Paul Agnew never planned a career in fish. As a student in the '90s, he hitchhiked from Carlisle to Maryport to see a girl, got picked up by a fish wagon, and was offered a summer job packing salmon on the spot. He was, by his own admission, pretty rubbish at it. But 34 years later he's back as Managing Director of Grant's Oak Smoked, the high-end smoked salmon company where it all started.

In this episode Paul takes us through one of the squiggliest career paths you'll hear. Dropping out of law (and keeping the cash), running the company's American business, which he reckons was like the Wolf of Wall Street with fish, a spell in post-communist Poland, seven years as a vicar, fifteen years building a Lithuanian multinational's UK arm, and finally a homecoming to Maryport.

Along the way he shares the philosophy that's carried him. Why people come before product, process and profit. Why nobody's "just" a salesperson. Why knowing what's enough is the key to a happy life. And why he'll always make the tea for whoever walks into his office.

We also get into the things that anchor a community. Backing local industry over multinationals, becoming Carlisle United's most unlikely born-again fan, and the £2.2m mission to save the Carlisle Cathedral organ.

Have a listen.

Miranda Kirschel MBE never planned a career in nuclear. She wanted to be a dancer. After studying politics and French almost by accident, she temped her way into what's now the Nuclear Industry Association, and ended up spending the next few decades in an industry she'd barely heard of growing up in Cyprus.

In this episode she sits down with us to talk about how she fell into nuclear, why she co-founded Women in Nuclear UK, and what it took to start shifting the dial on women in the sector.

She's honest about the hard parts too, moving to Cumbria, losing her identity as a new mum, and learning how to work again.

We also get into her current mission as Programme Director at ISH, the Industrial Solutions Hub. Plans have just been approved for the Enterprise Campus at Cleator Moor, and Miranda explains what that means for West Cumbria: the clusters, the jobs, the deprivation she wants to help rebalance, and the world-leading innovation already happening here that almost nobody knows about.

Plus, why she reckons nuclear is the friendliest industry you'll ever come across.

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Follow the Chatterjack Podcast

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Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...

TikTok →   / chatterjackpod  

LinkedIn →   / chatterjack-podcast  

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Keep up with Miranda

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/miranda-kirschel-mbe-a0776614/

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Connect with the crew

Lindsay →   / lindsay-gray-54638950  

Tom →   / tom-simmons-134b6121b  

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Powered by Natterjack Marketing → https://www.natterjackmarketing.co.uk

In this episode of the Chatterjack Podcast, we're joined by Kurt Canfield — CEO of Delkia and chairman and owner of Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth.

Kurt tells us how he took Delkia, a systems integration company for the nuclear and defence sector, from half a million in turnover and loss-making to a projected £20 million this year, employing around 130 people across two sites.

He breaks down what the work actually involves, why the growth was by design rather than by accident, and what "getting over the hills" really means when you're building a business in a remote corner of Cumbria.

We also get into his other life running a historic brewery, the apprenticeship vs university debate, and the advice he'd give his younger self — slow down.

Kurt was a brilliant guest with plenty of insight to share, and we hope you enjoy this one as much as we did filming it!

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Follow the Chatterjack Podcast

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chatterjackpod/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572474286922

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chatterjackpod

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatterjack-podcast

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Keep up with Kurt

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-c-056a8620/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Connect with the crew

Lindsay → https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-gray-54638950/

Tom → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-simmons-134b6121b/

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Powered by Natterjack Marketing → https://www.natterjackmarketing.co.uk

In this episode of the Chatterjack Podcast, we're joined by Carlos Reina — a photographer based right here in Cumbria, who swapped the sunny beaches of Spain for the (very wet) streets of Manchester.

Carlos shares the story of landing in England 14 years ago with barely any English and no one to pick him up, and how he built a career and a name for himself behind the camera. We chat about what it's really like to make a living as a photographer, the realities of running your own business, and how he went from growing up on a Spanish campsite to becoming an "adopted Cumbrian."

Carlos was a brilliant guest with plenty of stories to tell, and we hope you enjoy this one as much as we did filming it!

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📲 Follow the Chatterjack Podcast

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chatterjackpod/Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572474286922TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chatterjackpodLinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatterjack-podcast

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📸 Keep up with Carlos

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/carlosreinaphoto/LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-reina-silvestre-09368913a/

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🎙️ Connect with the crew

Lindsay → https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-gray-54638950/Tom → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-simmons-134b6121b/

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Powered by Natterjack Marketing → https://www.natterjackmarketing.co.uk

This week we sat down with Dr. Jess Hayton, Associate Professor at UCL, to talk about something a lot of people wonder but never really get a straight answer on. Is university actually worth it?

Jess got her worst A-level grade in psychology. She's now been part of the world's top ranked education university for over a decade. We get into how that happened, what a PhD is really like, and whether she'd actually do it all again.

We also talk about her research into vision impairment in children, how academic research eventually feeds into real government policy, and her pretty refreshing take on AI and student dissertations.

If you're in psychology, education or working with children and young people, Jess also gets into her work around visual impairment, independent living skills, and how she's been involved in making spaces more accessible through research with the likes of English National Ballet and Samsung.

Good one for anyone at a crossroads with education, or just curious about what life in academia actually looks like.

Follow the Chatterjack Podcast on socials!

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chatterjackpod/

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Connect with the crew on LinkedIn

Dr. Jess - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-hayton-28723478/

Lindsay - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-gray-54638950/

Tom - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-simmons-134b6121b/

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In today's episode, we're joined by Lee Grears, CEO of a welding and inspection business he built during the pandemic. Lee shares his journey from the ground up, the challenges of growing a company in uncertain times, and his experiences using AI chatbots, including some of the frustrations and pitfalls he's run into along the way.Follow the Chatterjack Podcast on socials!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chatterjackpod/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572474286922TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@chatterjackpodLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatterjack-podcastConnect with the crew on LinkedInLee - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leegrears/Lindsay - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-gray-54638950/Tom (Producer) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-simmons-134b6121b/Powered by Natterjack Marketing www.natterjackmarketing.co.uk

Ever looked at a rebrand and thought... what were they thinking? (Yes, we're talking about Jaguar.) In this episode, we sit down with Vicky Hutchinson and Carol Wallace, founders of Creative Hutch, a brand and marketing agency based in Carlisle, to talk all things brand and design.We get into what actually makes a good brand, whether you even need a rebrand, how design has changed and where it's heading, plus what it's really like running an agency and taking the leap to start your own business.If you work in marketing, you're building a brand, or you're thinking about going agency side, this one is essential.Follow the Chatterjack Podcast on socials!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chatterjackpod/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572474286922TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@chatterjackpodLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatterjack-podcastConnect with the crew on LinkedInVicky - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickyhutchinson/Carol - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-wallace-77391719/ Lindsay - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-gray-54638950/Tom (Producer) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-simmons-134b6121b/Powered by Natterjack Marketing www.natterjackmarketing.co.uk

Ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes of tourism in one of the UK's most visited destinations?In this episode, we sit down with Gill Haigh, Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, to get the full picture. From how the industry really works, to the hotly debated tourist tax, the challenges facing the region, and how Gill climbed to the top of her field.Whether you're a Lake District lover, thinking about a career in tourism or marketing, or just nosy about how it all works, this one's for you.Follow the Chatterjack Podcast on socials!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chatterjackpod/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572474286922TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@chatterjackpodLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatterjack-podcastConnect with the crew on LinkedInGill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gill-haigh-5815a5105/Lindsay - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-gray-54638950/Tom (Producer) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-simmons-134b6121b/Powered by Natterjack Marketing www.natterjackmarketing.co.uk

In this episode of the Chatterjack Podcast, we're joined by the fantastic Joel Pennington, Restaurant Manager at Cottage in the Woods and winner of the highly regarded Gold Service Scholarship 2026!Joel opens up about how he worked his way to the upper levels of hospitality, the frustrating misconception that it isn't a "real" career, and the juicy behind-the-scenes on how fine dining truly works. We also dive into what makes hospitality in the Lake District so special, and Joel shares everything about his scholarship journey.Joel was an absolutely fantastic guest and we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed filming it!Follow the Chatterjack Podcast on socials!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chatterjackpod/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572474286922TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@chatterjackpodLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatterjack-podcastKeep up with Joel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joel_penno/Connect with the crew on LinkedInLindsay - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-gray-54638950/Tom - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-simmons-134b6121b/Powered by Natterjack Marketing www.natterjackmarketing.co.uk