Interwoven from The Weave

Before becoming founders, Onome and Tulu were finance professionals, immersed in corporate roles and, later, pursuing MBA studies at the University of Essex. Both describe the same tension: a drive to make a difference for small businesses, contrasted with the limitations and frustrations they encountered in traditional work and business education. Their ambition was real but untested—fuelled by the desire to bridge a gap between business needs and their own growing skill sets.

The spark for Recreates was not a singular lightning-bolt moment but a gradual series of conversations, case studies, and disappointments. Both were dismayed at the lack of hands-on, real-world application in their studies and saw others struggling too—talented individuals unable to gain practical experience, and founders stuck at the prototype stage, unable to access resources or support. Over coffee, the two realised they could connect these isolated groups. As Onome recalls, “Why not use these people to help these other sides of people?”

There was self-doubt and risk. Moving from the clarity of a defined corporate path or academia to the uncertainty of starting up meant confronting new skills, learning to collaborate and communicate in unfamiliar ways, and working without guarantees. Both drew on past relationships, grew through feedback, and learned to adapt as mistakes became lessons, not failures.

Becoming founders changed both their outlook and identity. Success became less about financial returns and more about impact—seeing others grow, projects come to life, and communities form. Their story is a reminder: you don’t need total certainty to make a meaningful leap. You need curiosity, connection and the willingness to experiment in the unknown.

KEY THEMES

• Moving from theory to practice

• Turning frustration into opportunity

• Building through collaboration

• Redefining success as impact

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY

This conversation reminds us that uncertainty and experimentation—not perfect plans—are what shape founders and new beginnings.

Before founding Holland Resources, Paul Vingerhoets spent over two decades immersed in the recruitment world, an environment once defined by local networks, office culture and clear boundaries between employer and employee. Over time—especially after the pandemic—his work increasingly crossed regional lines, and he began to notice big shifts: candidates now wanted autonomy, impact, and the freedom to craft jobs around their values rather than simply aiming for higher pay or corporate prestige.

For Paul Vingerhoets, the change was more than simply adjusting to remote interviews or wider geographies. It prompted deeper questions: How do you connect the right people in a landscape where career paths and motivations are so rapidly evolving? What does it actually mean to “do good” work—and how do recruiters play a part in shaping that? His approach became more about building human relationships and understanding the entrepreneurial mindset emerging in both candidates and companies, as he describes the growing demand for both autonomy and meaning at work.

His journey is marked by careful reflection rather than dramatic risk, and by the steady application of skills developed over years: networking, listening, and a readiness to adapt. Along the way, technology changed the game—but for Paul Vingerhoets, trust, curiosity, and honest connection still matter most. The path to becoming a founder, as his story shows, rarely follows a straight line. Instead, it is made in moments of uncertainty and experiment, where learning to value softer benefits, adapt to new ways of working, and stay open to the changing needs of others, all inform one’s definition of success.

For anyone contemplating a career move or considering what kind of founder they might become, Paul Vingerhoets’s experience is a gentle corrective to the myth of the ready-made entrepreneur. Change in career and outlook happens slowly, through conversation, openness to new worlds of work, and the courage to allow your idea—and your identity—to evolve.

KEY THEMES

• Reinventing identity amid changing work cultures

• From salary-driven to purpose-driven careers

• The enduring power of human connections

• Adapting to new recruitment technologies

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY

This conversation reminds us that meaningful career transformation is rarely sudden; it emerges from honest reflection, relationships, and the willingness to learn as you move forward.

The conversation focused on the human side of career reinvention, as nutritionist and wellness coach Julie Taplin shared her inner wrestling with the transition from a secure role at a global medical device company to charting her own path as a wellness entrepreneur. Julie described her professional life before this fork in the road: a structured, rewarding career in dietetics and training, first in the NHS, then with Medtronic, grounded in expertise and the comfort of regular pay.

One concept discussed was how personal passions—nutrition and holistic well-being—naturally began to spill over from Julie’s formal work into side projects and community coaching. The idea of building a business emerged more as a gradual process than a dramatic leap, intertwined with her interests, her training as a certified coach, and a desire to help others on a broader scale. Yet Julie was candid about her trepidation: concerns about asking for money, marketing herself, and relinquishing the financial "safety net" of employment. The discussion explored the emotional realities and practical risks many potential founders face, from doubts about self-worth to the possibility that turning a passion into a job could sap the original joy.

A key theme that emerged was the value of applying existing skills and relationships in new ways, and the power of small experiments—dipping a toe in, testing ideas internally or with trusted groups—rather than feeling pressured to transform overnight. Julie’s reflective honesty offers reassurance to those feeling stuck between the comfort of what they know and the unknowns of building something new. Her journey is a testament to the ongoing, imperfect process of finding confidence and redefining success as a founder.

KEY THEMES

• The tension between security and freedom

• Limits of turning passion into business

• Self-doubt and the challenge of self-promotion

• Iterative, experiment-driven transitions

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY

This conversation reminds us that becoming a founder is rarely a linear leap—it’s a process of self-discovery, small experiments and learning to carry both uncertainty and hope along the way.

Toby Freeman was managing two bars in Colchester when an unthinkable event forced him to reconsider everything he knew about his future. The sudden loss of his 24-year-old brother, Robin, to a rare form of testicular cancer left Toby, at just 22, reeling—and deeply frustrated by the lack of awareness and support available for young people facing germ cell cancers.

Rather than simply move on, Toby and his family gathered for a conversation in a local bar (now gone), planting the first seeds that would become the Robin Cancer Trust. The transition was neither instant nor easy: Toby describes the work as a cathartic response to grief, providing direction in the aftermath of tragedy, but also requiring him to shed an old identity and develop new skills. The journey demanded experiments in awareness campaigning—sometimes using “ridiculous PR stunts”—and hard-won lessons about fundraising, governance, and how to build a distinct, relatable voice to reach young people.

The process brought many risks, including the difficult decision to draw a salary as the organisation grew, and the existential threat posed by events like the pandemic. Facing these challenges, Toby leaned on trustees, colleagues and his own developing self-awareness to keep the mission fresh and the charity relevant. Over more than a decade, his sense of purpose has evolved from personal tribute to community impact, with the ambition not to grow the organisation for its own sake, but to “work ourselves out of a job.”

Listeners will recognise themes of reinvention—how a personal crisis can force us to become beginners again, how purpose and uncertainty coexist, and why building any lasting organisation depends less on grand plans than on honest reflection, new relationships, and an openness to change.

KEY THEMES

• Turning loss into meaningful action

• The uncertainty of being a founder

• Redefining personal success and identity

• Building community through authenticity

LISTENER TAKEAWAY

This conversation reminds us that purpose and leadership often grow from unexpected trials—and that facing uncertainty with honesty and community makes reinvention not just possible, but worthwhile.

This episode of Interwoven traces the path of Sarah Neilson, founder of Green Pen Solutions, as she moves from the world of scientific research into entrepreneurship. Sarah Neilson began her professional life immersed in postdoctoral research after completing her PhD—a journey marked by hard work but also mounting uncertainty about her long-term direction. She found herself searching for a new way to apply her scientific skills, ultimately stumbling upon the little-known but growing field of medical writing.

What followed wasn’t the result of a bold leap, but rather a gradual realisation. Sarah Neilson spent over a decade honing her craft and identity within an established medical communications agency, never planning to strike out alone. Yet, over time, an accumulation of unfulfilled ambitions and a desire for greater impact nudged her toward independence. Founding her own business brought new challenges: letting go of perfectionism, facing industry downturns, and learning to treat each decision as an experiment rather than a test of character.

Throughout her transition, Sarah Neilson drew deeply on the strengths and habits forged during her research career—analytical thinking, attention to detail, resilience, and a willingness to treat setbacks as information rather than failure. She now helps others navigate this transition, candidly discussing not just the technical but the emotional side of freelancing: overcoming self-doubt, building community, and finding satisfaction in supporting others’ growth.

Listeners wondering if they too can change course will find practical hope in Sarah Neilson’s experience. You don’t need a flawless plan from day one—just curiosity, a willingness to adapt, and the courage to experiment until you discover what fits.

KEY THEMES

• Redefining success through experimentation

• Letting go of perfectionism

• Building confidence as a freelancer

• Learning from setbacks and feedback

  
  

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY

This conversation reminds us that forging a new path is rarely about certainty—it’s about trial, self-compassion, and discovering purpose in unexpected places.

Before he was a life coach, Jamie Lumsden spent fifteen years as a chef, wrestling with the industry’s relentless pace and his own mental health. It was his experience confronting burnout and resilience in hospitality kitchens—and the lack of support he found there—that nudged Jamie first towards therapy, then on to life coaching. His business grew not from grand vision, but from personal crisis and gradual discovery, as he learned to balance “toxic resilience” with the permission to care for himself and others. Early doubts about leaving regular pay and venturing out alone gave way to confidence built by sharing his own story, helping clients move from past to future, and finding satisfaction in slow, word-of-mouth growth.

Tom Steel followed his creative curiosity from art classrooms to design studios and eventually to founding Charlie Mike—his own graphic design and clothing brand. Tom’s story isn’t about a sudden rupture, but a series of evolutions: learning from mentors, experimenting with new media, and blending artistic vision with commercial grit. He’s candid about the practical trade-offs, family influences, and learning-by-doing that have shaped his trajectory and grounded his ambitions closer to home.

Meanwhile, Peter Disney entered accounting in the early 1980s, never expecting to start a business—or to sustain it for decades. His path was defined by adaptability: first collaborating in a fledgling practice, then riding the technology wave as software changed everything. Peter’s definition of success became deeply personal; he never built to sell, but to support a meaningful family life and nurture a team that invests in learning and trust.

Together, their stories illuminate how founders are shaped by experience, courage, and the willingness to be a beginner again. For anyone facing a crossroads, it’s proof that self-doubt and setbacks are part of the process—and reinvention is always possible.

KEY THEMES

• Becoming a beginner again

• Learning through setbacks and adaptation

• Redefining success and identity

• Navigating uncertainty and risk

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY
This conversation reminds us that building a business is less about bold leaps and more about learning, reflection and embracing the uncertainty that comes with starting something new.

Before founding his own agency, Mat Parkins lived several working lives—carpenter, chef, agency worker, business development lead. There was little resembling a masterplan, but there was always a sense that something bigger and more meaningful beckoned. The turning point came not in the comfort of ambition but amid pain and upheaval: a serious car accident and the unexpected loss of a job. Instead of retreating, Mat Parkins found himself unexpectedly calm: “I just had this weird—felt like everything was gonna be okay.” It was a feeling few people experience at the moment of greatest risk, and it propelled him towards reinvention.

His first business was less about seeking status or wealth than about meeting life on his own terms—a lifestyle, not a corporate conquest. Along the way, Mat Parkins discovered that everything he’d known before—teamworking learned in kitchens, the grind of sales, the slow unravelling of relationships with clients—could be repurposed. There were missteps: working alone, sustaining himself on one retainer for months, and grappling with the realities of earning half his previous income. Yet, over time and through genuine long-term relationships, his “close rate in years 3-4 have been amazing.”

This is not the story of someone born an entrepreneur, but of a person willing to be changed by experience, trial and risk, all the while sharing what he learns. For listeners considering starting something new—or facing uncertainty about their own next step—Mat Parkins’s journey is a gentle reminder that founders are shaped by setbacks, openness to experiment, and the willingness to keep nurturing relationships, even when the end is unclear.

KEY THEMES

• Letting setbacks reshape your path

• Building confidence through relationships

• Redefining success after loss

• Learning by starting small

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY

This conversation reminds us that reinvention starts long before certainty arrives, and founders are made by being open to risk, learning from setbacks, and valuing genuine relationships throughout the messy process of change.

It often begins with an ending. For Sandrine, burnout as a university lecturer came quietly, eroding her energy and sense of self until continuing was impossible. Exhausted, she quit—without a plan. Only through lived experience did she learn about sophrology, a practice that blends Eastern and Western approaches to wellbeing. Drawn by its inclusivity and simplicity, she gradually rebuilt by helping others recover from overwhelm, carrying forward her empathy and teaching skills. The transition was full of uncertainty and loss, but, as she now shares, “frequency rather than duration is key”—in wellbeing, and in forging a new path.

For Leah Holyrod, a career in education never followed a straight line. From language studies to primary teaching to online course design, her journey was shaped less by grand ambition than by openness to where her skills might help. What began as freelancing soon expanded—her brother joining, the company White Bicycle born. Growth wasn’t mapped; it was discovered, step by step, learning from setbacks and forging values around impact, trust, and adaptability amidst uncertainty.

Rachael Richards saw entrepreneurship take shape through necessity and lived experience: her son’s autism revealed a gap in school uniforms for children with sensory and physical needs. Drawing on customer service and community knowledge from years running a schoolwear shop, Rachael Richards faced relocation, a pandemic, and financial risk—each moment forcing her to adapt or rethink. Through listening to customers and her own family’s needs, she built Uniform 7’s SMART Project, determined to create inclusive, purpose-driven work and hire a neurodiverse team reflecting her mission.

Across these journeys, what emerges is not certainty but learning—the readiness to experiment, the humility to seek help, and the courage to align work with meaning. For anyone wondering if change is possible, these stories show how founders are shaped through adversity, relationships, and continual reflection.

KEY THEMES

• Burnout as a turning point

• Testing ideas through personal experience

• Embracing risk and uncertainty

• Building inclusive, purpose-led businesses

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY
This conversation reminds us that thriving as a founder often means starting over, listening closely and allowing life’s challenges—not just ambitions—to shape what we build.

What happens when your early ambitions come to nothing—or your family expects you to follow a script? For Dom Tyler, school was a struggle, his first jobs arrived “by fluke,” and every twist of his career seemed accidental rather than planned. But it was precisely these missteps and experiments—learning software out of necessity, embracing uncertainty, and eventually buying and rebuilding a struggling business—that led Dom Tyler to entrepreneurship. Facing outdated systems, financial risks, and gaps in confidence, he reframed setbacks as conditions for growth, learning to trust his ability to “fall forward” through failure.

Neil Chamroo’s story begins not with business plans but with lived experience. Growing up amid youth violence, he forged empathy and resilience through family life and mentoring roles long before conceiving his social enterprise, Talk Less, Do More. For Neil Chamroo, entering schools as a mentor meant grappling with both the chaos and potential of his community. Rather than feeling equipped from the outset, he discovered leadership by building connections and learning to relate—again and again—across lines of hardship and hope.

For Temini Kasumu, becoming a founder meant departing from a deeply-rooted family tradition in law. Shifting directions was fraught with uncertainty and the need to convince herself—and her family—that a purpose-driven business making female wellness products from banana fiber could be legitimate work. Navigating doubts and wrestling with solo responsibility, she gradually discovered the value of community, support, and building a business in line with personal values.

Across these journeys, we see founders as works in progress: not products of confidence or expertise, but people who became founders by gradually acting despite uncertainty. Their stories are a candid reminder that making a meaningful transition depends less on having answers and more on learning—and connecting—along the way.

KEY THEMES

• Reinventing setbacks as new beginnings

• Community over lone heroics

• Building confidence through action

• Aligning business with personal values

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY
This conversation reminds us that taking the first step—with doubts, missteps, and unexpected support—is how anyone truly becomes a founder.

Entrepreneurship rarely begins with a perfect plan or a moment of clarity. For Linda Blanchette, the journey started with an unexpected invitation to the UK climate assembly. Previously immersed in customer service and a self-confessed avid shopper, she left with a new awareness of the fashion industry’s impact — and an urge to do something local and personal. Her business, Consciously Clothed, did not emerge overnight. By venturing into pre-loved clothing, she faced the challenge of redefining her relationship to both her work and her identity. The practical hurdles were many: building new skills in social media, working longer hours than ever before, and learning to ask for help from a community she once served as a peer.

For Tom West, change arrived via loss and the search for connection. Driven by competitiveness and curiosity, he moved across trades before finding meaning in building hospitable, collaborative spaces — first as a publican, later as founder of rental marketplace RentMy. Family circumstances, a desire for challenge, and an eye for underused resources shaped his thinking, yet each step brought fresh uncertainty: from buying a struggling pub to developing a technology platform years ahead of its time. Through both risk and experimentation, Tom West embraced the discomfort of beginning again, relying on his skills with people, his acceptance of failure, and his drive to solve problems he cared about.

As John Elikington reminds us, broad change depends on “surfing the waves” of new paradigms, not just holding an idea. These conversations reveal that becoming a founder is not about certainty or charisma; it is about noticing what matters, accepting risk as a companion, and staying curious enough to keep learning. For anyone wondering how to begin — or to begin again — this episode offers proof that meaningful transitions are built from questions, not finished answers.

KEY THEMES

• Reinventing purpose after a career

• Embracing risk and uncertainty

• Building community around new ideas

• Developing new skills as a founder

  
  

LISTENER TAKEAWAY

This conversation reminds us that the journey to becoming a founder is built on curiosity, self-reflection, and the willingness to start as a beginner — again and again.

WeAreTheWeave.co.uk

• Find out more about John and his work at https://johnelkington.com/ and at https://volans.com/
• Find out more about Tom and his work at https://www.rentmy.com/
• Find out more about Linda and her work at https://consciouslyclothed.co.uk/