Real Startup Stories

Welcome to another episode of Real Startup Stories. Joined by Ella, founder of The Prawn Star, who swapped Essex for Cornwall and left her old life behind to build a business around her love of seafood. Ella shares what it was like moving 370 miles away, starting from scratch and building her brand through pop ups and restaurant takeovers while working full time and raising two children. She talks...

🎙️ Welcome to another episode of Real Startup Stories. This week, we’re joined by Hogi, an independent rapper from Barnsley who’s been making music for years but only recently decided to take it seriously. We dive into his journey into music, balancing his passion alongside a full-time job, and what it’s really like trying to build a career as an independent artist in today’s industry. Hogi shares...

Jam & Meme: How a Cornish Meme Page Turned Into a Movement In this episode, I sit down with the creator behind Jam & Meme to discuss how a simple Cornish meme page evolved into one of Cornwall’s most recognisable community brands. We talk about the unlikely story of becoming DJs after being handed a festival set, learning to DJ from scratch, the growth of Pard Card and Pardcast, staying an...

In this solo episode, I'm sharing a few things that have been on my mind lately. I talk about the growing support behind VATISTHEPROBLEM.co.uk , why I believe VAT is holding back small businesses across the UK, and what we're doing to push the conversation forward. It's also Men's Mental Health Month, so I wanted to speak openly about the importance of checking in with ourselves and the people aro...

In this episode of the Real Startup Stories Podcast, I sit down with Barnsley rapper Kie5 to discuss his journey into music, how he developed his sound, and the work that’s gone into building his career from the ground up. We talk about setting up his own recording studio, organising shows for other up-and-coming artists, gaining recognition around his hometown, and why representing Barnsley is su...

In this episode, we sit down with Manchester rapper $corpiodadon to discuss his journey into music, the story behind his name, what inspired him to start rapping, and where he sees his career heading in the future. We dive into whether talent is something you’re born with or something you build, the artists who have influenced his sound, his dream collaborations, the best advice he’s ever received...

In this episode, we sit down with Rema the deadline defence lawyer, from Cornwall legal centre. A barrister based in Cornwall, one of the only CIC organisations of its kind tackling access to justice in the region. We discuss the growing legal aid crisis in Cornwall, often described as a “legal aid desert,” and what that actually means for real people trying to access legal support. Rema shares he...

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 w...

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...

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...

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...

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 presa...

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 epi...

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 experie...

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 dif...

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, inclu...

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...

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 start...

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...

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 •...

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...

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 lin...

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 t...

Who am I and what is this? More importantly, how do I plan on helping you Subscribe so you don't miss a thing