impressive journey
- Designing the perfect equipment
- White Peak 'Place'
- Being a start-up for 6 years
- Investment based on a long term plan
- Reaching "my now"
- What's coming next for White Peak
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!...
Clare and Dejan met in 2008 and have since then worked together. They found a common ground in their creative and engineering backgrounds and joined Clare’s sustainability expertise and Dejan’s entrepreneurial passion to work on some of the world’s most pressing challenges. During these 14 years they have helped huge multinationals like Sainsbury’s, M&S and McDonald’s, as well as small start-ups develop circular economy solutions.
Over the last few years, more and more brands approached them to help them switch to sustainable packaging (whatever that means). And the truth is, there’s no silver bullet - recyclable is rubbish (as only 6% actually gets properly recycled), Compostable/Biodegradable is confusing and lacks infrastructure (so again, it’s rubbish) and the only truly sustainable option - reusable - is freakin’ hard to set up and manage as an individual brand!
This is where they realised a big opportunity for
During the chat with Dejan, we discuss:
- Dejan's journey so far
- What Get Moree does as a brand
- Thriving in the FMCG industry
- Business successes and what's happening next
- Taking advice and recommended reading
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!...
In this episode we chat to Claudio Owusu, Co-Founder of Gusto Snacks.
Gusto Snack, takes wonky fruit that they believe deserves a bite too.
What exactly are wonky produce? These are real perfectly edible fruit rejected by others simply because of their shape, size or colour. Gusto Snacks reduce food waste by saving these fruits, turning them into delicious air dried snacks.
During the chat with Claudio, we dicussed:
- Claudio's journey covering playing football in Italy to moving to London
- Understanding the impact that snack gusto has on the environment and reducing the 1.3 Billion tons that end up in landfill.
- Challenges behind launch a brand
- Power of your network
- Reflecting on an entrepreneurial journey
- What's around the corner for Gusto Snacks
- That one thing you wish you knew when starting on the journey
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!...
Opened in September 2012, Reds operates sites across the U.K. offering authentic and tasty US-style barbecue smoked and served on-site by our team of Pit Masters and Barbecue Evangelists. They use their own mix of authentic Rubs, Spices and Sauces with all meats prepped and smoked on-site.
Reds also operate a full retail range of rubs and sauces available in supermarkets as well as the Sunday Times Bestselling BBQ recipe book "Let There Be Meat".
Joined on this episode by James Douglas, Founder of Red's True Barbecue, we chat about:
- James' journey
- All about the Red's True Barbecue
- Every year taking a BBQ road trip Pilgrimage across the southern U.S. States to bring a true taste of authentic low and slow BBQ.
- What it takes to a be a success in the FMCG industry
- Taking advice from Richard Branson
- Reflection on positives from the businesses journey
- What's coming next for Red's True Barbecue
Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant
- Tweet us at @Harlands_NE
- Give us a follow on LinkedIN
- Give us a Like on Facebook
- Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk
- Don't forget to leave us a review
Thanks for listening!...
Nowhere on earth compares with Soho in its heyday. Here’s the story of how they bring all the feeling and flavours from London’s trendiest cocktail scene to the comfiest corner of your living room.
Soho. The home of good times since times began. If times began in the 1950s. Because that’s when this little village became the drinking capital of the capital. A hazy haven of jazz clubs, coffee houses and cocktail bars. Loved by people who know their drinks. And by people who love drinking them.
Fuelled by a mutual misspent youth exploring bars around the world, the founders Paul Scarratt and Grant Walker eventually brought all their accidental knowledge back to the UK, and into the drinks industry. Paul’s led some of the country’s biggest beer, wine and spirits businesses for over 25 years. And Grant spent his surveying career in and around Soho, before heading up a company that puts the sparkle, fizz and froth into bar drinks. But when they finally teamed up in 2020, they knew that no amount of cocktail knowhow would be a match for the true masters of mixology.
Every cocktail is made using the finest ingredients and purest fruit purees, so they taste just as good as back in the day. But with one tiny twist... they cram all of that cocktail magic into recyclable pouches, which stay fresh for up to 6 weeks after opening. So whether it’s a night in with friends or a big garden party, you’ll spend less time faffing around, and more time having fun with your favourite people, and your favourite cocktails. Just pour, shake and serve.
During the chat with Paul we discuss:
- How Soho Street Cocktails came around
- Paul's career covering the 25 years in the food and drink sector
- What it takes to become a success in the FMCG Industry
- Pauls Productivity hack
- Reflecting on good things that's happened
- Lessons in life
- What's coming next for Soho Street Cocktails
Kocktail was co-founded by two best friends in the Summer of 2020. Born out of a desire to enjoy a taste of our favourite cocktails from the comfort of home and unable to find anything that tasted as good as the drinks created by award-winning bartenders, they decided to take matters into our own hands.
The founders Emil and Andrew believe you deserve to enjoy beautifully fresh, premium, bar-quality cocktails at home with minimum fuss, so they teamed up with a great friend and international award-winning barman, Neil Donachie. Neil was the senior bartender at the famous Savoy Hotel's Beaufort Bar, he was the bar manager at Kenny Atkinson's Michelin starred House of Tides restaurant and he co-owns the spectacular Mother Mercy bar, so it's fair to say he knows a few things about making a great drink.
Kocktail initially started as a Kocktail Discovery Subscription Club and has now expanded to also include one-off Kocktail collections (available all year round), 500ml Kocktail bottles (perfect for sharing with friends and family) and single Kocktail giftboxes (the perfect gift for a cocktail lover).
During the chat with Co-Founder, Andrew Hutchinson we discuss:
- Andrew's career and journey to date
- Making a business based on a culture
- The power of a strong board
- Producitivity hack
- Unexpected business successes
In this episode, we chat to Sunna Van Kampen, CEO, Founder & Biohacker of Tonic Health
Sunna used struggle to find the energy for life and work. As he began to research, he found the products we rely on aren’t what they seem. Something had to change With better immune health we can banish sick days and live life.
Tonics' high dose vitamin drinks were born from a blocked nose and a makeshift science lab in Sunna’s kitchen. Through years of research and testing (in real labs) they made Tonic clean, natural and plant-powered for max absorption.
The products are backed by science and are the highest dose all-in-one compared to anything else on the market. That’s what it takes to get your immune system up to full speed.
During the interview, we chat to Sunna about:
- His drive and career to date
- Personality traits for someone who would need to work and be a success in the FMCG sector
- Launching products in other supermarkets and in other countries
- The power of sleep
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode, we chat to Paul Scanlon, Co Founder & Managing Director of Mahala Botanical
Born in France of Irish parents, Paul has lived in many countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, South Africa and now, the UK.
He joined the Alcohol Industry in 1996 as a Commercial Manager for Jameson Irish Whiskey, part of Pernod Ricard, where he held various senior commercial roles. Paul subsequently moved to the UK to become International Commercial Director of Chivas Brothers, working extensively across Europe, the Americas and Asia.
In 2014, Paul became the Managing Director of Pernod Ricard South Africa. Following over 20 successful years at Pernod Ricard, Paul set up his own Beverage Consultancy and since then has worked with both Start Ups as well some leading premium Gin, Rum, Hard Seltzer and Alcohol Free spirit brands.
Combining his passion for impeccable quality, the No/Low beverage category and South Africa, he partnered with Danielle to launch the Mahala Botanical brand.
“Mahala” is the Zulu word for “free”… Mahala Botanical is free from sugar, alcohol, colourants and artificial flavours. Mahala is also gluten and vegan friendly.
Free from sugar, alcohol, colourants and artificial flavours. Mahala is also gluten and vegan friendly. It offers health-conscious and mindful consumers a great tasting premium drink.
The all-natural botanicals undergo a triple-distillation process in her custom-built vacuum stills. This ensures abundant flavour and results in a complex, layered finish. The end product is a beautiful premium drink that delivers a sophisticated alternative to alcoholic beverages.
In its year of creation, Mahala Botanical was awarded the Trophy for Best Low/No Alcohol Spirit at the prestigious Michelangelo International Spirit Awards
During the interview, we chat to Paul about:
- His drive and career to date
- All about Mahala and its purpose
- Personality traits for someone who would need to work and be a success in the FMCG sector
- Seeking advice as an entrepreneur
- Launching a new flavour for winter
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode, we chat to Jeff Webster and Amy Moring, Co-Founders of Hunter & Gather.
Jeff and Amy are a British Couple, that are on a mission to improve our health! With rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and depression on the up year after year, it’s time for us to provide you with the tools that you need to thrive.
As a lifelong coeliac Amy has always looked at the back of foods for their ingredients and over the years, She was shocked by the number of added sugars, chemical preservatives, and ingredients she couldn’t recognise which are increasingly being added to our foods.
Jeff suffered with acne, asthma and IBS as a teen and eating a conventional diet of high sugar and carbs just was not working. A chance encounter with a medical professional showed me a new path of eating an ancestrally inspired real food diet free from refined sugar, grains and inflammatory oils.
Jeff's health improved drastically, and they knew from then that they had to share this message far and wide to help others too.
They knew that eating a real food lifestyle free from refined sugars, grains and poor-quality fats (like seed and vegetable oil) is the foundation for improving our health. Yet following this new lifestyle wasn’t easy due to the lack of preprepared products we could trust.
So, that’s why they started Hunter & Gather – to create a range of healthy kitchen staples, condiments and supplements all free from refined sugar, grains, and inflammatory seed/veg oils. Making choosing healthier options, easier for you and from a brand that you can trust to source the highest quality ingredients, with your health our number one priority.
During the interview, we chat to Jeff and Amy about:
- Their drive and career to date
- All about Hunter & Gather
- Personality traits for someone who would need to work and be a success in the FMCG sector
- Top tips from an entreprenuer
- Inbox Zero, Time blocking and Blinkist
- Focussing on D2C
- Exciting times of the crowdfunding option - currently at pre registration stage
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode, we chat to Paul Davison, Managing Director of Serios Group
Formed in February 2020, Seriös Group is a boutique consultancy specialising in the delivery of professional services across multiple industry sectors. The founding directors all have a proven track record in delivering projects for large blue-chip organisations.
The headquarters are in the vibrant city of Newcastle Upon Tyne, maintaining a London presence as they work with clients both UK-wide and internationally.
From Data Engineering, Data Architecture, IoT Analytics, BI & Reporting.
During the interview, we chat to Paul about:
- His drive and career to date
- What Serios Group does
- Using Data for making decisions
- Real Estate and Facilties management embracing the shift to smart tech
- Creating a bespoke player performance platform cabalable of analysing teams, games, players for a North East Football Team
- What’s around the corner for Serios Group
- What Paul wished he had known when he started out
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode, we chat to Nick Hird, Co Founder of ViDrate
30,000 people surveyed and less than 1% drink 8 glasses of water per day!!
Co- founders Rob & Nick, along with the ViDrate team are passionate about healthy living and a healthy environment. ViDrate has been created to help you drink more water.
The customers of ViDrate have become more and more conscious of sugars and artificial sweeteners in their drinks, we feel it is our responsibility to support them in this lifestyle change they are trying to achieve. There is still a long way to go in helping people to consume the best form of enhanced hydration. This lifestyle change for all age groups is the mission of ViDrate.
As a collective, we are on the verge of a plastic revolution and ViDrate is pioneering this movement in the world of drinks. Though ViDrate are only using the tiniest of plastic (0.4g) in their packagin, soon they aim to offen an even greater, environmentally friendly product.
During the interview, we chat to Nick about:
- His drive and career to date
- What ViDrate does
- Personality traits for someone who would need to work and be a success in the FMCG sector
- Productivity hack for entrepreneurs
- Setting up your week up with 3 big wins
- Being more than a product
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode we chat to Greg Pilley, Founder & Managing Director of Stroud Brewery.
Stroud Brewery established in 2006, initially the brewery was a passion project for the founder Greg Pilley; an adventurer, environmentalist and beer lover. His purpose was simply to make great tasting beers for the local community whilst being the change he wanted to see in the business world.
Today Stroud Brewery is a thriving enterprise and the tap room has become one of Stroud’s cherished local landmarks. They make great tasting, ethical and organic beer and create welcoming, fun social spaces.
With the beer category being so full, with so many brands, styles, flavours, trends and looks to choose from, why choose a Stroud Brewery beer? The innovative team in the brewery have the utmost respect for our remarkable UK beer heritage.
Stroud Brewery believe the only way to be truly sustainable is to invest in responsible organic farming. If we don’t look after our soils through organic farming they won’t be healthy enough to feed us in 60 years. They also work hard to lower our carbon and water footprints and implement circular economy principles.
During the interview, we chat to Greg about:
- His drive and career to date
- What makes Stroud Brewery different
- Personality traits for someone who would need to work and be a success in the FMCG sector
- Success behind crowdfunding and community bond
- B Corp - Balancing purpose and profit
- What’s around the corner for Stroud Brewery
- What Greg wished he had known when he started out
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode, we chat to Joe Woolf, Co Founder of Tasty Mates
Tasty Mates was founded by two mates – Joe and Nick - who sought to portray their mates in sweets. That’s why each packet of Tasty Mates has a unique flavour relating to a personality trait found in many a friendship group. Whether you’re one half of The Perfect Pear, or The Berry Funny One, there is a flavour for you… and if there isn’t yet… watch this space!
Across the world there are people who are suffering and at Tasty Mates they have a dedicated initiative to help Mates In Need. They promise to donate a percentage of profits to their charitable programme 'Mates In Need' with the aim of helping those in need.
During the interview, we chat to Joe about:
- His drive and career to date
- What Tasty Mates does
- Personality traits for someone who would need to work and be a success in the FMCG sector
- Productivity hack for entrepreneurs
- The one thing that made the Tasty Mates business successful that wasn't expected
- What’s around the corner for Tasty Mates
- What Joe wished he had known when he started out
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode we are joined by David Kemp & Richard Hunt, Directors from SFP Group,
David joined SFP in 2006 as a fresh faced law graduate, David completed his CPI and JIE qualifications and is now an appointment taking Licensed Insolvency Practitioner and Director at SFP. He works nationally with lenders, accountants, and business owners to provide clear and appropriate guidance on restructuring matters, always striving to find innovative ways to help businesses survive.
Richard has worked at SFP Group for over 15 years. Richard is a qualified insolvency practitioner and chartered accountant, holding the JIEB, ACA and CPI qualifications. Richard currently acts as officeholder over the firms MVL’s, CVL’s, CVA’s and certain Administrations, whilst also directly overseeing the firm’s compliance, treasury and tax departments.
The SFP Group provides an unrivalled mix of tailored services within the commercial finance sector. SFP provides services to business owners, lenders and accountants which include business turnaround, restructuring, sales ledger management, property services, financial solutions, business reviews and document archiving.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, UK businesses are facing significant challenges, with many companies experiencing financial difficulty. SFP business rescue & recovery service can help struggling business owners implement strategies to assist in getting their business back on track.
During the dual interview in this episode this week, we chat to Richard and David on:
- Their drive and career to date
- What they do
- The hot topics that they're seeing business owners facing
- Stats and trends for business owners
- The impact of covid support, such as Bounce Back Loans
- Expectations in the coming year
- What they had known when they started out
- Recommended reading and mindset
In this episode, we are joined by Josh Puddle, Co Founder of Momo Kombucha.
MOMO Kombucha is certified organic (Soil Association), fermented in super-small 10L glass jars and is completely unfiltered. This is the old-fashioned, homemade way of brewing and the only way to produce the highest quality kombucha.
It currently comes in four delicious flavours: Ginger-Lemon (2-star 2019 Great Taste Award), Turmeric (1-star) Elderflower, Raspberry - Hibiscus and is brewed in the heart of London’s New Covent Garden Market.
Josh and his wife first came across kombucha on a trip to New York back in 2016. Lisa had been reading about Gut Health and had heard that kombucha was fantastic for bringing the gut and the body back in to balance as it promotes and maintains a healthy digestive function. By the end of the trip we were hooked and were noticing positive changes that we felt were related to the kombucha - we had more energy and felt less bloated.
Back in London, they wanted to continue feeding our kombucha cravings. They decided to start brewing our own and the idea for MOMO was born. From day one we have brewed each batch in a small glass jar and we always will. This is the old-fashioned way to brew and the only way to produce the highest quality kombucha.
During the chat we discuss:
- A little bit about Josh and his career to date, including being an accountant.
- What is Kombucha?
- What's the benefits of drinking Kombucha?
- Business Life - Startup to scale up, the challenges, the pitfalls, lessons in life, Josh's recommendations to anyone looking to start a business in the food and drink sector
- Recommended learning
Finding more about Momo...
- Website - https://momo-kombucha.com/
- Shop -https://momo-kombucha.com/shop - use code Harlands20 for 20% off
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/momokombucha/
In this episode, we are joined by Andrew Carter, Business Manager of Bdaily
Bdaily are an online publisher of UK regional business news. In addition to timely news, advice and opinion content, they also provide bespoke online advertising and content marketing services to commercial clients.
Unlike other news providers, they operate as a digital technology company first. This means they're able to provide editorial and advertising services without the anchors of a traditional publishing outlet.
During the chat we discuss:
- What makes content appealing?
- The types of content Bdaily would share?
- Getting the attention of the people you want to use your content
- The value of relationships with the people you want to share your content
- The role social media has within it
In this episode, we are joined byDom Dalton, EMEA Director of TRIP Drinks
After Uni, Dom started his journey at Nestle, spending 5 years in export, logisitcs and distribution working his way up then moving on to Urban Fresh foods (BEAR Nibbles) as director of international distributiors after success in that role he moved on to set up and run the Soulfresh UK businesses, launching three brands (Lo Bros, Nutty Bruce and Pico) in the UK and various markets across EMEA before joining TRIP in Nov 2021 to lead the international expansion efforts.
A little bit about TRIP, who they are and what they do!
Dan and Liv created TRIP to share a bit of calm in the everyday chaos. CBD experiences that are just as enjoyable to taste as the feeling after. Products with amazing flavour that leave you more productive, less stressed and more you.
They found CBD in 2018 when weeks before their wedding, Dan was injured playing football and needed knee surgery - nightmare. Told he wouldn’t be able to walk down the aisle, They tried everything. He discovered CBD oils were a real game changer - he finally found some calm and got a good night's sleep at last. Against the odds, Dan made an incredible recovery and was last man standing on the dancefloor!
They then started using CBD oils for those smaller everyday stresses...loving the results but hating the bitter taste. The passion for CBD grew, eventually leaving careers in finance and law to launch TRIP. They designed a CBD range that fits effortlessly into their lives and they hope yours too.
Since launching in 2019, The TRIP team has grown and added two more family members to the business, growing to become the UK’s leading premium CBD brand. Dedicated to sharing only the highest quality products with all of you - so you can relax into your best self.
Dom's journey so far and expertise in the drink space is an insight for anyone wishing to learn more or what to expect when stepping into this industry to launch a product.
During the chat we discuss:
- Dom's journey to date
- The early stages
- Getting the funds
- Understanding the market
- Your supprt network and communities such as Young Foodies and FADNE
- Dom's Top 3 tips!
- Dom's recommended reading - Phil Knight - Shoe Dog - https://amzn.to/3xDwpne
In this episode, we are joined by Tim Hyde, CEO & Founder of TWH Media
Tim started his journey at LADBible at just 18 years old, as the 11th staff member of the company. Named ‘Employee of the Year’ a year later, he was instrumental in the growth of LADBible’s Facebook presence from 1.8 million to 10 million ‘likes’ in just 10 months, increasing daily traffic from one million to five million each day.
Tim then became Head of Campaigns for company Social Chain, devising, pitching and executing effective social media campaigns for brands such as Eurosport, Ford, ASOS, Puma and Spotify, pioneering the top nine most engaged live streams by a brand ever, with the top stream receiving 2.4 million comments in just 24 hours.
In September 2017, Tim launched his own social media marketing agency, TWH Media, which is dedicated to helping brands scale online through his own unique methodology. He is just entering Y4 and the business is scaling fast putting brands in the best position to be successful by driving ROI for growing businesses using cutting-edge marketing tactics.
Working with companies like Dreamworks, Adidas, Revolut, UFC, Baylis & Harding, Sky, Deliciously Ella, General Assembly, Optimum Nutrition, Huel, MissPap, PNW Components and The Sole Supplier.
Passionate about omni-channel marketing strategies to drive value for clients all over the world.
During the chat we discuss:
- Tim's journey to date
- Taking a startup from £0 to £75k Revenue in just 4 weeks
- Top Tips for a B2B and B2C marketer in 2021
- Trusting the process
In this episode, we're joined by Gordon MacPherson, CEO of Moralbox.
Moralbox was the brain-child of CEO Gordon MacPherson when he was working as a health and safety consultant in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
He discovered that when undertaking audits and accident investigations many organisations struggled to manage training records. It was common for training records to be missing or expired meaning that many of their personnel were carrying out high-risk activities either untrained or with outdated training, leaving them exposed to an increased risk of injury.
Inadequate training management processes also meant organisations were affected by reduced efficiency due to personnel being unskilled and higher training costs due to missing refresher training as personnel needed to attend the full courses again. Gordon wanted to standardise the training management process for organisations to make it simple, more automated and proactive rather than reactive.
Organisations and their workforce should be able to work together to ensure that appropriate training needs are identified and those needs are monitored to eliminate gaps and ensure refresher training is actioned in advance of expiry.
In this episode, we are joined by Michaela Reaney, co-founder at The Opportunity Group
The opportunity group work with organisations to ensure that their existing and aspiring talent are ready for the future of work. They do this by helping clients to maximise their Apprenticeship Levy funds so that they can develop critical skills and change behaviours – for the better and believe that talent is evenly distributed but opportunity is not.
During the conversation we talk about:
- What to expect from this decade and the future of work
- Change the perception of apprenticeships in the UK
- Top tips for building a culture of continous learning at work
- What to expect from The Opportunity Group in 2021
- Over consuming and not implementing
In this episode, we are joined by Sam Whitehouse, CEO at LIGHTOX
All of their products have chemistry at the heart of their origin and design, Lightox are able to take this chemistry and look for application opportunities in a number of fields, and by working collaboratively, they seek to raise revenues from a number of sources. By coupling the molecules to targeting agents they can direct their probes and cell killing drugs to specific cell types or intracellular components.
During the conversation we talk about:
- Understanding the two main research areas
- Cost of care associated in this space
- Project APOLLO
- and an exciting 2021 for Sam
In this episode we're joined by Georgina Weedon and Laura Tweddle from the Harlands Accountants Tax Team to discuss the announcements made by Rishi Sunak during his March 2021 budget.
During the episode we chat through:
- Existing support extensions
- New Support available
- The end of CBILs and Bounce Back Loans and what will replace them
- The bad news to the sandwich
- Increased taxes for companies
- Encouragment to invest and rebuild the economy
- Positives for the North East
- Advice for here and now
In this episode, we are joined by Rachel McBryde
Rachel shares the story of McBryde & Co. An agile collective of B2B communications consultants based in the North East of England.
Eye-catching campaigns, impactful PR, engaging social media and big-hitting creative ideas - they do it all, but operate lean and deliver big.
During the conversation we talk about:
- Being a start-up business during the last 12 months
- The process to identify what content will create the conversation
- Favourite Project
- Working in a niche
- Content focus direction in the next 12 months
In this episode, we are joined by Sue Todd
Sue helps the Fine Food and Hospitality industry to increase organic reach, boost social media engagement and increase sales by providing the WOW factor with Beautiful Mouth-Watering Images that people will want to Eat.
During the conversation we talk about:
- Why your images need to tell stories and the importance of telling the right story
- Top tips for product brands and what you should be considering in 2021
- Wining the North East Commercial Photographer of the year
In this episode, we are joined by Esther Gillespie
Esther shares the story of Jumping Rivers, an analytics company whose passion is data and machine learning. Helping clients move from data storage to data insights.
During the conversation we talk about:
- Understanding what Data Science is
- The process of a project linked to Data Science
- understanding some of the products, such as R, Shiny, Python and RMarkdown
- Looking ahead for 2021
Now more than ever we need high quality advice, guidance and new tools to help support our employee's mental health.
We know how important this topic is to many of you so we've partnered up with the talented team at Our Minds Work to bring you a 45 minute session
Since 2013, 33.9% of absence days in the financial services sector alone have been due to mental ill health. This compares to 24% of absence days in the retail sector and 22% in utilities
Now more than ever does a change to how we approach mental health need to happen!
Who is this session for?
This webinar is ideal for business owners, leaders and HR professionals who wish to learn more about supporting their team's mental health.
Why should you listen?
The aim of the session is to provide you with a simple model and tool that can be used in your workplace to ensure your team are provided with appropriate and effective support in response to them experiencing poor mental health.
You will also leave with an understanding of how to implement the Our Mind's Work ECO model and access to the Our Mind's Work Mental Health Continuum Model. These are 2 great tools you can implement in your business straight away.
Some useful resources linked to this session:
The slide deck that accompanied the webinar
Our Minds Work Continuum Chart
Our Minds Work progression Model
In this episode, we are joined by Dean Fox,
Dean shares with us his journey from losing a business, being almost killed in a car accident, bankrupt, depressed and suicidal to rebuilding himself and becoming a business coach and international speaker.
During the conversation we talk about:
- The story of Dean
- The fear associated to business growth
- Being a service driven vs a revenue chasing business
- External satisfaction and chasing the money
- The impact a business owner can have on the business for not making the right decisions, when required to do so.
In this episode, we are joined by Lindsey Wander, Founder and CEO of WorldWise Tutoring
WorldWise Tutoring is a full-service tutoring company that offers in-person services in Chicago but some of the lessons that Lindsey and her team sahre can help many of us.
During the conversation we talk about:
- A little about Lindsey
- Importance of soft skills learning from children in the playground to adults in business adapting to new clients
- Thinking like a scientist but an entrepreneurial mindset adpating to opportunties
- Lessons in life
In this episode, we are joined by Gilbert Corrales, CEO of Leaf Grow.
Leaf Grow don't just use tech, they build it. It helps them delivery results that traditional agencies simply can't come close to.
They test & optimise audience and creative combinations at unrivalled scale; reaching the right audience, with the right content, at the right time and place, to deliver maximum return on ad spend.
During the conversation we talk about:
- The story of Leaf Grow
- The decision and challenging situations from the pivot of Leaf Grow from Leaf FM.
- The Tech behind the platform
- Working with Bear Grylls
- Facebook Ads vs the 'boost' button.
- Lessons in life and a motto to live by
In this episode, we chat to Liam White, Co-Founder of Dr Will's.
The Dr Will's brand came from:
As a doctor, Will, and a restauranteur, Josh, the sauces we found on the shelves just weren’t doing it for us. So we decided to come up with our own.
We started cooking. Experimenting with all things natural, good and tasty. We wanted to create foods that taste amazing, don’t do you any harm, and come from sustainable products sourced as locally as possible.During the conversation, Liam talks to us on the topice of The B Impact - The Most credible tool a company can use to measure on its workers, community, environment and customers.
Some of the things we discussed during the topic talk was:
- What B Corp is?
- How to get that certification
- The Impact score and what it's doing to businesses that they decide to work towards the certification
In this episode of 'The Evolving Accountant' we are joined by Mick Armstrong, Head of the Herd at Seapigs.
Seapigs is known for creating ultimate products to reduce your impact on #ClimateChange - creating a different future for you, & our planet. 🐽❤️🌍
During the episode we talk about:
- The Drifters (Not the R&B / Soul Group) but what's coming out in 2021 that's defined as the worlds comfiest beach footwear following nearly 4 years in the making.
- Pinky Promises
- Climate Change and loving out tiny blue dot
- Soaking up 1 tonne of CO2
Here's the link to the blog that Mick mentioned during the chat
With over 20 years' as an international sale and marketing consultant experienced in developing niche products in emerging markets. Kathryn Read helps small and medium companies to break through international barriers creating successful entrepreneurs and a thriving global marketplace.
This episode is all about "How to successfully expand into international markets", during the podcast we discuss:
- What it is that Kathryn does
- What the frequent mistakes are
- Top tips to do it properly
- The impact of Brexit on the work that Kathryn does
Want to find out more about Kathryn website, here's the link
In this episode we chat to one of the UK's leading Sales and Marketing experts. His fourth book, 'Digital Selling' debuted at Number 1 on the Amazon charts prior to being published following the success of Leboff's previous titles.
A thought leader in his field, Leboff's main focus is to address the massive changes that are taking place in a world that is constantly being introduced to new technologies and an evolving World Wide Web. He continually challenges Sales & Marketing conventions that become accepted wisdom, but don’t necessarily deliver results.
Having built a successful direct marketing company, which he started in 2002, Leboff sold it in 2008. As well as undertaking work as a Non Executive Director, he now has a number of other business interests.
The topic of this episode is, "In this challenging climate how do businesses use the strategic discipline of marketing to accelerate their performance in 2021" and we chat about:
- Marketing as whole
- Value proposition and why you should revisit it now more than ever
- Gateway and cross sell offerings
- Why slashing your marketing budget last year and this year could damage your business for years to come
- The Attention Economy
- Why your brand matters more now than ever before - especially in B2B
- The difference between segmentation and targeting and why most marketing goes wrong.
- Grant's top tips for creating effective marketing messages, content and material.
In this episode we chat to Patricia Barclay, Life Science Lawyer and Founder of Bonaccord.
Bonaccord is an award winning law firm established to support the scientific community. They help innovative businesses maximise the commercial value of their technologies and have particular expertise in the life sciences, specialty chemicals and advanced engineering.
The life sciences sector is highly specialised with unique challenges. Bonnacords insightful support and understanding of the industry, based on many years' experience, aims both to protect your interests and support you in seeing your idea to market.
During the podcast we spoke about:
- Patricia's career to date, including time spent working at Pfizer that everyone knows of now, due to the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Raising Money - The important things you need to do when raising money and the big NO NO's for investors
- Protecting your IP - Do you really need to protect your IP? Isn't protecting IP only for big companies?
There is a lot of talk out there about ‘going greener’ and being more ‘sustainable or eco’ but how many businesses are actually acting on this?
Enter Jolyon Bennet – CEO and founder of Juice (mobile phone accessories manufacturer) – he is on a mission to not only ensure his company is manufacturing in a more sustainable way, but he is also rolling out an incentive to help others (even his competitors) to do the same with their own label ranges – TESCO being one of the first to work with him.
On top of this, he is actually taking a hit for the environment by not increasing any of his pricing on his eco packaging so as not to put customers off buying it and to encourage more sustainable shopping.
- Earlier this year Juice has become the first mobile phone accessories manufacturer to completely remove single-use plastic from its packaging
- Juice also scooped the prestigious ‘Best Accessories Manufacturer’ award at the annual Mobile News Awards 2020 beating multi-national industry giants such as Belkin, Otter Products and Zagg to the win
Jolyon's efforts have been recognised by industry professionals including Steven Pacitti, President of the International Packaging Press Organisation (IPPO). During a recent interview, Steven said:
“I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to Juice and Jolyon Bennett – to find a brand that is committed to the intrinsic values and benefits that plastic brings and is prepared to go the extra yard to make it completely recycled at his own cost, is a rare breed.”
Although many businesses have been helping each other throughout the pandemic, this was always part of Jolyon's wider business plan. He is making it his mission to encourage sustainable purchasing and believes that even making small changes can make a big difference.
In this episode, we chat to John Devitt, CEO of Recovery4life.
As an experienced leader, John has had a varied and successful career and has experience in working in a range of sectors and environments including, International Development (The British Council), Enterprise (PNE Group) and Substance Misuse and Primary Care (Counted4). Most recently he has been supporting businesses with Covid-19 testing with profits from tests going into the 20/20 fund to support essential community services working with vulnerable people.
He is passionate about making a positive impact on people’s lives and the wider community and strongly believes in the importance of personal enterprise.
During the episode we discuss:
- John's carerr to date
- COVID-19 and the testing behing it
- Along with the mental health issues the pandemic has brought
- The support (or lack of it) for individuals impacted with mental health
- The 20/20 fund that Recovery 4 Life created and why
- Drug and Alcohol testing in the work place
In this episode, we chat to Simon Taylor, Managing Director of SJT Management Holding
Simon was born and brought up in Newcastle, started his professional career with Northumbrian Water after gaining a MSc in Environmental Management, and has since gained a MBA from Durham Business School. He has a wealth of senior management experience, having held a number of Director and Managing Director positions.
Since returning to the North East of England he setup SJT Management Holdings and is a Non-Exec Director in a SME and is on the Board of Governors for a local independent school. He is a Mentor for the NELEP and a member of The Experience Bank, as well as being a Business Innovation Specialist for the NE BIC, and is a provider for NBSF.
Simon has over 20 years’ experience of managing organisations in the Utilities sector in the UK and abroad, including a number of senior leadership roles in large complex organisations, in both the private and public sector. He spent 6 years working in the Middle East managing teams of locals and international expats in demanding commercial and regulatory environments.
During the episode we discuss:
- Simon's career to date
- The boom of dubai and their vision for the future
- Working on the business, not in it
- Recommended reading & listening
In this episode, we chat to Kevin Maddison, Managing Director of Root Cause Consultancy.
Root Cause Consultancy was founded in 2003 to help small to medium-sized companies develop administrative processes to reduce risk and avoid repetition or transposition errors.
Having spent decades in the construction, investment and technology sectors, both in the UK and also international territories, Kevin's conclusion in the process of helping businesses of any size starts with assessing the management teams awareness of themselves.
It is a well established fact that the business owners, or senior managers, who lead teams, have more influence over business results than any of the systems employed in them. Too little is done to improve individual skills despite investing over and over again in systems and processes with poor returns.
During the episode we discuss:
- Kevin's career to date
- No two people are the same - based on profiling over 18,000 so far
- Making your business 'buying friendly'
- Motivational quotes and lesson's in life
In this episode, we chat with Stu Macdonald, Founder at ManiLife - The fastest growing Peanut Butter brand in the UK.
As the original creator of the deep roast ManiLife were the first peanut butter brand on earth to start thinking about roasting peanuts the same way master roasters think about coffee. ManiLife prides itself on creating flavour through craft rather than added ingredients.
A deeper roast means a deeper flavour. We had to tread carefully as deep flavour can become bitter if you go too far. We think we finally got it right (and have the 3 great taste stars to prove it).
When started ManiLife making 4,000 jars one jar at a time. Proper. Small. Batches. Whilst their batches aren't quite that small anymore, they've maintained the same principles and pride as being one of, if not the only majorly distributed peanut butter brand in the UK that produces in small batches.
During the episode we spoke about:
- Creating that first batch of 4,000 handmade jars in a kitchen at a rugby club
- Creating Mani moments of happyness
- Taking the company from a hobby, to a start-up to a scale-up business
- Getting your product on the shelves in the larger supermarkets or multiples
Stu has also created a discount code for all you amazing listeners to get 20% off your first order from the Mani-Life website use the code DARRENSCLAN at checkout to try this amazing product.
In this episode, we chat with Sarah Callender, Commercial Director at Duo Global Consulting & Director at BDaily.
Every company has a culture, purposefully built or not, it’s there. And, positively or negatively, it will influence the behaviours and the outputs of the people in your business. Why wouldn’t you want to take hold of this and create a culture that accelerates business growth?
During the episode we spoke about:
- Highlights of Sarah's career including working at Groundsix, Bdaily and move to Duo
- Being open to chat and saying "Yes" to coffee
- Navigating change
- The new offerings coming soon
- Lessons in life
In this episode of The Evolving Accountant, we have a chat to Paul Campbell, Founder & CEO of Amazing Radio. Amazing Radio is the place that you hear the future big stars of the music industry first having found a number of the artists / bands that we listen to now, to name a few, Bastille, Haim, Skrillex, The 1975, Royal Blood, Rag N Bone Man, Dua Lipa and Sam Fender.
During the podcast we talk about:
- His career to date, including working at the BBC
- Taking the plunge and setting up Amazing Radio
- How Amazing find the artists and Paul's top tips for standout acts to look out for in the future
- The purchase of the CMJ Music Festival in New York
- Being from the North East, the heritage, the culture and loyalty
- The launch of Amazing Radio in America (during lockdown)
- Where Paul takes his advice from
Useful links:
Amazing Radio - UK - https://amazingradio.com/
Amazing Radio - USA - https://amazingradio.us/
CMJ Music Festival - https://cmj.com//
In this episode of The Evolving Accountant, we have a chat with Founder and Director of French Quarter, Newcastle, Cedric Boc-Ho.
Founders Cédric & Catherine Boc-Ho opened The French Quarter in 2017 with the aim to take the fuss out of French dining, whilst offering an alternative to the chain dominated high streets.
Originally from the Loire Valley in France, Cédric's curiosity about wine began as a young boy, when games of hide & seek turned into long afternoons spent crouched between bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape in his grandfather's wine cellar. Cédric explored this curiousity throughout his 12 years working in hospitality and whilst studying to obtain his MBA in hospitality management & WSET awards in wines & spirits.
Catherine, originally from Northumberland, met Cédric in the French Alps in 2011 and the two soon realised their shared love of the good things in life. After 6 years of exploring France & the huge array of regional products available, peeling labels of every extra special bottle of wine & photographing every unique French dish eaten, their dream to share these top-quality products became reality with The French Quarter.
During the podcast we spoke about:
- Social style dining
- Tapas and wine
- Building that professional network for support
To find out more about The French Quarter Newcastle check out
Website
Facebook
Instagram
In this episode, we chat to Keith Atkinson, Chief Executive of Marginal Gains about his career and the launch of Marginal Gains in 2018.
During the chat we spoke about:
- Being green and growing
- Lessons in life
- Making marginal changes to turn it into something big
In this episode, we chat to Cary, Owner and Chef at Bistro Citron Vert talking all things cooking.
During the interview we discussed:
- The reasons behind the North East's French Inspired Bistro
- The "EAT OUT TO HELP OUT' scheme launched by the government during the coronavirus pandemic
- Cooking inspiration and finding new techniques and recipes
How to find Bistro Citron Vert
Website
Facebook
Instagram
In this episode, we chat to Paul Lofthouse, Innovation Specialist at RTC North about his career and support on office to develop your people, encourage a collaborative approach to idea generation, and instill a culture that adaps and responds positively to change.
During the chat we discuss:
- Paul's career to date
- RTC innovation support and who pays for it
- Paul's recommended learning for business owners
- Paul's top tips for 'professional networking' (not throwing business cards at everyone)
In this episode, we chat to Peter Joynson, CEO of Synergi.
These days it seems everyone's talking about digital transformation. However, real digital business transformation isn't just a buzzword, it's a vital and necessary journey for any organisation that wants to ensure they have a modern workplace, that's fit for the future and more improtantly during the pandemic of keeping the workforce working.
At Synergi they get that this can sometimes feel like a minefield and that you don't always know exactly what your business needs to do. You can start your journey by exploring a range of digital solutions you can utilise to transform and innovate your organisation. Then it won't be long until you too can reap the benefits of more engaged employees, increased productivity and a thriving modern business.
During the episode we spoke about:
- A career in IT and the changes over the decade
- IT requirments in the current situation
- SAAS, IAAS and the future of IT budgeting
- Knowing now, what you didn't know then
In this episode I talk to Andy Jamieson, Director at Peter Hill Credit.
It's not a surprise to anyone that at present, we are living in uncertain times, some business owners have looked to pivot their plan over the past 5 months, some offering additional support and some sticking to doing what they do best.
.With job cuts and company closures in the news consistantly at present, we thought it was a great time to introduce you to debtor insurance, if one of your large customers closed the doors for the final time and owed you for goods or services that you/your company provided, you might never see that money again to no fault of your own.
During the interview, we discussed:
- What gets Andy up in the morning and his journey to date.
- What Debtor insurance is and succesful examples
- The Tsunami around the corner for the 'underwriters'
In this episode, i talk to Juliet Barratt, Co-Founder of Grenade
The Grenade® story is one of ‘roll-your-sleeves-up’ hard work and a commitment to doing things better. Founded in 2009, the mission was simple. As sports supplement distributors, they'd grown tired of selling a bunch of stuff that looked and sounded the same as everything else on the market. So, they set about creating products that people would remember, products that would inspire people to get more out of life.
The first attempt at a weight-loss formula was so effective, a friend described the results as explosive, “like a grenade”. This product became Thermo Detonator® and Grenade® became the name they were looking for.
Today, Grenade® continues to pride itself on making each product and formulation as unique as possible, offering products that exceed label claims and go beyond the seen-it-all-before sports nutrition stereotypes. This commitment has resulted in Grenade® being named one of the UK’s fastest growing companies, while our best-selling Carb Killa® bars were named Protein Bar of the Year at the 2019 Product of the Year awards.
The team are just as passionate and hands on as we were on day one. Whether it’s product development, global marketing or overseeing the logistics of having customers in over 80 countries worldwide, life is never dull at Grenade®!
During the interview we discussed:
- What get's Juliet out of bed in a morning and her journey before Grenade
- The story behind Grenade
- The Start-up Phase - The ups the downs and everything between
- Scaling up - Some of the challenges and lessons learned
- Featuring in the Fast Track 100 for 6 consecutive years
- Global Marketing - From Tanks, Hot air baloons and Grenade TV
- The 3 things that any food or drink company needs to know when entering this marketplace
- What's around the corner for Juliet in her career and mentoring new Start-Ups to follow a similiar journey
In this episode, i talk to Mark Wright, Director and Founder of Climb Online and winner of the 2014 TV show the apprentice.
When Mark came to the UK in 2012, with nothing but a passion for business and a love of digital marketing, He didn’t know how he would start running his own business…He just knew he wanted it badly. Lord Sugar and The Apprentice, combined with 9 years’ experience in the industry, hasdcreated a recipe for a truly great business!
During the interview we discussed:
- What get's Mark out of a bed in a morning
- Mark's career pre The Apprentice
- Digital Marketing, Google Ads and Facebook 'Pay to Play'
- Future Trends and the takeover of Voice and AI
- A quick fire round of questions linked to the TV Show - The Apprentice
- And recommended reading for anyone in business
Business development, filling your pipeline and developing your sales can be challenging in the current environment. This video session gives you the tools, processes and ideas to help you improve your approach to business development in these changing times. We will help you create a clear plan and focus for you and your team helping you improve your approach, build you confidence and focus on filling your pipeline.
Right now Chief Executives and their senior teams are facing more and more distractions. Because of this it is even more vital to identify the most rewarding and profitable things to focus on. Plus developing a simple system to enable senior professionals to remain consistent is critical.
Many business owners don’t use their full business plan on a daily basis. Most business owners and their senior teams have far too
many “busy days” and not enough “effective days.” Most business owners know deep down that remaining focused on key business objectives is a challenge and finishing the week without feeling fulfilled is far too common.
When professional people feel frustrated because they know that they are not working at their potential it can be damaging to their
business and their senior management team. A major challenge for people is make the most of themselves.
A great way to achieve this challenge is to develop a personal 1-3-5 action plan that identifies the actions that need to be taken on a
consistent basis to achieve the desired result.
As our attention begins to turn from 'Crisis' to 'Recovery' management it is important that you begin to consider how investing in human capital and learning from your people will future-proof your business.
Dianne Sharp, from DKS Straightforward and The Leadership Academy, shares her knowledge and experience from over 30 years in and managing SME businesses across a range of sectors.
After a successful year as Regional Director for the CBI, advocating for businesses across the North East locally, nationally and internationally, Dianne Sharp established DKS Straightforward Ltd in 2015.
Dianne is an experienced management consultant and executive coach to SMEs as well as a member of the PSA (Professional Speaker’s Association). The business specialises in unlocking the potential of human capital. Specialising in leadership, talent management, strategy and innovation.
With a passion to improve the quality of businesses in the region and a core value to help the North East’s economy one leader at a time, DKS Straightforward helps businesses to look at its people, processes, finance and strategy to promote innovation and growth.
During the session Dianne will share with you::
The key principles when it comes to leadership
Your organisation building blocks to success
What's your DISC style?
Work effectively with other DISC styles in your team
In this episode of the Evoling Accountant Podcast, we talk to Fenwick Smith, CEO - FloKi Health.
Whilst FloKi is a private company, we are bound by the same NHS mantra to ‘making a difference to the lives of patients and clinicians.’ A high-ranking selection criteria for the FloKi team is to have passion to make a difference, using skills, determination and vision to improve the state of the nation.
During the interview, we speak about:
- The journey of Fen and why he gets out of bed every morning
- Why FloKi Health started and what the trigger was
- Why FloKi Health could make a difference to everyone of our lives
- The biggest challenges to the NHS
- The next level for FloKi
- Looking back at things and recommended reading
While it is indeed an uncertain time for most businesses, the coronavirus pandemic has provided many of us with a natural pause. We have had some new found time to evaluate what has and hasn't worked, and most importantly, plan again for the future.
And if the pandemic has taught us something in business, it is that those who have adapted to digital ways of working are faring better than others.
That's why we've partnered with James Ealey - Director at Precept, who are a Brand Performance business to put on this webinar.
Now is a great time to step back and revisit your business model so that it is agile enough to meet the changing needs of our customers, team and suppliers.
If you are about to start your business planning or don't have a clue where to start this webinar is ideal for you.
It is hosted by the awesome Ian Farrar, who will introduce us to the Business Model and Value Proposition Canvas which is a great tool for business owners to use.
Ian will take you on a business journey so that you can learn how other organisations have adapted their strategy due to the change in market forces.
We will also discuss the change in buying trends and the need to pivot to avoid business failure. The aim is to take you out of your current thought process, look at diverse companies and innovative ways of working so that you deliver remarkable outcomes.
Leading a business or team of people can be isolating at the best of times and now more than ever that pressure is increased tenfold through the current enforced isolation. Add into the mix the worry for business's survival and the health and mental wellbeing of their teams, and you have a recipe for real stress.
These challenges won't change. But how you approach them can!
We are delighted that Karl Beckett will be our guest speaker and with a track record of over 60 successful business transformations he is well known for clearing the heads of executives and managers, allowing them to conquer their challenges.
Karl is a former CEO, Coach and Adventurer, and has held some fantastic positions that have allowed him to share his expertise and positively influence the growth of many companies. Latterly, Karl enjoyed 14 years as Managing Director of a market leading regional SME with 500 staff that achieved numerous industry awards such as Regional Care Employer of the Year and they were also winners of the Top 50 Growing Businesses in the North East Award for three consecutive years.
During the session Karl will share with you:
- The 5 skills of resilience to help you become a better leader.
- Practical tips that has served Karl well and can help you going forward.
- How using the outdoors can help you as a leader to clear your head.
- How as a leader you can weather the storm in those early days of huge change, work through those low times and bounce back to lead your teams though this significant period of disruption.
Thursday 7th May, We recorded the 2nd of our series of Zoominar's during the COVID 19 Lockdown with James Tennant, Founder of content marketing platform, Converge.
Content marketing is essential for businesses. Perhaps even more so under the current circumstances.
The usual methods of getting your message out may now not be available, face to face meetings are now via video calls as we adapt to this new virtual world.
James Tennant shared with us how businesses can create or adapt a content strategy during baffling times.
A little more about James:
James is a content marketer and copywriter helping companies and organisations of all sizes and disciplines create and share great content to educate, inspire and bring value to their audiences.
He has written and edited content, as well as designing content strategies for the like of eBay, Gumtree and the UK Government. James loves talking on various aspects of content marketing and is a columnist for the Content Marketing Institute.
During the session, James shared with us
- What a content marketing strategy is
- Things to be aware of when black swan events occur
- How to create or adapt a content marketing strategy during coronavirus pandemic
- Examples of good and bad content during the current coronavirus pandemic
- Useful tools to better understand your audience
In this episode I talk with Richard Rowell, Director at Canvas HQ Video production.
Launching a business at any time can be difficult, Richard shares the journey that he and fellow founder Nathan has took over the last year 12-18 months to launching their own video production company and in the 2nd month of trading being struck by the COVID19 lockdown.
During the interview we discussed:
- Richards career to date
- Setting up the business
- Side hustling
- What makes a good or bad video
- Lessons in launching a startup
On Thursday 30th April, we recorded the first of Zoominar series during the COVID 19 Lockdown with David Wilkinson, Performance Coach.
It goes without saying that the majority of business owners are facing incredibly challenging times and for many of us it's the uncertainty, or lack of control that is creating more added stress, frustration and self-doubt.
None of us really know what the outcome will be, how long the situation will last or what will happen on the other side of the Coronavirus pandemic...
BUT what we do know is that each and every business owner has a responsibility to take care of their business, their team, themselves and their family to the best of their ability so we can get through this.
A few years ago I was running my business but instead of feeling fulfilled, successful and motivated I felt nothing but stress, anxiety and laden with guilt. Once I started feeling this way everything around me suffered, my health, relationship and business productivity.
During the session, I’m going to share with you:
- How I got out of this hole
- 3 insanely simple, yet powerful systems any business owner can use to create unstoppable confidence and motivation
- How to put an end to anxiety and create a life that is in total balance between work, fitness and personal relationships using my “Core 4 Complex”
- How to create an actionable way through your biggest business challenge and stress right now. You'll be able to come away from this workshop and know exactly what your next steps will be.
- Strategies to optimise your mental and physical well-being and WHY this is so vital right now for your energy, mood, productivity and state
In this episode I talk with Ben Drury, The Culture Guy
A common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Helping entrepreneurs be brilliant! building cultrues and environments that inspire people to be great! Uber geek, author experience designed & culture builder.
Ben has a passion to inspire, motivate, excite and challenge organisations to be brilliant. He wants to encourage business to be built on a foundation of inspiring mission honest core values and an audacious vision.
During the interview we discussed:
- Ben's career to date
- What is culture
- The launch of Ben's 3rd book
- Biggest factors in defining the culture of an organisation
- Good Vs Bad Culture
- Handling the internal terrorists
- What Ben wishing he knew when he started out
- Recommend reading and videos
In this episode I talk with Sammy Sadler,
Sammy recently setup her own freelance company after working for a number of agencies around content, PR and Marketing before making the plunge into the world of freelancing.
During the interview we discussed:
- Sammy's career to date
- Making the step into the world of being a freelancer
- Working in the music industry
- Expected trends post COVID-19
- Recommended reading
- and ... What's coming next for Sammy
In this episode I talk with Colin Young, Wear Business Magazine.
Colin has recently setup the Wear Business magazine and the supporting website as the Voice of business for the wear region.
During the interview we discussed:
- Colin's career to date
- Starting as a journalist
- Being the football clubs journalist
- The crime scene in York
- The transition between print and digital
- The Launch of episode 2
- Recommended reading
In this episode I talk with Gavin Sewell, Chief Executive Honcho at GetHoncho.com
Honcho are changing the way that drivers across the UK buy their insurance by asking insurance providers to bid against each other with ever-lower prices, in reali time, to try to win your business. REVOLTUIONARY!!
During the interview we discussed:
- Gavin's career and travels
- The idea of Honcho
- Honcho Rewards
- The insurance companies behind the platform
- Where you can hear Gavin speak
- Words of wisdom
In this episode I talk with Laura Pearman,
Laura setup her photography company 8 years ago focusing on helping influencers and entrepreneurs to grow their business with a powerful personal brand approach. This includes working out how their marketing strategy can be upheld with fabulous visual assets.
During the interview we discussed:
- Laura's career beginning at the age of 12
- Phtoography & Headshots
- Personal Branding
- Modern Day Feminism
- Cyber Cocktail Meetings
- MHAW TV
In this episode I talk with Melissa Beckett, Entrepreneur Acceleration Manager at the Natwest Accelerator Programme.
The programme offers three stages of support, the business builder or pre-accelerator, accelerator and the scale up programme.
During the interview we cover
- Melissa's career to date
- Pre-accelerator Programme
- Accelerator Programme
- Scale Up Programme
- Becoming a mentor
- International Women's Day
- Alison Rose, first women CEO of a bank
- Fail and failing fast
In this episode I talk with Adrian Cheesman, Managing Director at Demob Job.
Demob Job was established in 2005 by Adrian after he completed a successful full career in The Royal Corps of Signals.
His vision was to build an ethical and professional recruitment business which would champion the employability of personnel who have previously served in our Armed Forces; Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.
During the interview we discussed:
- Adrian's Military career
- How the idea came around to start Demob Job
- Sectors and specialisms
- The difference between using Demob Job and that of high steet agency
- It being a lonely place at the top
In this episode i talk with Greg Phipps from Central Employment.
Greg's experience is in Permanent Commercial recruitment across the UK. Expert in Technical Sales, Business Development, Direct / Digital Marketing, PR , Design, Media and Communications.
During the interview we started talking about:
- DIY Recruitment vs Using an agency
- The recruitment industry from an insiders point of view
- 'Dog eat Dog world' - The recruitment world from an outsiders point of view
- Tech Development with cutting edge software including AI
- Events / Expos and Talk-ins
- Looking back and being humble
In this episode I talk with David Wilkinson, Performance Coach at Men-Unleashed
David is a high performance coach and trainer living in the North East, Loves Coffee, Conversation, IPA Beers, Travelling and Fitness. For most of Davids life, he fought a battle in his mind between; feeling unsure of who he was and a deep belief that he was capable of much more. The inner battle continued but the insecure side was winning - until he made some big changes.
During the interview we started talking about:
- The big decisions in David's life to make a switch 3 years ago
- David's mission, vision and his drive to do what he does every day
- Being open, honest and being you BEST TRUE self
- His new programme of Men-Unleashed and the type of clients that the Men-Unleased is geared towards.
- David's new book (coming soon)
- and the power of journaling
In this episode I talk with Paul Koshy, Paul is working with leading edge companies in AI, business analytics and visualisation, IoT and robotics and medical imaging - offering solutions in healthcare, marketing and communication, retail, water, energy, space and telecoms.
Their approach is to make intelligent, demand-led connections, through ongoing relationships where we gain a deep understanding of your pain points, business needs and objectives.
Pain in the necks, backs and everything in between. In this episode we talk to Ross Tomkins about all those creeks and pains that happen over time and often blamed on the chair that you sit on or the desk that you sit at. Ross explains his approach and the advice to both the employer and employee which aims to support the employee safely back into the workplace. Treatment can include reactive techniques such as advice, exercises and manual therapy but also more preventative actions such ergonomic and DSE assessments or training sessions with line managers, HR and/or the rest of the Occupational Health team.
Measure, Understand and Improve Customer Experience in Real Time.
One simple message and motto of CustomerSure Owner Guy Letts, who joins us in this weeks podcast to talk all about Net Promoter Score, CSAT, Customer Effort Score and all the other buzzwords around how your clients actually feel about your service.
Our Apres Ski Christmas event was hijacked by Ian Farrar and his team at the Industry Angel Business Podcast as we went live across Facebook in our winter wonderland in an interview with our own MD Glyn Davison.
Glyn and Ian discuss:
- Working at a world class level
- Building a routine
- Creating a great culture and a work/life balance
- Training and mentoring
- Technology
- Being an early adopter
In this episode we talk to Jayne Hart of the HR Dept Newcastle and talk about everything from company policies, contracts, performance management and Employment Tribunal.
It's not a nice world that we live in, but for business owners it's best to be covered from what could be around the corner.
A mistake many businesses, large and small, make is to launch into marketing activity without taking the time to think strategically about their approach. This results in wasted time, effort and budget. But where should you start with your marketing?
In this episode we talk to Chris Liddle from https://cliddle.co.uk/ all about personalisation of marketing and having a different approach to marketing.
The North East is home to thousands of companies in these key sectors, from large multi-national brands and home grown firms to SMEs and micro businesses, who collectively contribute millions of pounds to the North East economy and employ hundreds of thousands of people.
EMN has positioned itself at the heart of the engineering and manufacturing industries, offering companies expert support and access to the assistance they need to realise their full potential.
EMN are also the brand behind EMCON, EMCON focuses on showcasing Engineering and Manufacturing excellence in the North East and beyond, with over 1,000 visitors through the door each year and 100 exhibiting companies, many of which come back year after year because of the value and benefits they derive from this event.
The event provides an annual opportunity for the Engineering and Manufacturing sectors to come together and demonstrate both their individual and collective capability with the aim of meeting new contacts, strengthening their network and ultimately winning new orders and generating sales.
Find out more about EMN and EMCON at https://cdemn.org.uk/
The winery by Laneberg Wine is the first on Tyneside and the furthest north in England.
Elise grew up in Newcastle and moved away in 1999 to study chemistry at Oxford, then moved to London to work but came back to the North East in 2017 to be near family and set up the business.
Check out more info on the business at https://www.lanebergwine.com/
This week we sat down to chat with James Hopper, COO of Security Risk Management - otherwise known as SRM. As the North East's leading full-service information security consultancy, SRM has a client portfolio ranging from tech start-ups to FTSE 100 businesses.
In this podcast James discusses his own journey to date, the growing importance of cyber security and why organisations must become more proactive in improving their risk posture - rather than simply waiting for a breach and picking up the pieces afterwards.
SRM has built a reputation for demystifying the information security space and has established itself as a trusted partner to organisations that take cyber threats seriously. Day-to-day operations may include guiding businesses through ISO27001 certification, helping them tackle the challenge of GDPR, analysing systems vulnerabilities or investigating a breach. Find out more by visiting www.srm-solutions.com
Delighted to speak to Neil Robbins MD of Silverbean and AGY47. At Silverbean, they work with businesses across sectors and sizes to accelerate sales by developing and implementing bespoke marketing strategies. Their mission is to support your business using strategic thinking and data-driven decisions.
For over fifteen years, Silverbean have worked with clients including L’Oreal, Clarks and HelloFresh, as well as SMEs and start-ups from across the UK and beyond. From Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC), to Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), B2B and Affiliate Marketing to transform your marketing and generate more revenue for your business.
In this episode we talk Russell Mills, from Mills consulting group. Russell is a tech based consultant and head of partnerships at the DadShed based in Manchester. Looking at all things property in this episode
Speaking to Business Development Manager from AMH Workspace based in Washington, We discuss the procedure, reasonings and delivery of the amazing offices that AHM Workspace create every day of the week. We love our offices and love to show them off and it's massive thanks to these guys
Speaking to Charlotte Windebank, Director, First Network based in Gateshead. Charlotte and her team are focused on connecting young people, professionals & startups in their wider business community. First has 3 core services:
- FIRST Startup – enterprise skill development through workshops, networking events, competitions and business accelerator programmes
- FIRST Breakthrough – a youth led matching service connecting 14 – 30 year olds to work placements, jobs, training and qualifications
- FIRST Face to Face – an online events resource and networking event management consultancy
It's often said that the life of a marketeer is a life time of learning, new tech, new strategies and the constant evolution in the market place.
In January 1996, Google was launched, In Until February 2004 facebook didn't exist and wasn't available to everyone until Sept 2006. Netflix was launched originally in 1998 but then changed from DVD rental to a streaming service in 2007 and then the first Netflix produced show premiered in 2013. New technologies have forced change in the industry and no one wants to be the next Blockbuster company.
In this episode, we talk to Veronica Swindale, Founder and MD of NESMA covering the very topic of learning!!
In episode 12, we talk to James Ealey, Director from Precept (UK). A brand communications agency, focused on making a difference. Precept don't claim to be your standard agency, and won't just work with anyone, they only work with companies that they can build brands with purpose. We dig deep into some of the brands that they have worked on (you might recognise a few) and find out more about the work that they are completing with the universities in the North East
Looking for customers on social media? Trying to make sense of your online reviews? Wonder what people think of your brand, products or services? ...Wordnerds can help!
Wordnerds use advanced linguistics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help organisations understand text. Whether it’s tweets and social media, online reviews and forums or customer service emails they can automate listening and understanding, allowing you to act.
Joined by Gary Scott, Director of Consult the experts and CEO of the Do Business Network - in this episode we talk everything from manufacturing processes, people and networking. Gary has a real passion for networking and as his position at the Do Business Network he wants to help others in business.
Jane Siddle has worked on the investment team at NEL Fund Managers for 12 years. She is a part of the team responsible for delivering the North East Growth Capital Fund, a fund which backs ambitious businesses looking to realise their growth potential and create new jobs. Some of the beneficial features of the Fund include:
• Investments of up to £500,000
• Terms of up to 5 years
• Unsecured finance, without the need for Director's Guarantees
• Bespoke terms tailored to meet business needs
The North East Growth Capital Fund is managed by NEL Fund Managers, a fund management firm with a 30 year history of strengthening our local economy by providing tailored funding solutions to small and medium-sized businesses right across the North East of England.
NEL have an extremely strong and dedicated team who have helped hundreds of North East businesses achieve sustainable success over the years, and we’re actively looking to support yet more companies with strong management teams and robust plans for the future.
In this episode we are joined by Craig Huntingdon, Scaleup partner from the Scaleup North East Programme
Craig talks about the support available through the programme for the North East high growth and scaling businesses. Scaleup North East offers a bespoke package of business support and intensive account management to achieve the aspirations set out in the NELEP’s Strategic Economic Plan of ‘increasing the density of scaleup businesses in the North East LEP area by 50% by 2024
In this episode we are joined by Nickie Kilkenny from Natwest, talking everything about the crowdfunding campaign that Natwest have on offer. With access to £1Million to help start-ups.
In the second of our Sports Special Podcast of the week, I chat with John Oakes, Commercial Manager of the Newcastle Falcons, on the launch of their new business network and opportunties around being involved with the first team.
In this episode, I have a chat with fellow teammate around where things are going with the wine business that he is involved in - including a new venture coming soon to Hoults Yard, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
In this episode, I was delighted to have the chance to talk to Newcastle Eagles MD, Paul Blake before the first game of the preseason. Covering everything from how Paul got involved with the Eagles over 20 years ago, everything linked around the new community arena, the new look team and the recruitment process linked to scouting and getting the players into the North East side.
In this episode we will touch the surface of SEO, PPC, Conversion optimisation, Back links, Domain Authority, Cornerstone Content and everything else in between.
We are joined this week by Chris Ogle from Venture Stream who will share some of his insights on the topics. This will have a little bit of everything and depending on feedback from the show, we could possibly dig into this further at a later date.
Chris is responsible for generating new business acquisition opportunities in web build, digital marketing and customer engagement tools for e-commerce. Also a promoter of connecting charities to the funds available to them to help them get connected to the digital world, or create for those with an existing online presence, a plan to generate revenue through lotteries, events, volunteering or legacy donations.
In this episode we speak to Mike Lever of New Results Training around the emotions of selling and purchasing.
Mike has won a series of awards, and many accreditations
- Winner of the BESMA Sales Trainer of the Year award 2013/14.
- Three times finalists for the Best Training Provider award.
- National speaker on the Psychology of Consumer and Seller Behaviour.
- National speaker on the ABCD model of behaviour.
- Creator of the ABCD model of behaviour.
- Co-creator of the Green Line model of consumer behaviour.
- Co-author of the (in-edit) Psychology of Seller & Consumer Behaviour book.
- Champion of the Institute of Sales Management.
- Mentor to Teesside University's Launchpad Programme
Mike shares some insights into the various projects that he has worked on and gives us some great takeaways.
In this we launch the new series of The Evolving Accountant and we talk to Managing Director and Owner, Richard Williams of NESP (North East Sheets & Panels) based in Co Durham.
The Harlands Podcasts are produced for business owners from start-up to an established business owner and taking useful tips for other business owners or consultants to help you on your journey. We recently spoke with Howard Little (FSB - The Federation of Small Business). FSB has over 177,000 members and help business owners across the UK. As part of the membership it has a number of benefits that come with it, from networking, insurance and financial help across various offers.
The Harlands Podcasts are produced for business owners from start-up to an established business owner and taking useful tips for other business owners or consultants to help you on your journey.We recently spoke with James Tennant (Founder of Converge.) Who came up with the idea for converge whilst in Canada as a content writer. The Converge platform now has a reach of millions and is key to many companies across the North East. In this podcast James explains the challenges he had during the launch of Converge North East and what comes next with some exciting growth plans.
In this episode we are joined by Michael Dickens of Maven Capital Partners. In this series we go through the various stages of the application process. Episode 2 will be released on the 22nd March 2018.
In this episode we are joined by John Atkinson of NBSL in 20 minutes John updates us with the latest news on available funding for County Durham, UK businesses. What's required in the process and how quick this could actually be for a business.
In this episode we are joined by Andrew Silver director of 360 Growth Partners (http://360growthpartners.co.uk/) in 20 minutes we cover everything from Business Plans, cultural values and using the 360 Growth Partners strap line "People, Performance and Profit"
In this episode of our business builder podcast we are delighted be joined by our business friend Pete Southern from Clockwork Espresso, the home to the worlds most precise coffee tamper (https://clockworkespresso.com/). Grab a brew and listen to the story of this entrepreneur from an office to design, manufacture and launch of a revolutionary new product.
In this episode we are joined by marketing specialist Chris Liddle from CLiddle Consulting https://cliddle.co.uk/ talking briefly CRMs and KPI's
As we constantly evolve the role and perception of an accountant, In this episode we speak to Pete Wilkinson from Reclaro, who has a passion for getting tasks completed. Pete is the designer of the 1-3-5 platform and will constantly strive to reaching an end goal by achieving manageable actions.
As we constantly aim to evolve the role and perception of an accountant, we go on tour to our friends at Get Carter Productions and speak to the owner Paul Carter www.getcarterproductions.co.uk this podcast is perfect for any emerging or scale up business.
As we constantly evolve the role and perception of an accountant, in this episode we speak to Simon Boyson from Gateway Commercial Finance