Lancashire Business Stories

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

The Absolute Journey: Business Insights with Chris Hodgen

The Absolute Journey: Business Insights with Chris Hodgen Chris recounts founding Absolute in Bolton after working in marketing at Reuters in London, launching on 5 October 1999 with interactive CD-ROM “business cards” before the internet and using a European license to win major clients (e.g., Fujifilm, Honda, Mattel, and 2.3 million “PokeRoms”). He describes early portfolio-driven growth, work in schools and universities, and a partnership ending around 2001. He explains a later diversion into a publishing/“Entertainment” venture (For Dummies digital license, a failed Nick Faldo golf product that led to losses, and a “pass your driving test” product), then refocusing after the 2008 crash to rebuild the agency and win larger work (e.g., Amir Khan, AA Driving School, Man City campaigns, Redrow rebrand). He outlines splitting the business into Absolute Agency (brand/campaign) and Absolute Nexer (bespoke web development) under Absolute Group, discusses culture, hybrid working, recruiting/process challenges, AI opportunities (including AI-only ads and Tefal imagery), and advice to pursue passion, get external support and use frameworks like Traction and Radical Candor. 00:00 Podcast Introduction 00:36 Chris Origin Story 01:04 CD-ROM Business Idea 02:41 Launching Absolute 1999 03:52 Motorsport Sponsorship Work 05:39 Naming Absolute 07:51 First Clients Portfolio 10:22 Partner Split Early Years 11:29 Early Growth Numbers 12:48 CD-ROM Boom Clients 14:02 Diversifying Mistake 15:05 Faldo Deal Goes Wrong 19:32 Golf Networking Stories 21:15 Reinventing After 2008 25:52 Splitting Into Two Brands 27:39 Ideal Client Fit 29:06 Redrow Rebrand Case Study 31:06 Premium Brand Breakthrough 31:45 Culture Values And Trust 32:50 No Yes Agency Mindset 34:00 Tendering Versus Creativity 34:47 Hybrid Work And Collaboration 37:20 Community Buzz In Studio 39:59 Five Year Plan Focus 41:06 AI Opportunities And Limits 42:44 Owner In Versus On 44:04 Leadership Role Lessons 45:50 Biggest Challenges Today 47:33 AI And Future Jobs 50:46 AI Creative Work Examples 56:06 Quickfire Business Advice 01:01:23 Books Podcasts And Learning 01:04:41 Closing Thanks And Wrap LINKS Absolute Agency Website: https://absolute.agency/ [https://absolute.agency/] Absolute Nexa Website: https://absolute-nexa.agency/ [https://absolute-nexa.agency/] Chris’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishodgen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishodgen/]   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/]

Unlocking Success in Public Sector Bids: A Conversation with Tom Sander-Daniel

From Bid Writer to Managing Director: Tom Sander-Daniel onGrowing Thornton & Lowe and Winning Public Sector Work  Tom discusses his career journey from studyinggeography to joining Thornton & Lowe as a bid writer eight years ago and becoming managing director last year, supported by leadership training (including ILM) and experience gained as the company grew from around 10–15people to about 65, including an acquisition. He explains Thornton & Lowe's core focus on helping organizations win public sector work through bid writing, advisory support, training, recruitment, and software: Tender Pipeline (opportunity searching with free and licensed options) and Tender Library (finding and reusing past bid content). The conversation covers bid/no-bid strategy, evidence-led responses, supplier engagement, frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems, challenges for SMEs versus incumbents, and how marketing and relationship-building before tenders drop can improve win chances. Tom shares three SME tips: build a targeted pipeline, plan engagement, and usestrong evidence.   00:00 Welcome and Intro 00:18 From Geography to Bids 02:15 Growing Into Leadership 03:59 Training and Accidental Managers 05:35 Becoming Managing Director 07:42 Team Growth and Remote Work 08:42 What Thornton and Lowe Does 10:03 Bid Support Levels Explained 11:51 Finding Tenders With Software 14:36 Tender Library Content Search 15:49 Training and Recruitment Services 18:24 SME Advice for Public Tenders 20:38 Winning Without ISO 21:41 Procurement Act Flexibility 22:25 Incumbent Myth Busting 23:22 Spotting Unfair Tenders 24:59 Shape Requirements Early 27:58 Framework Strategy Matters 28:17 Tender Types Explained 31:04 Frameworks Need Marketing 34:10 Bid Mentor and Outsourced Marketing 35:56 Three Tips for SMEs 38:01 Career Growth Advice 40:11 Where to Find Them LINKS Website: https://thorntonandlowe.com/ [https://thorntonandlowe.com/] Tom’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasdaniel94/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasdaniel94/] Tender Pipeline: https://bidsoftware.thorntonandlowe.com/tenderpipeline/ [https://bidsoftware.thorntonandlowe.com/tenderpipeline/] ActionCOACH: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] Paul Limb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/]

Building Perfect Recruitment: Lisa Brady's Story

Lisa Brady on 18 Years of Perfect Recruitment: HospitalityRoots, Diversifying After COVID, and Building Relationships   Lisa Brady discusses her 18-year-old recruitmentconsultancy, Perfect Recruitment, based in Chorley and operating mainly acrossthe Northwest, providing temporary and permanent recruitment. Originallyfocused on hospitality, the business diversified after COVID into constructionand, via a merger with LHR Recruitment, expanded into admin and commercialroles, with most perm work now in renewables, construction, sales/marketing,and accounts, while hospitality is largely temp-led. Brady shares her path fromhotel receptionist to regional manager at a multinational agency, thenlaunching her own firm amid redundancies and just before the 2008 crash,growing through relationships and a major Preston temp contract that solvedcash flow. She critiques “shark” recruiters, emphasizes deep candidateinterviews, skills/attitude checks, honest client communication, and strongonboarding. Future plans include strengthening sectors and adding paid serviceslike training, CVs, job descriptions, and “talent for good” support.   00:00 Welcome and Overview 00:18 What Perfect Recruitment Does 01:08 From Employee to Founder 02:12 Hospitality Roots and Passion 03:53 Recruitment Reputation and Relationships 06:05 Early Growth and Cashflow Lessons 08:24 COVID Pivot and Sector Mix 11:11 Team Leadership and Working Less 12:55 Future Plans and Added Services 15:28 Awards and Business Exposure 16:59 Candidate Screening and Skills Tests 21:06 Chef Culture and Hiring Challenges 22:05 Handling Chef Walkouts 22:31 No Shows and Strike Rules 23:59 Winning Work and Networking 25:11 Candidate Led Marketing 25:53 Job Seeker Interview Prep 27:58 Killer Interview Questions 31:43 Employer Onboarding Essentials 34:54 Leadership and Team Challenges 37:50 Growth Plans and Succession 43:00 Resilience and Policy Changes 45:24 How to Contact Perfect Recruitment 46:36 Closing Thanks LINKS Perfect Recruitment Website: https://perfect-recruitment.co.uk/ [https://perfect-recruitment.co.uk/] Lisa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-brady-perfectrecruitment/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-brady-perfectrecruitment/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfectrecruitment/ [https://www.instagram.com/perfectrecruitment/] Email: info@perfect-recruitment.co.uk Tel: 01257 264264 ActionCOACH: ⁠https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton⁠ [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] Paul Limb: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/]

Entrepreneurial Paws: Building a Brand with Carolina and River

Carolina De Almeida Kennedy discusses her path from working in a students’ union and a mental health charity to business ownership, including an earlier side business selling brownies. She began volunteering at puppy classes, was mentored into dog training, worked in the field for several years alongside a job, reduced to part-time in 2024, and launched her own full-time business, Chewing with River, in April 2025. She explains the brand name came from initially selling natural dog treats and her golden retriever, River. Carolina combines dog training with remote canine nutrition advice, emphasizing tailored guidance, the link between gut and brain, and skepticism about conflicting online advice. She describes ethical brand collaborations without commissions, common client issues (dog/human reactivity and high arousal), and her approach focusing on emotions and stress, not just obedience skills. She outlines current services, an Amazon training/nutrition journal, plans for downloadable resources and an online membership, more talks/workshops (including with a vet clinic), and the need to build a business beyond trading time for money, highlighting mindset, networking, and openness to feedback. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:28 Early Career Background 01:29 First Business Baking 02:14 Volunteering Into Dogs 03:30 Mentorship to Trainer 04:35 Chewing With River Name 05:18 Nutrition and Training Niche 06:54 Nutrition Myths and Diets 09:00 Practical Feeding Choices 10:50 Ethical Brand Partnerships 13:04 Training Humans First 15:03 Common Behavior Challenges 17:21 Skills Versus Emotions 19:37 Services and Offers 20:24 Journal Book Idea 21:47 Scaling Beyond Time 24:25 Mentors and Community 27:45 Business Skills Matter 31:37 Online Membership Plans 33:19 Workshops and Confidence 35:40 Mindset and Self Talk 39:35 Advice for Entrepreneurs 42:57 Where to Find Her LINKS Website: https://www.chewingwithriver.com/ [https://www.chewingwithriver.com/] Follow Carolina and River on Instagram: @chewingwithriver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolina-de-almeida-kennedy-19893b9a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolina-de-almeida-kennedy-19893b9a/] Email: hello@chewingwithriver.com [hello@chewingwithriver.com] WhatsApp: 07400 293288 ActionCOACH: ⁠https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton⁠ [https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton] Paul Limb: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/]