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Karen and Patrick O'Flaherty are the dynamic husband and wife duo at the helm of Pip Organic, a brand dedicated to crafting 100% organic food and drink for the whole family to enjoy. 

Karen and Patrick’s business journey began when they opened their own organic juice stall in London’s Borough Market. Their passion and drive has since led them on to create Pip Organic, a company dedicated to making top tasting products that work with nature.

With Karen’s expertise in branding, and Patrick’s passion for organic, Pip Organic has gone on to become a successful brand that is on a mission to make it easier for parents to say “yes”!

With hard work and perseverance, Karen and Patrick have transformed Pip Organic from the tiny seedling it was, into the brand it is now, all whilst raising two children - who of course provide advice for all the Pip products along the way!

Find out more about Pip Organic via: website, Instagram, LinkedIn & TikTok.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Alex Gibbs is co-founder and director of BAM (Built Asset Management), London’s leading co-living operator. BAM has housed over 6,500 young professionals in London and provides over 1,500 units of accommodation across the capital and beyond.

In under eight years, Alex and his business partner bootstrapped BAM from a zero- to eight-figure turnover business in one of the UK’s most competitive sectors. After four competitor acquisitions over the last two and a half years, BAM now operates over £350 million worth of residential real estate.

Alex is a passionate entrepreneur and has significant experience in scaling businesses, as well as acquiring both profitable and distressed SMEs. He is a recognised industry and business leadership media commentator and holds advisory roles within growing businesses spanning several sectors.

Find out more about Alex Gibbs via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Built Asset Management (BAM) via: their website.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Established in 1985, Kiki McDonough Ltd was born from Kiki’s passion for showcasing coloured gemstones in innovative, contemporary designs. She continues to lead the way in British fine jewellery design. The brand’s very first creation, a pair of distinctive crystal heart earrings, were put on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s renowned jewellery gallery, cementing the brand’s importance within the modern jewellery landscape.

Kiki has been at the forefront of the British fine jewellery for more than 35 years, launching her first range via a small concession in 1985. Following moves to Elizabeth Street in 1989 and Walton Street in 1992, her designs are now housed in a flagship store on Symons Street, just off Sloane Square. The business has grown rapidly year-on-year and the collection is available to buy online, at selected stores in the UK and overseas including the US and Canada.

Colour, creativity and craftsmanship have long been held in high esteem by Kiki and her family. She is a fifth-generation jeweller and the only woman in that line, igniting in her an ambition to share the joy jewellery can bring, and how a little colour can elevate the every day. Though her designs have varied in style, cost and composition over the years, Kiki has always aimed to provide wearable and beautiful jewellery at an affordable price. Filling this gap in the market has been her motivation from the start.

Kiki’s clientele spans style conscious women of all ages. Her designs have also been popular amongst members of the Royal family. The Duchess of Cambridge has worn her jewellery on numerous occasions, just like Princess Diana before her.

Passionate about the ballet, Kiki has been on the Development Board of the English National Ballet school and has been a trustee of the Starlight Foundation, both of which she still supports. She is also a business mentor for the Prince’s Trust, supporting young entrepreneurs at the start of their business journey. Kiki lives in London with her two sons. She loves to travel and is a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club.

Find out more about Kiki via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Kiki McDonough fine jewellery via: their website, Instagram and Facebook.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Olly Hiscocks is a snack fanatic and founder of Olly's, one of the most exciting brands in the healthier delicious snack space with their range of innovative Pretzel Thins, Chocolate Pretzel Thins and Olive snack pouches. 

Having landed a degree in neuroscience, he then embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in the wonderful world of olives. His snack adventure was born out of marinating olives in his kitchen in London and selling them at local farmers markets in 2016. Since then, Olly's has gone on to become an international snack brand, selling millions of packs each year across countries all over the world. 

Olly is a seasoned pro when it comes to breathing new life, colour and character into snack categories; all guided by his snack creation ethos which is to keep health at the heart and deliver flavour to the full. The rise & rise of their latest creation, Pretzel Thins, has translated to the Olly's range being the fastest-growing pretzel brand in the UK currently, and he's sure there will be plenty more creations to come.

The community surrounding Olly's is something that has always been incredibly important to the brand, which is continuing to build upon its mission to feed the planet's feel-good. This mission goes well beyond the snacks and into the lifestyle and relationships the brand looks to foster and grow. Olly's also works closely with their charity partner, One Feeds Two, to support them by providing over 25,000 school meals to underprivileged children around the world. 

Find out more about Olly Hiscocks via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Olly's Snacks via: their website, Instagram and Twitter.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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The Debate Mate Group is a social business with 2 distinct but complementary parts – the charity Debate Mate Schools, and the business Debate Mate Limited. At its core, Debate Mate – across the entities - teaches confidence, communication and leadership from the classroom to the boardroom. 

Margaret founded Debate Mate (Schools) as a non-profit in 2007 with the aim of reducing poverty, improving social mobility and tackling racism through a revolutionary education programme. The programme, which started with 200 students in London, has now reached over 125,000 young people in nearly 100 countries. 

Debate Mate Limited, established in 2015, provides world-class communication and leadership training and engagement events for leading companies across the globe. Current partners range from Morgan Stanley to Meta, from Snapchat to Standard Chartered. The business launched an ed-tech platform in 2020 as a response to the Covid pandemic, that provides virtual skills-based programmes for nearly 1000 young people per week from 47 countries aged 5 and up. Courses range from learning to debate to exploring law, technology and entrepreneurship, and we currently run them in English and Arabic. 

The business is raising investment this year to accelerate its technical evolution and is partnering with data science specialists from the Institute of Education to imbed ML and AI to enable them to scale their programmes.

Find out more about Margaret McCabe via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Scarlett McCabe via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Debate Mate via: their website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing! 

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Al is a serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder/CEO of Grenade, one of the most successful UK FMCG brands of the last 25 years. Starting with a £500 loan from the UKTI Passport to Export program in 2010, he sold shares in Grenade in 2014 for £35M, again in 2017 for £72M, and in 2021 for £200M, to Mondelez International.

Current trading as of 2023 values the brand at over £500M and still growing.

Grenade has been featured in the Virgin Fast Track 100 for seven consecutive years in a row, with no signs of slowing down, and its signature product, Carb Killa, is currently the bestselling protein bar brand in the UK grocery channel, disrupting the entire confectionary category for the first time in many years, as well as the number one selling item in food on Amazon.

Al has won UK Entrepreneur of the Year an unprecedented three times, and is a mentor for Virgin Start Up, as well as an angel investor and philanthropist. He also holds multiple pilots licences for both aeroplanes and helicopters and is an honorary Colonel in the British Army (Royal Artillery)

He has invaluable experience in going head to head with industry giants and passionately tells the highs and lows of building a disruptive global brand and overcoming adversity against all odds, from making front page headlines after surviving a plane crash to creating one of the UKs best known and fastest growing consumer brands.

Find out more about Al Barratt via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Grenade via: their website, Instagram and Twitter.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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In 1987 John co-founded The New Covent Garden Soup Co Ltd which pioneered and grew the fresh soup category in the UK. Daniels PLC bought New Covent Garden Soup Co in 1998. John then co-founded Glencoe Foods Inc., to bring the fresh soup concept to the US. In 2005, John co-founded Little Dish, which supplies healthy, natural and convenient meals and snacks to children over one year old. Little Dish created the chilled toddler food category for fresh toddler food and healthy snacks. John successfully exited Little Dish in 2017.

John is an investor & Non-Executive Director providing value-added business growth advice, guidance and mentoring to business owners. John is a business thought leader and delivers keynotes on a range of entrepreneurial, management & motivational leadership topics: www.johnstapleton.eu/keynote-topics. John is resident business advisor to Bord Bia’s entrepreneurial start-up programme in Ireland and is investor director at Mission Ventures, a progressive business accelerator designed to build challenger brands in the UK, principally through Corporate Venture Partnerships (www.missionventures.co.uk).

Find out more about John Stapleton via: LinkedIn and his website.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Jo Fairley is a businesswoman and writer. She co-founded the Green & Black’s chocolate company with Craig Sams, her husband, and has launched several other successful ventures since then.

Jo did not enjoy school, left at 16 with six O-levels and learned shorthand and typing at a secretarial college. She got a job with a magazine publisher and worked her way up through the features department to become the UK’s youngest magazine editor at the age of 23.

Her move into chocolate came when she happened to try a couple of squares of a sample sitting on the desk of her future husband, Craig Sams, a health foods entrepreneur.  Jo decided that it was the best she had ever tasted.  She bought two tonnes of chocolate for £20,000, using all of the proceeds from the flat she had just sold. She and Craig launched Green & Black’s in 1991 and sold the company to Cadbury’s in 2005.

Find out more about Jo Fairley via: LinkedIn, Instagram,  & her website.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Wild is the UK’s first refillable plastic-free deodorant. Charlie Bowes-Lyon is a serial entrepreneur with a background in marketing, particularly focused on sustainable businesses. He co-founded Wild and runs their tech and marketing departments since launch.

Wild sells sustainable, natural personal care products that are stylish, convenient, effective and reinvent how we think about everyday bathroom products.

Launched in April 2020, Wild has a wide range of natural deodorants available on wearewild.com or in stores such as Sainsbury's, Boots and Waitrose.

Wild’s products are made using natural ingredients and aim to remove single-use plastic waste from the bathroom. They are also vegan friendly and never tested on animals. With over 80 tonnes of plastic waste saved and 200,000+ trees planted around the world, Wild's mission to make the bathroom a more planet friendly place is only just beginning.

Listen in to find out more about Charlie's journey to starting his business, viral marketing, fundraising and how they went about creating the UK’s first refillable plastic-free deodorant.

Find out more about Charlie Bowes-Lyon via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about We Are Wild via: website, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. 

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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A former lawyer, she started two ground-breaking businesses: the UK’s first coffee bar chain, Coffee Republic, which she grew to 110 stores and a £50 million market cap, and Skinny Candy, a market segment-defining brand of sugar-free sweets.

Her first book, ANYONE CAN DO IT became a bestseller by demystifying the idea that entrepreneurship is an innate trait. Her latest, START UP FOREVER, stems from her experience working with large corporations over the last decade and addresses one of the most pressing questions now facing large organisations: how to be more entrepreneurial.

Her mission is to connect the heart as well as the head in big business and distil the unnecessarily complex subject of innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour down into simple, actionable and human terms.

Sahar is currently working on her exciting new project Buy Women Built launched in March 2022 to boost economic recovery by bringing consumer support and recognition to female founded businesses.

Listen in to find out more about Sahar leaving her law career, starting a business, writing a book and starting Buy Women Built.

Find out more about Sahar Hashemi via: Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Find out more about Buy Women Built via: website, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. 

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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David Buttress, who hails from Cwmbran in South Wales, joined JUST EAT in March 2006 to launch its UK business, and was appointed CEO in January 2013. David led JUST EAT in the UK from startup to becoming Europe’s largest technology IPO in a decade. JUST EAT has over 67,000 restaurant partners and 100+ cuisine types available to over 17 million customers worldwide.

David is now a Partner at 83North – a global venture capital firm with offices in Israel and London.

Described as one of UK’s standout entrepreneurs of the last decade, David got a taste for delivery-based businesses when he created his own newspaper-delivering service at the age of 11.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Law and Business from Middlesex University Business School and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Entrepreneurship.

In 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 David was named Debrett's 500 Most Influential People in Britain. Named by Glassdoor as one of the UK's Top 5 CEO's 2015 and 2016. In 2014, 2015 and 2016 David was named London Evening Standard 'Progress 1000' London's 1000.

Listen in to find out more about leaving corporate, taking a startup to IPO and exiting a business.

Find out more about David Buttress via: LinkedIn and Twitter.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Best known for her time on Dragons' Den, Jenny Campbell is also widely known for her role as the founder of YourCash Europe. Having acquired her banking qualifications by attending night school, Jenny soon embarked on a rewarding career with The Royal Bank of Scotland. She was initially appointed as the Head of Operations for Hanco ATM Systems, which she ultimately had the opportunity to purchase and change into YourCash Europe. YourCash Europe flourished and boasted a huge fleet of ATMs across locations such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Jenny is favourably remembered for transforming a company with annual losses of £7 million into a thriving and highly successful business. 

Before reaching the heights of fame as a celebrity investor, Jenny left school at 16 to pursue a role with NatWest as a cash-counter and cashpoint filler. Born into a family of bankers, Jenny was destined to succeed in the financial sector and later continued to enjoy a career with the Royal Bank of Scotland. When the Royal Bank of Scotland took over NatWest, Jenny was given an exciting senior role to aid in the integration of the two banks. From the first impact she had on the financial sector, Jenny has since developed strong skill sets in turning around failing businesses, exit plans, managing board rooms and investing in a business. 

With such a successful career to her name, Jenny has been lucky to claim several awards. She has formerly been recognised as Ernst & Young Regional Finalist Entrepreneur of the Year and Vitalise Businesswoman of the Year in 2014. She has also claimed a Chartered Institute of Bankers prize and the Silver Award for Turnaround Entrepreneur at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2013. Outside of business, Jenny is a Vice-Chair of the Prince's Trust Enterprise Fellowship Programme and was invited to join the Guild of Entrepreneurs. 

In 2020 she was elected as a Board Director of the UK Kennel Club. Founded in 1873 it is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world.

Find out more about Jenny Campbell via: Twitter and Instagram.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Louise Hill is co-founder and CEO of GoHenry - the prepaid debit card and financial education app designed to teach kids and teens how to be smart with money. Responsible for the UK operations of GoHenry, Louise has built the business from the ground up and played an integral role in its international growth, firstly with GoHenry’s acquisition of French Fintech Pixpay, followed by the merger with US Fintech Acorns. 

As a passionate advocate for financial education, Louise is a Trustee of The Centre for Financial Capability, a mentor for the Creative Destruction Lab accelerator programme at Oxford University and a speaker at leading Exec MBA programmes across the UK. Louise is also a huge supporter of women in business, regularly speaking at events and offering her time as a mentor for female founders, start-ups, and scaling businesses in order to drive cultural change around female leadership.

Whether you're passionate about financial literacy, intrigued by the world of fintech, or inspired by stories of female empowerment in the business world, this podcast episode with Louise Hill promises to be a captivating and enlightening listen. Tune in and embark on a journey of discovery, empowerment, and transformation.

Find out more about Louise Hill via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Go Henry via: their website, Instagram and Facebook.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Your Juno was founded by two sisters: Margot and Alexia. Margot de Broglie is the co-founder of Your Juno, building a financial education platform - think “the Duolingo of money”. Users can learn about any financial topics via its app, including negotiating a raise, buying a property, and becoming an investor.

"Money was never a taboo at home. We were raised by a single mom who was very financially savvy and encouraged talking about finance at the dinner table."

Unsurprisingly, both Alexia and Margot went on to study and work in economics and finance. “During the pandemic - as markets came crashing down - we noticed a huge difference in the types of conversations we were having with our guy - and girlfriends. Men were talking about their crypto investments and bragging about their returns, whereas women were never speaking about investing."

This is when they discovered the gender gap in financial literacy. In almost every country, women are both less knowledgeable and confident when it comes to finance.

Founded over 2 years ago, the company has raised over $2.5m. Margot has been awarded Forbes 30 under 30 for her work, and has been featured in the BBC, Stylist, Glamour, the Financial Times and more.

Find out more about Margot de Broglie via: Twitter and LinkedIn.

Find out more about Your Juno via: website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Alex Partridge is one of the pioneers of social media content the way we know it today. At age 21 in 2010, whilst a student at Oxford Brookes University, he founded UNILAD, one of the most popular social news and entertainment Internet companies in the world with an astonishing following of 50 million people around the globe.

In 2012, Alex founded LADBible which would also grow to become a social media juggernaut.

In 2017 Alex was involved in a major legal dispute over the ownership of UNILAD – he had left his editorial role in 2013 while remaining a shareholder – and won the case.

Now fully detached from both brands, Alex is a mental health advocate. He has been praised for his raw vulnerability; unashamedly opening up to audiences about how litigation turned him into an alcoholic.

After a three year legal tussle that ended in the high courts, Alex was successful in winning his company back. However, the excessive drinking landed him in hospital twice and nearly cost him his life.

At age 34 years old, Alex was diagnosed with ADHD and now has quickly become a leading voice on LinkedIn around neurodiversity. His impassioned views on entrepreneurship and neurodiversity has quickly amassed him a following of over 30,000 people.

Find out more about Alex Partridge via: LinkedIn and Instagram.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Rosie Fortescue - the jewellery designer and famous alumnus of the original Made in Chelsea. With her trend setting, enviable fashion sense, Rosie Fortescue has always been a go-to for style advice and inspiration. Rosie began running her successful blog, At Fashion Forte in 2014 and has been collaborating with desirable fashion, lifestyle and beauty brands since entering the media limelight in 2011. In 2015, Rosie launched her own London based Demi-Fine jewellery line, Rosie Fortescue Jewellery where her hand cuffs, heartbeat rings and huggy hoops garnered the attention of recognised fashion royalty including Olivia Palermo, Ella Eyre and fellow influencer, Niomi Smart. On her Instagram, Rosie has collaborated with brands including Bicester Village and Victoria Secret, and is a long term Ambassador for Jo Malone.

Listen in to find out more about Rosie’s journey from starting her blog site and business through to joining the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business UK Programme and her favourite pieces from her collection.

Find out more about Rosie Fortescue via: Instagram and LinkedIn.

Find out more about Rosie Fortescue Jewellery via: website, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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This week's guest is Chris Sheldrick, co-founder & CEO of what3words. what3words is a global address system that has assigned three-word labels to all of the 57 trillion 3-meter squares that make up the surface of the earth.

 With a background in the music industry, Chris noticed that traditional addresses for venues and precise stage doors or loading bays were not accurate enough. As a result, he set out to make a simpler version of addresses using just three words…meet what3words.

Focusing on the entire world, Chris and his co-founders faced a huge challenge during targeting. Receiving lots of opinion on where to direct the business, the team identified a combination of these which worked for them. Having never fundraised previously, Chris explains that there’s no written playbook and talks through just some examples of funding which may be suitable for some businesses. There’s a lot to learn from such an industry changing business in a unique space.

Partnering with large companies such as Intel, Mercedes, Ikea, Sony, Deutsche Bahn, Subaru, Motor Corp, Channel 4, Aramex, ITV, Horizons Ventures, & Alpine Electronics is an essential part of what3words’ strategy.

Listen in to find out more about what3words.

Find out more about Chris Sheldrick via: LinkedIn and Twitter.

Find out more about what3words via: website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Harriet Hastings launched Biscuiteers in 2007 after identifying a gap in the market for luxury food gifting. Over the past 15 years she has grown the business from a small startup to a unique artisan business working at scale and employing over 150 people. 

Biscuiteers’ beautiful hand-iced biscuits are sold directly online as post-able biscuits and are available to buy in retailers including Selfridge’s, Hamley’s, Harvey Nichols, and at the Royal Palaces. Outside of the UK, Biscuiteers ships to countries around the world, with the US and Australia the next biggest markets after the UK. Corporate clients include Google, Barclays, Chanel and Christian Dior.  

The business is headquartered in Wimbledon at the Ministry of Biscuits, a purpose-built head office and bakery, where over 3 million biscuits are iced each year. In 2012, Biscuiteers expanded its offering, opening the world’s first ever Icing Cafe located in Notting Hill where both adults and children can learn how to ice like a Biscuiteer. It now has an additional flagship location in Belgravia (opened in 2021) where customers can see live icing on display for the first time. 

Biscuiteers holds the license for Paddington, Mr Men, Beatrix Potter, The Snowman, the RHS and Monopoly, and has achieved some impressive biscuit feats over the years, having recreated Covent Garden, Leeds Castle and Waddesdon Manor in gingerbread, the latter taking 500 hours to complete. In 2022 it even got the royal seal of approval with a Biscuiteers x Buckingham Palace collection created with the Royal Collection for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Listen in to find out more about Harriet's journey and how she was able to collaborate with fantastic brands.

Find out more about Harriet Hastings via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Biscuiteers via: website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Nick Telson is an exited founder from DesignMyNight in 2017 for $30-$40m and has since invested in over 55 startups across US, UK, Latam and Africa, through his investment arm, Horseplay Ventures.

Nick’s career started off in marketing at L’Oreal before starting DesignMyNight in 2010. DesignMyNight grew to 100+ employees, 15,000 SaaS customers and 8 million monthly uniques on the website with minimal angel funding. Nick and his co-founder exited to Access Group in 2017. Nick has been recognised as one of the UK's leading entrepreneurs by The Huffington Post and won startup awards from The Guardian and RealBusiness/Disrupt.

He has a global top 3 business podcast around investing and pitching called Pitch Deck and is now co-founder of his second startup, in the sales operations space, called trumpet.

Find out more about Nick Telson via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Nick Wheeler first had the idea for Charles Tyrwhitt shirts - to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, with unbeatable service - whilst studying Geography at Bristol University in 1986; He used his middle names - Charles Tyrwhitt – more anonymous (and better sounding!) than “Nick Wheeler shirts” The first brochure was a one-page leaflet with 8 shirts and 8 ties. 

After a stint with strategy consultancy Bain & Co, Nick went “full-time” in 1990.  After being left £8,000 from a great aunt, Nick used the money to purchase the English dream: an Aston Martin DB1. One year later he sold the same car for an eye-watering £75,000 profit. This profit became the funding that set Nick up to become the powerhouse he is now. 

Success was steady, but the leaflet grew to four catalogues a year. This led to the opening of a shop on Jermyn Street in 1997, a website in 1998 and overseas expansion with stores in Paris (2001) and Madison Avenue, New York’s (2003). There are now 45 stores worldwide. 

The product range has developed from just shirts and ties to suits, shoes and a full casual offering. Today the business is a multi-channel retailer and a leading British brand. 

Charles Tyrwhitt’s mission today remains true to Nick’s founding principles - to provide quality and value, and to deliver them to the customer with unrivalled customer service. 

Nick is also a non-executive director of The White Company. He is married to Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company. They have four children and live in Oxfordshire. 

Find out more about Charles Tyrwhitt via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Morten Toft Bech is an entrepreneur and investor who started Meatless Farm in 2016 to help reduce the world’s dependency on intensively farmed meat. He and his family had struggled to find a meat replacement that the whole family enjoyed and that wasn’t too expensive.

In 2018, the company launched its original fresh mince in UK retailer, Sainsbury’s. It is now one of the UK’s fastest growing plant-based brands, available in over 20 countries with major retail and foodservice partners. 

Morten has a finance background and is a serial entrepreneur within the technology sector. He has combined his passion for plant-based eating, entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen to help create a brand ripe for global growth.

Listen in to find out more about Morten's first venture, Meatless Farm's journey and how to scale your business globally .

Find out more about Morten Toft Bech via: LinkedIn.

 Find out more about Meatless Farm via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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W Series is a free-to-enter championship that provides equal opportunities for women and eliminates the financial barriers that have historically prevented them from progressing to the upper echelons of motorsport. By placing all participants in identical cars, the series ensures that talent takes precedence. Since its inaugural season in 2019, W Series has created the greatest number of professional women racing drivers of all time. In 2021, W Series entered a new landmark partnership with Formula 1 and supported the world’s premier motor racing series at seven Grand Prix weekends. This year, W Series will stage 10 races at eight Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends across three continents, including a first-ever race in Asia.

Catherine Bond Muir may not seem the obvious candidate to have founded the world’s first all-female single-seater motor racing championship. A former intellectual property solicitor, in 2000 she moved into corporate finance and spent more than a decade working on sports and gaming deals. This included the sale of Chelsea FC to Roman Abramovich and the acquisition of Aston Villa by Randy Lerner. After a career break following the birth of her first and only child relatively late in life, she was ready for a new challenge. 

W Series was born at Catherine’s dining table. As a lifelong motorsport fan with treasured childhood memories of watching James Hunt racing on the television, she saw that, while women’s sport was generally enjoying a boom in popularity, the situation was only getting worse for women in motorsport. It has now been 46 years since a woman competed in a Championship Formula 1 Grand Prix, and it is W Series’ mission to change this. 

Catherine Bond Muir was voted one of the Top Ten Most Influential Women in Sport in 2021 by iSport connect. She is currently a Board Director of Motorsport UK and Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Motorsport UK. 

Listen in to find out more about W Series and Catherine's thoughts on Lewis Hamilton taking the knee at Formula One.

 Find out more about Catherine Bond Muir via: LinkedIn and Instagram.

 Find out more about W Series via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Named by Debrett’s as one of Britain’s 500 most influential people, Darren Westlake is co-founder and CEO of Crowdcube, the pioneer and leader of the equity crowdfunding industry.

Inspired by his own experiences as an entrepreneur raising finance, Darren’s idea for Crowdcube was driven by the ambition to democratise investment and diversify the sources of funding available to businesses.

Since launching Crowdcube in 2011 with co-founder Luke Lang, Darren has helped establish Crowdcube as a mainstream funding option for ambitious startups and growth-stage businesses, such as Monzo, Revolut, CityMapper, Pip & Nut, Mr & Mrs Smith, what3words and Freetrade. To date, Crowdcube has helped more than 1,300 companies successfully fundraise. With more than 1.3bn members, a total of £1bn has been invested on the platform to date.

Today, Darren is leading the company’s vision to create a world where everyone has a share in business.

Connect with Darren Westlake via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Crowdcube via: website, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Adam Wills, a seasoned entrepreneur and visionary in the culinary world, boasts a track record of creating and launching successful food concepts both domestically and internationally. With a knack for innovation, he has spearheaded ventures like Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), Crosstown Doughnuts, and Slerp, securing funding from both private investors and institutional partners.

At the helm of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Adam oversaw its expansion to 10 sites within five years, ultimately orchestrating its acquisition by Clapham House plc for £10 million. This success story continued as GBK went global, fetching lucrative deals with private equity firms and industry giants, resulting in substantial returns for investors.

As co-founder and director of Seven Restaurants Ltd, Adam contributed to the flourishing of award-winning establishments like Kopapa Cafe & Restaurant, later acquired by Balan's Restaurant Group. Additionally, his role in establishing Crosstown Bakery, with its 20 retail outlets across the UK and diverse revenue streams spanning online sales, wholesale partnerships, and branded food trucks, has positioned it as a force in the market, attracting private equity backing and international expansion prospects.

Not stopping there, Adam is also a founding shareholder and Director of SLERP, a pioneering B2B venture capital-backed food ordering and delivery platform empowering restaurants to establish direct-to-consumer channels, steering away from traditional marketplaces.

His collaborative approach has been pivotal in assembling skilled teams and securing funding for scalable ventures, reflecting his commitment to driving innovation and growth in the food landscape.

Dine with Adam and Sharena in Central London on Thursday 29th February 2024:  https://lu.ma/startupstartnowadamwills

Find out more about Adam Wills via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Crosstown via: their website, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Find out more about Slerp via their website.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

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Elizabeth Scarlett Petrides is an entrepreneur, conservationist and artist. One of the UK’s fastest-growing luxury accessories, homeware and personalised gifting brands. The brand has sold directly to over 120,000 customers in the UK alone and is stocked in Anthropologie, John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason, as well as other leading luxury boutiques and stores nationwide. Encouraged by her grandad, an entrepreneur and hobbyist painter, Elizabeth has painted animals and wildlife from a young age.  Inspired by nature and travel, Elizabeth’s iconic hand-drawn designs are embroidered onto beautiful fabrics to create design-led collections. Each year, the brand commits to giving back to the wildlife that inspire the designs. To date, over £200,000 has been raised for wildlife charities.

Elizabeth has built exciting partnerships with the likes of The White Company, Birchbox, Bobbi Brown, L’Occitane and Estee Lauder. Looking forward, Elizabeth’s mission is to reduce Elizabeth Scarlett’s footprint and become a leading benefactor of wildlife charities across the world.

Listen in to find out more about how Elizabeth Scarlett’s journey began!

Find out more about Elizabeth Scarlett via: website and Instagram.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Monga’s has held an imperial legacy of fine craftsmanship in Haute and Pret Couture since 1996. India-born founders, Mr Arun Monga & Mrs Reena Monga started their humble journey. The company began by exporting fashion to other designer boutiques in the UK in 1996, but customer popularity led the business to open its first boutique in London in 2004. Since then it has built up a reputation as one of the leading Asian designer brands in the world.

Now the family’s young millennial Ankit Monga and Akriti Monga who have expanded Monga’s avenues to a great extent are holding the baton of the company. Opened new stores in Green Street, London in addition to a bigger store in 60-66 The Broadway, Southall and soon will be launching a brand new bespoke haute couture studio in New Delhi and the Midlands.

Monga’s manage its manufacturing unit in India with more than 700 skilled employees and artisans. With an immense experience of more than three decades of creating artful creations. Monga specialises in designing outfits from inspirational pictures or something clients have imagined!

Listen in to find out more about how Monga’s started, Ankit’s experience of joining the family business, managing teams around the world and the celebrities they have dressed.

Find out more about Ankit Monga: LinkedIn and Instagram.

Find out more about Monga’s via: website and Instagram.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Vivien Wong is the co-founder of Little Moons, a mochi ice cream brand. Vivien grew up in North West London and spent many of her formative years helping out at her parent’s bakery. It was there that her passion for high quality ingredients and artisanal recipes was first sparked. She went on to study at the University of Reading before beginning her career at Barclays where she qualified as a chartered accountant and worked for four years. Spotting the opportunity to bring mochi ice cream to Europe and believing that her and her brother Howard were in the perfect position to do so, she left her job in the city and set up Little Moons in 2010. It took two years to perfect the process and recipes before Little Moons began selling their mochi into restaurants, including high street favourites such as Yo! Sushi and Wagamama as well as higher end restaurants like Nobu and Sushi Samba. The business went from strength to strength and in 2015 Little Moons launched into Whole Foods, subsequently gaining listings on Ocado in 2016 and in Waitrose in 2017. Little Moons is now available across a range of supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrison's and Asda. 

Connect with Vivien Wong via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Little Moons via: website, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Dhruvin Patel is an optometrist and entrepreneur encouraging a healthier relationship with technology in the digital age. Since receiving a development grant from City University in London, he has built Ocushield into an internationally distributed, MHRA medically rated product and established himself as a leading authority on blue light, its impact on vision and quality of life.

It all started with a dissertation, which led to a research project, which led to the products Ocushield sell today. 

Dhruvin has been featured on Dragons' Den, Forbes, The Guardian & USA Today - talking about eye health and blue light. With Ocushield, Dhruvin has helped sell over 200,000 + Ocushield products in 70 countries to protect consumers eyes. He was also named a finalist for Health Tech Founder of the Year at the 2018 Tech Founder Awards and Health Entrepreneur finalist at the 2021 Great British Entrepreneurs Awards.

Watch Dhruvin on Dragon's Den

Connect with Dhruvin Patel via: LinkedIn and Instagram.

Find out more about Ocushield via: website, Instagram and Twitter.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Founded in 2014, Steph left her brand marketing role, to pursue an idea she had following the birth of her children. After receiving eight bunches of flowers when she had her first baby, Steph realised the well-meaning bouquet soon lost its shine when you were the one filling vases, all while juggling a new-born and feeling overwhelmed.  

Steph started sending packages to her friends who were managing the early days of motherhood, and she saw the real joy a thoughtful, tailored package, that was all about encouraging them to take a bit of time for themselves, could bring. With a background in brand marketing, Steph knew she could “sell” a product but the journey to building a retail business was new and unnerving; despite admitting she’s never worked harder in her life, it felt exactly like the right path.   

Originally launching for new mums, the company now offers packages for all occasions, including gifts for him, workplaces, couples and more. 

Steph now has three children and lives in London with her husband, while running the business between London and her hometown in Stroud, Gloucestershire, where the brand warehouse is located. She leads the team across all functions and her team includes her brother as Head of Operations and some childhood friends who have roles in the Stroud site too.  Steph is passionate about building a business and culture that supports and prioritises the way people live today, so her team can thrive both in work and out.   

Listen in to find out more about working with the right people, her "Great Britain: Number One - Parenting" podcast show and great causes DBHF supports.

Find out more about Steph Douglas: Instagram, LinkedIn and podcast.

Find out more about Don’t Buy Her Flowers via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Hotel Chocolat is a British Chocolatier and Cocoa Grower and has grown into one of the UK’s most advocated brands. Based on originality, authenticity and ethics the company operates online for delivered chocolates and from over 120 UK shops and employs over 1800 people. Turnover is now over £160m. It grows some of its own cocoa on its Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia and has opened The Rabot Hotel, a boutique hotel and restaurant there for people to taste Cacao Cuisine and enjoy the awesome beauty of the location in this World Heritage site. The unique Project Chocolat visitor experience there opened recently. Hotel Chocolat is expanding internationally and has opened thirty locations in Japan. The Chocolate Tasting Club was started in 1999 and won acclaim with its unique method of growth funding – The Chocolate Bond. The company continues to invest in its factory in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire where over 250 million chocolates are made on the 8 acre site. Hotel Chocolat was listed on the London Stock Exchange on AIM in 2016. Hotel Chocolat is the only company in the UK to grow cocoa on its own farm.

Peter has been able to balance fast organic growth with good profitability and has enabled the business to be listed on the Sunday Times / Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 on three occasions including the No 1 position.

He has worked as a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust and has helped several businesses establish themselves. He has presented to the MBA groups at Cambridge University as well as CUE (Cambridge University Entrepreneurs) on several occasions. 

He won the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008 with his co-founder. 

In his early days, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Binder Hamlyn in London, Peter was an early member of the Cambridge high-tech community. He co-founded Torch Computers in 1981 and was a director until the company was sold in 1987.  Although he has a financial background he has always been passionate about customers, the sales and the development of the business. At Hotel Chocolat, he was Finance Director for the first 24 years. He now focuses on the growth and development of the business in both the UK and overseas.

Listen in to find out more about Hotel Chocolat, co-founder relationships, Peter’s previous ventures and how Hotel Chocolat has grown to be the UK’s “most advocated brand” .

Find out more about Hotel Chocolat via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Founded by entrepreneur Pippa Murray, now 33, Pip & Nut launched to the market in January 2015 and has been shaking up the healthy food and drink sector ever since.  Now seven years old, Pip & Nut can be found in over 6500 stores around the UK and Ireland. 

Pip & Nut is committed to nut butter, done better. The brand offers a range of naturally nutritious nut butters with a product portfolio of nine nut butters, available in glass jars, tubs and now, nut butter cups. 

Over the last few years the brand has gained a host of listings and industry acclaim from being named as ‘Ones to Watch’ Award at The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 2018 to Consumer Business of the Year at The Amazon Growing Business Awards. Pip herself has been named one of London’s Most Influential People 2019 in the Evening Standard Progress 1000 and ‘Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Pip & Nut obtained its B Corporation certification in 2019.  Originating in the US and now effective in 64 countries, B Corps are businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.  One of the commitments to doing better business is supporting their local communities living with food poverty with access to nut butter, much needed funds, and volunteering. They have partnered with Hackney Foodbank and have donated almost 45,000 jars of peanut butter (plus an additional 15,000 jars given during the switch from plastic to glass). They also helped fund a new van to keep up with the growing demand of deliveries and volunteered 73 hrs of time to package up the food parcels.  In July of last year, Pip & Nut, introduced custom made glass jars across its entire product range, further supporting the brand’s commitment to sustainability and their B-Corp promise of ‘better business’.

Connect with Pip Murray via: LinkedIn and Instagram.

Find out more about Pip and Nut via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Amy Moring and Jeff Webster, co-founders of ‘clean’ condiments and supplements brand, Hunter & Gather, are dynamic food pioneers spreading the word for optimal health & wellness.

Since launching the business in 2017, Amy and Jeff have co-navigated the award-winning brand to achieve £3.5 million GSV in just their fourth year of business, paving the way for clean, real and healthy food. Hunter & Gather, the challenger brand whose honest range of cooking oils, condiments and supplements are stocked in Selfridges, Wholefoods, Holland & Barrett, Ocado and Booths, has travelled a phenomenal distance since launching in 2017. 

In a UK landscape where +4.7m people have diabetes, Amy and Jeff’s ‘real food’ mission is at the heart of their success. Through every single sauce or supplement the brand sells, they are unrelenting in their energy and determination to change the way people think about what it means to eat and live well. They talk regularly to the media and at industry events to champion clean, honest foods, and are not afraid to take on the likes of global condiment giants in their pursuit to debunk health and wellness myths. 

Under their leadership, in 2021, Hunter & Gather was named ‘Best of British’ at Ocado’s Rising Stars Awards, which celebrates Britain’s best independent food and drink brands. In the same year, the pair also beat off competition from tens of thousands of nominations to achieve a place in the highly acclaimed 30 under 30 community, which recognises the world’s most impactful young entrepreneurs and game changers.

Connect with Amy via: LinkedIn.

Connect with Jeff via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Hunter and Gather via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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In this episode, I am speaking to Giles Harrison, a co-founder of Sculpd, a home-pottery craft kit business. Born in lockdown and now selling internationally, Sculpd is taking pottery further than it's ever been before. Developing a modern approach to home crafts has been a core focus of the business. 

Since launching, they have sold over 100,000 air dry pottery kits in over 60 countries. Sculpd is now at the forefront of driving an increase in the UK’s growing DIY movement. Sculpd has become a hit with young creators, with product features in Stylist Magazine’s ‘Stylist Loves’ and Timeout’s best craft kits.

Giles talks about how they managed to launch in one week and grow the business without any investment or outside funding and continue to expand through cash flow.

This episode is packed with great lessons Giles has learnt in his first year of business, from learning about the target market to refining the customer personas. It's one not to miss! Giles speaks about how the crafts industry is community-led and how they have embraced the close culture of loyal crafters. 

Connect with Giles Harrison via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Scupld via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Edwina Dunn OBE is best known as co-founder of the international data analytics company Dunnhumby, a business she launched from her kitchen table with her husband Clive Humby in 1989. By 2011, Dunnhumby had grown to be a company of 1500 people, reaching 350 million customers in 25 countries. Dunnhumby were the innovators behind the creation of the Tesco Clubcard scheme and widely credited with redefining the relationship between retailers and customers worldwide.

Now retired from Dunnhumby, Edwina is currently CEO of Starcount, a digital start-up that measures the global tastes and trends of 1.7 billion people across 12 of the world’s largest social networks, before applying a progressive view of data science to help brands navigate their social media journey. 

Edwina is also a passionate campaigner for women and spearheads the What I See Project - a not-for-profit initiative to promote the voices and experiences of women from around the world through the medium of film.

Finally, Edwina is also Chair of Your Life, a Government-backed campaign to encourage more young people to consider careers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) industries. The campaign, which has a particular focus on girls and women, aims to increase participation in maths and physics A-levels by 50 per cent in three years.

Edwina was awarded an OBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to Data and Business in the UK.

Connect with Edwina Dunn via: LinkedIn and Twitter.

Connect with The Female Lead: Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Find out more about the Cambridge Union: YouTube channel, Twitter and Instagram.

Watch the full interview via YouTube.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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It all started with a chopping board.

In 2003 twin brothers and designer-makers, Antony & Richard Joseph designed their first product – a clever chopping board – and that was the beginning of Joseph Joseph. With a passion for invention and an emphasis on functionality and quality, they set out to revolutionise everyday tasks in the home, making everything from food prep to laundry easier and more efficient.

Proud to be celebrating 20 years of innovation, the brothers grew up in a family with a long history in design and manufacturing. Originally set up by their grandfather in the 1930s, the family business specialised in producing glass components. The brothers spent part of their summers working in the factory in Birmingham. 

Antony is a Creative Director and studied Design at Central Saint Martins College. Richard is CEO and studied Industrial Design at Loughborough, followed by a master's in Design Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, which led to his first role as a product designer at Dyson. As a sideline to their jobs, and with the support of their father, they utilised the capabilities of the factory in Birmingham to develop their own range of contemporary glass chopping boards. What started as a fun project soon became the seed of a new business idea. 

Soon more innovative kitchenware designs joined the range, and Joseph Joseph collections now include award-winning laundry & storage, bins & recycling solutions, and cleaning & organisation categories. With an international presence and major retail partners including Selfridges, Harrods and John Lewis, Joseph Joseph’s iconic products are designed in London and built to last.

Their distinctive, problem-solving approach and ability to blend innovative design with aspirational modern living is unique within the industry. Now one of the fastest-growing companies in the global housewares market, Joseph Joseph continues to earn accolades and awards for its brilliantly useful designs.

Find out more about Richard Joseph via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Joseph Joseph via: their website, Instagram and TikTok.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!
 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Holly Tucker is a Co-Founder and Chief Inspirator of Notonthehighstreet, championing small and independent businesses, and has already made over 200 millionaires! Launching SME:SOS, a reactive resource and initiative aimed at helping small businesses during this difficult time, she’s pumped over £1-billion into the UK economy and holds an Advisory position for the UK government. She co-founded the immersive brand Holly & Co and presents her own podcast 'Conversations of Inspiration,' chatting to the UK's brightest and most well-known founders which include Fearne Cotton, Deliciously Ella, Thomasina Miers and Levi Roots.

Find out more about the Cambridge Union: YouTube channel, Twitter and Instagram.

Connect with Holly Tucker via: LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Find out more about Holly & Co: www.holly.co/ 

Find out more about Notonthehighstreet via: website.

Watch the full interview via YouTube.

 A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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The youngest ever Dragon has entered the Den. Steven Bartlett, a Botswana-born businessman who built one of the world's most influential social media organisations from the comfort of his Manchester bedroom at the age of 21, and joined the BBC panel of esteemed investors in 2022.

Steven's marketing company The Social Chain went public last year and now has a current market valuation of over $600M.

Since then, the young Plymouth-raised entrepreneur has toured the world as a speaker, investor, author and content creator, hosting UK's number one Podcast on Apple podcast, 'The Diary of a CEO'.

His latest book, Happy Sexy Millionaire, which tells his story to success, is also a Sunday Times bestseller.

I had the wonderful opportunity to interview him through the Cambridge Union. Find out more about the Cambridge Union: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB-BB8g8d8M&t=75s&ab_channel=CambridgeUnion 

Connect with Steven Bartlett via: website, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Find out more about Diary of a CEO via: website.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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My first guest for 2021 Flashback is Ben Francis, the founder and ambitious entrepreneur behind leading UK fitness brand, Gymshark. Ben founded Gymshark when he was 19 years old, while still a student at Aston University. In addition to his full-time commitment to his studies, Ben juggled working as a pizza delivery man to fund his Gymshark venture. Ben made the decision to step down as CEO in 2017, to allow him to continue to focus on the things that have always set Gymshark apart - innovative design, creative content and consumer first thinking. In August 2021, when he resumed the role of CEO. Gymshark has gone from being an entrepreneurial start-up to becoming a global brand with millions of customers in 170+ countries via its 13 websites. In August 2020, Gymshark became the first DTC brand in the UK to achieve Unicorn status with no external capital funding. The recent investment partnership with General Atlantic will see Gymshark become a true global brand.

Find out more about the Cambridge Union: YouTube channel, Twitter and Instagram.

Connect with Ben Francis via: LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Find out more about Gymshark via: website, Instagram and Twitter.

Watch the full interview via YouTube.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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I am joined by Mike Grindy and Christian Duncan, founders of Dropless. Dropless is a fully digital service that allows you to easily schedule, manage and pay for a car wash or valet in seconds. They have been running for nearly 4 years and now employ over 100 people. Dropless recognised the car wash industry was fragmented and outdated, with a bad reputation for off-the-books operations and the mistreatment of workers. With a strong eco conscience and a desire to change the industry for the better, Dropless offers end-to-end vehicle management that uses a sustainable nano solution (saving over 150 litres of water per wash), that is delivered to your door via their mobile app.

Mike’s career journey started out in the early 2000’s as a musician signed to Island Records and found himself in the digital marketing world. His first enterprise was building online auction systems for the charity sector which swiftly merged into a charity focussed SEO and PPC agency based in Hampton with a few employees. With a solid client base Mike rebranded the agency as Passion Digital, a performance marketing agency, and relocated to Clapham, London. His experience in utilising digital to grow businesses, data analysis and brand building, as well as a desire to change the waste clearance sector for the better led to him starting a waste clearance business called Junkwize, of which he is still a major shareholder and non-executive. This experience led him to being able to bring to life the idea of Dropless.

Christian spent his late teens and early 20's playing at a high level of Rugby and managed to represent Great Britain Student against Australia during his last year of university. When realising that making the cut professionally was a high chance, he packed up and moved to London not knowing what lay ahead. Starting his career in sales and then moving into the consulting space, Christian found that being a small cog in a large machine just wasn't for him. After 7 years of climbing the corporate ladder, he joined a small start up in the B2B SaaS world and put his sales cap back on, immediately falling in love with the young hungry start-up life. This love for building things new, fresh, and fun found him where he is today.

Listen in to find out more about Dropless, co-founder relationships, scaling during a pandemic and how Dropless are revolutionising the car washing industry.

Connect with Mike Grindy via: LinkedIn. Connect with Christian Duncan via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Dropless via: website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Yang Liu is the founder and CEO of JustWears - a direct to consumer brand on the mission to create the most comfortable underwear for men, with biodegradable natural materials. From starting in her living room and personally responding to every customer email, she has built JustWears into a multi-million pound business in just 3 years, even featured on Dragons Den with her famous phallus for your palace underwear. Previously Yang worked at venture capital firm 500Startups as an investor. She came to the UK at 23 with nothing but her broken English. She was recently awarded "Highly Commended Entrepreneur of 2019" by NatWest Asian Women of Achievement Awards and was recognised as 'Exceptional Talents" by UK Home Office.

The main thing that has made JustWears stand out is their signature pouch design which separates a man’s package from his balls. By using ventilated fabrics on the underside of this area, it provides men with more space and airflow where they need it most. Their premium Micromodal Air fabric is 50% more absorbent and breathable than cotton, drying quicker and keeping the body pleasantly cool all day long. Listen in to find out about Yang's journey to date.

Connect with Yang Liu via: LinkedIn & Instagram.

Find out more about JustWears via: website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Tina Rehana Taylor has been named Business Insider's #1 FEMALE FOUNDER OF COLOUR TO WATCH IN EUROPE and has recently been named as one of sixteen black changemakers in Greater Manchester for Black History Month, alongside names like Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling. Tina is first and foremost a mum, followed by her love as choreographer and social entrepreneur.

The Aim Sky High (ASH) Company provides dance, drama and singing tuition to children and young people aged 2-25 years old. Tina built this dance school with the vision of giving children the opportunity to take their dreams of dance to new levels, such as students being selected to dance with the likes of Justin Bieber and Stormzy. The ASH Company is rapidly taking its place on the scene, rubbing shoulders with the stars! Learn more about Tina’s journey in this week's episode.

Connect with Tina Rehana Taylor via: her website, LinkedIn & Instagram.

Find out more about Aim Sky High via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Anjan Luthra is the founder of Thrillz, a personalised celebrity video messages and live experiences platform. The London based platform has attracted thousands of customers and its celebrities include Katie Price, Paul Chuckle, Kerry Katona, Hollywood legend Tara Reid, England Rugby World Cup winner Matt Dawson and Grammy Award winning RnB queen, Mya to name a handful. Thrillz enables creators to monetise in several ways and the economics are set by each creator, with guidance from the personal account manager that’s assigned to them. Price tags range from a few pounds for a custom video message to tens of thousands for commercial endorsements. Thrillz has transformed the celebrity and creator ecosystem raising over £1.5 million to scale its rapidly growing platform where celebrities and creators add to their fortunes via fan engagement, corporate partnerships and exclusive content. Thrillz have entered North American and European markets as demand exploded.

Learn more about Anjan’s early days from being a Chartered Accountant by profession and working as a Private Equity Investor at Partners Group where he invested $2bn across Europe to sitting on advisory boards of several leading VC firms. He is a former Junior International Tennis and Cricket player for Scotland.

Connect with Anjan Luthra via: Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram.

Find out more about Thrillz via: website, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Chris McColl is the founder of Gravyy, a zero commission food delivery and collection marketplace that enables restaurants to take back control of their profit margins. Chris is the former owner of NY Slice, a Glaswegian pizza restaurant that was forced to shut after being squeezed by the high commissions and unfair practices of the Big Three delivery platforms (Uber Eats, JustEat, Deliveroo). Delivery platforms charged up to 35% in commission for every order to an eye watering total of £1bn in commission every year, that's money that could be invested back into growing the UK's independent restaurants. His experience at the hands of delivery platforms inspired him to take a stand against the power of the Big Three and build Gravyy which is launching its Crowdcube campaign later this year.

Take a typical £20 food order. An outlet should expect to make around £11.11 gross profit if they sell directly to the customer (once VAT and cost of goods sold are accounted for). If that restaurant were to use Deliveroo, they would lose £7.00 in commission, reducing the outlet’s gross profit to just £4.11.

“Imagine a world where the eateries, cyclists, drivers and customers own an equity stake in the company they helped to build and grow. That’s the world we are creating! Our customers, partners and team will have the opportunity to share our journey and success through our crowdfunding campaigns.”

 Connect with Chris McColl via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Gravyy via: website.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Alisha Zhang, founder of Accio Homes. She wants to change people’s perception of tech products, and make smart homes ubiquitous to all.  When Alisha was shopping for smart products for her own home, she spotted several pain points from the brands on the market at the time. Many had a complex, intimidating set up process, with short life spans and were in fact, pretty ugly! She decided to address these pain points by creating smart home brand Accio Homes. Accio’s beautiful smart lights do not compromise design for tech, are simple to set up (not just for the Techies!) and are built to last. 

Alisha believes the future of home space is about automating and simplifying people’s busy lives. Accio’s mission is to create smart products that are beautiful, sustainable and accessible to everyone. 

Learn more about Alisha’s journey from early days working in Real Estate through to embarking on her solo founder journey. 

Connect with Alisha Zhang via: LinkedIn & Instagram.

Find out more about Accio Homes via: website and Instagram.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

Send us a text

Mat Dusting is the founder of M-24, an online bag company that repurposes used truck tarpaulins and car seat belts into ultra-durable, one of a kind pieces of road history. Originally backed by the Prince’s Trust, M-24 has grown from a university idea into a cult brand with customers in over 35 countries, 50 tonnes of waste plastic recycled and sold over 10,000 units to date. Manufacturing everything in the UK, Mat collaborates with the largest haulage firms in the country and has a developed a line of colourful, durable, waterproof bags and accessories, all of which are one-of-a-kind. Mat studied Industrial Product Design at Aston University and veered away from the traditional graduate job route to pursue his idea without a moment's thought. Having secured initial funding from the Prince’s Trust, Mat then raised £100,000+ investment from investors to open 5 pop-up shops in Central London before opening a permanent store in Brighton. As the business grew internationally and online orders increased, Mat tweaked the business to operate entirely online and focused on customer care. With a keen interest in sustainability, Mat has recently started GPOWERUK, which is aiming to shake up the renewables market by using data-driven technologies to help business owners in the UK make smarter and more sustainable decisions. 

Connect with Mat Dusting via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about M-24 Bags via: website, Instagram and Facebook.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Chai Guys is the brainchild of Abhilash Jobanputra and Gabriel Unger, two entrepreneurs driven by their love for authentic Indian chai. Their journey began in September 2018 with a transformative trip to India, where they immersed themselves in the vibrant world of chai culture. Returning to London with a  suitcase filled with tea and a vision, they spent nine months perfecting their recipes, brewing techniques, and spice blends.

In May 2019, their iconic Masala Chai made its debut at Brick Lane Market, marking the birth of Chai Guys. Today, Chai Guys stands as a pioneer, introducing countless individuals to the enchanting world of chai.

Chai Guys' locations at Old Spitalfields Market and Seven Dials Market evoke chai's origins, creating an enchanting ambience for all. Together, Abhilash and Gabriel have woven their unique stories and passions into Chai Guys, delivering not only chai but an unforgettable journey of flavour and authenticity.

The arrival of Chai Guys Bakehouse marks a significant expansion for Chai Guys as a new chapter unfolds. 

Find out more about Abhilash Jobanputra via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Gabriel Unger via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Chai Guys via: their website, Instagram , TikTok and Facebook.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to START UP and START NOW by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you!

Connect with START UP. START NOW. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Connie Nam is the founder and CEO of Astrid & Miyu, a London based jewellery brand which has gained cult  status across the UK since its launch in 2012. Ranked #9 in Sunday Times Fast Track 100 in 2020, Astrid & Miyu  is a fast-growing business both online and in physical retail, achieving 1000% growth with 4 stores, 2 concessions,  and over 80 staff. Connie’s accolades also include winning the Athena award for inspirational woman leaders in  the 2020 NatWest everywoman Awards and been highly commended in the 2020 Barclays Entrepreneur Awards  in the Scale-Up Entrepreneur category. The brand currently has 4 stores across central London as well as concessions in Selfridges and regular pop ups  in New York. 

Connie started Astrid & Miyu from her kitchen table out of her flat in Notting Hill in 2012. While she could find  many cool brands in apparel and other accessories, it was hard to find a go-to jewellery brand at affordable  prices. Nam's goal was to revolutionise the way consumers shop for jewellery by providing well designed, trend led, unique jewellery at accessible price points while creating a strong sense of community. 

Prior to founding Astrid & Miyu she took a very conventional career path and worked in investment banking at  Credit Suisse in Hong Kong and then finished her MBA in London Business School. While she was at London  Business School she did a stint in brand consulting for LVMH brands. 

 Connect with Connie Nam via: LinkedIn & Instagram.

Find out more about Astrid & Miyu via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

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Spill was founded by Calvin Benton, a 28-year-old software developer from Yorkshire whose parents are both therapists. He saw first-hand how life-changing therapy could be, and yet also how difficult it was for most people to get, whether that was due to long waiting lists, the concern it would be seen as a weakness, or the high price of going private. Spill is on a mission to make mental health support barrier-free, stigma-free, and free at the point of use. Over 200 companies (including Beauty Pie, Depop, Bloom and Wild, Bulb and Huel) are now using Spill's all-in-one mental health support via Slack, meaning 12,000 people have access to therapy. According to a study carried out by the National Institute of Mental Health, 72% of entrepreneurs are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues compared to 48% of non entrepreneurs.

Connect with Calvin Benton via: LinkedIn.

Find out more about Spill via: website, Instagram and LinkedIn.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

Send us a text

Anthony Catt is co-founder of Enterprise Academy, an organisation providing essential support to early-stage entrepreneurs in developing regions worldwide. Focused on the future of education and on a mission to democratise it for higher accessibility, Anthony has 8 years experience in creating, supporting and investing in new ventures, including across Africa. 

As well as this, Anthony is an Investor in Residence for Google Startups, helping start-up founders gain better access to investment, as well as part of the Africa Angel Academy programme, to educate on and encourage increased UK investment into African startups and technology.  

With his knowledge of investment, Anthony has also had the opportunity to work as an investment scout for organisations such as Korea Investment Partners, South Korea’s biggest VC fund, and now having facilitated $10m in investments to date. 

Learn more about Anthony’s journey from completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at Aston University, to now partaking in various investment programmes and co-founding Enterprise Academy!

 Find out more about Anthony Catt via: LinkedIn and Twitter.

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

Send us a text

Kishan Bodalia is an NHS frontline doctor working to save lives in the pandemic, along with a DJ harnessing a passion for music. As a skilled multi-instrumentalist with a love for dance music, Bodalia has shared main stage line-ups with the likes of Ella Eyre, Lethal Bizzle and Fuse ODG along with DJs such as Cheat Codes and Hannah Wants. 

Having also headlined at events such as the Vale Festival and remixed for Sony Music and the Ministry of Sound, Bodalia now regularly provides guest remixes on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Asian Network. You may have seen Kishan’s work featured on Capital Xtra, KISS or tuned into his own chart-topping radio show ‘Bodalia’s Breakfast Club’ backed by Mixcloud! 

During the pandemic, Bodalia launched ‘NHSessions’ on Instagram to celebrate frontline NHS Workers while lifting lockdown spirits through music! His inspiring work has been recognised widely, having appeared on Sky News, ITV News and being commended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a ‘British Asian Hero’! 

Find out more about Kishan Bodalia via: website, Instagram, LinkedIn. 

A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!

Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! 

Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.