Seasonal Discussions

What does it take to build confidence, pursue a passion and start turning an idea into something of your own? In this episode of Shaping the North East, Chris sits down with Melissa Gordon, the person behind Millie’s Treats, to talk about her love of baking, the people who have inspired her and the small steps she’s taking to grow both her confidence and her business. From the influence of her fam...

Sponsored by Vintage Toys & Collectables & Video Games Aberdeen www.instagram.com/vintagetoysandcollectablesabz/   What happens when you stop following the expected path and start creating your own? In this episode of Shaping the North East, we sit down with Muhammad (Mo) Rahman, founder of M7 Studios, to explore his journey through education, independent filmmaking, acting and the creatio...

What happens when you move from London to Aberdeen, discover something you feel is missing, and decide to create it yourself? In this episode of Shaping the North East, we sit down with Miss Monstera to explore her journey from London to Aberdeen and the events she's created since moving to the city. Her LGBTQ+ and kink events are about more than simply having a night out. Miss Monstera believes A...

What happens when a passion for retro toys, video games and collecting becomes something much bigger than a business? In this episode of Shaping the North East (sponsored by Utopia Body Arts in Aberdeen), Chris sits down with Chris and Edina, the founders of "Vintage Toys & Collectables" and "Video Games Aberdeen", to talk about their journey from being out of work during the pandemic to creat...

What happens when the life you thought you wanted turns out not to be the life that makes you happy? In this episode of Shaping the North East, Chris is joined by Shannon Andrew, an Aberdeen singer and vocalist whose journey has taken her from a decade of corporate 9–5 life to performing across the North East of Scotland. Shannon talks openly about growing up in Aberdeen, following the traditional...

What does it mean to build a business around the way you actually want to work? In this episode of Shaping the North East, Chris is joined by Maya Vertigans, founder of Planner Bee V.A Services, an Aberdeen-based virtual assistant business built around a remote-first approach to work. Maya shares the story behind starting Planner Bee, her ambition to become an entrepreneur and the process of creat...

Kate Kenyon joins Shaping the North East to discuss the story behind SOBR, Aberdeen's first completely alcohol-free bar, and what it takes to build a business around a very different approach to the traditional bar experience. In this episode, we explore how the idea for SOBR came about, the challenges of launching a new concept in Aberdeen, and the reaction the business received when people quest...

Gia Watson joins Shaping the North East to discuss her journey from leaving the traditional 9–5 behind to building a career on her own terms in Aberdeen. A self-employed barber and occasional content creator, Gia has taken a very different path to the one she originally imagined. In this episode, we explore how she got started in barbering, the realities of becoming self-employed, her experience o...

Brutha Voodoo (also known as Aron Smith) joins the Shaping The North East podcast this week to talk about poetry, community radio, local events and the people helping shape Aberdeen’s creative scene. In this episode, we explore Aron’s journey with poetry, his involvement in poetry events across the North East of Scotland, his passion for community radio, and the importance of creating stronger con...

Aberdeen-born twin sisters The Elidas join Shaping the North East to share their journey from the North East of Scotland to Dubai, where they have built a career performing original music together. In this episode, Belle and Venice discuss how they first discovered their passion for music, what it's really like touring and performing from such a young age, balancing life between Aberdeen and Dubai...

Romans Svjatkins joins Shaping the North East to discuss his journey from university student to founder of Marketing Career Ladder, a new platform connecting students, graduates, employers and universities with career opportunities in marketing. In this episode, we explore what it takes to build a platform from scratch in Aberdeen, the persistence behind contacting more than 100 businesses and ove...

Jazz Mackintosh joins Shaping the North East to discuss her journey from studying music with friends at college to launching one of Aberdeen's newest indie bands, Elysian. In this episode, we explore what it's like starting a band from scratch in the North East of Scotland, building confidence as a performer, writing original music, finding opportunities to play live, and why sometimes the best ad...

What does it mean to find home? In this episode of Shaping the North East, Chris sits down with Scottish-Burmese singer, songwriter and producer Fiona Soe Paing to explore identity, creativity and the landscapes that inspire her music. We discuss Fiona's unique approach to songwriting, and how her acclaimed second album became a journey to reconnect with the Scottish places she now calls home. We...

What does it take to build a band from scratch and earn a place on one of Scotland's biggest festival stages? In Episode 2 of Shaping the North East, Chris sits down with Stu and Stu from The Funky Red Pandas to explore the band's journey from an ambitious idea to one of the North East's most exciting live acts. From winning Battle of the Bands just months after forming to releasing their debut al...

Welcome to the very first episode of the newly rebranded Shaping The North East. To kick off this new chapter, we're joined by Lewis Donaldson, founder of L.Donaldson Massage in Aberdeen, for a conversation about self-care, entrepreneurship and the changing ways people choose to invest in themselves. Lewis shares his journey from studying media at university to building a successful massage therap...

In this episode (sponsored by KLT Networking), Chris sits down with Amanda and Bob Law from Amanda Law Mortgages to explore the journey behind the business and the family that powers it. Amanda shares how she built her career in finance and took the leap to launch her own mortgage business, while Bob reflects on his career in the oil and gas sector before making the decision to join the company fu...

Aberdeen is home to an incredible range of musicians and artists, but many never get the exposure they deserve. Glen Gauld, founder of North City Signal, explains how his platform is helping shine a spotlight on local talent, capture live performances, and build a stronger creative community in the North East of Scotland. We discuss: • Glen's background and journey into music production through NE...

In this episode, I sit down with Lesley-Ann, better known as TokOfTheDeen, to discuss how she has built a thriving online community in just 14 months. What started as a way of exercising creative expression through creating content has grown into something much bigger. Lesley-Ann shares how she uses her platform to champion independent businesses, highlight hidden gems across Aberdeen, and create...

When Chloe Watson was invited to give a TEDx talk, she didn't feel ready. Today, Chloe is a content creator, sustainable fashion advocate, and TEDx Aberdeen speaker whose talk, Confessions of a Fast Fashion Addict, challenged the way we think about clothing consumption and fast fashion. In this episode, Chloe shares the reality behind stepping onto the TEDx stage, the self-doubt she faced beforeha...

In this episode, I sit down with Kirsty Clements and Laura Harrington, Festival Directors of the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo), as we explore one of the most significant traditional music events coming to Aberdeen this year. We discuss the origins of NAFCo, what makes the convention unique, and why its return to the Granite City is such an important moment for the North East of Scotland...

In this episode, I sit down with Drew Markou from Vanilla Ink The Smiddy for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, craftsmanship, and community in the north east of Scotland. We explore the history of silversmithing and metalwork in Banff, how traditional skills are being preserved and reimagined for a modern audience, and the role organisations like Vanilla Ink The Smiddy play in supporti...

This week, Chris is joined by George Brown, founder of Forma Designs Collective in Aberdeen. We discuss how Forma evolved from a university project into a growing business, the realities of building a creative company from home, and how production has gradually taken over every spare bit of space, including industrial machines running almost constantly from a spare room/workshop. George also talks...

How do you go from starting out in body piercing to building your own respected studio in Aberdeen? In this weeks episode of Seasonal Discussions, Nathan from Utopia Body Arts shares his full story, from discovering body piercing as a career, to opening his own business, moving to Scotland, and becoming part of Aberdeen’s creative community. We also dive into: • Entrepreneurship and taking risks •...

In this episode, Chris sits down with Julie and Nicola from KIN, Aberdeen’s newest creative charity, to find out how it all got started. We talk about how the two first met, with Nicola teaching at university and Julie joining as one of her mature students, and how that relationship eventually grew into a shared vision for supporting Aberdeen’s creative community. We also dive into: • The inspirat...

In this episode, Chris sits down with Katie Watson, Relationship Manager at the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, UK Rising Star award winner, and board member of Aberdeen Young Professionals. Still in her early 20s, Katie has quickly become one of the most recognisable and fast-rising names in the Aberdeen business community. But her journey didn’t happen by accident. We dive into how...