Following the opening of Sedulo&apos;s new Liverpool-based premises - dubbed by the press as "Liverpool&apos;s coolest office" - the company&apos;s Managing Partner (and Taking Care of Business host), Paul Cheetham-Karcz, sat down with one of Merseyside&apos;s favourite sons, Andy Grant, to talk about a city which is proud of doing things differently, as well as what the company&apos;s arrival means for the region.After appearing on Taking Care of Business back in Series 2 to tell his story of overcoming overwhelming odds after being injured by an IED and facing life as an amputee, only to become the world’s fastest single-leg amputee over 10km, Andy&apos;s star has continued to rise. Already an established inspirational speaker and author, Andy has gone on to become the co-host of the Leg It Podcast which recently celebrated one million downloads and a status cemented as one of Liverpool&apos;s favoured shows.In this episode, Andy and Paul chat about coping with the challenges of the last 12 months, how the Leg It Podcast came about and what the future holds for Andy and for Sedulo.And there was even time to debate the differing fortunes of the North&apos;s football clubs, Liverpool, Everton and Man Utd...

Taking Care of Business

Sedulo land in Liverpool - A chat with Merseyside's Andy Grant

What drives people to become successful and elite at what they do? Very often, it&apos;s a trauma.For Fes Batista, his trauma of experiencing racism and bullying whilst at university pushed him to nearly take his own life. But after regaining his focus and determination - largely thanks to Lady Gaga - Fes decided to board a flight to Vegas to pursue a dream of becoming a professional boxer on the world stage.Fes&apos;s unorthodox journey into boxing takes him from training in the Mayweather gym to impressing boxing legend, Roy Jones Jr, enough to join his team, as Fes chats to host Paul Cheetham-Karcz on how he uses visualisation, determination and more in the pursuit of his dreams and his &apos;why&apos;.

From bully victim to Vegas - A chat with boxer, Fes Batista

Over the last decade, there has been a cultural shift in what it means to be a high performer. What used to be determined by a person&apos;s physical prowess is now judged by their ability to maintain performance both mentally and physically across a day that encapsulates work and family life, as well as physical exercise.This transition of humans to &apos;everyday performers&apos; is the subject of this episode of Taking Care of Business, as Paul Cheetham-Karcz chats to the founders of human performance brand HMN24, Jason Rickaby and Phil Learney, about what it means to optimise your mindset 24 hours a day.As well as how to go about the task, the trio also discuss the discipline needed for healthy mindset, the changing approach to nutrition and more.

The everyday mental & physical performer - A chat with HMN24

What does it take to cope with a meteoric rise from humble beginnings to achieving worldwide fame as a musical icon?That’s the question I put to singer and former lead vocalist of M People, Heather Small, as she charts her climb from aspiring singer in West London to selling tens of millions of records across the globe with hits such as Proud, Moving On Up and Search for the Hero, and how she managed everything along the journey.As well as Heather’s career, this episode of the Taking Care of Business podcast also covers topics including managing nerves when performing, being amongst the Hacienda scene, being a strong black woman in today’s society, Heather’s role as a mental health advocate and releasing new music in the future.There’s even time for a revelation around the truth behind the M People name…

Moving on up from humble beginnings to worldwide acclaim: A chat with Heather Small

Exactly 30 years since his father’s death, James Lindemann joins us to share his story in aid to raise awareness of mental health.After losing his father to suicide at the age of 16, James struggled with his mental health and has experienced two psychotic episodes during his lifetime. Although he feels the subject matter is much more talked about than it used to be, James thinks it is still taboo for many.In this episode, James talks about how his passion for football and how his love for Manchester United became his stress reliever. Over the course of the episode, he opens up about how he now has a positive mindset, and both he and Paul talk about the mechanisms they put in place to manage their mental wellbeing both individually and within business. Fast forward to now, James is a director of a recruitment firm in the renewable energy sector and is taking part in a charity walk on the 11th of May to raise awareness as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Losing a loved one to suicide and my battle with mental health - A chat with James Lindemann

With hospitality seemingly beginning to bounce back following a year marked by disruption, this episode of Taking Care of Business looks ahead at the opportunities out there for one of the sectors hit worst by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as recognising the response of the industry’s business leaders. Paul is joined by Karina Jadhav of Manchester hospitality hotspot, Menagerie, to talk about juggling the challenges she’s had as a business owner over the past 12mths alongside her responsibilities as a first-time mum, as well as their excitement for an optimistic future amongst UK’s restaurant and bar community.

Hospitality’s homecoming & managing Menagerie as a mum: A chat with Karina Jadhav

 Recruitment is always an indication of whether the market is coming back.    In this episode, Neil Clough from Prime Recruitment and Claire Sofield from Four Recruitment share how they adapted their businesses amidst the pandemic, give us an overview of the job market and highlight what employers are looking for in a candidate 

How COVID-19 is changing the job market

The travel Industry has been one of the hardest hit by COVID-19, with little to no support from the government after the restrictions imposed. Nicola and David Palmer, founders of Perfect Getaways, share their experience of running a travel agency in these tough times, including making the decision to trade throughout COVID, managing both customer service and staff morale despite frequent changes and what 2022 looks like for UK holiday-makers.

The challenges of running a travel business during COVID-19

COVID-19 has presented business owners with challenges they&apos;ve never faced before, and that&apos;s particularly true for the events industry. This is something the Founder & CEO of Make Events, Holly Moore, knows this all too well, and in the face of the COVID crisis has worked tirelessly to pivot her business model. But the effect of this work is a roller coaster of emotions and decision-making; something which Holly discusses with Paul in this latest episode of Taking Care of Business.

The roller coaster of being a business owner during COVID

 After being brought to a standstill in the wake of COVID-19, what state is the events and hospitality industry in and what&apos;s next for them? That&apos;s the question we put to Chief Executive at Manchester Central, Shaun Hinds, as he assesses how the events industry has fared and how that compares with our European counterparts. He also discusses the transformation of Manchester Central into a Nightingale Hospital - a process that took just 16 days with the help of the Army. 

The state of the events & hospitality industry & what's next?

 Has the Government&apos;s leadership since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the UK been sufficient, or has it been lacking?   That&apos;s the topic up for discussion in the first episode of this special COVID-19 series of the Taking Care of Business podcast - as we listen to real stories from some of the industries that have been hit hardest.   Our first guest is Chief Executive of Downtown in Business and former MP, Frank McKenna. Paul and Frank analyse the Government&apos;s response to crisis to assess where they have done well as leaders, and where they haven&apos;t. 

Government leadership; the good, the bad & the ugly

 Oliver Cookson is the founder of one of the world&apos;s leading sports nutrition brands, Myprotein®, and his story celebrates the old school traditions of business.   Nowadays the value of a business seems to based upon its value upon a ‘raise&apos; - we have stopped celebrating success stories that are down to old school decision-making & building foundations. Small amounts of money, hard work, overcoming adversity and then dealing with success. Hear about Oliver&apos;s journey and why he has subsequently launched his own podcast and in the middle of writing his new book, &apos;Bootstrap Your Life&apos;. 

Bootstrap your life and the Myprotein® story - A chat with Oliver Cookson

Stu Bennett, otherwise known by his ring names of "Wade Barrett" or "Bad News Barrett", is an actor and former WWE wrestler who was a key figure in the famous wrestling organisation for 10 years. Born in Lancashire and now living in LA, Stuart has lived nearly every young child&apos;s dream of performing in the WWE, and is on the cusp of releasing his new film, &apos;I Am Vengeance: Retaliation&apos;. Paul and Stu chat about what it takes to set a seemingly unattainable goal and actually achieve it.

Setting goals and achieving them - A chat with former WWE star Stu Bennett

Taking Care of Business is an honest and raw, real life podcast (and also a book) on how to grow a successful business whilst taking care of what matters most...yourself. The podcast features some of the most successful business leaders in the UK, mixed in with some inspirational guests from the worlds of sport and media. Paul, a working-class guy, has himself started and grown a number of privately owned and publicly listed companies. The Taking Care of Business book is available to buy in Waterstones, Amazon, WHSmith and more.

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Taking Care of Business

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