What's Your Stori?

Join us for the latest episode of What's Your Stori?

This week James Owen sits down with Angharad Harding, a highly experienced business advisor and founder of Aim High Business, to discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, securing funding, and business growth strategies.

📌 Key Takeaways:✔️ How to transition from a full-time job to running your own business✔️ The biggest mistakes business owners make when applying for funding✔️ Why community is the key to long-term success

This week on What’s Your Stori?, we chat with Angharad Stevens, a wedding and lifestyle photographer whose journey took her from forensic photography aspirations to children’s entertainment to the beauty industry—and finally, to running a successful photography business. We talk all things wedding pressures on all sides, the reality of being self-employed, and her top tips for brides and grooms.

Listen now for:

✔️ Career shifts & finding your creative path

✔️ What makes a wedding photographer stand out

✔️ How Angharad handles high-pressure events

✔️ Wedding planning dos & don’ts

Where to find her?

Instagram: @angharadstevensphotography

Website: www.angharadstevensphotography.com

Hit Follow and leave us a review if you loved this episode! 🎧

In this episode of What’s Your Stori?, we sit down with the incredibly talented Dr. Matt Jones—writer, musician, and lecturer at University of Wales Trinity Saint David. From discussions about Welsh identity, storytelling, and creativity, to the challenges of making a living in the arts Matt grew up in Wales and discovered his passion for writing and music to navigate the complexities of being creative in a working-class background, he shares insights on how storytelling shapes culture and why authenticity matters in the creative industryWe also discuss the recent collaboration on Coron Moron, a heartwarming project with 10-year-old musicians writing and recording an original Welsh song! 🎶 🔥 Key Topics & Time Chapters:00:00 🎬 Intro: Setting Up for the Episode 03:16 🎭 Matt’s Journey: Film, Music & Education 06:54 🎶 The Power of Creativity in Working-Class Communities 15:00 🏉 Sports vs. Creativity30:00 🎥 Storytelling in Wales40:21 🎤 Recording ‘Coron Moron’ – Kids Writing & Performing Music! 50:00 🔥 The Future of Creative Industries & Advice for Young Creatives Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT & SHARE to support authentic voices in the creative industry & to hear more stories like Matts!

🚀 How do you take underperforming projects and turn them into success stories? In this episode of What’s Your Stori?, we sit down with Gerwyn Tumelty, Director & founder of Coron Projects, to talk about leadership, engineering, and the art of effective project management. From his time in the Royal Navy to running his own consultancy, Gerwyn shares valuable insights on managing change, risk, and ensuring projects thrive.🎙️ Chapter Markers:00:00 – Welcome & Guest Introduction01:00 – What is Coron Projects?02:20 – Gerwyn’s Career Journey: From Royal Navy to Business Owner06:50 – Life in the Royal Navy: Engineering at Sea10:30 – Facing Real Threats & High-Pressure Situations14:00 – Transitioning from Engineering to Project Management19:00 – The Importance of Project Management in Business22:50 – Why Projects Fail & How to Fix Them26:30 – The Future of Engineering & Manufacturing in Wales30:00 – How Businesses Can Improve Project Management Today36:00 – The Tumelty Triangle: A Simple Formula for Success40:00 – What’s Next for Coron Projects?42:30 – Who Would Gerwyn Interview?43:40 – Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Gerwyn🔥 Get in Touch with Gerwyn Tumelty & Coron Projects:🌍 Website: coronprojects.co.uk💼 LinkedIn: Gerwyn Tumelty📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coronprojects📢 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories from industry leaders!

In this episode of What’s Your Stori?, we sat down with Ioan Dillon, a young entrepreneur who took a bold risk at just 18 years old—buying a business while still in school.

Now, he’s the driving force behind Lean Kitchen Wales, a thriving meal-prep company making healthy eating easy for busy people.

Ioan shares his incredible journey from buying and selling gym equipment during lockdown to scaling Lean Kitchen into a business that stocks fuel stations, gyms, and local shops across South Wales.

We cover:

🔹 Taking Risks at a Young Age – How Ioan bought Lean Kitchen at just 18, despite doubts from those around him.
🔹 Scaling a Business – From working alone in borrowed kitchens to running a full-scale operation with an eight-person team.
🔹 The Future of Lean Kitchen – Plans to expand to 20+ stockists and push meal sales past 1,500 per week.

If you’ve ever considered starting a business, this episode is packed with inspiration, business lessons, and real talk about the challenges of growing a company from scratch.

💬 What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in business? Let us know in the comments!

📲 Connect with Ioan & Lean Kitchen Wales:

🔗 Website: leankitchen.org.uk
📸 Instagram: @leankitchenwales
📘 Facebook: Lean Kitchen Wales
🎵 TikTok: @leankitchenwales

⏱ Time Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome & Introduction

00:02:00 – Ioan’s Background & Early Entrepreneurial Journey

00:08:30 – What is Lean Kitchen?

00:12:00 – Buying a Business at 18 – The Risk & Reward

00:18:00 – Expanding into Petrol Stations & Shops

00:22:30 – Growing the Team & Leadership Lessons

00:28:00 – Challenges, Business Growth & Future Plans

00:33:00 – Ioan’s Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

00:39:00 – Who's stori would you like to hear?
00:41:00 – Personal Values, Hard Work & Business Mindset

00:42:30 – Where to Find Lean Kitchen

🔔 Don’t forget to Like, Comment & Subscribe for more inspiring stories!

In this episode of What's Your Story?, we chat with Lydia Fasham, founder of Henler, an innovative consultancy that helps organisations master their "people stuff."

From Hampshire roots to calling Wales her home, Lydia shares her incredible journey of fostering meaningful connections, navigating life's curveballs, and turning challenges into opportunities.

⏱ Time-Stamps for the Episode:

00:00:00 Meet Lydia Fasham!

00:01:00 Learning Welsh: Lydia’s journey to embracing the Welsh language.

00:02:30 Life in Swansea: How Lydia fell in love with South Wales.

00:05:00 Lydia’s Origin Story: Growing up in Hampshire and discovering her love for people.

00:07:00 Early Career Path: From call centres to a degree in international development.

00:11:00 Adventure Abroad: Pitching and landing her dream job in South Africa.

00:14:00 Memorable Moments: Road trips, hitchhiking, and lessons from youth.

00:16:00 Love Story: Balancing a long-distance relationship with her now-husband, Tom.

00:20:00 Returning to Swansea: Building a home, career, and life in Wales.

00:22:00 Launching Swansea Homestay: Connecting international students with host families.

00:25:00 A Life-Changing Connection: A funeral highlights the lasting impact of her work.

00:27:00 The COVID Curveball: How the pandemic reshaped Lydia’s business and life.

00:31:00 The Barbie Effect: A cinema trip inspires a fresh start at 4theRegion.

00:34:00 4theRegion: Lydia’s year of connecting and building relationships.

00:36:30 Launching Henler: Lydia’s mission to help organisations put people first.

00:39:00 What Henler Offers: Supporting businesses with client relationships.

00:42:00 Vision for the Future: Lydia’s goals for the next 12 months.

00:44:00 The Big Question: Whose story does Lydia want to hear next?

Connect with Lydia:

📱LinkedIn: Lydia Fasham

🌐 Henler.com

This episode contains discussions about terminal illness, loss, grief, and end-of-life planning. These themes may be distressing for some listeners. Please take care while listening and reach out to support if needed.

Welcome to What’s Your Stori?, the podcast where we discover the lives and journeys of inspiring individuals. In this heartfelt episode, host James sits down with Em Melrose, a personal growth and leadership coach, and funeral celebrant, to explore her inspiring journey through grief, transformation, and purpose. Em shares her experiences of balancing corporate life, personal challenges, and her role as a widow and single mother, all while discovering new ways to serve and connect with her community.

From the corporate boardrooms of M&S and DVLA to coaching and crafting meaningful celebrations of life, Em’s story is one of resilience and authenticity. She discusses how losing her husband, Don, reshaped her identity and career path, leading her to embrace imperfection and inspire others.

This episode is a testament to the power of vulnerability, financial planning, and the human spirit's ability to adapt and thrive.

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who’d love to hear Em’s inspiring journey!

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction: Meeting Em Melrose

00:06:00 Discovering Em’s Two Hats: Coach and Celebrant

00:08:00 Childhood and Early Career Aspirations

00:13:00 Lessons from the Corporate World

00:17:00 Transitioning to the DVLA and Public Sector Reflections

00:20:00 Facing Life’s Challenges: Don’s Cancer Diagnosis

00:25:00 Navigating Grief and Identity After Loss

00:33:00 Embracing Coaching and Networking as a Business Owner

00:36:00 Becoming a Celebrant: Honouring Life Through Storytelling

00:42:00 Reflections on Resilience and Authenticity

00:44:00 Final Thoughts

Call to Action:

Laurence Winmill, a seasoned entrepreneur, business coach, and mentor from the Valleys of Wales.

Laurence shares his incredible journey of resilience, from humble beginnings in a mining community to scaling multimillion-pound businesses.

Tune in as he recounts his triumphs and lessons learned from launching a video rental business, revitalising media companies, and creating lifestyle magazines, to his bold venture in hospitality with the acclaimed Cakes and Ale, Mumbles. Laurence’s story is an inspiring testament to embracing risks, learning from failure, and never giving up on your dreams.

Discover actionable advice for entrepreneurs, insights into business growth, and how to navigate the ups and downs of life with a fighting spirit💡

📩 Connect with Laurence:

Website: laurencewinmill.com

LinkedIn: Laurence Winmill

🎧 Time Chapters

00:00 Introduction

03:00 Growing up in the Valleys

08:00 Lawrence’s first entrepreneurial venture

14:00 A career-defining risk: Reviving 'Wales on Sunday'

25:00 Transition to publishing: Building lifestyle and business magazines

36:00 Facing external shocks

45:00 Cakes and Ale

53:00 Lessons from business and personal loss

59:00 Parting wisdom: Embrace failure, believe in yourself

1:05:00 How to connect with Lawrence

💬 What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in your journey? Let us know your thoughts!

In this episode, we sit down with Dave Timbrell-Hill, founder of Beer Park—a unique bottle shop and tasting room in Llanelli, Wales. From his inspirations in Shoreditch, London, to creating a thriving community hub in Llanelli, Dave shares the story that brought his vision to life.

Discover how Beer Park offers a selection of over 600 lines of beer and cider from around the world. Hear about David’s passion for mindful drinking, building a team, and fostering a positive perception of Llanelli's potential. Plus, learn about Beer Park's exciting nomination for Best Independent Beer & Cider Retailer of the Year in the UK.

Grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy this inspiring episode full of beer, community, and creative entrepreneurial spirit.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Welcome to What’s Your Stori?
00:00:54 Introducing Dave & Beer Park
00:02:10 What is Beer Park?
00:05:00 The Shoreditch Inspiration Behind Beer Park
00:07:52 Building a Beer Community in Llanelli
00:14:00 Starting a Business During Lockdown
00:18:13 Beer Tasting Events: Building Awareness and Connections
00:24:30 Growing the Team and Fran's Role at Beer Park
00:27:09 Changing Drinking Culture: The Art of Mindful Drinking
00:31:04 Supporting Local Businesses and Changing Llanelli’s Narrative
00:35:33 Dave's Favourite Beers and Global Beer Culture
00:39:13 Beer Park’s UK Nomination: A Toast to Success
00:47:25 How to Find Beer Park and Join the Community

If you’re in Llanelli or nearby, visit Beer Park or check out their events online at beerpark.co.uk.

Don’t forget to follow, rate, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Cheers to sharing stories and good beer!

Reaching People, Changing Lives: The Inspiring Story of Xcel Project with Paul Griffiths

Paul shares the challenges, triumphs, and the transformational power of reaching people and changing lives through initiatives like the Xcel Bowl, food bank, furniture reuse centre, and debt counselling services. Whether you're interested in community leadership, social entrepreneurship, or inspiring personal journeys, this episode has it all.

🔗 Explore the XL Project: www.excelprojectcymru.co.uk

[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:03:00] Meet Paul Griffiths
[00:06:00] The Vision Behind Towy Community Church and Xcel Project
[00:10:00] Building a Bowling Alley
[00:14:00] Overcoming Financial Challenges and Building Trust
[00:20:00] Surviving the Pandemic
[00:25:00] Xcel Furniture: Recycling for Social Impact
[00:29:00] Food Banks and Debt Counselling: Changing Lives Every Day
[00:35:00] The Role of Volunteers and Staff in Driving Community Change
[00:40:00] Leadership Lessons: Motivating Teams and Valuing People
[00:43:00] Paul’s Inspiration: Lessons from Local Business Icons
[00:46:00] How to Support or Volunteer with the Xcel Project