ClusterCast

Lights, Camera, Promotion with Jack Hales from The Pod Collective

In this mildly celebratory episode of The ClusterCast (mainly because we somehow stumbled past 10,000 YouTube subscribers… excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor), I sat down with Jack Hales from The Pod Collective - one half of the brilliant duo behind The PodBox OX podcast studio at The Cluster. We chat about how Jack and Hugo started The Pod Collective, what it’s actually like building an independent business, dealing with knock-backs without launching yourself into the sea, and why getting moving and consistency matter more than knowing it all (p.s. none of us do!) We also discuss podcasting, why businesses need to stop hiding behind online ads, leaflets and websites, and Jack once again unsuccessfully attempts to convince me to attend a salsa class. And genuinely… if you’re a small business and you’re not podcasting yet, why not? People don’t want more adverts shoved into their eyeballs, they want stories, personalities, honesty and connection. Podcasting gives people a chance to actually discover you, trust you and feel part of the journey. So book The PodBox OX today, record your podcast, stop overthinking it and reach your audience. That's you told! Subscribe to @TheClusterOx on YouTube for more relaxed chats with brilliant Oxfordshire indie businesses. And if you’re feeling generous, a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen) really helps other lovely humans find the show. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster, a co-working and event space in Oxford. Find out more at clusteroxford.co.uk. Recorded and produced by The Pod Collective, the team behind The PodBox OX podcast studio at The Cluster. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster Co-Working and Event Space in Oxford. Visit clusteroxford.co.uk to learn more. Subscribe on YouTube and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the podcast. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ink Outside the Box with Lorraine Berkshire-Roe, Illustrator & Artist

If you’ve been following @TheClusterOx on Instagram, you might think Lorraine and I are doing a solid Scott and Charlene impression - we do spend a slightly alarming amount of time together. (No wedding planned. Calm down.) But in all seriousness, Lorraine Berkshire-Roe is one of those rare people you meet in business, someone with a completely different skillset, a similarly chaotic brain (with just a touch more order than mine), and a genuine passion for what she creates. And what she creates is pretty special. Lorraine is an outrageously talented illustrator who has quite literally penned the history of The Cluster, turning ideas, stories and moments into something visual, memorable and genuinely beautiful. My artistic peak was a questionable stick man - Lorraine, on the other hand, makes a living from what’s in her head. People aren’t just buying a service, they’re buying a piece of her creative brain, her perspective, and her ability to bring something to life in a way words often can’t. In this episode, we talk about her journey - from college to hop picking to teaching, to illustrating part-time, and eventually making the leap into doing it full-time. It’s a slightly different kind of business to many we’ve featured - built not around a model or system, but around talent, craft, and trusting your own creative instincts. And as they say, a picture tells a thousand words, so do yourself a favour and check out her work at www.lorraineberkshire-roe.co.uk [www.lorraineberkshire-roe.co.uk]. Just a small warning: you will be impressed. Subscribe to @TheClusterOx on YouTube for more relaxed chats with brilliant Oxfordshire indie businesses. And if you’re feeling generous, a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen) really helps other lovely humans find the show. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster, a co-working and event space in Oxford. Find out more at clusteroxford.co.uk. Recorded and produced by The Pod Collective, the team behind the PodBox OX podcast studio at The Cluster. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster Co-Working and Event Space in Oxford. Visit clusteroxford.co.uk to learn more. Subscribe on YouTube and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the podcast. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Keep Calm & Curry On with Roshni Ray from Tikka and Tadka

If you ever needed proof that resilience, great food, and a bit of spice can get you through anything… this is it. In this episode of The ClusterCast, I sit down with Roshni Ray, co-founder of Tikka and Tadka, a catering company serving up seriously authentic Indian cuisine across Oxfordshire. Now, most people launching a food business just as the world shuts down might… panic, cry, or eat all their own stock. Roshni and her husband? Absolutely not. They pivoted and started delivering homemade curry boxes, giving people something genuinely joyful to look forward to during Lockdown (and frankly saving us all from another sad beige microwave dinner). We talk about how the business began, Roshni’s fascinating career journey, and how her family heritage, and her mum’s cooking, runs through everything she does. And yes, I can personally confirm: I was on the receiving end of a care package and it was delicious. We also get into why spices aren’t just ingredients, they’re a way of life, plus some brilliant advice for anyone starting out. My favourite? “Start smaller than you think you can… and consistency is key.” Simple. Annoyingly wise. Very effective. Also, Roshni fully validates the way I speak to Google like it’s my unpaid personal assistant, which frankly is the kind of support I need in my life. Subscribe to @TheClusterOx on YouTube for more relaxed chats with brilliant Oxfordshire indie businesses. And if you’re feeling generous, a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen) really helps other lovely humans find the show. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster, a co-working and event space in Oxford. Find out more at clusteroxford.co.uk. Recorded and produced by The Pod Collective, the team behind the PodBox OX podcast studio at The Cluster This episode is brought to you by The Cluster Co-Working and Event Space in Oxford. Visit clusteroxford.co.uk to learn more. Subscribe on YouTube and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the podcast. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

From Startup to Scale Up with Ellie Ruddock from Scale Up Development

On this episode of The ClusterCast, I’m joined by Ellie Ruddock, who looked at her already overflowing CV and thought, "music therapist, musician, lecturer, mentor, mother, wife... maybe there's room for one more" so she's added small business owner to the mix. Ellie has created and runs Scale Up Development, delivering training and coaching for professionals in healthcare and education. Join us as we talk about the highs, the lows and everything in between of starting a business and why just starting, finding support from peers and learning from people who’ve been there, done that and walked away with the scars of success and failure (because yes, they all teach us lessons) is the real way to survive and thrive. We also uncover Ellie’s slightly wilder side: disappearing off into the great outdoors to reset, recharge, and remember she’s a human being. Plus, we chat about vision boards, dream boards, manifesting… call it what you like. At the very least, it’s a way of turning vague hopes into something you can actually point at. Think wholesome graffiti… but for your future self. And because I’m a great friend (and she told me to remind you), I should mention Ellie has extended the special offer on Scale Up’s 'Service Audit Course' until the beginning of May. So if you’ve been circling it… consider this your sign. Subscribe to @TheClusterOx on YouTube for more relaxed chats with brilliant Oxfordshire indie businesses. And if you’re feeling generous, a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen) really helps other lovely humans find the show. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster, a co-working and event space in Oxford. Find out more at clusteroxford.co.uk. Recorded and produced by The Pod Collective, the team behind the PodBox OX podcast studio at The Cluster. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster Co-Working and Event Space in Oxford. Visit clusteroxford.co.uk to learn more. Subscribe on YouTube and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the podcast. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Beans, Business & Three-Wheeled Dreams with Shaek Zaman from The Meet Point Coffee

I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Shaek Zaman from The Meet Point Coffee in this episode of The ClusterCast. We’re usually like two ships in the night (he runs a café so is always up early and I hate mornings) also we are rarely both sitting still long enough to have a proper chat, so this one was well overdue… and, thankfully, well caffeinated! I first met Shaek when The Cluster was barely The Cluster. We had no name, scaffolding everywhere, and what felt like a metric tonne of paint waiting to go up on the walls. Where others saw an old gatehouse that had very much seen better days, Shaek saw my slightly wild dream of a café that would become legendary amongst the local community. And here we are, 15 months later and it’s officially the top-rated café in North Oxford on Google and we are so chuffed to have The Meet Point Coffee fuelling our Clustomers here at The Cluster. Shaek and his brilliant team built their first proper branch of The Meet Point Coffee here at The Cluster from scratch. In this episode, we dig a bit deeper into how they made it happen, what drives him (apart from coffee), and why his natural chai and Bengali street food should probably come with a warning label: highly addictive. I’ve also had the joy of getting to know Shaek’s family and I proudly appointed myself Chief Taster of his mum’s Bengali street food recipes (a role I take extremely seriously, purely in the interests of quality control, obviously). Shaek has seen The Cluster grow. He’s seen my highs and lows, endured my optimistic visionary phases and my slightly grumpy “why is nothing simple?” moments and he’s still here. It’s a cracking conversation about belief, graft, community, family, and what happens when two slightly stubborn dreamers decide to back themselves and their brands. Have a listen, oh and do yourself a favour, come and see what happens when ridiculously good coffee and scarily delicious food meets a genuinely brilliant co-working space. Start your morning at The Meet Point Coffee, book your desk at The Cluster and let the caffeine, community and creative buzz do their thing. Subscribe to @TheClusterOx on YouTube for more relaxed chats with brilliant Oxfordshire indie businesses. And if you’re feeling generous, a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen) really helps other lovely humans find the show. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster, a co-working and event space in Oxford. Find out more at clusteroxford.co.uk. Recorded and produced by The Pod Collective, the team behind the PodBox OX podcast studio at The Cluster. This episode is brought to you by The Cluster Co-Working and Event Space in Oxford. Visit clusteroxford.co.uk to learn more. Subscribe on YouTube and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the podcast. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.