Donna Scully is a Joint Owner at Carpenters Group, a leading UK provider of insurance and legal services. 30 years ago Carpenters was a start up. Today the firm employs 1500 people over 6 sites. 

As a young girl growing up in Ireland, it was expected that she would leave school at 16 – which she did – and get married.  This was not the path Donna wanted to follow and through her own determination , hard slog, and ambition, Donna is now a global leader in the insurance world, renowned for her thought leadership on insurance industry fraud, reform and other matters that impact the insurance and legal market. Donna works closely with the Ministry of Justice in relation to motor claims and civil justice reform.

In this interview Donna talks about the journey she’s been on, the importance of giving people the break they deserve, and why she has never been afraid to fail.

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351

It was a privilege speaking to Andy Poplar, founder of Vinegar and Brown Paper for the final episode in this series of In Conversation with SMEs.

I started this podcast with a single aim – to provide inspiration, motivation and energy to those looking to start, scale or pivot their business by telling stories of others who have been brave, followed their heart, kept their nerve and grown something quite remarkable. And for me, Andy’s story is the epitome of this, and I can’t think of a more perfect story to end this current series with.

Andy had a successful career in the advertising industry, working as a creative copywriter, but reached a point of burnout and left the industry altogether, wanting to put as much distance as possible between him and what he had always loved which was the magic and beauty of words, the interplay of words and their ability to come off the page and create something much more powerful – real emotion.

But thankfully after a few years the green shoots of his love for the written word started to return and he began to explore other avenues for his creativity. He had an idea about etching words onto glass, and within a year his brand – Vinegar and Brown Paper - had gone viral and Oprah Winfrey was just one of the people who was captured by the beauty, simplicity and poignancy of his unique creations.

This conversation was like food for my soul. Andy and I talk about our love of working for ourselves, the sense of freedom you have in being able to explore new ideas, try new things and feel empowered to say ‘no’ to things that you don’t want to do.

So, sit back and grab a cuppa, I think you’re going to enjoy this.

Follow [Vinegar & Brown Paper]:
Website
Instagram @mendyourhead
Twitter @mendyourhead
Facebook

Follow Lindsey Moore, Agnes Marketing:
Website
LinkedIn (Lindsey Moore)
LinkedIn (Agnes Marketing)
Facebook
Twitter: @AgnesMarketing

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351

As a coffee lover and Crosby-born girl I was super excited to interview Jack Foster, founder of Crosby Coffee, an independent coffee roastery based in Crosby, Liverpool which is dedicated to sourcing, roasting and serving unique coffees from all around the world.  

I first came across Crosby Coffee about five years ago on one of my frequent trips home to visit family. I popped into Crosby Coffee and was captivated by the enthusiasm and knowledge of the staff who's passion for coffee drew me in and gave me a whole new appreciation for something I'd always enjoyed but taken for granted.  I learnt about their 'bean to cup' journey, where the various beans originated from; in some cases I discovered the stories of the people who grew the beans, and I gained an insight into the art of Crosby Coffe's roasting and hand blending process to create coffee that is unique.  I literally drank it in.

Jack developed a passion and interest in coffee roasting almost ten years ago after visiting roasteries frequently when down in London.  He began roasting and blending coffee at his mums house as a hobby. He says he was drawn into the ‘rabbit hole’ of wanting to learn more and more about coffee. The popularity of his blends soon stretched beyond family and friends who he was giving it away to and local people began seeking him out at local food markets.  

Seven years later Crosby Coffee has a successful retail café, a wholesale arm which supplies Crosby Coffee to bars, cafes and restaurants, and they have an online business which sells roasting equipment and coffee subscriptions delivered to your door.

During our conversation Jack talks about how, from a very young age he always wanted to run his own business, inspired by his auntie and uncle who owned their own business where he loved to spend time the school holidays - his uncle is still a mentor to him now. We talk about the love he has for his home town and the pull he felt to move back home and bring something new and exciting to his local community.

And we talk about the impact of the pandemic on our daily routines, which pre Covid often involved picking up a coffee on the way into the office, and even though our routines may have changed our love of coffee remains which Jack has witnessed in the growth of his home brewing equipment and online coffee subscription service.  

So, grab yourself a coffee and sit back…I think you’re going to enjoy this.

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351

For this episode I was in my element talking to Andrew Pimbley of Claremont Farm about life’s most simple but important joys – food, music, community and being outdoors in nature. 
 
Andrew and his brother are the fourth generation of Pimbley’s to farm the land at Claremont Farm on the Wirral, which they have been doing since 1904. As tenant farmers they don’t own the land so they need to make it work as hard for them as possible while they have their lease. 

With farming having been in decline for a number of decades Andrew and his family have been entrepreneurial and innovative in how they have diversified and extended their offering beyond growing fruit and vegetables.  

As well as their shop and café they host Farm Feast – a festival of food, drink and live music for people of all ages to come together and enjoy, they have a fishery, and even put on cookery and bush craft skills experiences – and that’s only the half of it.

But always at the very heart of their business is a passion and a commitment to bringing the best of the regions produce to their local community and bringing their community together to enjoy life’s simplest pleasures.  

Like for so many local businesses who supply food to our communities, Claremont had to quickly adapt when the first lockdown happened in March stepping in to feed their local community when the supermarkets national and global supply and logistics chains failed.

I was truly energised and inspired by my conversation with Andrew, hearing him talk with such passion and enthusiasm for what he does.

Andrew seems to thrive on thinking of ideas and isn’t afraid to try new things. He says “Don’t be afraid of failing. Always try new things. Follow your gut. If it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work, but you’ll have learnt something from it”.

Recorded 26th November 2020. First released 29th January 2021.

Follow Claremont Farm:
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Instagram
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Twitter

Follow Lindsey Moore, Agnes Marketing:
Website
LinkedIn (Lindsey Moore)
LinkedIn (Agnes Marketing)
Facebook
Twitter: @AgnesMarketing

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351

This episode I have the pleasure of chatting to Vicky Gawith, entrepreneur, supporter of creatives, and founder of Merseymade, a home to the talent, products and produce of some of Merseyside’s most original creatives and artisans.

And I love Vicky’s absolute honesty about her experience of opening a business, opening just months before Covid – from crying with joy and overwhelm on Christmas Eve 2019 when she realised that her dream had become a reality that she was now responsible for seventeen members of staff and over 100 independent creatives, to three  months later when she cried in fear and despair as the government announced the closure of all non-essential businesses.  She admits that the challenges of her first year in business have taken their toll, but she says, ‘I’m glad I didn’t know what was to come because I may not have done it – but not to have tried would have been worse.”

Interview recorded in November 2020. First broadcast on 8th January 2021

Follow Lindsey Moore, Agnes Marketing:
Website
LinkedIn (Lindsey Moore)
LinkedIn (Agnes Marketing)
Facebook
Twitter: @AgnesMarketing

Follow Merseymade:
Website
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

Links to organisations mentioned by Vicky during in the interview:
The Women’s organisation
Liverpool Ladies Network
Liverpool Local Growth Hub
Wirral Chamber of Commerce
MSIF (Merseyside Special investment Fund)
Liverpool BID Company

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351

This podcast aims to provide inspiration, motivation and energy to those looking to start, scale or pivot their business, by hearing the stories of others who have been brave, followed their heart, kept their nerve and grown something quite remarkable.

In this episode I speak to Tom Hainworth, director of AW Hainworth, a woolen textile mill in Pudsey Yorkshire, an eighth generation family business established in 1783 and one of the oldest businesses in Britain.

AW Hainsworth is one of most highly regarded suppliers of woolen fabrics in the world, with a discerning international client base and a Royal Warrant of Appointment which is granted as a mark of recognition to companies who have regularly supplied goods or services to the Royal Households.

Tom talks about the incredible rich heritage of AW Hainsworth which includes supplying the cloth of the iconic scarlet coats worn at the Battle of Waterloo, through to the present day protecting our fire and rescue services through their specialist cloth materials; collaborations with fashion designers and supplying the billiard cloth which the world's most elite players play on.

Tom talks about the need to continuously innovate in order to stay relevant, the importance and value of brand and the unique benefits and challenges of running a family business.

Recorded in October 30th 2020. Interview first published December 18th 2020.

Follow AW Hainsworth:
Website: https://www.awhainsworth.co.uk/
Twitter: @AWHainsworth
Insta: @AWHainsworth

Follow Lindsey Moore:
Website: https://www.agnesmarketing.co.uk/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgnesMarketingUK

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351

This podcast aims to provide inspiration, motivation and energy to those looking to start, scale or pivot their business, by hearing the stories of others who have been brave, followed their heart, kept their nerve and grown something quite remarkable.

In this episode I interview Rachel Clacher CBE, Co-Founder of Money Penny and Founder of the charity We Mind the Gap.

Rachel is someone who has inspired me for many years by the values, belief and commitment she has in using business as a genuine force for good.  

Back in 2000, based on a big idea and £10,000, Rachel and her brother founded Money Penny. Today it is the world’s leading provider of telephone answering, outsourced switchboard and live chat services, with offices in the US as well as the UK. Chances are you’ll have spoken to a Money Penny PA without even realising it.

The team of over 750 handles over 15 million customer interactions annually on behalf of their clients who range from magic circle law firms and the British Veterinary Association to Instagram influencers such as Joe Wickes The Body Coach.

As someone who believes fundamentally that business is a force for good, Rachel is committed to developing the agenda on the subjects that she is passionate about including customer service, culture, entrepreneurship, opportunities for all, coaching and corporate social responsibility. Money Penny’s driving ambition has always been to make a difference rather than just make money. But in doing this they have become more profitable and more robust than any of their competitors.

Rachel has said: “ what people want from their leaders or managers is genuine concern,’, known as the happiest place in the land, Money Penny is in the Top 20 Sunday Times Best companies to work for.

In 2014, Rachel brought Money Penny’s unique approach to people development to a whole new cohort with the establishment of We Mind The Gap, which gives new opportunities in life and work to unemployed under-served young women through providing totally holistic paid traineeships. The first traineeships proved so successful – with 70% of all participants moving into full-time work or education – the programme now runs across four locations in North Wales and the North West, with plans to expand to sixteen traineeships by 2023. 

Rachel has said “I strongly believe in doing the right thing, treating people well and providing ongoing support. This is not about ticking boxes, it’s about business and communities, and helping young people who are operating within a system that often doesn’t communicate.”

In this interview Rachel talks openly and candidly about what the journey has been like going from a 2-person start up to a multi-national business – the challenges they encountered early on getting a bank to support them, and why quality and getting the small things right has always been more important to Money Penny than growth. 

“It always felt like it would work but only because of our commitment to our service…and then the money came later” she says.

Recorded in September 2020, and first broadcast in November 2020.

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351

This podcast aims to provide inspiration, motivation and energy to those looking to start, scale or pivot their business, by hearing the stories of others who have been brave, followed their heart, kept their nerve and grown something quite remarkable.

In this episode I interview Jonny Bongo, co-founder of Bongo's Bingo. Jonny, who used to put on quiz nights at the pub he worked at, hosted his first 'bingo rave night' in 2014 in Liverpool, a crazy mix of traditional bingo, dance-offs, rave intervals, and audience participation. 

Following phenomenal success  - within months, thousands of people would queue for hours to try and make sure they got in - Bongo's Bingo began expanding to other UK cities, and it's now taking place and instantly selling out in almost 50 locations around the world.

Hear Jonny talk about the journey he's been on; how he started; how he never imagined for a minute that he'd end up co-owning an international brand; the best and worst bits of running a business, and the advice he'd gives to others starting out.  

Recorded in August 2020, and first broadcast in October 2020.

Website: https:agnesmarketing.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesmarketing/
LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyagnes
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/5241351