The Fun Side Of Business

Send us Fan Mail What happens after the excitement of going self-employed? When the clients are coming in, the business is growing... and suddenly you're buried in admin, paperwork and wondering where the hours in the day disappeared? In our latest Fun Side of Business episode, James Roper joins us to share the reality of building a successful wealth management business. From a chance convers...

Send us Fan Mail Ever had that moment where the sensible plan suddenly stops feeling big enough? That’s exactly where this conversation with Shelly Antczak from Raspberry HR begins. We chat about growing up in Ipswich, loving the structure of school, studying business with a marketing career in mind, and then somehow falling headfirst into HR instead. What started as an unexpected detour became a...

Send us Fan Mail None of us like to think about it, but life can change in an instant. In this episode, Louise Gladwell shares her deeply personal story of losing her husband, Gary, suddenly and how that experience changed both her life and her approach to helping others. We talk about the reality of grief, the shock, the practical challenges, and the emotional roller coaster that follows when som...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Simon Bennett, CEO of Vinttro, whose career starts far from boardrooms! Working as an Ipswich panel beater before building and scaling high-growth insurance and claims businesses, completing a successful exit, and then launching a new venture designed with acquisition in mind from day one. Simon takes us back to the early grind: YTS schemes, long...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we sit down with Gemma Matten, Business Engagement Manager at the University of Suffolk, to unpack a career journey full of unexpected turns, tough moments, and bold decisions. From working in recruitment and property sales, Gemma shares how redundancy during the 2008 recession and just after having a baby, pushed her into starting a business! We talk honestly about the...

Send us Fan Mail You definitely do not need a perfect story. We get into what actually works when the microphones are on: turning up as yourself, dropping the business façade, and speaking with the kind of honesty that makes listeners lean in. Guests who are willing to give a little more than the safe, tidy answer create interviews that feel human and relatable. We also dig into why not taking you...

Send us Fan Mail The plan sounds straightforward: land a top banking job, grind hard, make serious money, and buy yourself freedom.  Richard Grainger actually lived that path, from studying Economics at University of Cambridge to working in Canary Wharf. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what that lifestyle really looks like. We get into the brutal hours, the pressure that keeps you chai...

Send us Fan Mail Getting kicked out of school doesn’t exactly scream “future success”… but for Tom Hines, it was just the beginning. In this episode, we chat with coach and Hindsight founder Tom Hines about how fear of failure can quietly shape your life, showing up as avoidance, self-doubt, and unrealised potential  and how to flip that into confidence, purpose, and real impact. From growing up i...

Send us Fan Mail A 9-year-old selling horse chestnuts for cash doesn’t exactly scream “future entrepreneur”… but Scott Russell was never following the usual script. In this episode, we get into the real journey. He left school at 16 and learned what classrooms don’t teach, how to sell, how to hustle, and how to handle real money. Turns out, earning early can teach you more than perfect grades ever...

Send us Fan Mail A house sale can fall apart for the most unexpected reasons — like someone refusing to leave behind a spare cooker. Then, in contrast, another deal can be saved simply because an estate agent rolls up their sleeves, cleans up an empty property, stages it with whatever’s on hand, and helps buyers instantly picture a future there. That’s the side of “selling homes” most people never...

Send us Fan Mail Ever notice how most of what you stress about never actually happens… yet somehow it still ruins your whole day? Yeah, same. In this episode, we get real about overthinking, pressure, and trying to look like you’ve got it all together when you’re just keeping your head above water. We zoom out and talk about what real wealth actually looks like, and spoiler, it’s not just money. P...

Send us Fan Mail Two young founders turn up with no media training, no budget, and a ridiculous amount of drive, then somehow make it work. We chat with Harrison Turner and Tom Mumford from In The Business about what it really takes to start before you feel ready, and why “step one” is the missing piece for so many aspiring entrepreneurs. If you’ve ever felt behind, overwhelmed by online noise, or...

Send us Fan Mail Ever had that moment where you’re the one holding it all together… and then suddenly, everything feels like too much? That’s exactly where Jo Wood found herself....... and it completely changed the direction of her life! We kick things off with Jo’s journey from building a career in office roles, eventually rising into senior HR leadership within the NHS. She shares the three simp...

Send us Fan Mail He’s built companies, coached fighters and written books! In this lively and honest episode, Craig Sennett (Knight Web Design) joins us for a conversation that proves a winding path can be your greatest advantage. Craig shares what it was like growing up across five primary schools and three high schools, constantly being “the new kid.” That experience sharpened his people skills...

Send us Fan Mail What if the best way to “win” at life is to take a completely sideways route? This week we’re joined by Henry Tapp from Suffolk Mind for a chat that’s equal parts funny, honest, and low-key life-changing. Henry’s origin story? Rugby captain meets heavy-metal superfan. A university wobble, the kind that forces you to rethink everything. We get behind-the-scenes stories from his tim...

Send us Fan Mail His story starts small: £17 a week working at the Co-op, running some of the toughest stores in town, and learning early that empathy often works better than punishment (even with shoplifters). Somewhere between late shifts and coaching his local football team, he made a bold move, buying his first house at just nineteen! No flashy courses. No overnight success. Just saving deposi...

Send us Fan Mail Fairness over fortune, that’s the mantra guiding Denise Head’s 36-year journey from shy student with “average grades” to partner at a people-first law firm. In this episode, she lifts the lid on the side of law you rarely see: the grind of high-stakes personal injury and children’s cases, the myths of big salaries, and the relentless pressure of magic-circle training. Denise share...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling like your business is slowly getting squeezed from all sides? You’re not alone, and it might not be over. In this episode, insolvency practitioner turned business rescue pro Gary Rupping shares why the end of a company doesn’t have to mean the end of your business (or your future) From growing up in competitive South Africa, navigating the credit crunch, and even dealing w...

Send us Fan Mail Think Sea Cadets, a strict dad, and a life full of hustle… then add marathon security shifts, door-to-door cable sales, and a wild detour into multi-level marketing. That’s Martin’s early life.. It all led him to estate planning, but not in the boring, legal-brochure way. Martin went from selling to genuinely helping people protect their families: wills, trusts, powers of attorney...

Send us Fan Mail February is the deep exhale after January’s tax-season chaos. Once the self-assessment dust settled, we sat down to talk about why this year felt calmer, sharper—and honestly, more fun. The answer wasn’t magic. It was a few smart tweaks that changed how we work together. We start with the real talk: who handles the heavy tax lifting, who keeps clients moving, and how we survive th...

Send us Fan Mail A holiday isn’t just flights and a bed — it’s a story you get to live. And Mark? He’s lived a few. In this episode, we sit down with a man whose journey runs from private-school pranks and pub sackings to Malia’s wild rep scene, a 20-year stint in the drinks industry and finally… designing once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. We unpack what actually makes a trip unforgettable (s...

Send us Fan Mail We are joined by Adele Chaplin, a humanist celebrant who starts every wedding and funeral with a blank page and a very real question: who are these people? Adele’s journey is anything but traditional. Raised in Dundee, she took a scenic route through sales jobs, BBC web development and the National Archives before landing in what she now calls “the best job in the world.” Along th...

Send us Fan Mail We met a cleaner who built a business with zero experience. A flooring pro radiating full wizard energy. A travel lead, financial advisors, and even a DJ.. because why wouldn't we. Throw in IT, private investigation, PR, and business consulting, and the show quickly stopped feeling like a podcast and started feeling like a dinner party where everyone has a wildly different jo...

Send us Fan Mail What if the “dream job” isn’t actually the dream? This week we’re chatting with Emma Propter King, whose career has taken her from conservatoire practice rooms to celebrity contact lists and even a private 737 (casual). On paper, it’s all very glossy. In real life? Exhausting, all-consuming, and quietly wrecking everything else. Emma tells us about her ultra-disciplined early year...

Send us Fan Mail Steve Wright’s career path zigzags so wildly it should come with a seatbelt. He started out aiming for carpentry, and somehow ended up in a darkroom below deck on 1980s cruise ships, snapping photos and selling memories one slightly forced smile at a time -  welcome to the glamorous reality of ship photography. Then came Casino Royale . One throwaway comment later and Steve found...