Episode 71 - Phil Evans: Financial Wisdom, Mentorship, and Preparing for Life’s Unknowns

Episode 71 - Phil Evans: Financial Wisdom, Mentorship, and Preparing for Life’s Unknowns

In this episode of What’s Your Stori?, host James speaks with Phil Evans, a long-time business owner who works in financial services and describes his week as primarily “problem solving.” Phil shares how he wanted to be a carpenter but entered finance in his early twenties and has spent 41 years learning and helping others. They discuss how business owners often leave employment perks like pensions, death-in-service, and sickness benefits behind, yet underestimate personal risk, and Phil stresses planning for living too long, dying too soon, or becoming disabled. Phil and James explore money mindset, the importance of mentors, paying yourself first, tracking spending, surrounding yourself with the right people, building loyal friendships, delegating to a strong team, and using listening and humour in communication, including stories from comedy and a magician’s “breaking of the wand” funeral ritual.

Episode 70 - From Garage to Global: Lucy Clark's OatSoak Success Story

Meet Lucy Clark, co-founder of OatSoak, a 100% natural bath additive and skincare brand created for people with eczema, psoriasis, and sensitive skin. Lucy explains how the business began during lockdown after her nephew suffered severe eczema and store-bought products irritated his skin, prompting her and her sister Katie to focus on colloidal oatmeal without added preservatives. Starting with a borrowed blender and early sales on Amazon, they validated demand, then won £3,000 at a local Young Dragons-style competition run through CYCA, which funded machinery, mentorship, and their first unit.Lucy shares the realities of reinvesting, scaling into larger premises, and recently expanding to the US via a Natural Grocers pitch in Dallas, leading to distribution and a launch in 176 stores, including FDA approval and added compliance.

Episode 69 - Queen of Steel: Alex Shufflebottom's Story

In this episode of What’s Your Stori?, James speaks with Alex Shufflebottom, a long-time owner of the South West Wales steel building firm 'Shufflebottom Ltd'. They talk about growing a family business which started nearly 50 years ago from selling wrought iron gates into a market-leading steel fabrication company. Alex recounts the company’s moves to Cross Hands, her father’s death in 1993, her progression through roles after university, and a 2008 management buyout with her brother and general manager Alec just before the recession. She discusses major challenges including cashflow pressures and a site fatality, alongside highs such as winning major awards and delivering prominent projects like the new Pentre Awel leisure centre in Llanelli. Alex explains how they built culture by looking after staff and tackling health topics, why she sold the business two years ago, and her next chapter in mentoring, investing, and supporting manufacturing in Wales.

Episode 68 - From the Rugby Field to the West End Stage: The Journey of Samuel Wyn-Morris

In this episode of What’s Your Stori?, James sits down with actor and musical theatre performer Samuel Wyn Morris, a fellow local from their hometown, Llanelli, where they went to school and played rugby together. Sam shares what life is like working in the West End and on tour, describing the discipline of eight shows a week and treating performance like elite sport. He retraces his late start in singing at school, training at the Guildford School of Acting, and the setbacks that followed—including stage fright, unemployment, and taking “normal jobs” before regaining confidence. Sam details the competitive casting process for Les Misérables, his breakthrough roles (including covering key parts), the impact of COVID shutdowns, and his path to playing the Phantom on the international tour, while reflecting on hometown pride, giving back, mistakes onstage, and advice to “emulate, don’t replicate.”

Episode 67 - From Vet to Visionary: John Burns' Journey in Pet Nutrition

This week, James interviews John Burns, founder of Burns Pet Nutrition and John Burns Foundation. John shares his background; born in Belfast in 1948, raised in west Scotland, trained as a vet in Glasgow, and moved to Whitland, Wales, where his interest in small-animal chronic illness led him to acupuncture and macrobiotics, shaping his nutrition-first philosophy. He challenges grain-free and raw-feeding trends, arguing whole grains are digestible and beneficial for pets. John recounts starting the business in the late 1980s by recommending home-cooked brown rice, vegetables, and meat, then finding a local manufacturer, selling directly to West Wales vets and pet shops, scaling to around 200,000 customers and 100+ staff, and exporting notably to Ireland. He explains selling after stress from Brexit, COVID, rising costs, and intensified competition, and describes his current focus on the John Burns Foundation, including the Reading with Dogs scheme in 70–80 schools and running the John Burns Centre while seeking volunteers and funding.Listen in for an inspiring story from the founder of the well known pet food brand