The UK Flooring Podcast

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is all about The Flooring Show at Harrogate, and why turning up without a plan could mean missing the best opportunities in the room. Tom talks through why trade shows are more than just a day out or a catch-up with familiar faces. With the right approach, they can help flooring businesses build better supplier relationships, discover new products, meet usef...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is a straight-talking reminder that most flooring businesses are already sitting on untapped profit, and it is not always about chasing more leads. Tom breaks down why so much money gets left on the table through old customer databases, lazy pricing habits, forgotten consumables, missed upsells, and poor follow-up. From sending regular emails to past custome...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast sits down with James Parfitt from Parfitt’s Carpets & Interiors for a proper family business story spanning more than five decades in the flooring trade. James shares how he accidentally ended up in flooring after originally training as a chef, stepping into the family business when his mum needed help managing fitters, customers, stock, and the day-to-d...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is a very different one, as Tom Cockerill talks through one of his biggest passion projects: Make Or Break. For nearly eight years, Tom has been running Make Or Break as an immersive course designed to push people past the limits they have built in their own heads. It is not a standard business course, and it is not about sitting in a room taking notes. It i...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is episode 2 of Tom’s 30 day podcast challenge, and it might ruffle a few feathers. Tom takes aim at what he calls “stand collecting”, the habit flooring retailers have of filling every spare inch of showroom space with manufacturer stands, sample books and point of sale, often without asking whether it actually helps the business. He breaks down why retail...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast marks the start of something a bit different: Tom’s 30 day podcast challenge. After a difficult few months dealing with an ongoing health issue, Tom is setting himself a clear target: one podcast every day for 30 days. Some will be short, some will go deeper, some may include guests, and some will be Tom on his own, talking through the real subjects that flo...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast sits down with Kelsey and Mark from UltraFloor for a proper technical chat about moisture testing, DPMs, primers, smoothing compounds, adhesives, training, and the mistakes that can turn a job into an expensive failure. Because when it comes to subfloor prep, guessing is where the problems start. Whether it’s moisture, contaminants, the wrong primer, mixing...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast sits down with Murray Biggs, founder of Woven & Woods, for a proper honest chat about retail, showroom design, customer experience, and what it really takes to build a flooring business that stands out. Murray shares how he went from working in carpet retail at 16 to opening his first showroom in Twickenham with borrowed money, limited budget, and a clea...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast sits down with Ben Montgomery and Peter Cohen from Veatu Flooring for a proper behind-the-scenes chat about growth, recruitment, commercial flooring, and what really happens when a business starts moving fast. Veatu Flooring started in 2019 and has grown from a small office with a handful of people into a commercial flooring business with a team of more than...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast welcomes back Ben from Black Duck Flooring for a proper conversation about training, growth, and what it really takes to build a flooring business that does not rely on you being everywhere at once. Ben shares how Black Duck has grown from humble beginnings, just him, a van, and one young lad, into a much bigger operation with multiple teams out on site at o...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is a special National Flooring Awards 2026 edition, with Tom and Sarah pulling back the curtain on what is coming this year, why last year hit so hard, and why this one looks set to raise the bar again. From the atmosphere and emotion of the 2025 event to the plans already in place for 2026, this episode is all about momentum. Bigger entertainment, a stronge...

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast sits down with Gary Hosey, leadership coach and EQ-i Master Trainer, for a straight, practical chat about emotional intelligence, and why it matters more in flooring than most people realise. Because whether you’re a one-person band or running a team of 20, the job is still people. Customers with expectations. Staff with personalities. Pressure, stress, and...

Recorded in the Cockerill & Co Darlington HQ, this episode of The UK Flooring Podcast sits down with Ben Wain, business consultant, property investor, husband and dad, for a straight conversation about what it takes to run a flooring business when the bar keeps rising. Ben shares his route from leaving school and working behind bars, into sales, then an 18 year career in retail leadership, bef...

Recorded live at Momentum 26 in Newcastle, this special episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is Martyn Cohen from Cockerill & Co, delivering a straight-talking keynote on leadership, team performance, and what it actually takes to scale without burning yourself out. Martyn’s background is rooted in leading teams at scale, from smaller groups to large operations, and he pulls those principles int...

Recorded live at Momentum 26 in Newcastle, this special episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is Sarah Cockerill’s keynote, delivered to a room full of flooring business owners who probably did not come for “a talk about numbers”. Sarah opens with a confession that will feel familiar: she is not naturally a numbers person, and she actually hates them, but she has learned that the right numbers, looke...

Recorded live at Momentum 26 in Newcastle, this special episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is Tom Cockerill’s keynote, delivered to a room full of flooring business owners who came for more than the usual product talk. The theme is simple but uncomfortable: hesitation to decision, and how avoiding the hard calls quietly caps your growth. Tom shares the personal side first, a Christmas Eve health s...

Recorded at the start of a new year for The UK Flooring Podcast, this episode sits down with Stuart , Founder and Managing Director of Make an Entrance , a UK manufacturer and retailer specialising in bespoke entrance matting and logo mats for both commercial spaces and homes. From an unexpected early career in music to building and scaling businesses, Stuart shares how Make an Entrance has grown...

Tom’s in the studio with Sarah joining over Zoom for the final episode of 2025. It’s a proper look back at what the year actually involved, from client experiences and big trips, to the health scare that hit hard, and the reality of launching the National Flooring Awards (plus Momentum) at speed. What’s Inside: The 2025 rewind: quarterlies, training, community, and the moments that defined the yea...

Big news, Martyn Cohen is officially joining Cockerill & Co. After a decade plus leading sales and ops across major flooring names, then launching MC Growth Consultancy earlier this year, Martyn is bringing his people first approach into the community. In this episode Tom digs into why he said yes, what he has learned helping retailers, commercial contractors and manufacturers, and how he will...

Recorded as an exclusive bonus episode, this lively conversation lifts the curtain on the wild, chaotic and genuinely inspiring journey of Sam and Brad, better known as The Bald Builders. From selling building materials online long before the industry was ready, to losing everything, sleeping in a caravan and an office, then rebuilding it all through sheer graft, relentless consistency and a camer...

Title: Cut my arm off and you’ll see flooring in my veins  Recorded live at the Flooring Show 2025, this powerful conversation dives into the incredible career journey of Mark Ewart , founder of Apple Flooring , one of Essex’s most respected independent flooring retailers. From major setbacks to remarkable comebacks, Mark walks us through his story, from early days in Dixons and Comet to navi...

Recorded live at the Flooring Show 2025, this episode of The UK Flooring Podcast features a fascinating deep dive into the world of Greendale Carpets & Flooring with Eamonn Prescott. With over 30 years in the flooring trade, Eamonn shares his journey from retail roots at Allied Carpets to leading one of the UK’s most respected buying groups. Discover how Greendale’s co-operative model empowers...

Recorded live at the Flooring Show 2025, this episode of The UK Flooring Podcast dives deep with Stephen Latham of J2 Flooring. From building an authentic LVT brand to pioneering UK manufacturing, Stephen opens up about attention to detail, quality control, and what’s next for one of the industry’s fastest growing names. What’s Inside: The J2 story: From retailer frustrations to an industry leadin...

Recorded live at the Flooring Show 2025, Tom sits down with Ben Granville , Sales Director of Kellars , to talk about the company’s incredible rise from a small family operation into one of the UK’s fastest-growing flooring distributors. Ben opens up about Kellars’ journey of rapid expansion, bold investments in warehousing, and how his team continues to deliver innovation and efficiency without l...

Recorded live at The Flooring Show, Tom and Sarah deliver the tough love every flooring professional needs before heading into 2026. Tired of the “I’m too busy” excuse? They call it out, while giving you the blueprint to take control of your diary, reclaim your time, and build a business that doesn’t run you into the ground. From digital scheduling hacks to the truth about holidays, overrun days,...