This month Loz and Sam chat with the Chief Executive of Active Sussex and former Basketball International Sadie Mason MBE who is also the current Captain of the GB Master's Women's team. We find out about her love of the 2nd largest participation sport in the world and how she sees her involvement in the future, what her MBE means to her, and how she's helped to increase physical activity within Sussex.

Episode Highlights

🏀 Her Basketball Career

🏀 Playing for GB Masters

🏀 Her MBE

🏀 Being CEO of Active Sussex

🏀 And Gnarles Barkley 🤔

This is a truly fascinating episode from one of Sussex's truly inspirational sportswomen... Plus Stato's knowledge is questionable...

The County Business SPORTS Podcast Sponsored by James Ross Jewellers, family Jewellers for generations ➡️ https://jamesrossjewellers.co.uk

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My guest on the podcast this week is Jeremy Jacobs. A shining example of someone who has built successful businesses from nothing.

He started a bakery in his parents' kitchen, ran it for 13 years, and scaled it to a nationally recognised food manufacturing operation with clients such as Virgin Atlantic. Before the global pandemic the business was moving in the right direction with continuous growth, then March 2022 the rug was pulled from underneath and took the tough decision 18 months later to close the business.

I have followed his journey for some time and have been completely blown away by his openness and honesty, to share his story, which over the last couple of years has clearly been a tough time. He is completely transparent about the pain points and difficulties of running a business and this episode is everything I had hoped it would be.. Raw, emotional and a truly honest account of his journey of discovery, failure, success and everything in between.

Today he joins me to share the full story, and with it hopes to help inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners to have a life they love, not end up hating.

To find out more about Jeremy Jacobs ➡️ https://jeremyjacobs.co.uk

Watch the episode on YouTube ➡️ https://youtu.be/O7bA9btmw2o

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My guest on the podcast this week Jon Trigg, a digital professional with a track record in starting up and growing businesses. Over the past 20 years he has helped companies grow in turnover from £400k to £3m per year.

In 2002 he Founded and grew his business Silent Manager, that he started in the back of his bedroom and he ran for over 12 years to become a global provider with 2 offices in Brighton (UK) and one in Sydney (Australia), before in May 2016, after recognising the growing need outside the major cities for decent, innovative and creative workspaces, he founded Freedom Works, a collaborative, flexible co-working space. Within less than 6 years they have grown to 9 sites now across the South East with plans to continue growth this year and he and the team are on a mission to become the 1st Co-working space on the moon..

In this episode Jon discusses with true openness and honesty how he lost his family, his house and his business in the same year, but with his sheer determination and an attitude to never give up, he shows how he went on to start Freedom works and create a winning culture by building a collaborative community. How he changed his leadership style from being a 'Boss' to being a true leader.. How him and his team are all on the Freedom Works bus and he wants it to take it as far as he can, with as many people on board as possible.

With many challenges, up and downs along the way, both in business and his personal life, this is a story of an incredible business journey, from a truly inspirational, brilliant businessmen and one that actually maybe just getting ready for lift off.

Find out more about Freedom Works - https://www.freedomworks.space

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rGAtUWI6U54

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘After a horrendous battle with drugs, a brutal car crash, loads of failed businesses, an assault, an arrest, a lost court case, and whole shed load of other life affirming crazy before finally getting it all right, Lee shows you exactly how to learn from his mistakes to get you to the turbocharged, 2.0 version of yourself quicksmart.’

~ Lee Bridges, from the Book Do Shit, Get Shit Done.

Lee Bridges is a former touring musician, a recovered drug addict, a college lecturer, an Amazon best selling author, he runs a NFP organisation for young adults focusing on mental health also covering mindset, entrepreneurship, business acumen and health, and was featured on BBC1.

After running his previous business for 7 years, Beach Music LLP he lost it overnight due to Covid. Since then he has bounced back to start his new business Reform Financial and today he tells his story..

Lee's vulnerability, openness and honesty, sharing a dark period of his life as a drug addict is truly inspiring. The lessons he has learnt from his challenges and failures has armed him with a wealth of knowledge that he shares in this episode and some truly valuable insights.

Find out more about Lee Bridges: https://www.leebridges.co.uk

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uOhHGZnI4Zo

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My guest on the Podcast this week is Paige Collins, founder of Warren House Accountants. Many people, myself included have described her as extremely brave and inspirational for many reasons and when listening to this powerful episode you will know why.

She has worked in the accountancy industry for over 30 years, working with a diverse mix of clients both corporate and individuals.

She started at Hartley Fowler as a trainee accountant in 1982 working her way up through the ranks to Managing Partner in June 2005-Dec 2020.

In January 2021 embracing changes in both her personal life and work life she started her own firm Warren House Accountants, a practise based in Mid Sussex, trying to do things differently.

Paige talks openly throughout the episode about her transition and how being kind, being brave and being bold has helped her to change her life. We discuss in detail the culture she is creating at Warren House Accountants and her thoughts and views around how we measure a companies success based on 'emotional profit', as well as encouraging her team of financial engineers to be business and people curious.

This was personally for me a truly emotional episode and packed with so many great insights, I urge you to please give this a listen as today she is happy to share her story with us...

You can watch the episode on YouTube Click Here - https://youtu.be/_pDsSUbRKPk

Connect with Paige Collins - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-collins-fca-33ba624/

Find our about Warren House Accountants - https://www.whagroup.co.uk

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COUNTY BUSINESS SPORTS PODCAST - Loz (stato) and Sam team up with Brighton & Hove Albion legend, Kerry Mayo to discuss how his experience of football has helped him succeed in the business world.

We’re joined by Seagulls legend Kerry Mayo to find out how it all began with Peacehaven Pirates to making his Albion debut against Carlisle... from how the game was won in the tunnel, to how playing under fourteen Managers has enabled him to take his experiences of football into business and how he balances life and work to ensure quality time with the family - you just have to put your arm round him and tell him he’s doing alright!

Watch the Episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/31oRNrfSFLg

Sponsored by James Ross Jewellers - https://jamesrossjewellers.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We welcome Freddie St. George MBE, to the podcast this week. A businessmen who is an experienced, hands-on Managing Director operating within the franchising sector.

In the episode we hear a truly incredible story from a humble man, with core family values at the heart of his business culture and amazing charity initiative that is the Italian Job. An annual fundraising driving event which takes Minis, old and new, across Europe to Italy and back once a year. He is a Mini nut, and since 1990, the Italian Job has been responsible for raising in excess of £2.9M for children's charities. A quite incredible achievement.

He also heads up Mojo Publishing, the franchisor of Raring2go! magazines and websites. They are known as the The Go To Guide For You and Your Child, and are a network of amazing local magazines and websites that helps local families have fun!

He is known for his exuberance, passion and enthusiasm, all of which he injects into Raring2go! and their amazing people. He is focused and driven to guiding Raring2go! To grow and develop into an exemplary franchise system.

I am a strong believer that in life we meet people that have an instant impact on us, and you click with them straight away. Freddie, for me, has been one of those people and I urge you to listen to this fascinating episode filled with true passion and valuable insights.

Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/Vd31y1JWvYo

Find out about The Italian Job - https://www.italianjob.com

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My amazing guest on the podcast this week is Caraline Brown. With three lifetime achievement awards under her belt, she is a well-known figure in Brighton and Sussex.

She founded Midnight Communications, the UK’s first ever PR company to specialise in internet businesses, with nothing but a £2K overdraft and a strong belief that online would grow and flourish. Along the way Midnight collected an array of industry awards, including PR Week’s national Consultancy of the Year, Best International PR Campaign and silver and gold awards from CIPR PRIDE’s PR Agency of the Year.

In December 2017 she sold the company to the management team. and today Midnight is still one of the most successful independent PR consultancies in the South East. She originated and managed the Brighton and Hove Business Awards for fifteen years and acquired and managed Sussex Business Awards for ten years, before selling both. She has featured in many business titles including Management Today and the Sunday Times and was a Media Boss of the Year finalist for two year’s running, as well as a Sussex Businessperson of the Year finalist. She was named by PR Week as one of the most influential people in PR three times.

She holds the rare distinction of selling her company twice - in 2001 to the AIM-listed BV group – of which she became CEO in 2002 - before successfully conducting an MBO and once more became the principal shareholder in Midnight.

Many of the individuals she has trained have gone on to hold leading roles in national PR agencies but she is most proud that, under her tenure, a member of the team was named Young Communicator of the Year, winner or finalist, for thirteen consecutive years.

Today she enjoys helping other companies find the answers to their communications’ solutions, and is working on her third novel. This episode is packed with an amazing story of self belief, a can do attitude, an amazing ability to create a winning family culture, and full-filling a life long ambition of writing a novel. Kari shares the ups and downs of running one of the leading independent PR agencies in the South East for over 20 years in this open, honest conversation. With so many amazing takeaways this is an episode not to missed.

Watch the Episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/2f_5n-YoPHA

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What a way to kick off series 2 with a bang 💥. My Guest today is a businessmen who has a number of awards to his name.

Kevin Byrne founded the Checkatrade concept in 1998 (sold in 2017). Copied by many but exceeded by none; when sold, Checkatrade employed around 235 team members and generated around £3.2 billion a year for the 28,000+ trades and services that put their trust in him to generate them more work and a greater public profile.

More than this, my guest is a committed Christian and considers people to be more important than business, protecting the greater general public from being a victim of a rogue trade is paramount and he tirelessly looks at ways in which this can be improved.

Integrity and making a difference is foremost and this comes across throughout the episode.

There were so many amazing takeaways, please grab a pen and paper as you'll want to take some notes. Kevin discusses the importance of building and defining our own expectations by writing them down and how our actions and behaviours flow to make our expectations happen. Kevin's openness and honesty is truly inspiring as you'll hear from the episode and you can tell this is a man that loved his business and misses it greatly. From a man that achieved what we think as business owners and entrepreneurs is our goal, but the realisation of the anti climax of selling a company and following that a lack of purpose, was a dark time. We talk culture, work life balance and his belief that people are more important than business. This is an interview I will never forget and could've continued long after recording finished.

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/ULh1mOMRqcs

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As we wrapped up series 1 recently I wanted to finish with something a little different, so we are doing a County Business TALKS Podcast Takeover. For this I obviously needed some help so my good friend and my guest from episode 3 of the podcast, with still one of my favourite quotes from the first series,

'When the music plays don’t forget to dance'

I was joined by Paul Britton from Britton & Time Solicitors. Paul and I swapped roles for this episode and he put me in the hot seat to share my journey of running various businesses for over a decade. From a hair salon, coffee van, Firmballs, SBT and County Business Clubs, we delve into my failures and what the past 15 years as taught me.

Recording Series 1 has been a truly amazing experience, 18 guests all at different stages of their own journey, sharing their stories, knowledge, insights, wisdom in an open, honest and authentic way. We kicked off the podcast with the founder of Network My Club, Bradley Hatchett about the future of business networking, to the inspiring Jo Myles about her amazing resilience, battling cancer and how art saved her.. as she says.. JFDI please.. I talked mental health with Yaron Engler, heard how Kathy Caton is taking the spirit of Brighton to the world, the start up journey of Naurt, with Jack Maddalena.. onto Michael Gietzen and how he has built a £100million pound company.

The importance of self care, How we need to look after our selves to become the best possible versions of ourselves with the Camille Pierson episode.

There has been so many great insights from some of Sussex’s most well known entrepreneurs and business owners, James Dempster, Paul Britton, Lara Squires, Ryan Heal, Penina Shepherd, Noel Preston, Ryan Andrews, Gavin Willis, Flo Powell, Laurence Sprey and of course the brilliant Steve Sallis.

For me it has been a truly eye opening, education and hope it has helped and inspired our listeners as well. A key theme and traits that many of my guests share if I had to summarise would be resilience, a strong work ethic, self belief, NOT to fear failure and if you have those qualities then take action and JFDI …. Just do it. From the bottom of my heart thank to our amazing sponsors James Johnson, Picture Book Films, Plus X Innovation Hub, to all my guests and everyone single person that has downloaded, shared, rated and reviewed the podcast. I hope you have enjoyed the series as much as me and look forward to welcoming you back for Series 2 COMING SOON..

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