It's Cheaper to Fly to Spain Than Drive to the Midlands
A 3-day trip to Spain cost me the same as driving up to the Midlands. In this solo episode I break down the rising cost of UK travel, the proposed 5% tourist tax in Cornwall, and why I'm taking the Real Startup Stories podcast on the road. In this episode we cover: • Why a cheap flight to Palma and Magaluf worked out the same price as a 3-day trip to the Midlands, and what that says about UK holiday costs • Sleeping in the back of a car in the Cotswolds as a budget UK adventure • The proposed 5% tourist tax on accommodation in Cornwall and what it could mean for a seasonal holiday destination • The 2.5 to 3 hour queue to get into the Clarkson's Farm shop, and the pull a TV show can have on a small rural business • Life as a family of seven, running businesses, and going from 10 to 20 chickens • Why networking matters for entrepreneurs, and what happens when you put yourself in a room of 100 founders • Taking the podcast on the road to interview founders around the UK and the world • Looking for a video editor for a new podcast intro, and sponsors to help take the show further If you enjoy honest conversations with people building something real, make sure to subscribe and follow along.
9 Oct 2026
A Mental Health Patient Nearly Attacked Him With a Knife Mid-Bake
An occupational therapist reveals what really happens working in secure mental health wards - including the moment a psychotic patient hurled a burning oven tray at him and grabbed a knife. In this episode we cover: • What occupational therapy (OT) actually is, and how it differs from physiotherapy or talking therapy • Why mental health remains a female-dominated profession, and what that means for male patients • Working inside a prison mental health unit, and the ethics of treating offenders • The real story of a baking session that turned into an oven-tray attack and a knife stand-off with a patient • Why women's mental health services were the most emotionally taxing environment he's worked in • How alcohol became a coping mechanism for undiagnosed anxiety, and how fitness replaced it • Advice for anyone struggling with their mental health, and why the "boring basics" matter most • His personal journey from DJing and care work to a master's degree in occupational therapy at 28 If you enjoy honest conversations with people building something real, make sure to subscribe and follow along. 00:00 Welcome to Real Startup Stories 00:30 What Is an Occupational Therapist? 02:14 Why Are There So Few Male Occupational Therapists? 04:45 How Myles Got Into Healthcare 05:03 The Minimoto Accident That Changed His Career 06:53 From Sport Science to Occupational Therapy 07:53 Why Sport Therapy Wasn't the Right Career 08:42 From DJing to Mental Health 10:39 Going Back to University at 28 11:14 Becoming an Occupational Therapist During COVID 11:36 Has Social Media Changed Mental Health? 12:40 What It's Like Working in a Prison 15:14 Why Myles Chose Mental Health 17:10 Why Do People Neglect Their Mental Health? 18:40 How Mental Health Problems Can Snowball 19:04 What Can You Do to Improve Your Mental Health? 21:19 If Your Life Was a Book, What Chapter Are You On? 22:45 How Important Is It to Make Mistakes? 24:32 The Importance of Having People Around You 26:24 What Would You Tell Your Younger Self? 28:27 Myles' Experience With Anxiety 29:25 Are We Over-Pathologising Mental Health? 31:13 How Myles Overcame Anxiety 32:26 How Fitness Helped With Anxiety 33:50 Why You Need to Push Through the Hard Things 34:12 Working Across Different Areas of Mental Health 38:22 How Dangerous Can Mental Health Work Be? 38:35 Working in Forensic Mental Health
2 Oct 2026
Nature Impacts Your Wellbeing 4x More Than Your Job or Money
A wellbeing founder explains why nature does more for your mental health than your job, home or income ever will - and how one mindfulness class rebuilt her own life after it fell apart. In this episode we cover: • How a casual day out with friends accidentally became a nonprofit wellbeing organisation (a CIC) • Why nature connection has four times more impact on wellbeing than socioeconomic status • The moment a mindfulness teacher changed her life by pointing out her inner "me, me, me" chatter • Why she deliberately keeps prices low, and the costly early mistake of undercharging • How a community fund lets local people request a fully funded space at every event • Growing from 200 to 400 attendees a year without chasing profit or scale • Why she turned her own burnout into launching an annual wellbeing festival • Simple, free ways to build "wellbeing" into a normal daily routine If you enjoy honest conversations with people building something real, make sure to subscribe and follow along. 00:00 Who Is Betty & What Is Sowena? 01:14 How Sowena Started By Accident 02:47 Why She Chose to Become a CIC 04:07 Building Sowena While Working Full-Time 06:50 The Real Reason Behind Sowena 08:05 Making Wellbeing Accessible in Cornwall 09:35 Learning Not to Undercharge 12:10 Why Wellbeing & Nature Matter 14:47 Betty’s Personal Drive to Help People 15:33 Why Sowena Is a Non-Profit 16:08 The Community Fund & Funded Spaces 17:33 How Sowena Makes Wellbeing More Accessible 19:01 What Actually Counts as Wellbeing? 20:25 Holding Space for People at Their Lowest 22:19 Creating a Safe & Non-Performative Community 23:41 You Don’t Have to “Believe” in Wellbeing 25:46 How Mindfulness Changed Betty’s Life 27:25 Can Wellbeing Actually Change Your Brain? 28:30 Simple Ways to Practise Mindfulness Every Day 30:28 What Betty Disagrees With in the Wellbeing Industry 31:18 Making Wellbeing Businesses More Accessible 32:24 What’s the End Goal for Sowena? 34:09 The Sowena Wellbeing Festival 35:36 The 2027 Two-Day Festival 36:42 What Sowena Offers Throughout the Year 38:45 What Chapter Is Betty In? 40:01 How to Find Sowena 41:08 Sowena on Social Media
Who has been a guest on Real Startup Stories
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Laura Bell
Callum Marcel
Sarah
Pete
Duncan Schwab
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