The Disruptive Niche: Recent Episodes
Jet Black Squares
A podcast to showcase the best disruptive and niche businesses around. During these lighthearted conversations, we will be talking to different business entrepreneurs who have chosen to think outside the box in their business, to niche in their field and smash it.
The M Word is all about the menopause and, as Louise says on her website, she is ‘passionate about helping society understand the magnitude and mightiness of the menopause by talking about it’. She is ‘on a mission to revolutionise women’s experience of the menopause by educating those around them, both at home and in the workplace to ensure they don’t have to go it alone or suffer in silence any more’.
In this frank discussion we talk about whether the workplace is doing enough to help women get through this, and what can be done to make it less of a trauma.
Louise also talks about how she combines Solution Focussed Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy to help women ‘liberate themselves from the crippling effects of anxiety and negative thinking’ which so often surrounds the menopause.
This podcast is so important, for men, women, children to understand what the hell is going on with women’s bodies and minds during this time, and how we can navigate it together, without it being a taboo subject. Also look out for more information surrounding the menopause on World Menopause Day on 18th October.
Richard is one of the few full-time magicians in the UK, and has travelled all over the world performing for high end corporate clients as well as at weddings, parties, etc (his trip to Venice sounds out of this world!). He speaks all about how he got started, becoming a member of esteemed The Magic Circle, and how he is one of the very few people that perform theatrical pickpocketing. This has led to him being hired by and working alongside Gloucestershire Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Gloucestershire and Crimestoppers to help them with crime prevention.
Richard also talks about how COVID has meant he has now gone online, and with the help of his friend and fellow magician, Kelly Scorah, they can now play to audiences all over the world.
Richard states on his website that ‘being a magician isn’t just about being able to perform great magic tricks - it’s also about personality, warmth and humour’, and this comes across in spades in our chat. Enjoy!
We chat about how John started his adult working career in Ontario, Canada, at Red Pages (the Yellow Pages of websites) and subsequently Yellow Pages back in the early 2000s, when dial up was the only internet connection and it was quicker to manually look up an address than to search for it. We also talk paper rounds, rainy Lancaster University and John’s own podcast, Local SEO Today.
This is a fascinating insight into probably the most important aspect of any website and business. Well worth a listen.
We are back with a bang. Yes, after a few weeks off, we have returned bigger and better, and kicking us off after our break is Heather from Pool2Lake Open Water talking to us about open water swimming. Heather's enthusiasm for open water swimming is evident in our chat as she talks passionately about how cold water swimming can have a massive positive impact on mental health, and how 'mind over matter' is a major part of letting go in the water.
Heather talks about how since lockdown has ended, more and more people of all ages are trying out open water swimming, as its popularity grows. She also lets us into her 'bucket list' swim back home in South Africa after she was a 'spotter' for a group of Channel Swimmers.
In this week’s episode we have gone truly global, and speak with Christie from Active Soul, a fitness trainer in New Zealand focusing on health and fitness in women from their early 20s, through pregnancy, post partum and into the menopause.
Christie is an absolute powerhouse of enthusiasm, and she shares with us her journey from primary school teacher in Stepney, East London (where we met 20+ years ago!!), to award winning fitness trainer back in her home town in New Zealand.
We talk about how her business has changed from initially just focussing on new mums, to now including all stages of a women’s lifecycle. Christie is passionate about understanding how a woman’s body changes throughout their life, and how there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ option when it comes to exercising safely. Covid, like the rest of the world, forced her business into lockdown, but she managed to go online pretty much overnight and has now a hugely successful online membership programme available to everyone.
Join us on this fascinating chat about how important it is to have an exercise programme that is right for you, as well as reminiscing about nearly throwing up on a military boot camp and putting my son in a gym’s creche while I went and had coffee and cake!!!
Lewis started his DJ business when he was just 15, and now at 22, he’s got some impressive credits under his belt. He was (and possibly still is) the youngest person to ever DJ at Ministry of Sound, has his music produced under Columbia Records, Sony Music and Somnthin’ Records (he regularly has his music featured on the likes of BBC Radio 1 and Kiss FM), runs events under Flaminco30 (his ‘locked in virtual clubbing’ livestreams he has produced over lockdown have been insane), oh and also runs Floodlight Media, a graphic design brand.
Lewis talks to us about how he knew from an early age what he wanted to do, and how he set about working his socks off to achieve it. He shares how the support from his parents has been invaluable, and how his dad used to drive him to all his gigs and help him set up before he was old enough to have a car.
Julie from Arty Heaven talks to us about her fascinating journey into painting with the 2,000 year old process of encaustic wax and how winning a competition with the Tate Modern catapulted her love of art to become her full time career. It is evident from listening to Julie speak just how passionate she is about her work, and it is a joy to listen to.
As well as creating magical works of art, Julie also sells all the equipment you would need on her website to either get started in painting with encaustic wax, or if you are a seasoned pro, where to top up your supplies. This really is a fascinating talk all about art, wax and bees, with a slight nostalgic nod to our studio-sharing days. https://artyheaven.com
In this week's episode we talk to Dan, one half of Sea Chips and Sea Snax about their healthy salmon skin snacks for both humans (Sea Chips) and dogs (Sea Snax). Dan talks about rejecting an offer from Touker Suleyman on Dragon's Den, going into the dog treat market and how you should never ignore messages sent to you on Instagram.
Award winning makeup artist Clare Pinkney has, like everyone in her industry, literally had the doors of her business firmly shut since lockdown. Clare talks to us about coping during this time, her love of making women over 40 feel fabulous, her hatred of contouring, and how, after a stay in hospital with Covid-19, she rediscovered her love of painting.
We celebrate the work of Liverpool artist Mikey who is getting behind the #ArtforNHS movement, bringing smiles to his local community by creating incredible art on his windows.
Phoebe talks candidly about her frustration at not being taken seriously as a business woman because of her age, how important it is to have a mentor from the start, and how starting a business in your teens is the best time to do it.
Vincent talks all about how he and his business partner, Lukas, developed the alcoholic tea brand Noveltea, how they pitched to Fenwicks, and how they are now selling around the world.
Jess talks passionately about her circus school for children and adults and having to take it online at the moment, being more 'business' focussed, and appearing on Strictly and Dancing on Ice!!! http://showtimecircus.co.uk
We talk to Ele about how she doesn't fit the 'norm' for an accountant (thank God!!!), how she is a founding member of Solo Armada, set up for solo gig-goers and is on the panel of The Rattle, a cultural revolution for music start ups.
Siobhan is a lady of many talents. A family and newborn photographer, an author and a creator of education vocabulary cards for KS2 children.
During these lighthearted conversations, we will be talking to different business entrepreneurs who have chosen to think outside the box in their business, to niche in their field and smash it.