Made In Essex

About Made In Essex

Join Jill Willis, co-founder at Attract & Engage, author and communications strategist, as she sits down with the county’s most successful business leaders to lift the bonnet on their journey so far. Celebrating Essex entrepreneurship, Made in Essex is a melting pot of stories, wisdom and humour with tenacious business owners providing insight into the most pressing growth challenges. Listen in on real conversations and leave with fresh perspectives and thought-provoking stories.

Publisher

Made In Essex

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Oct 2023

Latest episode

23 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Jun 2026

   Mike McLellan, KOcycle: Scaling Purpose and Profit

   Can a business grow quickly, win a King's Award and still stay true to its values? In this episode of Made in Essex, Jill Willis, co-founder of Attract & Engage, sits down with Mike McLellan, Managing Director of KOcycle, the Braintree-based circular technology business helping organisations securely extend the life of their IT assets. Mike shares how a bootstrapped startup became one of the UK's highest-rated tech B Corps, why hiring for attitude beats hiring for experience, and what it takes to scale a purpose-led business without losing sight of people, culture and impact. Hit play for an honest conversation about growth, resilience and building a business designed to do good.

2. 

   28 Jan 2026

   Wes Crawford on Legacy, Leadership and the Future of a Family Business

   What does it really take to hand a family business from one generation to the next - and make it stronger? In this episode, Co-Founder of Attract & Engage, Jill Willis sits down with Wes Crawford, Managing Director of Crawford’s Group, the Writtle-based agricultural and commercial vehicle business founded by his father back in the 1980s. Wes shares the realities of succession planning, a major health scare that changed everything, and how he’s building a business designed to outlast him - with his wife and sons now part of the journey. Expect honest reflections on leadership, resilience and legacy. Hit play and join the conversation.

3. 

   11 Dec 2025

   Cloud, Culture and Comebacks: Jeff Dewing’s £70M Journey

   Jill Willis meets Jeff Dewing, CEO of Cloud - the Colchester-based FM disruptor that grew from a garden shed to a £70m turnover business. A story of bold mindset shifts, bouncing back from rock bottom, and building a culture-first company by doing the opposite.

Who has been a guest on Made In Essex

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Martin Series
• Joe Denham
• Sam Malins

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

41

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Made In Essex

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.