show episodes
 
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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show series
 
Send us a Text Message. Alex Gibbs is co-founder and director of BAM (Built Asset Management), London’s leading co-living operator. BAM has housed over 6,500 young professionals in London and provides over 1,500 units of accommodation across the capital and beyond. In under eight years, Alex and his business partner bootstrapped BAM from a zero- to…
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Send us a Text Message. Louise Hill is co-founder and CEO of GoHenry - the prepaid debit card and financial education app designed to teach kids and teens how to be smart with money. Responsible for the UK operations of GoHenry, Louise has built the business from the ground up and played an integral role in its international growth, firstly with Go…
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Send us a Text Message. Adam Wills, a seasoned entrepreneur and visionary in the culinary world, boasts a track record of creating and launching successful food concepts both domestically and internationally. With a knack for innovation, he has spearheaded ventures like Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), Crosstown Doughnuts, and Slerp, securing funding …
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Send us a Text Message. It all started with a chopping board. In 2003 twin brothers and designer-makers, Antony & Richard Joseph designed their first product – a clever chopping board – and that was the beginning of Joseph Joseph. With a passion for invention and an emphasis on functionality and quality, they set out to revolutionise everyday tasks…
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Send us a Text Message. Chai Guys is the brainchild of Abhilash Jobanputra and Gabriel Unger, two entrepreneurs driven by their love for authentic Indian chai. Their journey began in September 2018 with a transformative trip to India, where they immersed themselves in the vibrant world of chai culture. Returning to London with a suitcase filled wit…
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Send us a Text Message. Humble Crumble - A food stall that started from humble beginnings, today is the world’s first crumble bakery and a multi-million pound business with permanent fixtures in Old Spitalfields and Borough Market. With more than 500,000 crumbles served in the last three years, Humble Crumble has struck a chord with passionate crum…
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Send us a Text Message. Ben is the visionary Founder and CEO of BOXRAW - a boxing lifestyle & sportswear brand driving cultural and social change. BOXRAW was manifested from the powerful themes of Boxing and Business interwoven throughout Ben’s life which elevated him out of the socioeconomic and racial hardships he experienced growing up. BOXRAW h…
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Send us a Text Message. Sam Jameson is one of many UK-based, Black and female founders that are transforming the beauty and wellness space, one product at a time. A born creator and leader, Soapsmith isn’t Samantha Jameson’s first endeavour into the world of Entrepreneurship. At the age of just 24, Sam launched and ran a successful event chocolate …
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Send us a Text Message. Paul Lindley is an award-winning British entrepreneur and social campaigner. Paul began his career as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG, then spent 9 years at Nickelodeon's children’s TV network, rising to become Deputy Managing Director. In 2006, he founded Ella’s Kitchen, the UK’s biggest baby food brand. Ella’s Kitchen belie…
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Send us a Text Message. Established in 1985, Kiki McDonough Ltd was born from Kiki’s passion for showcasing coloured gemstones in innovative, contemporary designs. She continues to lead the way in British fine jewellery design. The brand’s very first creation, a pair of distinctive crystal heart earrings, were put on display in the Victoria and Alb…
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Send us a Text Message. Olly Hiscocks is a snack fanatic and founder of Olly's, one of the most exciting brands in the healthier delicious snack space with their range of innovative Pretzel Thins, Chocolate Pretzel Thins and Olive snack pouches. Having landed a degree in neuroscience, he then embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in the wonderful…
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Send us a Text Message. The Debate Mate Group is a social business with 2 distinct but complementary parts – the charity Debate Mate Schools, and the business Debate Mate Limited. At its core, Debate Mate – across the entities - teaches confidence, communication and leadership from the classroom to the boardroom. Margaret founded Debate Mate (Schoo…
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Send us a Text Message. Al is a serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder/CEO of Grenade, one of the most successful UK FMCG brands of the last 25 years. Starting with a £500 loan from the UKTI Passport to Export program in 2010, he sold shares in Grenade in 2014 for £35M, again in 2017 for £72M, and in 2021 for £200M, to Mondelez International. Current t…
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Send us a Text Message. In 1987 John co-founded The New Covent Garden Soup Co Ltd which pioneered and grew the fresh soup category in the UK. Daniels PLC bought New Covent Garden Soup Co in 1998. John then co-founded Glencoe Foods Inc., to bring the fresh soup concept to the US. In 2005, John co-founded Little Dish, which supplies healthy, natural …
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Send us a Text Message. Jo Fairley is a businesswoman and writer. She co-founded the Green & Black’s chocolate company with Craig Sams, her husband, and has launched several other successful ventures since then. Jo did not enjoy school, left at 16 with six O-levels and learned shorthand and typing at a secretarial college. She got a job with a maga…
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Send us a Text Message. Wild is the UK’s first refillable plastic-free deodorant. Charlie Bowes-Lyon is a serial entrepreneur with a background in marketing, particularly focused on sustainable businesses. He co-founded Wild and runs their tech and marketing departments since launch. Wild sells sustainable, natural personal care products that are s…
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Send us a Text Message. A former lawyer, she started two ground-breaking businesses: the UK’s first coffee bar chain, Coffee Republic, which she grew to 110 stores and a £50 million market cap, and Skinny Candy, a market segment-defining brand of sugar-free sweets. Her first book, ANYONE CAN DO IT became a bestseller by demystifying the idea that e…
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Send us a Text Message. David Buttress, who hails from Cwmbran in South Wales, joined JUST EAT in March 2006 to launch its UK business, and was appointed CEO in January 2013. David led JUST EAT in the UK from startup to becoming Europe’s largest technology IPO in a decade. JUST EAT has over 67,000 restaurant partners and 100+ cuisine types availabl…
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Send us a Text Message. Best known for her time on Dragons' Den, Jenny Campbell is also widely known for her role as the founder of YourCash Europe. Having acquired her banking qualifications by attending night school, Jenny soon embarked on a rewarding career with The Royal Bank of Scotland. She was initially appointed as the Head of Operations fo…
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Send us a Text Message. Your Juno was founded by two sisters: Margot and Alexia. Margot de Broglie is the co-founder of Your Juno, building a financial education platform - think “the Duolingo of money”. Users can learn about any financial topics via its app, including negotiating a raise, buying a property, and becoming an investor. "Money was nev…
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Send us a Text Message. Alex Partridge is one of the pioneers of social media content the way we know it today. At age 21 in 2010, whilst a student at Oxford Brookes University, he founded UNILAD, one of the most popular social news and entertainment Internet companies in the world with an astonishing following of 50 million people around the globe…
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Send us a Text Message. Rosie Fortescue - the jewellery designer and famous alumnus of the original Made in Chelsea. With her trend setting, enviable fashion sense, Rosie Fortescue has always been a go-to for style advice and inspiration. Rosie began running her successful blog, At Fashion Forte in 2014 and has been collaborating with desirable fas…
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Send us a Text Message. This week's guest is Chris Sheldrick, co-founder & CEO of what3words. what3words is a global address system that has assigned three-word labels to all of the 57 trillion 3-meter squares that make up the surface of the earth. With a background in the music industry, Chris noticed that traditional addresses for venues and prec…
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Send us a Text Message. Harriet Hastings launched Biscuiteers in 2007 after identifying a gap in the market for luxury food gifting. Over the past 15 years she has grown the business from a small startup to a unique artisan business working at scale and employing over 150 people. Biscuiteers’ beautiful hand-iced biscuits are sold directly online as…
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Send us a Text Message. Nick Telson is an exited founder from DesignMyNight in 2017 for $30-$40m and has since invested in over 55 startups across US, UK, Latam and Africa, through his investment arm, Horseplay Ventures. Nick’s career started off in marketing at L’Oreal before starting DesignMyNight in 2010. DesignMyNight grew to 100+ employees, 15…
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Send us a Text Message. Nick Wheeler first had the idea for Charles Tyrwhitt shirts - to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, with unbeatable service - whilst studying Geography at Bristol University in 1986; He used his middle names - Charles Tyrwhitt – more anonymous (and better sounding!) than “Nick Wheeler shir…
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Send us a Text Message. Morten Toft Bech is an entrepreneur and investor who started Meatless Farm in 2016 to help reduce the world’s dependency on intensively farmed meat. He and his family had struggled to find a meat replacement that the whole family enjoyed and that wasn’t too expensive. In 2018, the company launched its original fresh mince in…
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Send us a Text Message. W Series is a free-to-enter championship that provides equal opportunities for women and eliminates the financial barriers that have historically prevented them from progressing to the upper echelons of motorsport. By placing all participants in identical cars, the series ensures that talent takes precedence. Since its inaug…
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Send us a Text Message. Named by Debrett’s as one of Britain’s 500 most influential people, Darren Westlake is co-founder and CEO of Crowdcube, the pioneer and leader of the equity crowdfunding industry. Inspired by his own experiences as an entrepreneur raising finance, Darren’s idea for Crowdcube was driven by the ambition to democratise investme…
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Send us a Text Message. Elizabeth Scarlett Petrides is an entrepreneur, conservationist and artist. One of the UK’s fastest-growing luxury accessories, homeware and personalised gifting brands. The brand has sold directly to over 120,000 customers in the UK alone and is stocked in Anthropologie, John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason, as well as other leading…
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Send us a Text Message. Monga’s has held an imperial legacy of fine craftsmanship in Haute and Pret Couture since 1996. India-born founders, Mr Arun Monga & Mrs Reena Monga started their humble journey. The company began by exporting fashion to other designer boutiques in the UK in 1996, but customer popularity led the business to open its first bo…
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Send us a Text Message. Vivien Wong is the co-founder of Little Moons, a mochi ice cream brand. Vivien grew up in North West London and spent many of her formative years helping out at her parent’s bakery. It was there that her passion for high quality ingredients and artisanal recipes was first sparked. She went on to study at the University of Re…
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Send us a Text Message. Dhruvin Patel is an optometrist and entrepreneur encouraging a healthier relationship with technology in the digital age. Since receiving a development grant from City University in London, he has built Ocushield into an internationally distributed, MHRA medically rated product and established himself as a leading authority …
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Send us a Text Message. Founded in 2014, Steph left her brand marketing role, to pursue an idea she had following the birth of her children. After receiving eight bunches of flowers when she had her first baby, Steph realised the well-meaning bouquet soon lost its shine when you were the one filling vases, all while juggling a new-born and feeling …
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Send us a Text Message. 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 co…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 …
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Send us a Text Message. 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 …
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Send us a Text Message. 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 h…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 beh…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 econom…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 w…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 f…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 a…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 ju…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 a…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 A…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 practice…
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Send us a Text Message. 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…
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Send us a Text Message. 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 …
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Send us a Text Message. 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 concess…
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