Navigating Change: Chris Burn from CSRB on Careers, Comedy, and Compliance

Navigating Change: Chris Burn from CSRB on Careers, Comedy, and Compliance

Chris Burn on Building CSRB: From Retail and Sales to GDPR, Privacy, and Comedy Writing Chris Burn discusses his career path from early jobs and retail management at Tesco and WHSmith while studying marketing at UWE Bristol, to a sports marketing research placement, phone sales, and an 18-month market research role for MGM in Las Vegas. He later spent 10–13 years in field sales, worked at Wybone (street and park bins), and then Bristol Storage Equipment, where archiving and retention needs influenced his later work. While caring for his father from 2012, he learned about depression and addiction; his father died by suicide in 2017, prompting Chris to register and later launch CSRB. CSRB began as document shredding/storage reselling before pivoting into GDPR and data privacy consulting, supported by training and certifications. He emphasizes mentoring, outsourcing, and networking, shares involvement in comedy writing/character profiling for shows like “Brassic” and “Derry Girls,” and offers practical GDPR tips on onboarding, privacy notices, ICO registration, contracts, and data mapping. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 01:05 First Jobs in Retail 02:08 WHSmith Management Lessons 04:23 Sports Marketing Sandwich Year 05:40 Call Centre Sales After Uni 06:27 MGM Vegas Market Research 09:09 Back to UK Field Sales 10:54 Storage and Archiving Insights 12:04 Caring for Dad and Turning Point 13:44 Founding CSRB 14:50 Early Struggles and Getting Support 20:10 Pivot to GDPR Expertise 21:22 Building a Support Team 24:32 Time Value and Delegation Mindset 28:42 Comedy Origins and Influences 31:45 Grimy Comedy Clubs 32:36 Variety Show Legends 34:19 First Standup Gig 35:51 Nish Kumar Encounter 36:41 Comedy Fear Factor 38:37 Writing Over Performing 41:53 TV Character Writing 44:37 GDPR Tips For SMEs 54:03 Data Mapping And Rights 57:54 Advice And Resources 01:01:42 Humor In Business 01:04:04 Contact And Wrap Up EPISODE LINKS Website: https://www.csrb.co.uk/ [https://www.csrb.co.uk/] Chris ‘s  LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisburncsrb [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisburncsrb] CSRB LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisburncsrb [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisburncsrb] ActionCOACH Bolton: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] ActionCOACH Bolton Events: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592 [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592] Paul’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/]

Discover the Art of Storytelling through Jewellery with Helen Dimmick

Helen Dimmick on Building Ainsworth Jewellers into a Destination Store Through Expertise, Community and Charity Helen Dimmick, a jewellery specialist, gemologist, diamond grader and jewellery historian, shares her career path from volunteering and an office junior role at Phillips Auctioneers (now Bonhams) through Bentley & Skinner and Tiffany & Co. to owning four stores via a management buyout, then consulting and becoming interim CEO at the Company of Master Jewellers. During COVID she and her husband Phil Ainsworth partnered to grow Ainsworth Jewellers in Blackburn, a 156-year-old fifth-generation family business, and have more than quadrupled turnover by rebranding around family values, creating a welcoming in-store experience (museum, De Beers education exhibition, champagne bar), investing in staff qualifications, networking, events and outreach. They launched “Wendy’s Legacy” to repurpose jewellery and donate to hospice, plan a first-floor workshop hub with apprenticeships, and aim to reduce reliance on them by building the brand as a trusted legacy. 00:00 Meet Helen Dimick 00:49 Jewellery Career Origins 01:37 Auction House Apprenticeship 02:37 From Bond Street to Tiffany 03:14 Back North and First Business 03:55 What Gemologists Do 05:14 Trust and Expertise in Retail 05:58 Selling Up and Consulting Years 07:16 Covid Pivot and Charity Values 08:27 Ainsworth Jewelers Legacy 09:07 Taking Over the Family Firm 11:11 Quadrupling Turnover Strategy 11:51 Destination Store Experience 14:13 Networking and Community Support 15:47 Becoming a Destination Brand 16:02 Marketing and Events 16:27 Jewellery Stories and Meaning 17:04 Repurposing Old Gold 17:50 Industry Careers and Apprenticeships 19:28 Ten Lessons for Success 22:42 Advice for New Founders 23:40 Growth Plans and Outreach 24:53 Building a Legacy Workshop 26:42 Owner Wellbeing and Balance 28:44 Working with Phil 31:01 Learning and Recommendations 32:26 Where to Find Ainsworth LINKS Ainsworths Jewellers Website: https://ainsworthjewellers.com/ [https://ainsworthjewellers.com/] Inspired Couture Website: https://inspiredcouture.co.uk/ [https://inspiredcouture.co.uk/] Helen’s website: https://helendimmick.com/ [https://helendimmick.com/] Helen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dimmick-3429b45/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dimmick-3429b45/] Ainsworths LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ainsworth-jewellers/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ainsworth-jewellers/]   ActionCOACH Bolton: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] ActionCOACH Bolton Events: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592 [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592] Paul’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/]

From Shelf Stacker to Business Owner: Dave Faulkner Cross of PW Direct

Dave Faulkner Cross on Building PW Direct: From Stock Control to Online Signage and Real-World Growth. Dave Faulkner Cross shares his career journey from struggling with exams but thriving in practical YTS training at Iceland, progressing to management roles at Tesco before redundancy funded nearly a year backpacking in Australia. Back in the UK he worked across supermarkets, then joined his uncle’s packaging business, shifting from sales into office and operations management, improving payment terms, before leaving after a buyout changed the company culture. At 24 (2002) he launched his own packaging business, later rebranding to PW Direct and acquiring a sign business 12 years ago; today signage is ~90% of revenue, driven largely by eBay/Amazon with fast turnaround as a key USP. He discusses risks of platform dependence, moving to a main-road shopfront, winning local awards, using networking and LinkedIn to build “people buy from people” trust, redeveloping the website, and supporting apprenticeships, plus advice on backing yourself, fixing mistakes quickly, and staying calm with customers. 00:00 Welcome and Format 00:32 School Struggles 01:09 YTS at Iceland 03:07 Tesco Management Leap 05:30 Redundancy and Australia 07:07 Back Home Supermarkets 07:40 Uncle Packaging Role 10:12 Buyout and Breaking Away 12:15 Starting PW Direct 13:04 Signs Business Pivot 16:35 COVID Boom and Shift 18:37 Marketplace Dependence 21:07 Awards and Networking 22:37 Networking Nerves 24:14 Simple Networking Tips 24:53 Goals And Follow Ups 27:56 Beyond Marketplaces 29:59 People Buy People 33:35 Apprenticeships Impact 37:33 Future Growth Markets 39:44 Quickfire Advice 41:41 Fixing Mistakes Fast 45:44 Partner And Contact LINKS Website: https://pwdirect.co.uk/ [https://pwdirect.co.uk/] Dave’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-faulkner-cross-2199b53a5/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-faulkner-cross-2199b53a5/] Company LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pwdirect-signs-designs/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pwdirect-signs-designs/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pwdirectbacup/ [https://www.instagram.com/pwdirectbacup/]   ActionCOACH Bolton: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] ActionCOACH Bolton Events: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592 [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592] Paul’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/]

Legacy and Innovation: The Story of Krishan Mistry and AVM Solutions

Krishan Mistry on Building AVM Solutions: From Retail AV to Scalable Workspace Tech and Software Krishan Mistry discusses his entrepreneurial background rooted in his immigrant family’s businesses in Bolton, studying engineering/software at university, DJing and producing 35–40 published tracks for adverts, then returning home to work in the family nightclub/function venue before starting AVM Solutions. He began by hiring DJ/AV equipment and grew through a long relationship with Quiz Clothing, evolving from design consultancy into project management and turnkey delivery. From 2007–2012 he learned by doing, then formalized services, hired apprentices, and built a customer-problem-solving culture. Retail work expanded to Disney UK stores, and a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses accelerator in 2016 drove process documentation and scaling, alongside a major NEC Birmingham LED project and mentoring from David Edwards. AVM now provides workspace AV technology, has ~30 staff across the UK and India, built a software division, a custom ERP (“Hive”), integrates data and AI, and markets an IoT platform (digispace.app) to reduce building energy use. Key advice: avoid distractions, focus on customers, read more, work on the business, and stay purpose-driven; Krish also shares views on values, self-awareness, and spirituality. 00:00 Welcome and Podcast Purpose 00:49 Family Roots and Entrepreneurship 03:25 School Tech and DJ Beginnings 05:27 Music Production vs Coming Home 06:05 Family Club and Selling Up 07:42 Starting AVM Hire Hustle 08:39 Quiz Clothing Breakthrough 10:39 From One Man Band to Team 12:07 Problem Solving Business Mindset 14:37 Hiring People and Leadership Lessons 19:07 Retail Growth Disney and Beyond 21:21 Goldman Sachs Scaling Shift 22:45 Process Documentation and Systems 24:44 Big Projects Mentors and NEC 26:49 Winning the Turning Deal 27:27 Narrowing to Workspace AV 29:10 Tech as the Enabler 30:44 Podcast Purpose and Value 32:27 Vision Partners Over Profit 33:07 Core Values and Culture 36:35 Traction and Operating Systems 37:47 Building a Global Team 39:37 Breaking the Next Ceiling 41:10 Software AI and Data Strategy 45:28 Digispace and Carbon Savings 47:15 Advice Staying Focused 52:06 Purpose Spirituality and Self Awareness 57:16 Where to Find AVM LINKS Website: https://www.avmsolutionsuk.com/ [https://www.avmsolutionsuk.com/] Krish’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishanmistry/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishanmistry/] Company LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avmsolutions/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/avmsolutions/]   ActionCOACH Bolton: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] ActionCOACH Bolton Events: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592 [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592] Paul’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/]

Building a Great Mortgage Business: Rachel Gill's Story

Rachel Gill shares her career journey from early part-time work to financial services at Newcastle Building Society, studying marketing, training as a mortgage adviser, and working in estate agents, The Woolwich, and broker firms before launching her own brokerage (Aspect Mortgages) 22 years ago after completing a business plan course. She describes the challenges of being solo for three years, hiring her first employee without management experience, and later bringing her husband Richard into the business. Gill recounts surviving major disruptions including the 2008 downturn, COVID-19 (using furlough), and the Liz Truss period, noting improved preparedness and planning over time; the firm now has eight staff. Aspect Mortgages focuses on mortgages and protection with service-led KPIs (callback/response times, CRM tracking) and strong Google reviews, and Gill specializes in equity release/lifetime mortgages, which she aims to grow for an aging client base while beginning to consider long-term exit planning. LINKS Website: https://aspectmortgages.co.uk/ [https://aspectmortgages.co.uk/] Rachel’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-gill-59113315/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-gill-59113315/] Company LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspect-mortgages/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspect-mortgages/]   ActionCOACH Bolton: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] ActionCOACH Bolton Events: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592 [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592] Paul’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/] 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:29 Early Jobs and Uni 01:38 Mortgage Broker Path 03:08 Entrepreneur Spark at 16 03:53 Business Plan Breakthrough 06:38 Launching Aspect Mortgages 08:34 Solo Founder Years 09:45 First Hire Lessons 12:07 Leadership Skills Matter 16:23 2008 Crash Survival 19:28 COVID and Market Shifts 23:27 Service First Culture 26:13 Equity Release Explained 30:30 Client Niches and Insurance 33:46 Future Plans and Exit 38:03 Challenges and Resilience 40:59 Quick Fire Advice 44:59 Where to Find Aspect 46:03 Closing Thanks