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Welcome 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. ...
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START UP. START NOW.
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#32: Hotel Chocolat: British Luxury Chocolatier with Peter Harris (Co-Founder)
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Hotel 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 …
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#31: Recipes for Success with Pip Murray (Founder of Pip and Nut)
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Founded 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 nutri…
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#30: British Couple on a mission to improve our health and wellness with Amy Moring & Jeff Webster (co-founders of Hunter & Gather Foods UK)
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Amy 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 …
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#29: Starting an e-commerce business with no external funding - reinventing pottery with Giles Harrison (Co-founder of Sculpd)
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In 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 ai…
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2021 Flashback: Edwina Dunn OBE: Tesco Clubcard Creator and Data Science Entrepreneur (Founder dunnhumby, The Female Lead & Starcount)
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Edwina 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 …
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2021 Flashback: NotOnTheHighStreet Founder: Do What You Love, Love What You Do with Holly Tucker MBE (Founder of Holly & Co)
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Holly 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 …
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2021 Flashback: The newest investor on Dragons' Den & Host of Diary Of A CEO - Steven Bartlett (Founder of Social Chain)
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The 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…
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2021 Flashback: How Ben Francis built the billion-pound fitness brand Gymshark
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My 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…
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#25: Scaling through a pandemic: UK’s fastest growing sustainable car & fleet washing service with Christian Duncan and Mike Grindy (Co-founders of Dropless)
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I 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 …
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#24: Female Founder improving comfort for men's balls (Yang Liu founder of JustWears)
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Yang 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 feature…
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#23: Social entrepreneur changing youth lives through dance with Christina Rehana Taylor (founder of Aim Sky High Company)
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Tina 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 soci…
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#22: Building a platform for personalised celebrity video messages with Anjan Luthra (Founder of Thrillz)
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Anjan 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, …
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#21: Hospitality startup plans to take on Britain’s ‘Big Three’ food delivery apps with Chris McColl (Founder of Gravyy)
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Chris 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 deliv…
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#20: UK's first design-led smart tech lighting challenger brand with Alisha Zhang (Founder of Accio Homes)
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Alisha 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 we…
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#19: Manufacturing sustainable upcycled bags from discarded lorry curtains with Mat Dusting (Founder of M-24 & GPOWERUK)
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Mat 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 sol…
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#18: Creating a fast-growing disruptive jewellery brand with Connie Nam (Founder & CEO of Astrid & Miyu)
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Connie 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.…
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#17: Innovating in Mental health: addressing burnout (Calvin Benton, founder of Spill)
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Spill 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 priv…
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#16: Supporting early-stage entrepreneurs in developing regions worldwide (Co-founder of Enterprise Academy and Investor in Residence for Google Startups, Anthony Catt)
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Anthony 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 ac…
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#15: Birmingham DJ working on the frontline as a NHS junior doctor (Creator of NHsessions with Kishan Bodalia)
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Kishan 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 al…
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#14: Transitioning from corporate to start up mode with Harry Young (Co-Founder of Airhead)
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Harry 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 m…
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#13: The Rise of the Entrepreneur Activist: voice for the Black Lives Matter movement (Sophie Williams)
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As 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 does…
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#12: World's most funded coffee maker in crowdfunding history (Ashley Hribar-Green, Co-Founder of CoffeeJack)
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Meet 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 inven…
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#11: Forbes 30 under 30’s Sustainable Fashion Engineer (Alina Bassi, founder of Kleiderly)
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As 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, Ali…
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#10: From Estonia to Shoreditch: the tech start-up transforming the tax world (Mart Abramov, CEO & co-founder of TaxScouts)
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Introducing 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 peo…
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#9: Meet My Mentor: Intrapreneur trailblazing diversity & female entrepreneurship (Dr Heather Melville OBE, Director at PwC, Chair of CMI Women)
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Having 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…
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#8: Prototyping your product and sourcing a manufacturer abroad with Matt Dyson (Rockit)
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Matt 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 a…
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#7: World's fastest henna artist based in Selfridges with Pavan Dhanjal (BEM)
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Pavan 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…
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#6: Barber trusted by Anthony Joshua, Stormzy & LeBron James with Mark Maciver (aka SliderCuts)
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Mark 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 Temp…
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#5: The perfect pitch as seen on Dragons Den with Jonny Plein (Pouch)
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Jonny 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 exten…
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#4: Ask the Expert: Free startup resources and funding explained by Georgina Mackey from NatWest
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As 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 t…
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#3: Innovating during a pandemic with James Eid (Signature Masks)
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James 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 mil…
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#2: Making yourself the brand with Shivani Sharma (British model - Charlotte Tilbury, Sabyasachi & Harrods)
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Shivani 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 fo…
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#1: Transforming trauma into success with Gian Power (TLC Lions)
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Gian 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…
Welcome 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 starti…
