Thriving Three Counties

He’s a serial tech entrepreneur based in Malvern. He’s written a business book, has a degree Cambridge, a PhD from Oxford, and built and sold a tech start-up out in Singapore.

These days, he co-owns and manages the Wyche Innovation Centre, he’s the founder of the annual Malvern Festival of Innovation, and is co-founding CTO of BlockMark Technologies, a blockchain technology company. 

In April 2018 he was also appointed a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Birmingham.

https://adrianburden.net/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianburden/

https://twitter.com/apburden

https://www.youtube.com/c/AdrianBurden1

He's just made the move to being self-employed after a 35 year career in the consumer goods markets, including operating as Managing Director of a £40m UK subsidiary.

He's a glass half full kind of person and his wife says his epitaph should read "no-one can say he didn't try".

Now working as a life and executive coach, he's giving back and aiming to help people achieve "unfulfilled goals".

https://www.optimuscoachingsolutions.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastair-chrystal-lch-dip-b635251/

In many ways he IS Worcestershire Business - as he’s so involved in the local business community.

Amongst many other things, he’s best known for starting #WorcestershireHour on Twitter.

He also founded the annual Worcestershire Festival of Business Exhibition, which will be returning for its 7th year in September. 

His company is The Sales Performance Company, which he founded in 2012 working with clients on improving sales skills and profits.

He also teaches Twitter for Business, LinkedIn and Blog Writing courses – online via Zoom virtual classroom.  

www.thesalesperformance.co.uk 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartallenfcmi 

https://www.twitter.com/StuartAllenFCMI

Clubhouse: @StuartAllenFCMI 

Today’s guest is a determined person who now runs a successful digital marketing agency in Hereford, focused on Web design and SEO.

Having grown up largely within the care system in London, at one stage he found himself in Hereford without a support network and was involved in a hit and run accident which left him with a broken hip. 

He lost his job and found himself homeless.

However, he refused to give up and used his self-taught knowledge in IT to start learning about websites, how to monetize them and what made them successful.

He’s built his business and his life back up and made a success of things.

https://www.silverscopemedia.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/omrishalom

https://www.linkedin.com/company/silver-scope-media/

I first met Janina at a networking event several years ago and I instantly remembered her and her business, due to the unique positioning and business offering.

I bang on about niching quite a lot and I always mention her as a great example of a niche business

She’s a bilingual graphic designer and intercultural management trainer. 

Her bilingual design company helps clients create a social impact in the UK and abroad. 

She’s also the host of The Bicultural Podcast.

https://www.janinaneumanndesign.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janinaneumann/

http://thebiculturalpodcast.com/

Paul Valentine is a born and bred Worcester-based entrepreneur.

He’s the founder of a technology group supplying IT services, telecoms, high-speed internet and Wifi, as well as business mobile plans and other services. 

His customers include many high street brands, as well as local Worcestershire businesses, like Worcestershire Business Central, Worcester Rugby Club and the Worcester Warriors.

Anyone I meet in Worcester seems to know him!

www.spiretechgroup.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-valentine-spire/

https://www.facebook.com/spirelimited

Today’s guest describes herself as a natural wordsmith who loves creating content focussed on customer engagement.

She’s co-director of customer experience marketing agency, Fresh Nous in Worcester

And you may remember her business partner Luara Dupont was on episode 4 – after the recording, Laura enthusiastically told me “you should get Celia on here, she’d be great!”

I also remembered her presentation at an online networking event last year as being one of the most fun and engaging presentations – which, as we’ve all got to know over the last 12 months, is no easy task over Zoom!

freshnous.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/celia-felgate/

I'm sure after this episode we'll all be feeling motivated to get our for a run or do some starjumps!

Today’s guest is a good friend of mine and a fellow photographer. 

Specialising in sports photography, he shoots editorial portraits of athletes, field of play and sports product photography from his studio in Winchcombe.

He’s been published in some high profile publications, including the front cover of Athletics Weekly.

And was even commissioned by the British Paralympic Association to photograph the 2012 London Olymipcs.

He’s a man bursting with positive energy, who recently inspired me to do something towards my fitness every day, for which I’m very grateful.

www.kinetic-studios.co.uk

http://linkedin.com/in/johnord

www.facebook.com/kinetic.studios.uk

www.instagram.com/kinetic_studios

www.twitter.com/studio_kinetic

Persistence and passion shone through during this interview and Tom left me feeling motivated to progress my own business!

Tom Fenton is the co-founder and CEO of Hereford and Malvern based tech start-up Veritherm.

He has a track record of entrepreneurship, starting when he was 17 years old and previously worked alongside his parents managing a specialist design consultancy in Hereford.

https://veritherm.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-fenton-62943ab0/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/veritherm-uk/

https://twitter.com/VerithermUK

https://www.instagram.com/verithermuk/

Buying a local business and making a success of it is no easy task. Jane Salt of Hay Wines in Ledbury shares her journey out of corporate life and into business.

This was a particularly special episode, as Jane was my first ever paying photography client and we've both grown our businesses in Ledbury over the last 8 years.

www.haywines.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/haywinesuk/

https://www.facebook.com/HayWinesUK

https://twitter.com/HayWinesUK

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-wines-ltd/