Host of the UnNoticed Entrepreneur show on Radio Bath.
To raise the profile of entrepreneurs in Somerset, Wiltshire and the surrounding areas, I host a Talk & Tunes format radio show.
It's a monthly, one hour live show where I ask a local entrepreneur to tell their story using their favourite tracks. It's like a desert island disks for the business community.
We record on the 1st Tuesday of each month, between 11:00 - 12:00
Radio Bath is a volunteer radio station broadcasting online and on DAB across Bath, North East Somerset and West Wiltshire. Radio Bath was conceived in 2019 by Steve Fountain and Simon McNeill-Ritchie who were joined by Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst MBE to complete the founding team.
"If you're bring and agile, you can always work out how things should be done."
Simon Tesler, Entrepreneur and Director Parade House, Trowbridge
Simon Tesler, Entrepreneur and Director Parade House, Trowbridge
2nd April 2024
Simon Tesler, Director of Parade House, Trowbridge came into the studio as my guest on The UnNoticed Entrepreneur LIVE.
Simon had a stellar career as an entrepreneur spanning 40 years, and an encyclopedic knowledge of music.
It was lot to pack into 60 minutes, so here's a recap.
- Simon and his wife Carey started the magazine Blitz as students at Oxford in 1980 to fill a gap in media for their generation. BLITZ was a monthly media, fashion & pop culture magazine, first published in 1980.
- Blitz was very successful in the 1980s but closed in the 1990s due to a recession and drop in advertising.
- Simon and Carey then built a successful business publishing empire and database directories, selling to Pearson in late 1990s.
- After a 2 year stint as an "intrapraneur" at Pearson, Simon built the ad database company AdBrands for 24 years before selling it.
- Simon and Carey bought and renovated the historic Parade House building in Trowbridge into an events venue, bar and restaurant to help revitalize the town.
Simon advises entrepreneurs to be prepared for economic downturns and recessions. He has experienced multiple recessions over his 40 year career starting various magazines and businesses.
When times are good, he cautions against over investing or expanding too quickly. It's important to maintain reserves and have contingency plans to weather downturns. He learned this lesson when his magazine Blitz had to close in the 1980s due to recession despite being very successful in the early 1980s.
Simon recommends serial entrepreneurs diversify their business portfolios and interests. He has started multiple ventures spanning print media, online media, and hospitality.
This allows entrepreneurs to pivot when certain industries struggle. Overall, Simon stresses resilience, frugality and maintaining reserves during growth periods to survive challenging economic periods.
Connect to Simon Tesler
Perhaps because he is a creative entrepreneur, Simon didn't follow my normal playlist sequence but rather made a superb list of tunes from across the decades. Listed below, and of course listen to the show to hear his brilliant insights and inspirational playlist.
- Simon Tesler00:00
Lucy "There's always a better way" Beck, Founder and CEO of A2Z Cloud.
5th March 2024
I hosted Lucy Beck, the founder and CEO of A to Z Cloud, the largest premium partner of Zoho in the UK.
Lucy shares her inspiring journey from South Africa to the UK, highlighting her resilience and determination in overcoming challenges, including taking on the new game of squash and becoming #33 in the country!
She shared the challenge of finding a female toilet at British Steel, her reaction to seeing an Apple Computer, and how as a single mom she started her own IT consultancy, "because it was the obvious thing to do!" {ed note - it's not an obvious choice in my humble opinion].
Lucy reflects on her entrepreneurial success, including winning awards and growing her company into the largest Zoho premium partner in the UK.
She shares valuable insights on building a diverse and talented team, embracing cultural differences, and navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.
Lucy's vision for the future involves expanding globally and empowering her team to excel.
Throughout the episode, Lucy's passion and authenticity shine through, creating a warm and engaging conversation.
The episode features personal anecdotes, motivational music tracks, and practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
As she would say, "there is always a better way."
Connect to Lucy Beck
- Lucy Beck00:00
Vicki Mowat, Director of Riverford Home Delivery, Bath.
"It was such a pleasure to pick the songs which have been the soundtrack to our journey. Thanks Jim for a really fun chat about farming and franchising, and for signing Riverford's Get Fair About Farming petition!"
2nd January 2023
A fresh and organic conversation with Vicki Mowat, director of the BANES franchise of The Riverford Organic Farmers company.
- A franchise gives you the benefit of a proven business model and support infrastructure, while giving you the opportunity to use entrepreneurial skills.
- If you're thinking about buying a franchise, research the franchisor as thoroughly as possible.
- To grow your business, make sure you're looking after existing customers as well as finding new ones.
- When you experience self-doubt, remember that you're capable of doing difficult things.
- In tough times, look for the silver lining - there's usually something to be grateful for even when times are hard.
- Make sure you set boundaries so that you have time to switch off - it's when you stop thinking that you have your best ideas!
- Find out more about Riverford's Get Fair About Farming campaign to save British family farms, at https://getfairaboutfarming.co.uk/ - you can sign the petition there or click on a template to email your local MP.
Check out Vicki's diverse playlist. She lived in Paris, and so included a French track too and kindly saved the audience my French, by introducing the tune live on air.
- 20240102-Vicky Mowat00:00
- Vicky Mowat_clips00:00
Joe Karthauser, Founder and CTO of Truespeed.
I’m incredibly proud to have been invited by Jim James as the inaugural guest on The UnNoticed Entrepreneur show on Radio Bath, on September 5th. Please have a listen, and tell me what you think.
Joe Karthauser was on the show Sept 5th, and here he is in the studio with Steve Fountain, producer, and myself. Joe is the founder and CTO of TrueSpeed, an innovator in the provision of connectivity to businesses and homes in the SW of England.
Some key learning points Joe shared about being an entrepreneur include: - Dealing with uncertainty is intrinsic to being an entrepreneur. You have to act even without guarantees of success. - Having a vision or purpose of what you want to bring to the world is important, even if the specifics change along the way.
- It's okay to pivot your idea or business as you learn more. You don't need to stick rigidly to your original plan.
- Following your passions and fascinations can help guide your entrepreneurial journey.
- Building something that changes the world will also mean the world changes you in turn through feedback and impact.
- UnNoticed Entrepreneur- TrueSpeed00:00
Jayla Wilcox, Founder Simple Recruitment Ltd
3rd October 2023
Inspirational entrepreneur Jayla Wilcox came into the studio.
Some key takeaways from her life story:
- There is no competition, because you are uniquely you.
- Teams create success, and building a happy working environment keeps teams together.
- Purpose, in her case her 2 daughters, keep the entrepreneur moving forward even during the hard times.
Connect with Jayla on Linkedin.
- Unnoticed Entrepreneur- Simple Recruitment00:00
David Kelly, CEO Storm Consultancy
7th November
Serial entrepreneur David Kelly shared the mic.
A few useful lessons:
- Run a business with the handbrake on.
- Offer the team unlimited vacation days.
- Create cash surplus to invest in other companies, instead of growing your own.
++++more gems 💎 including how they planted out 11,000 tree seedlings.
This was a live show with Steve Fountain as producer.
Connect with David onLinkedin.
Here is David's playlist.
Wonderful land - The Shadows North atlantic drift - Ocean Colour Scene
Higher Ground: - Red hot chilli peppers Good life - One republic
Midnight City - m83 Song 2 - Blur
Teardrop - Massive attack. Whatever it takes - Imagine dragons
- Radio Bath_David Kelly_07.11.202300:00
Rupert Poole, Founder of Vertical Horizon Hydroponics
5th December
Corporate executive turned entrepreneur Rupert Poole shared his playlist and insights.
A few useful lessons:
- Do something that you are passionate about...in this case the massive wasteful use of water in agriculture
- Post client success stories where they can be seen
- Fail fast
- Get one half of the business to pay for the other half that makes a contribution to the greater good.
"Never be afraid to turn your dreams into your life and embrace true variety."
Connect with Rupert onLinkedin.
Visit Vertical Horizons Hydro
This was a live show with Steve Fountain as producer.
Here is Rupert's playlist.
- 20231205-Rupert Poole00:00
Steve Fountain, Broadcaster and co-founder of Radio Bath
- Steve Fountain_Radio Bath_06.02.202300:00
- Vicky Mowat_clips00:00