After becoming a Mum, Dominique Woolf wanted to take life in a whole new direction and literally bring some spice to the proceedings. So, using her sales background and Thai heritage, and winning over the local farmers' market in North London, The Woolf's Kitchen got cooking.

In our first episode of 2022, Dominique talks through the reality of running a business and being a parent (spoiler alert: there are no easy answers), how Covid provided an unexpected opportunity to improve her product branding, and why networking for solo 'foodpreneurs' generated emotional wellbeing as much as business connections. Ultimately, it's a story about entrepreneurship as a personal statement besides bringing the world a little culinary joy.

Plus... what did our listeners say when it came to their meat vs vegan preferences (all stimulated by a question from our previous episode's featured business, Oowee Burger)?

Presented by Andrew Parsonage, with expert analysis from Ollie Collard & Samantha Miles.

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Verity owned a sandwich business. Charlie ran nightclub nights. Both were passionate about fast food. Neither had run a takeaway before. 6 weeks later they signed the lease for their first premises, and Oowee was born.

In this episode we cover the world of fast food, charting the rise of this Bristol-based business that responded to changing consumer behaviour and food trends, including the growth of Veganism and the launch of Oowee Vegan.

From a tiny suburban kitchen to Oowee's present-day status as a national chain, Verity shares the rollercoaster ride of entering the hospitality industry, learning the hard way about how investing in kitchens and business systems can save money and reputation, and one vital piece of advice for any aspiring restauranteurs.

Presented by Andrew Parsonage, with expert analysis from Ollie Collard and Samantha Miles including the results of our listener poll  - so what did you think of workplace benefit schemes?

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One piece of advice? "Just do it."

Meet Ally. He's got a lot of time for meaningful workplace benefits - less so for Advisors.

Ally's the founder of Juno - a business at the vanguard of the wellbeing economy, with the goal of changing how people interact with their employers. An entrepreneur simply because he had to be, Ally shares with Founded & Grounded the bumpy road to creating a business that now has an international client base, and how personal experience has led him to question the wisdom of others and urge founders instead to figure things out for themselves.

It's a thought-provoking conversation, with plenty for Andrew Parsonage, Ollie Collard and Samantha Miles to discuss - plus we reveal the results of our latest listener poll on your barriers to knowledge and learning. 

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National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:

NPSA.gov.uk/innovation

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hexafinance.co.uk/contact

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If 'too much information, too little time'  is the great problem of our age, this business has a 5-minute solution.

Patrick Walker is a veteran of the 'big tech' scene having held senior positions with Facebook and YouTube. But he was moved to go it alone to address the issue of sheer volume of content, and 'hack knowledge' to provide users with briefer and more positive online experiences. Thus, Uptime was born.

In an episode full of fantastic insight and advice, Patrick talks about the importance of pausing when egos might dictate otherwise; how taking time to recruit ensures you capture people "whose purpose becomes their profession"; and having the confidence to "follow your bliss". Plus, in our latest community poll, we reveal the stress-levels of our listeners!

Presented by Andrew Parsonage, with expert analysis from Ollie Collard and Samantha Miles. 

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National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:

NPSA.gov.uk/innovation

Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:

hexafinance.co.uk/contact

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How does it feel to be suicidal?

One man who knows is Nick Hussey, founder of Frahm - the business behind high-quality, long-lasting jackets for the real world. Nick stared into the abyss after the collapse of his first company but, with the help of his wife and an old school friend, came back to start and succeed with a new enterprise.

True to the ethos of Founded & Grounded, and alongside the business lessons learned, Nick openly shares his own experiences to discuss mental health among entrepreneurs. In an extended episode laden with powerful advice, he talks about running a business on process rather than fear and passion, how a support network can assist this, and the importance of simplifying everything.  Because nothing matters more than your health.

Presented by Andrew Parsonage, with expert analysis from Ollie Collard and reflections from Samantha Miles.

(episode contains strong language)

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"If you have a great product, your business should succeed."

We meet Edgar Thoemmes, co-founder of Virtually There and Canton Tea, about how two very different businesses steadily grew and found their audiences.

Edgar describes the seismic impact of Covid (and how Virtually There anticipated the boom in flexible working), how taking the long term view can pay dividends, and being in a position to give something back to the founders of the future.

Presented by Andrew Parsonage, with expert analysis from Ollie Collard and Samantha Miles sifting through the latest reaction from Founded & Grounded listeners.

 

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National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:

NPSA.gov.uk/innovation

Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:

hexafinance.co.uk/contact

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To kick off Series 3, we meet Banasa Williams - co-founder of Ksoni, who produce plastic-free bathroom wellness products such as shampoo and bodywash.

With the global environment high on the agenda this autumn, Banasa talks about the "payoff" required for products and brands to truly call themselves sustainable. We also get to hear about the challenges of supply chain, how you can learn from others in completely different product sectors, and the importance of having a good team.

Plus Samantha Miles will be reviewing responses to the listener question posed in our Series 3 preview show - namely, what inspiration did you get over the summer?

Presented by Andrew Parsonage, Ollie Collard and Sam Miles.   

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National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:

NPSA.gov.uk/innovation

Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:

hexafinance.co.uk/contact

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In anticipation of Season 3 starting later this September, we welcome back listeners to the podcast which shares the stories and wisdom of early-stage entrepreneurs.

There are more great guests on the horizon and new ways to get involved with the show - we're starting by asking for your summer break inspirations and big decisions -  plus we welcome a brand new member of the Founded & Grounded team.

Presented by Andrew Parsonage and Ollie Collard.
(10 minute listen)  

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National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:

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Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:

hexafinance.co.uk/contact

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For our season 2 finale, we speak with Chris Goodfellow; CEO of content marketing agency, Inkwell.

When he left an old employer, Chris did something unconventional - he bought one of their brands and rebooted it to become a successful annual challenge - The Pitch - helping startups raise millions of pounds.

In conversation with Ollie, Chris talks throughout about the importance of founders putting themselves in the shoes of their audience, why a simple conversation with someone different each week can aid business growth, and how even introverts can become effective salespeople.

The message is loud and clear... “Speak to as many customers as possible!"

Presented by Ollie Collard and Andrew Parsonage.

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National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:

NPSA.gov.uk/innovation

Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:

hexafinance.co.uk/contact

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"Women can have children - and know there's a safe secure way of returning to work."

Meet Jess: Mum and co-founder of That Works for Me.

When a chance moment - and a gap in the freelance recruitment market - presented itself, Jess took the initiative to serve a large untapped (and talented) audience... that of Mums. 72% of professional women leave the workforce within 3 years of having children - a situation she's tackling head on with the platform that also supports small business and flexible working. 

In conversation with Ollie, Jess talks about building a social media audience before going to market, how Covid meant they ended up with a better platform, and the importance of knowing when to get outside help. Plus how That Works For Me is now being embraced by Dads... 

It's a tale for the ages, with great advice for other founders and inspiration for those who feel they have more to give than being just a parent. 

Presented by Ollie Collard and Andrew Parsonage.

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National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:

NPSA.gov.uk/innovation

Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:

hexafinance.co.uk/contact

Have questions about our podcast or an episode? Ask our hosts, chat now

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