Turning your passion into a business. In this episode, Don Martin, the founder of Winnie's Original, shares his journey. He transformed his love for a jam his mum created in 2013 into a successful side business. He discusses the leap of faith required to dive into the business world. Don also talks about the challenges of managing a business while maintaining a full-time job. Additionally, he covers the various tasks needed to build a successful business. You can get in touch with Don Martin her...
Feb 27, 2025•22 min
In today's Business Spotlight Series, we speak with Ryan Schachtner. Ryan is the Co-Founder of Success Beyond Game Day, an organization that works with athletes to extend their skills and impact beyond the game. They help connect the dots between sports and life through customized tools and programs that focus on comprehension, application and implementation. Similar to ActionCOACH of Lake Norman, their focus starts with the individual and their mindset. Mental performance remains a key to succe...
Feb 27, 2025•15 min
In this episode of Business Spotlight, we feature Cormac Carville, a Chartered Civil Engineer and the co-founder and Managing Director of YardBox. Born out of frustration during the pandemic, YardBox began as a solution to the lack of dedicated home working spaces, with Cormac designing the concept and his family helping bring it to life. The business quickly pivoted post-COVID, evolving into home gyms, alternative living spaces and now even golf simulators! Cormac credits the company’s success ...
Feb 27, 2025•29 min
In this Business Spotlight interview, we hear from Garrett Greenlee of Day Arc Environmental Systems. While Garrett has an engineering background, his passion is in the Cannabis industry on the production side. In this interview, he shares how he uses his experience to deliver a market- disrupting, next-level product! All while navigating a marketplace that is constantly changing. Some great advice shared here, as well as a fantastic learning about being focused. You can get in touch with Garret...
Feb 27, 2025•29 min
In this episode of the Business Spotlight Series, host Kay Cote sits down with Greg Freeman, CEO of Data Literacy Academy, to explore the fascinating intersection of business, data, and people. Greg shares his journey of launching a thriving business in 2022, scaling to 80 team members, and partnering with top enterprises like ASOS and BAE Systems. Learn how Data Literacy Academy empowers companies with innovative education and cultural transformation programs, helping non-technical professional...
Feb 26, 2025•22 min
From Marine pilot to passionate entrepreneur, meet Andy Shetterly, owner of Peak Performance Sports Therapy. They specialize in therapies for pain relief and enabling peak performance for a wide range of patients including elite & professional athletes. He shares his long-standing passion in helping people via massage and physical therapy methods while also sharing how he transitioned from commercial pilot to owning his own practice. By providing industry leading capabilities, Andy and team ...
Feb 26, 2025•29 min
Manoj Mistry, IBOS Association Ltd. Some insights from this episode: Don't be afraid to take risk. Test the water and do research. You can get in touch with Manoj here on LinkedIn: / manoj-mistry 🔔 Want your business to be featured as our next Business Spotlight? Book in your FREE podcast slot today via our website: https://www.businessspotlightseries.com #business #advice #podcast #businessowner #businesstips #growth #businessgrowth #businesslesson #businessessentials #howtostartabusiness #bus...
Feb 26, 2025•13 min
In this podcast, we're talking to Josh Lenthal, the CEO of Active Oxfordshire. He explains how his charity promotes physical activity across Oxfordshire. Josh emphasizes the importance of having a clear, positive vision and principles. These guide the team members in making decisions about which projects to undertake and who is best suited to execute these initiatives. He specifically discusses the benefits of assembling a diverse team. This team shares common goals and has a clear understanding...
Feb 26, 2025•18 min
Join host Kay Cote as she dives deep into the inspiring journey of Aamar Khwaja, CEO of MoD Garden. Discover how Aamar transitioned from 15 years on Wall Street to becoming a passionate entrepreneur revolutionizing urban farming. Aamar shares his personal story of overcoming health challenges, the alarming truths about industrial farming, and how MoD Garden is bringing fresh, nutrient-rich food closer to urbanites. In this episode, you'll learn: The "why" behind MoD Garden and its mission to emp...
Feb 26, 2025•17 min
In this Business Spotlight interview, we hear from Jonathan Ross, Co-Founder and Director of Vision Scotland. Starting as a small family business, Jonathan embarked on a journey to build a great business. His vision rocket fuelled his ambition and self-belief to build the business he has today. Keeping focused on the one thing, taking a leap of faith and overcoming self-doubt in his journey, spotting great talent to build a great team, building a great culture, being brilliant and passionate at ...
Feb 26, 2025•37 min
In this episode, Alida sits down with James Battershill, founder of Echo Square, to discuss his journey of building a business in the highly specialised field of water tank relining and replacement. From starting in 2019 to working on prestigious projects like Buckingham Palace and massive data centres, James shares insights on what it takes to grow a business in a niche industry. Topics Covered: How James started Echo Square and scaled it over nearly 6 years What sets Echo Square apart from com...
Feb 26, 2025•17 min
In this Business Spotlight interview, we hear from Stacie Boord – CEO of Shadowbox Live, an ensemble theatre company with over 30 years of multi-city production success! Stacie shares her success stories of taking care of her people and being “One hell of a sales person!”. Our interview covers a story of “Artists pursuing a dream” and creating business success from creative minds. Some great advice shared here, as well as a fantastic learning about being focused. You can get in touch with Stacie...
Feb 26, 2025•34 min
In this Business Spotlight interview, we hear from Curran Hennessey of STAFF Now – a long-term, temporary staffing agency. Curran has been in the temporary staffing industry for over 4 years. STAFF Now experienced 65% growth in 2024 and believes it’s uniqueness from others in this market springs from it’s track record of providing dependable labor when clients call. Some great advice shared here, as well as a fantastic learning about being focused. You can get in touch with Curran Hennessey here...
Feb 26, 2025•19 min
In this Business Spotlight interview, we hear from Mark Whitman – Owner of TeamBuilder Search – “A Life Improvement Company". Mark shares his success stories of overcoming great personal health challenges to become the leader of an executive search /recruiting company with a culture of improving life for all involved. As he shares his story, it’s obvious both his and his company’s superpower is perseverance. Some great advice shared here, as well as a fantastic learning about being focused. You ...
Feb 26, 2025•33 min
Join Simon Marshall as he interviews James English, co-owner and CEO of Vehicle Smart, one of the UK's leading platforms for learner drivers and vehicle owners. James shares the journey of developing his innovative apps, tackling challenges like adapting to changes in technology, and balancing the demands of business ownership. They discuss key lessons in pricing, the importance of processes, hiring challenges, and viewing employees as investments in growth. James reflects on starting Vehicle Sm...
Feb 26, 2025•24 min
Should you involve your young son or daughter in the business? ABSOLUTELY! Look at Wugs! Watch this podcast and learn how Whitney Atkinson was inspired by a common problem along the Coastal Bend. She made improvements to her own outdoor rug and after a weather event realized, "We might have something here." Hear her advice for business owners about branding, giving back to the community, bookkeeping and scaling a business. Oh, and let her tell you how her whole family participates. Contact Whit ...
Feb 25, 2025•14 min
Join host Ted Schmidt on the Business Spotlight Series as he speaks with Tara Malek, owner and litigator at Smith + Malek, about the challenges of balancing high-performance leadership with personal well-being. Tara shares her journey in the legal world and the pressures of running a business while striving to take care of herself. She discusses the importance of prioritising well-being to function at her best and show up fully for both her clients and her team. Tune in for an insightful convers...
Feb 18, 2025•16 min
Join Simon Marshall as he interviews Rachel Watkyn, founder and chair of the Tiny Box Company, a pioneer in ethical and recycled luxury packaging. Rachel shares her entrepreneurial journey, from launching Tiny Box Company as a market disruptor to her experience on Dragon’s Den, securing investment and overcoming self-doubt to create a business now employing over 100 people. They discuss the challenges of sustainability in business, navigating financial uncertainty, and the importance of resilien...
Feb 17, 2025•31 min
Join Simon Marshall as he interviews Rashedul Hasan, Managing Director of Visiting Angels North West Kent, a personalised home care service, and Founder of Digital Care, a full-service digital marketing agency. Rashedul shares his journey from a family of entrepreneurs to becoming a business owner, navigating challenges in both the care and marketing sectors. They discuss Visiting Angels' rapid growth, the importance of strategic marketing, and Rashedul's empathetic leadership style. Rashed high...
Feb 17, 2025•24 min
🎙️ Welcome to the Business Spotlight Series with your host, Kay Cote! In this episode, we sit down with Jon Stone, Managing Director of Frederick Cooper, to uncover the secrets of running a successful business in the high-end automotive industry -- yes we're talking 007 James Bond! 🚗✨ Jon shares his journey from accounting graduate to leading a renowned company specializing in premium paint spraying and powder coating for luxury car brands like Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, and Bugatti. Learn how...
Feb 13, 2025•24 min
We are proud to serve the Bluegrass and beyond, providing premium service. Founded the month before the pandemic, From Here to There has been providing relief on moving day ever since. Full satisfaction is our goal and we accomplish this by consistently going above and beyond. The golden rule is our modus operandi and we emphasize integrity and efficiency. From Here to There is a white-glove, boutique operation, with an elite composed of high achieving athletes. Successfully streamlining one of ...
Feb 13, 2025•22 min
Every business owner has lots to learn. Whether you learn it up front, down the road, or along the way, you’ve got plenty to learn as you create, build, and run your business. The Blackman brothers decided to take the journey together. As young entrepreneurs they focus on building their company through Faith & Focus, Serving Clients with Value, and Going the Extra Mile. They want to give their customers the “Whole Nine Yards”. As friends, brothers, and business partners, Latrell and Lidon Bl...
Feb 13, 2025•24 min
Rooted in a heritage of fabrication and machining expertise dating back to 1970, CKT is ideally positioned and well-guided by its team of seasoned business managers and automotive experts to deliver solutions to answer the industry’s ongoing requirements. CKT is a WBE-certified business comprised of two divisions, with two facilities. It’s a 50+ year old, vertically integrated machine and fabrication job shop. We laser cut it, saw it, bend it, weld it, machine it, turn it, heat treat it, blast i...
Feb 13, 2025•21 min
Ever feel like you’re getting lost in the feed of endless social media posts? Is the algorithm to blame, or could you have used better hashtags? The world of social media is constantly evolving, and you deserve a partner to help you navigate it. At Full Court Social, we’re passionate about helping people find success on social that grows with their business. Let’s talk and discuss your social goals and create a social game plan that works for you. Operating a successful Social Media strategy can...
Feb 13, 2025•28 min
Dan Maddox is the owner and Managing Director of Evolve Document Solutions who supply and service multi functional copiers and printers to businesses. Dan is well established, known, liked and trusted in this industry with 30 years of success behind him and an exciting future ahead for him and his team. You can get in touch with Daniel here on LinkedIn: / daniel-maddox-12302926 🔔 Want your business to be featured as our next Business Spotlight? Book in your FREE podcast slot today via our websi...
Feb 13, 2025•10 min
In this episode of Business Spotlight, host Ted Schmidt speaks with David Ittner, CEO of Fairmount Memorial Association. David reflects on his career journey and shares insights on how his early years might have been different if he had explored various industries to gain broader perspectives. His reflections provide valuable lessons for those navigating their own professional growth and seeking to diversify their experiences. Don't miss this thought-provoking conversation with a seasoned leader...
Feb 13, 2025•22 min
In this episode of the Business Spotlight Podcast, our Host Ted Schmidt interviews Shane Johnson, the CEO of Carbon Quest. They discuss Shane’s business journey, how he manages work-life balance, and much more! Don’t forget to like and subscribe to get notifications for more of these kinds of great episodes. You can get in touch with Shane here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-johnson-74003784/ 🔔 Want your business to be featured as our next Business Spotlight? Book in your FREE p...
Feb 13, 2025•31 min
Our guest today on the Business Spotlight is Steve Napoli founder of TERRA, the largest network of certified e-waste recyclers and IT asset disposition (ITAD) providers in the world. Join us as we discuss the origins and importance of the electronics recycling industry, with a focus on proper handling and downstream materials. We also discuss the challenges of encouraging people to do the right thing, and the growing issue of electronic waste and its impact on the environment. You can get in tou...
Feb 13, 2025•43 min
Hi, I'm Jonathan Bennett, Founder and CEO of KAKOU USA, a small privately owned minority business committed to providing our customers with the utmost excellence by delivering quality products and dependable service. Our history of success is directly related to our ability to perform key tasks, including overseeing execution of innovative platform strategies, closely monitoring projects from inception to completion, and driving enhanced business and revenue growth. At KAKOU we are always lookin...
Feb 13, 2025•29 min
In this episode, Craig sits down with Russell Crouch of Enfinity Engineering to explore the fascinating journey of building a successful engineering firm. Specializing in mechanical, HVAC, lighting, power, plumbing, medical gas, and low-voltage technology design for buildings, Enfinity Engineering has carved out a niche in the healthcare sector. Russell shares insights into the challenges of managing client expectations, understanding the construction process, and cultivating strong client relat...
Feb 13, 2025•34 min
