Author Archives: Suzanne Harrison

  In this episode, we explore the inspiring journey of Stephen Timmins and Alex Footman, lifelong friends and founders of Stephen Alexander, a thriving consultancy based in Redditch. After 20 years in corporate roles, they launched their business to make a meaningful impact in their…

 The Success Formula: Build a Business That Works Without You Have you ever asked yourself why you started your business? Maybe it was freedom.Maybe it was to build something meaningful.Or maybe it was to take control of your future. But for many business owners, the…

Chris Smith, founder of the Centre for the New Midlands, shares his journey from working in higher education to launching an independent think tank in 2020. Despite starting the organisation during the uncertainty of the pandemic, Chris has built a platform focused on improving housing,…

Dan Boardman-Weston, the Chief Executive of BRI Wealth Management plc, shares his journey from an unexpected start in wealth management to leading a thriving financial planning firm in the West Midlands. After gaining experience at his father’s firm, he pursued an MBA before returning to…

Mel Hall, an area fundraiser for Acorns Children’s Hospice, shares her inspiring journey with the organisation, which provides vital support to life-limited children and their families across the West Midlands. She highlights the hospice’s uplifting environment, focused on making memories and celebrating life. Reflecting on…

Samantha Cerrone, the founder of Cerrone Estates, shares her inspiring journey of launching a self-employed estate agency during the pandemic in 2020. With 15 years of industry experience, she took the leap into entrepreneurship after years of running businesses for others. Emphasising the importance of…

Emma Cromarty, founder of EC Human Resources Ltd, shares her journey of running a successful HR business for the last 12 years. Rooted in the Black Country, she takes pride in the region’s hardworking culture and rich heritage. Originally seeking a better work-life balance, she…

Tim Dunkley, Brew 61 – From farming to brewing! Discover the secrets behind Brew 61’s success In this episode we dive into the inspiring journey of Tim Dunkley from Brew 61, an award-winning micro-brewery based in Bromsgrove. From farming to brewing, discover how passion and…

Andy Toms, founder of TLM Laser, reflects on the company’s impressive evolution since its inception in 2005. Originally a service-led business specialising in marking lasers, TLM has transformed into a product-driven enterprise offering laser welding, plastic welding, and laser cleaning solutions. Andy attributes their success…

Irfan, James, and Manish, founders of Margenii, share their inspiring journey in building a SaaS company transforming the logistics industry with AI. Drawing from deep expertise in consulting and technology, the trio has tackled long-standing challenges in logistics, creating innovative solutions often overlooked by established…

Rainer Derry shares her inspiring journey from a career in commercial finance to joining Walsh Funerals and Memorials, a family-run business in the Black Country. She highlights the business’s multifaceted operations, including bespoke funerals, retail memorials, and wholesale services. Central to their mission is a…

  Dan Kinsella is the Managing Director of Weather It, a UK-based company specialising in high-quality garden and landscaping products. Having consistently achieved a 50% increase in revenue each year since its inception four years ago, Weather It continues to stand out in a competitive…

Stuart Hobbs, the driving force behind Rothley, shares his transformative five-year journey with the historic 200-year-old metal manufacturing company. Facing global competition in 2018, Stuart introduced a cultural revolution, empowering employees with ownership and engagement, which fuelled a remarkable 350% turnover growth. Listen as Stuart…

Tom Cash, the co-founder of Foxmere, shares the story of his company’s impressive rise from humble beginnings to becoming a global player in the automation parts industry. Starting the business with his partner James in a bedroom, they grew it into a thriving enterprise with…

Tom Williams shares the remarkable evolution of Coinadrink, a family business rooted in the Black Country since 1962. Under his leadership, the company has transformed from £4.5 million to nearly £8 million turnover in just two and a half years, shifting its focus from hot…

Claire Downes shares the fascinating journey of her diverse career in the creative arts sector. From launching her first business at the age of 19, to making her mark in the film and television industry through casting and coaching young talents, and even penning an…

  Tim Andrews is the Chairman of Hollywood Monster, a signage business he set up with his father from their loft in Hollywood, Birmingham, back in 1991. Specialising in serving clients within the retail, property and events sectors, Hollywood Monster now boasts a team of…

Rich Elwell is the Co-founder and Creative Partner of One Black Bear, a creative advertising agency that produce advertising of all formats including, radio, digital, print, web, social and TV, for clients of all sizes and across all sectors. Having set the business up with…

Gurdip Singh is the CEO of Kallik, an innovative labelling and artwork software company that work with highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, and consumer goods to ensure the right information is on their product labels. Kallik partner with some of the…

Chris Carter, the Co-founder and Managing Director of Void Applications, is Black Country born and raised and explains why he believes the region is a great place to start a business. Listen as Chris shares his exciting twelve-year business journey, beginning as a gaming start-up…

Jack Durkin is the co-founder of The Avenue Estate Agents who specialise in selling premium homes across the UK. The business operates by offering other estate agents the option of working self-employed under their brokerage model. Jack talks about how the business plans to grow…

Karl Baxter is the Managing Director of Stunn Ltd., a business that designs and develops bespoke business software, mobile applications, and websites for small, medium, and large organisations, or in Karl’s words, solves problems digitally! Karl talks about the exciting times that lay ahead over…

  Son of the founder of The Big Pet Store, Darren Burke has been part of the Black Country ‘Pet Parent’ community since 1991. Today, in his role as Director, Darren explains how a shift in mindset and behaviour along with the introduction of business…

Phil Hayes is the CEO of TicketSellers and Eventree, a business that not only helps people sell tickets for their event but also provides an event management platform, something quite unique within the industry.  Phill talks about the challenging times of the Covid pandemic and…

Nicola Price, Licensed Accountant and owner of Six Wands Accountants & Book Keepers, talks about the effect of being in charge of her own destiny for the first time in her life and discusses the challenges she’s faced as her business has grown, including recruiting…

Have the best people, delivering the best projects and listen to your clients. These are the key messages from Daniel Williams, Director of Rubix MEP. Today, Daniel talks about how a mix of skill and attitude has helped shape the culture of the business and…

Richard Bridge is the founder of Top Banana, an engagement and communications business that specialises in helping organisations connect effectively with their employees and consumers across the world, by creating engaging experiences through live events and film, ultimately driving positive impacts on sales and company…

Simone Smith is the founder and director of Curious Pencil, a corporate greeting card company who work with businesses to improve their customer experience. Simone shares her aspiration for the business to be no.1 for corporate greeting cards in the next five years. Her advice…

Lucy Cashmore, MD and owner of Daniel-Scott Recruitment Ltd. shares her experience of working in the recruitment industry, from ‘falling into it’ as a junior receptionist at the start of her career through to taking the plunge to set up her own business in 2020.…

Robert Franks is the Managing Director at WM5G, who are on a mission to make sure that everyone in the region has access to fast, reliable, and affordable mobile and broadband connectivity. Robert explains how over the next five years they have three key areas…

Adrian Maxwell is the MD of family business Fracino, the only cappuccino and espresso manufacturer in the UK. Adrian talks about how by manufacturing 80% of components in-house gives them versatility and speed and sets them apart from the competition and he shares exciting new…

Hannah Law from Stuart Law Transport Ltd discusses how her business focuses on personal service to differentiate from her competition whilst navigating the challenges of the numerous changes in legislation.  The business has expanded since 1991 to cover a wide range of logistics requirements. Her…

Scott Mumford, CEO of Go Global Comms discusses the massive opportunity in the market of satellite communications, expecting a 50x growth in the next decade. He talks about the importance of being able to articulate the value of your proposition to your audience so that…

Last week, we took a break from the office to connect with our clients and film some new client testimonial videos. Capturing their experiences in their own words is a top priority for us. Here’s why… Building Trust and Credibility Customer testimonials are an essential…

Tammy Takkar, founder of Active Clinics talks about her natural bio-hacking solutions such as Cryotherapy and Hyperbaric chambers, which help her clients naturally reduce inflammation and other health challenges. She talks about her constant quest for new knowledge, both in terms of business learning and…

We strongly believe in the power of open communication. Being able to openly discuss and ask questions without fear of judgment has had a significant positive impact on our team, especially during challenging times. Open communication is a core value in our culture, and we…

Richard Baylie discusses how his company’s product, an additive which is added to vehicles at service rather than at refuelling, helps businesses reduce their fuel costs, reduce maintenance costs and lower carbon emissions. He discusses the difficulties in educating the marketplace about a new product…

Since becoming a member of the ActionCOACH Black Country team last year, I have dedicated my time to fully immersing myself in the world of business coaching. This journey has involved delving into various principles, formulas, and systems, as well as experiencing significant shifts in…

  Chris Thompson discusses “You Smart Thing”, the world’s leading travel demand management platform, helping its clients to create personalised low carbon travel plans to enable their users to access the venue.  Their accompanying travel demand forecast allows the venue to facilitate the travel plans…