Real Startup Stories

In this solo episode, I break down a big shift - the rebrand of the podcast to Real Start Up Stories Podcast and why it matters. This isn’t about polished success or overnight wins. It’s about real people building real businesses, making mistakes, figuring it out as they go, and showing what actually goes on behind the scenes. I explain why this direction benefits not just the guests, but anyone watching who’s trying to start or g...

Sat down with Sammy, founder of the Cornwall Hair and Beauty Awards, to break down how she turned a simple idea into one of the most recognised hair and beauty industry events in Cornwall. In this episode, we dive into the full startup journey - from the moment the idea wouldn’t leave her alone, to launching the first awards event, dealing with unexpected problems on the night, and growing it into a respected brand within the UK b...

In this episode, I sat down with the Empress beauty salon owners to talk about their journey through the beauty industry and the challenges that came with building their business. We talked about: Getting started in the beauty world Growing the brand and building a loyal client base The realities of running a business behind the scenes Dealing with an unfair landlord and eviction drama Taking the situation to court The stress, pr...

Sat down with Eddie from Spray Station - a painting and decorating business doing things differently. We dive into how he went bankrupt in his 20s, took time out travelling Thailand, and came back with a completely new approach to the trade… swapping traditional methods for spray painting. Fast forward to today, he’s built a team of 25+, working on luxury homes and high-end properties - including projects for well-known names he co...

In this episode, I sat down with The Aussie Smoker - a guy who turned a love for backyard BBQs into a full-blown smoked meat business. We dive into his journey from growing up in Australia, where BBQs were a way of life, to coming over to the UK and building something from scratch. Starting out by wholesaling smoked meats, he then took a bold step - running a venue just one night a week on a presale model… and selling it out consis...

Welcome to another episode of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories. In this episode, I sat down with the founder of TradeKwest — a brand new app aiming to change how people learn real-world skills. This one’s all about building something from scratch with a small team, spotting a gap in the market, and creating a product that can genuinely help people of any age or experience level. In this episode we cover: • How he found and w...

Welcome to another episode of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories. This one is wild. I sat down with Annissa and Mohsin, who built an e-commerce brand from her bedroom and scaled it to £30M in total revenue in just 6 years… before losing it all. No fluff. No pretending. Just the real story behind the numbers. In this episode we cover: • How they started their brand from scratch with no experience • The steps they took to scale ...

Welcome to another solo episode of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories. This episode is all about building income, mindset, and the reality behind growing a business from the ground up. In this episode I cover: • How I built my Airbnb portfolio and got started • The truth about Airbnb income and scaling properties • Creating multiple income streams in 2026 • The habits that actually make a difference (including my “secret nappe...

Welcome to Episode 8 of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories. This week I sat down with Konnor Ewudzi - Love Island contestant, model, barber, and someone with a powerful story that goes far beyond reality TV. In this episode we cover: • What REALLY goes on behind the scenes of Love Island • How Konnor got into modelling and building his personal brand • The struggles he faced growing up, including dealing with dyslexia • How th...

Welcome to another episode of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories. In this episode, I sit down with Matt, the man behind Cub & Co - a multi-location coffee and clothing brand that’s been built through trial, error, and constant evolution. This one is real. No fluff. Just honest insight into what it actually takes to build and scale a brand. In this episode we cover: • The story behind Cub & Co and how it all started • T...

Welcome to Episode 5 of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories. In this episode I’m joined by Chanel from Chanel’s Cakery, an online cake business based in Cornwall that has built a huge following online and now ships cakes nationwide. At one point she had 800 people waiting on her website for a restock… and sold 2000 cakes in just 30 minutes. In this episode we cover: • How Chanel’s Cakery started • Building a loyal audience onli...

Welcome to Episode 5 of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories. In this episode I’m joined by Brett Barnes, who made the decision many people talk about… but very few actually do. He left employment behind to pursue content creation full time. But the reality of being your own boss isn’t always what people think. In this episode we cover: • Brett’s journey into social media and how it all started • The moment he decided to leave h...

Welcome to Episode 4 of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories.

My second EVER solo episode… and yes, it went slightly better.

This one is honest. It’s reflective. And it’s bigger than business.

In this episode I cover:

• A recap of our first two guests and their start up stories

• Why taking the first step towards your dreams changes everything

• The real story behind how this podcast started

• A TikTok Shop recap

• My long-term ...

Welcome to Episode 3 of Business Diaries – Real Startup Stories.

This week I’m joined by Thomas Pearson - a creator who’s built his social channels to nearly half a million followers after 10 years of trial, error, pivots and persistence. From experimenting with different content styles to finally finding his lane reporting on UK current affairs, government decisions and global headlines.

He talks about things, but hes not a journal...

Welcome to Episode 2 of Business Diaries - Real Startup Stories.

Joined by Jordan, the founder of PETH, who’s on a mission to build the UK’s biggest towel brand while cleaning the world’s beaches of plastic bottles. From starting just 3 years ago to now selling over 100,000 products, Jordan has faced scams, navigated manufacturing in China, expanded into new countries, and launched a wholesale line… all as a one-man band.

In this e...

Welcome to the very first episode of Business Diaries – Real Startup Stories. In this episode, I talk about why I decided to launch this podcast, how I want to help aspiring business owners, share some personal stories, and what you can expect from future episodes… and yes, I choked (hard). I got to the point where I wanted to delete this episode and reshoot it. But I decided against it, because that’s exactly what this podcast is ...