In this episode of The Founders Blueprint, James interviews Michael Achilleos, the founder and owner of Grael, a premier luxury footwear restoration and cleaning company located in the vibrant Baltic Triangle of Liverpool.

Mike recounts his journey from running a successful fish and chips shop to realising it was time for a change. As he neared the sale of his business, uncertainty about his next steps began to weigh on him. However, a fortunate search on Google sparked the idea of starting his luxury footwear restoration company.

Now, with a thriving team by his side, Mike is restoring shoes for local celebrities, footballers, and clients from all over the UK. He shares his vision for the company and reveals some exciting plans he has in store.

www.grael.co.uk

.Have you ever been curious about how to purchase a house in the UK? Are you feeling daunted by mortgage jargon and APRs?

Join Alex Leppard, the owner of the award-winning mortgage brokerage AL Mortgages, as he discusses everything mortgage-related with James. Alex shares his journey from being an advisor at Barclays Bank to becoming the owner of one of the fastest-growing mortgage brokerage firms in the North West. The home-buying process can be quite overwhelming, particularly for first-time buyers. Alex breaks down the steps of mortgage broking to simplify the process and enhance understanding. With changing high APR rates, could this be the new norm?

#business #podcast #mortgage

In this weeks episode of The Founders Blueprint podcast, James dives into the inspiring journey of Roxanne Twomey, founder and owner of School of Rox in Liverpool. Roxanne share's her transformative experience of juggling multiple part-time jobs to then ultimately realising the importance of pursuing her true passion - teaching music

From a young age, Roxanne was immersed in the arts, with early interests in boxing, singing, and piano. At just 16, she began teaching music lessons from home, turning a childhood love into a thriving side hustle while completing her studies. With a commitment to excellence and a desire to support her community, she built a loyal clientele, proving that passion and hard work can lead to success.

Join us as we explore the challenges and triumphs of balancing work, education, and personal interests. Plus, hear about the exciting achievement of how Roxanne has published her very own Beginners Guide to the Piano this year.

Welcome to episode 18 of The Founders Blueprint. In this week's episode, James engages in a conversation with Joe Campbell, the founder and creator of Culture City, one of Liverpool's fastest-growing corporate film, photography, and design companies.

Joe reflects on his college days, uncertain of where his journey would take him—whether it would lead him to join a band or venture into filmmaking. One thing he was certain of was his love for picking up a camera and capturing people living their best lives. But how could he transform this passion into a thriving business?

With an impressive portfolio that includes collaborations with Nike and the UK Government, Joe shares his experiences working with musician Jamie Webster on his own film, as well as the challenges and successes of running a film business.

www.culturecity.co.uk

In this episode of The Founders Blueprint, James is joined by Georgia and Jade Morgan, the founders and business owners of Propel PR in Liverpool.

With backgrounds in journalism and fashion, the sisters joined forces in 2019 to establish their own business and have never looked back. Their extensive understanding of building positive client relationships and delivering exactly what clients desire has allowed their business to thrive continuously. They share their insights on what it takes to run a successful PR company and discuss one of their recent events—the launch of the esteemed The Ivy Liverpool Brasserie.

The sisters reveal that while their jobs may appear glamorous, the countless hours of hard work behind the scenes tell a different story... they discuss how they manage their workloads while operating a successful business that is available around the clock as well as being busy Mums.

www.propelpr.co.uk

Ever wondered what it's like to go from being an engineer at one of the UK's most reputable companies, earning a high salary, traveling the world, and enjoying a comfortable pension, to deciding to walk away from it all to set up your own dog food business?

Meet Ben McIntyre, the founder and CEO of Mersey Raw, based in Liverpool. Ben’s deep love for dogs and his passion for ensuring they have access to nutritious, high-quality food inspired him to leave behind a successful engineering career to start his own business.

In this episode of The Founders Blueprint, Ben shares his journey of turning his back on a conventional career path and pursuing his dream, despite skeptics who thought he was 'too clever to be making dog food. With Mersey Raw thriving, Ben discusses overcoming the hurdles he faced and the invaluable business lessons he learned along the way.

Join us as Ben reveals his passion for feeding the nation's dogs the best quality food and shares his ambitious vision of expanding into the worldwide market.

www.merseyraw.com

In this episode of The Founders Blueprint, James sits with Marcus Hollingsworth and Sophie Adens, the duo behind Hydro, a leading web design company based in Manchester. As co-founders and life partners, Marcus and Sophie share their unique insights into the challenges and rewards of running a successful business together while also living under the same roof.

Listeners will discover how their shared background in sales and creative flair have fueled their company’s growth and success. Marcus delves into his experience juggling multiple successful ventures and the importance of wearing different hats to effectively manage business operations.

This episode provides an inspiring look into the balancing act of personal and professional life, highlighting how Marcus and Sophie have mastered collaboration to maintain an edge in the competitive world of web design in the North West.

Welcome to episode 14 of The Founders Blueprint. In this episode, James sits down with Paul and Joe Murphy, the duo behind the popular menswear brand Lanka Clothing. So inspired by their cherished memories and deep admiration for Sri Lanka, they decided to name their designer label after the beautiful island nation. Paul and Joe take us on a journey through their entrepreneurial adventure, starting out in their parents' garage.

They share candid stories of investing thousands in samples, only to receive items that were far from their original designs. Through persistence and a commitment to quality, they have refined their suppliers and transformed Lanka Clothing into a widely recognised brand, both regionally and nationally. Tune in to hear about their early struggles, the importance of making mistakes, and their strategic approach to organic growth and advertising.

Discover how they balance affordability with high quality, and gain insights into their upcoming collections, including coats, trainers, sliders, and more. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a fashion enthusiast, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical advice on launching your own clothing brand. "Don’t procrastinate, just get started."

Lankaclothing.com