Working Hours

Recorded on 09/07/2024

James Varley is the Founder and CEO of Holiday Cottage Handbook – a multimedia platform dedicated to helping short-term rental investors, hosts, and property managers. Additionally, James owns and manages two short-term rental properties.

He also run Varley Media – a communications agency that works with clients across the globe.

Previously, James worked in the media, including newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV. For two seasons, James worked as a video-journalist for Leeds United. From 2013-2023, he managed corporate communications for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup organising committee in Doha.

To find out more about James go to:

https://www.facebook.com/holidaycottagehandbook/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/holiday-cottage-handbook/

https://www.youtube.com/@HolidayCottageHandbook

https://www.instagram.com/hchandbook/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D

Recorded on 07/05/2024

Phil Heath has been a member and twice Distinguished Toastmaster with Toastmasters International for over 20 years and is a former member of the Professional Speaking Association for over 10 years.

Before Phil became a professional speaker, he was a trainer and sales consultant for several companies. He now coaches organisations and individuals in the art of presentations with a focus on communication.

A trainer / Business Consultant in International Standards, Phil has spoken and trained in over 10 countries in the last 10 years and has a background in ISO Standards auditing and training. Training in Egypt, Turkey, and Ukraine – every time he left the country there was a riot, a bombing, or an invasion!

Hopefully this session will be less volatile.

To work with Phil go to: www.philheath.com

To find out more about Toastmasters International go to: https://www.toastmasters.org/

Gary King recorded on 03/05/2024

Gary King helps business owners to have the freedom to choose where, when and how they work.

After 25 years in high-growth businesses delivering results at a senior level, Gary knew he could use his skills to help SMEs. A straight-talking, no-nonsense Yorkshire man, he now helps ambitious business owners create more time, more money and more choice with a range of online and in-person programmes.

His passion comes from bitter experience. When he started his business in 2010 he was regularly at his desk in the early hours doing expenses and missing his son’s football matches just to keep on top of work. And the guilt that came with that situation was almost overwhelming.

Having turned around his business and his lifestyle as a result, Gary now runs three successful businesses and it’s this experience he uses to help other entrepreneurs stop feeling guilty, start earning what they are worth, and giving them the ability to make choices about how they spend their time. He creates the freedom to choose.

Gary says, “I started Tendo because I was heartbroken that 95% of small business owners fail and I wanted to change those stats. I am driven by working with owner managed small businesses to develop high growth strategies and support them to take action and deliver the highest possible results.”

Gary is also The Director of The Association of Business Mentors and sits on their Executive Team.

To find out more about Gary go to: https://www.tendo-uk.com/

Jodie Hill recorded on 08/07/24

Jodie Hill is Founder and Managing Partner, Thrive Law. A neurodivergent solicitor, consultant, qualified coach and trainer, author and campaigner. Jodie is passionate about employment law, mental health and wellbeing and neurodiversity.

A qualified barrister initially called to the Bar by The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in 2010, Jodie then cross-qualified to become a solicitor in 2013. Her mental breakdown in 2017, which Jodie now describes as her “mental breakthrough”, led her to establish Thrive Law in 2018. It was the first law firm in the UK founded with wellbeing and mental health at its heart.

Today, Thrive Law, headquartered in Leeds with teams in London and the Southwest, provides employment law support to employees and employers, as well as outsourced HR and employment law support, training, coaching and consultancy to businesses, nationally and internationally.

Mental health, wellbeing and neurodiversity underpin everything Thrive Law does. In addition to being managing partner of Thrive Law, Jodie is also an active member of the Employment Law Committee at The Law Society, as well as chair of This is Me Yorkshire, a mental health campaign focused on storytelling.

Jodie regularly carries out one-to-one and group training programmes and coaching focused on the workplace, covering key employment law and HR topics, all with the aim of developing progressive leaders and harnessing the power of people within organisations. She is also a qualified coach, having achieved the ILM Level 3 Award in Effective Coaching.

https://www.thrivelaw.co.uk/

Nick Smith recorded on 19/04/2024

Nick Smith is the Group Managing Director of Reward Finance Group. Reward Finance Group is an SME lending business with 5 offices UK wide and headquartered in Leeds. Reward Finance supports over 500 SME's across the UK with over £225m of funding and have been established for over 12 years.

Reward prides themselves on supporting their clients with their borrowing needs, providing tailored solutions that help businesses to achieve their objectives. Reward provides facilities from £50k to £5m and clients can borrow from 3 months to 3 years.

https://www.rewardfinancegroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/reward-finance-group/

https://www.instagram.com/reward_finance_group/

Recorded on 19/04/2024

Alina Manaila is 27 years old. Born in Romania and raised in the south of Spain (Almeria) Alina moved to the UK after turning 19. Living down south (London) for few months then moving to Leeds, Alina has been here ever since.

Alina started working as a care assistant when she arrived in the UK and has worked her way up through the sector from there. She is currently working as a Registered Estate Manager, for a retirement living development.

Alina enjoys helping people maintain their independence and live their best retirement life. She has always been an advocate for others, since being little Alina’s mum always thought she would end up being a lawyer, because, her mother says, she defends everyone.

If you’d like to know more about Alina's work go to:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alina-manaila-048628173/ 

Recorded on 04/04/2024

Alex Webb’s job is to drive footfall to the estates he manages in Leeds and Manchester and increase dwell time, Alex’s focus is on raising brand awareness and fostering an engaged community among office, residential, and local stakeholders. Alex aims to achieve this through an authentic program of activities in collaboration with partners who share his company Form Property’s values and brand principles. By creating a vibrant and talked-about social destination, Alex can enhance the overall experience and perception of the estate, encouraging more people to visit and spend time there.

If you’d like to know more about Alex and Form Property go to:

www.formproperty.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/company/formproperty/

https://www.instagram.com/form.property/

Claire Turner recorded 14/05/2024

Claire is the Chief Executive of Carers Leeds. She has over 20 years’ experience in the voluntary sector in a career which has spanned research, policy and service delivery. Claire's previous roles include Director of Evidence at The Centre for Ageing Better and Head of Research and Policy at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Prior to this Claire was a Senior Associate in a regeneration consultancy firm and held a number of roles within Barnardo’s Policy and Research Unit.

Claire is a trustee of SJOG Hospitaller Services a national charity which supports older people, disabled people and people experiencing homelessness and modern day slavery to live the life they choose and fulfil their potential.

Claire Turner joined Carers Leeds in July 2021.

Carers Advice Line: 0113 380 4300 (Mon – Thu 9am – 5pm, Fri 9am – 4.30pm)

Advice e-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.carersleeds.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/CarersLeeds

https://www.linkedin.com/company/carersleeds/

https://twitter.com/CarersLeeds

https://www.instagram.com/carersleeds

Danielle Heward – recorded on 09/05/2024

Danielle Heward is the owner of Optimo, an operations consultancy dedicated to having a positive impact on people and the planet.

Disheartened by the damage done by mainstream business, she set about creating a company that would promote positive change by elevating those organisations making a genuine difference in the world and has been growing the Optimo team since lockdown, including having her wife join as co-director in January 2023.

Having moved to Leeds in 2016 from Birmingham, Danielle has been inspired by the local business community - she has enjoyed building her business within that context and is excited to continue this journey!

https://optimobusiness.co.uk/

Mark Warner – recorded on 15/02/24

Mark Warner runs Plate 2 Plate Compost. Plate 2 Plate Compost is a small Leeds based business, employing people with learning difficulties, supporting the community of Leeds and producing a quality general purpose compost that is 100% organic matter, peat and chemical free!

The two parts to his work are:

1) Waste food collection service from homes and businesses in Leeds

2) Selling a quality general purpose compost, made from waste food, that is ideal for your garden, allotment or potting shed

Mark loves the idea of food going from our plate, to compost, to our veg patch and back to our plate.

I met with him to in a groovy café in Leeds as we need somewhere warm with seats in town to record. This episode is a complete version of what we discussed.

This unmonetized bonus episode of this podcast features unlicensed copyrighted material in the background.

The unfortunate inclusion of copyrighted material in this unmonetized bonus episode of this podcast was unforeseen, is unintentional and was purely incidental.

For this reason:

This unmonetized bonus episode is not published for commercial purposes.

This unmonetized bonus episode has been published for information purposes only as a recording that was undertaken for the Working Hours project.