Shows
START UP. START NOW.#67: Pip Organic: From Market Stall to Market Leader with Karen & Patrick O'Flaherty (co-founders)Send us a textKaren and Patrick O'Flaherty are the dynamic husband and wife duo at the helm of Pip Organic, a brand dedicated to crafting 100% organic food and drink for the whole family to enjoy. Karen and Patrick’s business journey began when they opened their own organic juice stall in London’s Borough Market. Their passion and drive has since led them on to create Pip Organic, a company dedicated to making top tasting products that work with nature.With Karen’s expertise in branding, and Patrick’s passion for organic, Pip Organ...
2024-09-021h 04
Reclaiming BossyThis is your sign to start now - With Sharena Shiv (EP 16)In today´s episode, I sit down with the incredible Sharena Shiv, founder of Devotion Property Management and host of the “Startup Start Now” podcast, which has reached the top 1% of global podcasts. Sharena shares her remarkable journey, from her early days growing up in Exeter to building a thriving business and podcast that inspires entrepreneurs worldwide.In this conversation, we explore:• Starting Small, Dreaming Big: How Sharena used her existing skills in property management to launch her own business and why you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to succeed.• Finding You...
2024-08-211h 09START UP. START NOW.#66: Navigating London's Real Estate Landscape: Insights from Alex Gibbs (co-founder of Built Asset Management)Send us a textAlex Gibbs is co-founder and director of BAM (Built Asset Management), London’s leading co-living operator. BAM has housed over 6,500 young professionals in London and provides over 1,500 units of accommodation across the capital and beyond.In under eight years, Alex and his business partner bootstrapped BAM from a zero- to eight-figure turnover business in one of the UK’s most competitive sectors. After four competitor acquisitions over the last two and a half years, BAM now operates over £350 million worth of residential real estate.Alex is a passionate entrepreneur and h...
2024-05-2249 minSTART UP. START NOW.#65: GoHenry: Empowering Kids & Teens with Money Education with Louise Hill (co-founder & CEO)Send us a textLouise Hill is co-founder and CEO of GoHenry - the prepaid debit card and financial education app designed to teach kids and teens how to be smart with money. Responsible for the UK operations of GoHenry, Louise has built the business from the ground up and played an integral role in its international growth, firstly with GoHenry’s acquisition of French Fintech Pixpay, followed by the merger with US Fintech Acorns. As a passionate advocate for financial education, Louise is a Trustee of The Centre for Financial Capability, a m...
2024-03-221h 00START UP. START NOW.#64: Building Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) & Crosstown Doughnuts with Adam Wills (co-founder)Send us a textAdam Wills, a seasoned entrepreneur and visionary in the culinary world, boasts a track record of creating and launching successful food concepts both domestically and internationally. With a knack for innovation, he has spearheaded ventures like Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), Crosstown Doughnuts, and Slerp, securing funding from both private investors and institutional partners.At the helm of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Adam oversaw its expansion to 10 sites within five years, ultimately orchestrating its acquisition by Clapham House plc for £10 million. This success story continued as GBK went global, fetching lucrative deals with p...
2024-02-111h 14START UP. START NOW.#63: Joseph Joseph: Twin Brothers & Designer-Makers with a Passion for Invention with Richard Joseph (co-founder)Send us a textIt all started with a chopping board.In 2003 twin brothers and designer-makers, Antony & Richard Joseph designed their first product – a clever chopping board – and that was the beginning of Joseph Joseph. With a passion for invention and an emphasis on functionality and quality, they set out to revolutionise everyday tasks in the home, making everything from food prep to laundry easier and more efficient.Proud to be celebrating 20 years of innovation, the brothers grew up in a family with a long history in design and manufacturing. Originally set up by t...
2024-01-2158 minSTART UP. START NOW.#62: Chai Guys: How to Start a Business with a Friend. Abhilash Jobanputra and Gabriel Unge's (co-founders) storySend us a textChai Guys is the brainchild of Abhilash Jobanputra and Gabriel Unger, two entrepreneurs driven by their love for authentic Indian chai. Their journey began in September 2018 with a transformative trip to India, where they immersed themselves in the vibrant world of chai culture. Returning to London with a suitcase filled with tea and a vision, they spent nine months perfecting their recipes, brewing techniques, and spice blends. In May 2019, their iconic Masala Chai made its debut at Brick Lane Market, marking the birth of Chai Guys. Today, Chai Guys stands as a...
2023-12-051h 15START UP. START NOW.#61: Humble Crumble: How the World's First Crumble Bakery is now a Multi-million Pound Business with Kim Innes (founder)Send us a textHumble Crumble - A food stall that started from humble beginnings, today is the world’s first crumble bakery and a multi-million pound business with permanent fixtures in Old Spitalfields and Borough Market. With more than 500,000 crumbles served in the last three years, Humble Crumble has struck a chord with passionate crumble-loving foodies and has no signs of slowing down, with two new sites set to open in London’s gastronomic hotspots Camden Market and Covent Garden this year. Kim Innes founded Humble Crumble in 2018, but it wasn’t until O...
2023-11-1956 minSTART UP. START NOW.#60: BOXRAW: Coventry-based Founder Merges his Passion for Boxing with his Business Acumen with Ben Amanna (founder)Send us a textBen is the visionary Founder and CEO of BOXRAW - a boxing lifestyle & sportswear brand driving cultural and social change. BOXRAW was manifested from the powerful themes of Boxing and Business interwoven throughout Ben’s life which elevated him out of the socioeconomic and racial hardships he experienced growing up. BOXRAW has dressed the likes of Michael B Jordan, Gervonta Davis, Tommy Fury and Ryan Garcia, and hit sales of £5.2 million in 2020.Founded with the vision, ‘to be the reason why the world got into boxing’, BOXRAW’s...
2023-11-081h 07START UP. START NOW.#59: Soapsmith: Pawning Her Wedding Rings to Launch a Handcrafted Soap Brand with Samantha Jameson (Founder)Send us a textSam Jameson is one of many UK-based, Black and female founders that are transforming the beauty and wellness space, one product at a time. A born creator and leader, Soapsmith isn’t Samantha Jameson’s first endeavour into the world of Entrepreneurship. At the age of just 24, Sam launched and ran a successful event chocolate fountain business; the assets she later went on to sell to Thorntons Chocolatiers. Sam then turned her attention to starting the Soapsmith journey in 2010; marrying her talent for fragrances and desire to bring joy and new energy into every...
2023-10-301h 01START UP. START NOW.#58: Ella's Kitchen Founder: On Why Thinking Like A Toddler Holds The Key To Success with Paul Lindley OBESend us a textPaul Lindley is an award-winning British entrepreneur and social campaigner. Paul began his career as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG, then spent 9 years at Nickelodeon's children’s TV network, rising to become Deputy Managing Director. In 2006, he founded Ella’s Kitchen, the UK’s biggest baby food brand. Ella’s Kitchen believes in purpose as well as profit and was certified as one of the UK’s first B Corporations, validating its mission to use business as a force for good. Paul sold the company in 2013 and stepped away from it...
2023-10-231h 15START UP. START NOW.#57: Kiki McDonough Jewellery: Royal Clients & Opening her Flagship Store in Chelsea (Founder)Send us a textEstablished in 1985, Kiki McDonough Ltd was born from Kiki’s passion for showcasing coloured gemstones in innovative, contemporary designs. She continues to lead the way in British fine jewellery design. The brand’s very first creation, a pair of distinctive crystal heart earrings, were put on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s renowned jewellery gallery, cementing the brand’s importance within the modern jewellery landscape. Kiki has been at the forefront of the British fine jewellery for more than 35 years, launching her first range via a small concessio...
2023-10-1650 minSTART UP. START NOW.#56: Olly's Snacks: From Market Stall to Fastest Growing Pretzel Brand in the UK with Olly Hiscocks (founder)Send us a textOlly Hiscocks is a snack fanatic and founder of Olly's, one of the most exciting brands in the healthier delicious snack space with their range of innovative Pretzel Thins, Chocolate Pretzel Thins and Olive snack pouches. Having landed a degree in neuroscience, he then embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in the wonderful world of olives. His snack adventure was born out of marinating olives in his kitchen in London and selling them at local farmers markets in 2016. Since then, Olly's has gone on to become an international snack brand, selling millions o...
2023-10-0950 minSTART UP. START NOW.#55: Confidence & Communication is a Skill with Margaret & Scarlett McCabe (co-founders of Debate Mate)Send us a textThe Debate Mate Group is a social business with 2 distinct but complementary parts – the charity Debate Mate Schools, and the business Debate Mate Limited. At its core, Debate Mate – across the entities - teaches confidence, communication and leadership from the classroom to the boardroom. Margaret founded Debate Mate (Schools) as a non-profit in 2007 with the aim of reducing poverty, improving social mobility and tackling racism through a revolutionary education programme. The programme, which started with 200 students in London, has now reached over 125,000 young people in nearly 100 countries. De...
2023-10-021h 08START UP. START NOW.#54: Alan Barratt: The Grenade Story: From Start Up to £200 Million (co-founder and CEO)Send us a textAl is a serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder/CEO of Grenade, one of the most successful UK FMCG brands of the last 25 years. Starting with a £500 loan from the UKTI Passport to Export program in 2010, he sold shares in Grenade in 2014 for £35M, again in 2017 for £72M, and in 2021 for £200M, to Mondelez International.Current trading as of 2023 values the brand at over £500M and still growing.Grenade has been featured in the Virgin Fast Track 100 for seven consecutive years in a row, with no signs of slowing down, and i...
2023-09-251h 20START UP. START NOW.#53: Turning Uncertainty into Competitive Advantage with John Stapleton (co-founder of New Covent Garden Soup / Little Dish)Send us a textIn 1987 John co-founded The New Covent Garden Soup Co Ltd which pioneered and grew the fresh soup category in the UK. Daniels PLC bought New Covent Garden Soup Co in 1998. John then co-founded Glencoe Foods Inc., to bring the fresh soup concept to the US. In 2005, John co-founded Little Dish, which supplies healthy, natural and convenient meals and snacks to children over one year old. Little Dish created the chilled toddler food category for fresh toddler food and healthy snacks. John successfully exited Little Dish in 2017. John is an investor & Non-Executive...
2023-04-241h 05START UP. START NOW.#52: Green & Black’s: The World's First Organic Chocolate Brand with Jo Fairley (co-founder & serial entrepreneur)Send us a textJo Fairley is a businesswoman and writer. She co-founded the Green & Black’s chocolate company with Craig Sams, her husband, and has launched several other successful ventures since then.Jo did not enjoy school, left at 16 with six O-levels and learned shorthand and typing at a secretarial college. She got a job with a magazine publisher and worked her way up through the features department to become the UK’s youngest magazine editor at the age of 23.Her move into chocolate came when she happened to try a couple of s...
2023-04-081h 06START UP. START NOW.#51: How "Wild" Natural Deodorant took over the UK Market in One Year with Charlie Bowes-Lyon (co-founder of We Are Wild)Send us a textWild is the UK’s first refillable plastic-free deodorant. Charlie Bowes-Lyon is a serial entrepreneur with a background in marketing, particularly focused on sustainable businesses. He co-founded Wild and runs their tech and marketing departments since launch.Wild sells sustainable, natural personal care products that are stylish, convenient, effective and reinvent how we think about everyday bathroom products.Launched in April 2020, Wild has a wide range of natural deodorants available on wearewild.com or in stores such as Sainsbury's, Boots and Waitrose....
2023-02-281h 01START UP. START NOW.#50: Coffee Republic founder, Sahar Hashemi wants you to "Buy Women Built" (co-founder and author)Send us a textA former lawyer, she started two ground-breaking businesses: the UK’s first coffee bar chain, Coffee Republic, which she grew to 110 stores and a £50 million market cap, and Skinny Candy, a market segment-defining brand of sugar-free sweets.Her first book, ANYONE CAN DO IT became a bestseller by demystifying the idea that entrepreneurship is an innate trait. Her latest, START UP FOREVER, stems from her experience working with large corporations over the last decade and addresses one of the most pressing questions now facing large organisations: how to...
2023-02-1956 minSTART UP. START NOW.#49: JUST EAT: Building An Online Takeaway Business From Startup To IPO with David Buttress (Co-founder & ex-CEO)Send us a textDavid Buttress, who hails from Cwmbran in South Wales, joined JUST EAT in March 2006 to launch its UK business, and was appointed CEO in January 2013. David led JUST EAT in the UK from startup to becoming Europe’s largest technology IPO in a decade. JUST EAT has over 67,000 restaurant partners and 100+ cuisine types available to over 17 million customers worldwide.David is now a Partner at 83North – a global venture capital firm with offices in Israel and London.Described as one of UK’s standout entrepreneurs of the last decade, David...
2023-02-141h 04START UP. START NOW.#48: Jenny Campbell: Dragons' Den Investor and the original Queen of Cash (founder)Send us a textBest known for her time on Dragons' Den, Jenny Campbell is also widely known for her role as the founder of YourCash Europe. Having acquired her banking qualifications by attending night school, Jenny soon embarked on a rewarding career with The Royal Bank of Scotland. She was initially appointed as the Head of Operations for Hanco ATM Systems, which she ultimately had the opportunity to purchase and change into YourCash Europe. YourCash Europe flourished and boasted a huge fleet of ATMs across locations such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Jenny is...
2023-02-051h 07START UP. START NOW.#47: Your Juno app: Closing The Financial Literacy Gap with Margot de Broglie (co-founder)Send us a textYour Juno was founded by two sisters: Margot and Alexia. Margot de Broglie is the co-founder of Your Juno, building a financial education platform - think “the Duolingo of money”. Users can learn about any financial topics via its app, including negotiating a raise, buying a property, and becoming an investor."Money was never a taboo at home. We were raised by a single mom who was very financially savvy and encouraged talking about finance at the dinner table."Unsurprisingly, both Alexia and Marg...
2023-01-3148 minSTART UP. START NOW.#46: UNILAD & LADBible founder talks legal battles, mental health & alcoholism with Alex PartridgeSend us a textAlex Partridge is one of the pioneers of social media content the way we know it today. At age 21 in 2010, whilst a student at Oxford Brookes University, he founded UNILAD, one of the most popular social news and entertainment Internet companies in the world with an astonishing following of 50 million people around the globe.In 2012, Alex founded LADBible which would also grow to become a social media juggernaut.In 2017 Alex was involved in a major legal dispute over the ownership of UNILAD – he had left his editorial role in...
2023-01-221h 09START UP. START NOW.#45: Rosie Fortescue Jewellery: TV star and fashion blogger turned jewellery designer with Rosie Fortescue (founder)Send us a textRosie Fortescue - the jewellery designer and famous alumnus of the original Made in Chelsea. With her trend setting, enviable fashion sense, Rosie Fortescue has always been a go-to for style advice and inspiration. Rosie began running her successful blog, At Fashion Forte in 2014 and has been collaborating with desirable fashion, lifestyle and beauty brands since entering the media limelight in 2011. In 2015, Rosie launched her own London based Demi-Fine jewellery line, Rosie Fortescue Jewellery where her hand cuffs, heartbeat rings and huggy hoops garnered the attention of recognised fashion royalty including Olivia Palermo...
2023-01-1651 minSTART UP. START NOW.#44: what3words: The startup that helps you find any place on the planet without an address with Chris Sheldrick (co-founder)Send us a textThis week's guest is Chris Sheldrick, co-founder & CEO of what3words. what3words is a global address system that has assigned three-word labels to all of the 57 trillion 3-meter squares that make up the surface of the earth. With a background in the music industry, Chris noticed that traditional addresses for venues and precise stage doors or loading bays were not accurate enough. As a result, he set out to make a simpler version of addresses using just three words…meet what3words.Focusing on the entire world, Chris and...
2023-01-0348 minSTART UP. START NOW.#43: How Biscuiteers baked a multi-million-pound high-end biscuit empire with Harriet Hastings (Founder)Send us a textHarriet Hastings launched Biscuiteers in 2007 after identifying a gap in the market for luxury food gifting. Over the past 15 years she has grown the business from a small startup to a unique artisan business working at scale and employing over 150 people. Biscuiteers’ beautiful hand-iced biscuits are sold directly online as post-able biscuits and are available to buy in retailers including Selfridge’s, Hamley’s, Harvey Nichols, and at the Royal Palaces. Outside of the UK, Biscuiteers ships to countries around the world, with the US and Australia the next biggest markets after t...
2022-12-211h 03START UP. START NOW.#42: Design My Night: How to structure a pitch deck that gets the attention of investors with Nick Telson (Co-founder)Send us a textNick Telson is an exited founder from DesignMyNight in 2017 for $30-$40m and has since invested in over 55 startups across US, UK, Latam and Africa, through his investment arm, Horseplay Ventures.Nick’s career started off in marketing at L’Oreal before starting DesignMyNight in 2010. DesignMyNight grew to 100+ employees, 15,000 SaaS customers and 8 million monthly uniques on the website with minimal angel funding. Nick and his co-founder exited to Access Group in 2017. Nick has been recognised as one of the UK's leading entrepreneurs by The Huffington Post and won startup awards from The...
2022-12-1159 minSTART UP. START NOW.#41: Charles Tyrwhitt: Shirt marker and tailor with Nick Wheeler (Founder & Chairman)Send us a textNick Wheeler first had the idea for Charles Tyrwhitt shirts - to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, with unbeatable service - whilst studying Geography at Bristol University in 1986; He used his middle names - Charles Tyrwhitt – more anonymous (and better sounding!) than “Nick Wheeler shirts” The first brochure was a one-page leaflet with 8 shirts and 8 ties. After a stint with strategy consultancy Bain & Co, Nick went “full-time” in 1990. After being left £8,000 from a great aunt, Nick used the money to purchase the English dream: an Aston Mart...
2022-12-0449 minSTART UP. START NOW.#40: Meatless Farm: UK’s fastest growing plant-based meat alternative company with Morten Toft Bech (Founder)Send us a textMorten Toft Bech is an entrepreneur and investor who started Meatless Farm in 2016 to help reduce the world’s dependency on intensively farmed meat. He and his family had struggled to find a meat replacement that the whole family enjoyed and that wasn’t too expensive.In 2018, the company launched its original fresh mince in UK retailer, Sainsbury’s. It is now one of the UK’s fastest growing plant-based brands, available in over 20 countries with major retail and foodservice partners. Morten has a finance background and is a serial en...
2022-09-251h 07START UP. START NOW.#39: Driving progress for women in motorsport with Catherine Bond Muir (Founder of W Series Racing)Send us a textW Series is a free-to-enter championship that provides equal opportunities for women and eliminates the financial barriers that have historically prevented them from progressing to the upper echelons of motorsport. By placing all participants in identical cars, the series ensures that talent takes precedence. Since its inaugural season in 2019, W Series has created the greatest number of professional women racing drivers of all time. In 2021, W Series entered a new landmark partnership with Formula 1 and supported the world’s premier motor racing series at seven Grand Prix weekends. This year, W Series will st...
2022-09-1257 minSTART UP. START NOW.#38: Crowdcube: Pioneers of Equity Crowdfunding with Darren Westlake (CEO & Co-founder of Crowdcube)Send us a textNamed by Debrett’s as one of Britain’s 500 most influential people, Darren Westlake is co-founder and CEO of Crowdcube, the pioneer and leader of the equity crowdfunding industry.Inspired by his own experiences as an entrepreneur raising finance, Darren’s idea for Crowdcube was driven by the ambition to democratise investment and diversify the sources of funding available to businesses.Since launching Crowdcube in 2011 with co-founder Luke Lang, Darren has helped establish Crowdcube as a mainstream funding option for ambitious startups and growth-stage businesses, such as Monzo, Revolut, CityMa...
2022-08-291h 00START UP. START NOW.#37: Creating a Luxury British Accessories & Personalised Gifting Brand with Elizabeth Scarlett Petrides (Founder of Elizabeth Scarlett)Send us a textElizabeth Scarlett Petrides is an entrepreneur, conservationist and artist. One of the UK’s fastest-growing luxury accessories, homeware and personalised gifting brands. The brand has sold directly to over 120,000 customers in the UK alone and is stocked in Anthropologie, John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason, as well as other leading luxury boutiques and stores nationwide. Encouraged by her grandad, an entrepreneur and hobbyist painter, Elizabeth has painted animals and wildlife from a young age. Inspired by nature and travel, Elizabeth’s iconic hand-drawn designs are embroidered onto beautiful fabrics to create design-led collections. Each year, the b...
2022-08-1751 minSTART UP. START NOW.#36: Running the Family Business: Asian Wedding Dressmakers with Ankit Monga (Director of Monga's of Southall)Send us a textMonga’s has held an imperial legacy of fine craftsmanship in Haute and Pret Couture since 1996. India-born founders, Mr Arun Monga & Mrs Reena Monga started their humble journey. The company began by exporting fashion to other designer boutiques in the UK in 1996, but customer popularity led the business to open its first boutique in London in 2004. Since then it has built up a reputation as one of the leading Asian designer brands in the world.Now the family’s young millennial Ankit Monga and Akriti Monga who have expanded Monga’s avenue...
2022-08-1746 minSTART UP. START NOW.#35: Little Moons, mochi ice cream: Going viral on TikTok with Vivien Wong (Co-Founder)Send us a textVivien Wong is the co-founder of Little Moons, a mochi ice cream brand. Vivien grew up in North West London and spent many of her formative years helping out at her parent’s bakery. It was there that her passion for high quality ingredients and artisanal recipes was first sparked. She went on to study at the University of Reading before beginning her career at Barclays where she qualified as a chartered accountant and worked for four years. Spotting the opportunity to bring mochi ice cream to Europe and believing that her and he...
2022-06-2747 minSTART UP. START NOW.#34: How To Turn Your University Dissertation Into A Business with Dhruvin Patel (founder of Ocushield)Send us a textDhruvin Patel is an optometrist and entrepreneur encouraging a healthier relationship with technology in the digital age. Since receiving a development grant from City University in London, he has built Ocushield into an internationally distributed, MHRA medically rated product and established himself as a leading authority on blue light, its impact on vision and quality of life.It all started with a dissertation, which led to a research project, which led to the products Ocushield sell today. Dhruvin has been featured on Dragons' Den, Forbes, The Guardian & USA Today...
2022-06-1358 minSTART UP. START NOW.#33: Motherhood, relationships and bootstrapping with Steph Douglas (Founder of Don't Buy Her Flowers)Send us a textFounded in 2014, Steph left her brand marketing role, to pursue an idea she had following the birth of her children. After receiving eight bunches of flowers when she had her first baby, Steph realised the well-meaning bouquet soon lost its shine when you were the one filling vases, all while juggling a new-born and feeling overwhelmed. Steph started sending packages to her friends who were managing the early days of motherhood, and she saw the real joy a thoughtful, tailored package, that was all about encouraging them to take a bit o...
2022-05-2558 minSTART UP. START NOW.#32: Hotel Chocolat: British Luxury Chocolatier with Peter Harris (Co-Founder)Send us a textHotel Chocolat is a British Chocolatier and Cocoa Grower and has grown into one of the UK’s most advocated brands. Based on originality, authenticity and ethics the company operates online for delivered chocolates and from over 120 UK shops and employs over 1800 people. Turnover is now over £160m. It grows some of its own cocoa on its Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia and has opened The Rabot Hotel, a boutique hotel and restaurant there for people to taste Cacao Cuisine and enjoy the awesome beauty of the location in this World Heritage site. The...
2022-05-081h 08START UP. START NOW.#31: Pip and Nut: Recipes for Success with Pip Murray (Founder)Send us a textFounded by entrepreneur Pippa Murray, now 33, Pip & Nut launched to the market in January 2015 and has been shaking up the healthy food and drink sector ever since. Now seven years old, Pip & Nut can be found in over 6500 stores around the UK and Ireland. Pip & Nut is committed to nut butter, done better. The brand offers a range of naturally nutritious nut butters with a product portfolio of nine nut butters, available in glass jars, tubs and now, nut butter cups. Over the last few years the brand has gai...
2022-05-0155 minSTART UP. START NOW.#30: British Couple on a mission to improve our health and wellness with Amy Moring & Jeff Webster (co-founders of Hunter & Gather Foods UK)Send us a textAmy Moring and Jeff Webster, co-founders of ‘clean’ condiments and supplements brand, Hunter & Gather, are dynamic food pioneers spreading the word for optimal health & wellness.Since launching the business in 2017, Amy and Jeff have co-navigated the award-winning brand to achieve £3.5 million GSV in just their fourth year of business, paving the way for clean, real and healthy food. Hunter & Gather, the challenger brand whose honest range of cooking oils, condiments and supplements are stocked in Selfridges, Wholefoods, Holland & Barrett, Ocado and Booths, has travelled a phenomenal distance since launching in 2017. In a...
2022-04-241h 15START UP. START NOW.#29: Starting an e-commerce business with no external funding - reinventing pottery with Giles Harrison (Co-founder of Sculpd)Send us a textIn this episode, I am speaking to Giles Harrison, a co-founder of Sculpd, a home-pottery craft kit business. Born in lockdown and now selling internationally, Sculpd is taking pottery further than it's ever been before. Developing a modern approach to home crafts has been a core focus of the business. Since launching, they have sold over 100,000 air dry pottery kits in over 60 countries. Sculpd is now at the forefront of driving an increase in the UK’s growing DIY movement. Sculpd has become a hit with young creators, with product features in S...
2022-04-2045 minSTART UP. START NOW.2021 Flashback: Edwina Dunn OBE: Tesco Clubcard Creator and Data Science Entrepreneur (Founder dunnhumby, The Female Lead & Starcount)Send us a textEdwina Dunn OBE is best known as co-founder of the international data analytics company Dunnhumby, a business she launched from her kitchen table with her husband Clive Humby in 1989. By 2011, Dunnhumby had grown to be a company of 1500 people, reaching 350 million customers in 25 countries. Dunnhumby were the innovators behind the creation of the Tesco Clubcard scheme and widely credited with redefining the relationship between retailers and customers worldwide.Now retired from Dunnhumby, Edwina is currently CEO of Starcount, a digital start-up that measures the global tastes and trends of 1.7 billion people...
2022-01-301h 00START UP. START NOW.#28: Holly Tucker MBE, NotOnTheHighStreet Founder: Do What You Love, Love What You Do (Founder)Send us a textHolly Tucker is a Co-Founder and Chief Inspirator of Notonthehighstreet, championing small and independent businesses, and has already made over 200 millionaires! Launching SME:SOS, a reactive resource and initiative aimed at helping small businesses during this difficult time, she’s pumped over £1-billion into the UK economy and holds an Advisory position for the UK government. She co-founded the immersive brand Holly & Co and presents her own podcast 'Conversations of Inspiration,' chatting to the UK's brightest and most well-known founders which include Fearne Cotton, Deliciously Ella, Thomasina Miers and Levi Roots.F...
2022-01-251h 00START UP. START NOW.#27: Steven Bartlett: The newest investor on Dragons' Den & Host of Diary Of A CEO (Founder of Social Chain)Send us a textThe youngest ever Dragon has entered the Den. Steven Bartlett, a Botswana-born businessman who built one of the world's most influential social media organisations from the comfort of his Manchester bedroom at the age of 21, and joined the BBC panel of esteemed investors in 2022.Steven's marketing company The Social Chain went public last year and now has a current market valuation of over $600M.Since then, the young Plymouth-raised entrepreneur has toured the world as a speaker, investor, author and content creator, hosting UK's number one Podcast on Apple...
2022-01-161h 11START UP. START NOW.#26: How Ben Francis built the billion-pound fitness brand GymsharkSend us a textMy first guest for 2021 Flashback is Ben Francis, the founder and ambitious entrepreneur behind leading UK fitness brand, Gymshark. Ben founded Gymshark when he was 19 years old, while still a student at Aston University. In addition to his full-time commitment to his studies, Ben juggled working as a pizza delivery man to fund his Gymshark venture. Ben made the decision to step down as CEO in 2017, to allow him to continue to focus on the things that have always set Gymshark apart - innovative design, creative content and consumer first thinking. In August 2021...
2022-01-091h 04START UP. START NOW.#25: Scaling through a pandemic: UK’s fastest growing sustainable car & fleet washing service with Christian Duncan and Mike Grindy (Co-founders of Dropless)Send us a textI am joined by Mike Grindy and Christian Duncan, founders of Dropless. Dropless is a fully digital service that allows you to easily schedule, manage and pay for a car wash or valet in seconds. They have been running for nearly 4 years and now employ over 100 people. Dropless recognised the car wash industry was fragmented and outdated, with a bad reputation for off-the-books operations and the mistreatment of workers. With a strong eco conscience and a desire to change the industry for the better, Dropless offers end-to-end vehicle management that uses a sustainable...
2021-10-311h 10START UP. START NOW.#24: Female Founder improving comfort for men's balls (Yang Liu founder of JustWears)Send us a textYang Liu is the founder and CEO of JustWears - a direct to consumer brand on the mission to create the most comfortable underwear for men, with biodegradable natural materials. From starting in her living room and personally responding to every customer email, she has built JustWears into a multi-million pound business in just 3 years, even featured on Dragons Den with her famous phallus for your palace underwear. Previously Yang worked at venture capital firm 500Startups as an investor. She came to the UK at 23 with nothing but her broken English. She was...
2021-10-1843 minSTART UP. START NOW.#23: Social entrepreneur changing youth lives through dance with Christina Rehana Taylor (founder of Aim Sky High Company)Send us a textTina Rehana Taylor has been named Business Insider's #1 FEMALE FOUNDER OF COLOUR TO WATCH IN EUROPE and has recently been named as one of sixteen black changemakers in Greater Manchester for Black History Month, alongside names like Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling. Tina is first and foremost a mum, followed by her love as choreographer and social entrepreneur.The Aim Sky High (ASH) Company provides dance, drama and singing tuition to children and young people aged 2-25 years old. Tina built this dance school with the vision of giving children the...
2021-10-1039 minSTART UP. START NOW.#22: Building a platform for personalised celebrity video messages with Anjan Luthra (Founder of Thrillz)Send us a textAnjan Luthra is the founder of Thrillz, a personalised celebrity video messages and live experiences platform. The London based platform has attracted thousands of customers and its celebrities include Katie Price, Paul Chuckle, Kerry Katona, Hollywood legend Tara Reid, England Rugby World Cup winner Matt Dawson and Grammy Award winning RnB queen, Mya to name a handful. Thrillz enables creators to monetise in several ways and the economics are set by each creator, with guidance from the personal account manager that’s assigned to them. Price tags range from a few pounds for a...
2021-09-2658 minSTART UP. START NOW.#21: Hospitality startup plans to take on Britain’s ‘Big Three’ food delivery apps with Chris McColl (Founder of Gravyy)Send us a textChris McColl is the founder of Gravyy, a zero commission food delivery and collection marketplace that enables restaurants to take back control of their profit margins. Chris is the former owner of NY Slice, a Glaswegian pizza restaurant that was forced to shut after being squeezed by the high commissions and unfair practices of the Big Three delivery platforms (Uber Eats, JustEat, Deliveroo). Delivery platforms charged up to 35% in commission for every order to an eye watering total of £1bn in commission every year, that's money that could be invested back into growing t...
2021-08-0156 minSTART UP. START NOW.#20: UK's first design-led smart tech lighting challenger brand with Alisha Zhang (Founder of Accio Homes)Send us a textAlisha Zhang, founder of Accio Homes. She wants to change people’s perception of tech products, and make smart homes ubiquitous to all. When Alisha was shopping for smart products for her own home, she spotted several pain points from the brands on the market at the time. Many had a complex, intimidating set up process, with short life spans and were in fact, pretty ugly! She decided to address these pain points by creating smart home brand Accio Homes. Accio’s beautiful smart lights do not compromise design for tech, are simple to se...
2021-07-2540 minSTART UP. START NOW.#19: Manufacturing sustainable upcycled bags from discarded lorry curtains with Mat Dusting (Founder of M-24 & GPOWERUK)Send us a textMat Dusting is the founder of M-24, an online bag company that repurposes used truck tarpaulins and car seat belts into ultra-durable, one of a kind pieces of road history. Originally backed by the Prince’s Trust, M-24 has grown from a university idea into a cult brand with customers in over 35 countries, 50 tonnes of waste plastic recycled and sold over 10,000 units to date. Manufacturing everything in the UK, Mat collaborates with the largest haulage firms in the country and has a developed a line of colourful, durable, waterproof bags and accessories, all of...
2021-07-1851 minSTART UP. START NOW.#18: Creating a fast-growing disruptive jewellery brand with Connie Nam (Founder & CEO of Astrid & Miyu)Send us a textConnie Nam is the founder and CEO of Astrid & Miyu, a London based jewellery brand which has gained cult status across the UK since its launch in 2012. Ranked #9 in Sunday Times Fast Track 100 in 2020, Astrid & Miyu is a fast-growing business both online and in physical retail, achieving 1000% growth with 4 stores, 2 concessions, and over 80 staff. Connie’s accolades also include winning the Athena award for inspirational woman leaders in the 2020 NatWest everywoman Awards and been highly commended in the 2020 Barclays Entrepreneur Awards in the Scale-Up Entrepreneur category. The brand currently has 4 stores across central London...
2021-07-1133 minSTART UP. START NOW.#17: Innovating in Mental health: addressing burnout (Calvin Benton, founder of Spill)Send us a textSpill was founded by Calvin Benton, a 28-year-old software developer from Yorkshire whose parents are both therapists. He saw first-hand how life-changing therapy could be, and yet also how difficult it was for most people to get, whether that was due to long waiting lists, the concern it would be seen as a weakness, or the high price of going private. Spill is on a mission to make mental health support barrier-free, stigma-free, and free at the point of use. Over 200 companies (including Beauty Pie, Depop, Bloom and Wild, Bulb and Huel) are...
2021-05-1239 minSTART UP. START NOW.#16: Supporting early-stage entrepreneurs in developing regions worldwide (Co-founder of Enterprise Academy and Investor in Residence for Google Startups, Anthony Catt)Send us a textAnthony Catt is co-founder of Enterprise Academy, an organisation providing essential support to early-stage entrepreneurs in developing regions worldwide. Focused on the future of education and on a mission to democratise it for higher accessibility, Anthony has 8 years experience in creating, supporting and investing in new ventures, including across Africa. As well as this, Anthony is an Investor in Residence for Google Startups, helping start-up founders gain better access to investment, as well as part of the Africa Angel Academy programme, to educate on and encourage increased UK investment into African s...
2021-03-071h 03START UP. START NOW.#15: Birmingham DJ working on the frontline as a NHS junior doctor (Creator of NHsessions with Kishan Bodalia)Send us a textKishan Bodalia is an NHS frontline doctor working to save lives in the pandemic, along with a DJ harnessing a passion for music. As a skilled multi-instrumentalist with a love for dance music, Bodalia has shared main stage line-ups with the likes of Ella Eyre, Lethal Bizzle and Fuse ODG along with DJs such as Cheat Codes and Hannah Wants. Having also headlined at events such as the Vale Festival and remixed for Sony Music and the Ministry of Sound, Bodalia now regularly provides guest remixes on BBC Radio 1 and BBC A...
2021-02-1445 minSTART UP. START NOW.#14: Transitioning from corporate to start up mode with Harry Young (Co-Founder of Airhead)Send us a textHarry Young is co-founder of Airhead, an award-winning company providing specially designed masks for cyclists to protect from pesky air pollution! Backed by smart science and fuelled by community spirit, this patent-pending mask is designed and made here in the UK. Co-founded alongside university friends, Alex Smith and Elliot Denvir , who Harry met whilst studying at the University of Bath back in 2011. Created in collaboration with Brunel University and a member of the NatWest Accelerator Programme, this unique mask is building a community of active people and encouraging them to exercise w...
2021-02-0747 minSTART UP. START NOW.#13: The Rise of the Entrepreneur Activist: voice for the Black Lives Matter movement (Sophie Williams)Send us a textAs a determined activist, Sophie Williams is pioneering the anti-racism movement by sharing her advice on how to actively become involved and aware! Having written two insightful books published by Harper Collins, ‘Anti Racist Ally’ and ‘Millennial Black’ (April 2021), Sophie is working to educate and inform people on anti-racism. And her work doesn’t stop there - she is a regular speaker, consultant and workshop facilitator for the movement, along with writing publications appearing in the likes of The Guardian, Glamour, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan UK and Grazia UK. Her act...
2021-01-3147 minSTART UP. START NOW.#12: World's most funded coffee maker in crowdfunding history (Ashley Hribar-Green, Co-Founder of CoffeeJack)Send us a textMeet Ashley Hribar-Green, co-founder of CoffeeJack - the world’s smallest 9 bar, portable espresso maker and ‘The Most Funded Coffeemaker in Crowdfunding History’! As former Dyson engineers, Ashley and his business partner Matthew Aston Cain have implemented their mechanical design skills directly within his entrepreneurial goals, creating an inventive product that delivers both the convenience and the quality factor to their consumer base. Ashley, alongside Matthew, have invented various novel business ideas such as magnetic pens and pencils, and emphasises the importance of businesses born from customer problem-solving. With a goal in mind...
2020-12-2044 min
Off the Shelf2. Sharena ShivWelcome to Off the Shelf which is just a convenient excuse for me to look around my guests book shelves!
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2020-12-1439 minSTART UP. START NOW.#11: Forbes 30 under 30’s Sustainable Fashion Engineer (Alina Bassi, founder of Kleiderly)Send us a textAs featured in Forbes 30 under 30, Alina Bassi has gone from Aston University where she studied Chemical Engineering, to Cambridge working for bio-bean Ltd and working in energy consulting for ThyssenKrupp, to now Berlin where she has established her business Kleiderly. Combining her drive for innovation with a passion for sustainable progress, Alina set out to establish Kleiderly with a self-assured goal of using her experience to solve the pressing issue of clothing waste within the fashion industry. She has since developed technology recycling waste clothing into new and sustainable material, contributing t...
2020-12-1347 minSTART UP. START NOW.#10: From Estonia to Shoreditch: the tech start-up transforming the tax world (Mart Abramov, CEO & co-founder of TaxScouts)Send us a textIntroducing Mart Abramov, the CEO and co-founder of TaxScouts - the startup changing the way we do our tax returns! While Self-Assessment tax returns have proven to be a tedious task for many start-up, freelancers and early-stage entrepreneurial ventures, Mart and his team have helped to create an affordable service offering immense benefits to people who need a non-taxing tax service.Mart is no stranger to the tech scene, with an impressive ten years of experience building products for the likes of Microsoft, Skype and TransferWise. In our episode, he speaks...
2020-12-061h 02START UP. START NOW.#9: Meet My Mentor: Intrapreneur trailblazing diversity & female entrepreneurship (Dr Heather Melville OBE, Director at PwC, Chair of CMI Women)Send us a textHaving held a number of senior positions across global businesses such as PwC, Natwest and CMI Women, with impactful roles such as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Head of Inclusion, Director of Client Relationship Programmes and Head of People Business Networks. Dr Heather Melville OBE is an intrapreneneur driving change from directly within these corporate businesses. As a thought leader, innovator and activist, Heather is firmly established within the world of business and continues to be impactful to the way it functions. With an impassioned commitment to promoting BAME and female t...
2020-11-291h 12START UP. START NOW.#8: Prototyping your product and sourcing a manufacturer abroad with Matt Dyson (Rockit)Send us a textMatt Dyson is the co-founder of Rockit who develop award winning products to help babies and young children to sleep. Helping exhausted parents all over the planet. If your little one wakes up as soon as your pushchair stops moving, The Rockit will keep it rocking so you don’t have to! Matt has had a number of career changes and was originally an art director at Ogilvy and Mather before retraining and becoming a teacher. He taught product design in schools and colleges for 20 years prior to starting up Rockit....
2020-08-2342 minSTART UP. START NOW.#7: World's fastest henna artist based in Selfridges with Pavan Dhanjal (founder)Send us a textPavan Dhanjal is the world’s fastest henna artist (Guinness World Record). As well as travelling worldwide to the homes of her many clients, Pavan also leads a dedicated and carefully curated team of henna artists who work in her Selfridges and Harvey Nichols bars. She has collaborated with everyone from Rudimental to Ellie Goulding, Perrie Edwards and Alesha Dixon and created bespoke designs for the runway shows of Antonio Berardi and Mannish Aurora. Now a global brand, Pavan’s The Henna Bar continues to grow with outlets across London and the UK...
2020-08-1643 minSTART UP. START NOW.#6: Barber trusted by Anthony Joshua, Stormzy & LeBron James with Mark Maciver (aka SliderCuts)Send us a textMark Maciver, aka SliderCuts, has been cutting hair professionally for over fifteen years. During that time, he has nurtured a superlative client list, which runs the gamut from basketball player Lebron James to world heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua, as well as TV personality Reggie Yates and high-hitting UK rappers Stormzy and Tinie Tempah, amongst others. With over 89k followers on Instagram, SliderCuts provides some of the tightest shape-ups from East London to West Hollywood. His razor-sharp skills makes him an expert figure in his field, and his vast kn...
2020-08-0952 minSTART UP. START NOW.#5: The perfect pitch as seen on Dragons Den with Jonny Plein (Pouch)Send us a textJonny Plein is the co-founder of Pouch, a free to use browser extension. ‘Pouch’ became the third company in the history of the Den to secure offers of investment from all five Dragons in 2017. After qualifying as a chartered accountant from Ernst & Young he set up the business with two friends in 2016. Pouch is a leading money-saving browser extension in the UK. After a rollercoaster 3 year journey, Pouch was acquired by Global Savings Group for a 7-figure sum in early 2019. This episode focuses on his BBC Dragons Den experience, co-found...
2020-08-021h 05START UP. START NOW.#4: Ask the Expert: Free startup resources and funding explained by Georgina Mackey from NatWestSend us a textAs the London Entrepreneur Development Manager, Georgina Mackey has had a varied career at NatWest and currently runs the NatWest Accelerator programme in London. This episode explores the free resources and funding options available for start ups in the UK.By working to deliver the NatWest Entrepreneurship strategy across London, she has helped to provide support to over 150 start-ups at any one time! Georgina has worked closely with start-ups by refining their business strategy and enabling growth, but also encouraging stakeholders and corporates to work alongside start-ups and see the benefits...
2020-07-2647 minSTART UP. START NOW.#3: Innovating during a pandemic with James Eid (Signature Masks)Send us a textJames Eid, 19 year old first year student at Lancaster University studying Business Management, acted quickly as soon as the pandemic broke out and founded Signature Masks Ltd. Signature Masks is a UK manufacturer of disposable face masks for both civilian and medical professionals. The factory in Dunstable, Bedfordshire will manufacture half a million masks a week. James has donated 3000 face coverings to The Independent's ‘Help the Hungry’ campaign to protect volunteers delivering food to the most vulnerable and featured on LBC, The Evening Standard and Lancaster Guardian. OFFER FOR 20% OFF FA...
2020-07-1939 minSTART UP. START NOW.#2: Making yourself the brand with Shivani Sharma (British model - Charlotte Tilbury, Sabyasachi & Harrods)Send us a textShivani Sharma is a leading British Asian model and the face of Charlotte Tilbury, Sabyasachi, Becca Cosmetics, Harrods, Vero Moda, ASOS, Rimmel & Anita Dongre to name a few. Not to mention my social media girl crush! Shivani holds a BSc in Marketing from Aston University and has worked in 7 countries over the past 8 years.This episode is aimed for those thinking of becoming the face of their brand and an insight into the modelling/fashion industry. Shivani opens up about diversity in the industry and how she has built and sustained...
2020-07-1246 minSTART UP. START NOW.#1: Transforming trauma into success with Gian Power (TLC Lions)Send us a textGian Power is the founder of TLC Lions and The Unwind Experience. Gian’s work has featured globally in 57 countries and recently appeared in The Independent, Business Insider, BBC1 and Forbes magazine. TLC Lions are on a mission to ignite emotion in the workplace through storytelling. Gian Power set up his first business aged 13 and later worked at Deutsche Bank and PwC and witnessed first-hand some of the wellbeing & inclusion issues that need to be tackled in the corporate world. In 2015 aged 23, an unexpected family tragedy changed Gian’s life forever. When returning to w...
2020-07-0542 min
START UP. START NOW.START UP. START NOW. IntroductionSend us a textWelcome to the START UP. START NOW. podcast with your host Sharena Shiv.START UP. START NOW. publishes a new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out.The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!Join the conversation usi...
2020-06-2502 min