My guest today is both client and friend, Janet Shreeve. We’ve both got exciting news to share about a new venture we’re working on together. Firstly though, Janet talks about Shreeve Care Services and how 2025 is ending for her.

Janet shares the highs and lows of her business, starting with an experience that makes everything feel worthwhile. She shares the story of a lady in her late 80s whom she is working with, who out of the blue had a conversation with her in Italian. As a fluent speaker herself, Janet loved being able to talk to this lady, who hadn’t spoken Italian for over 30 years!

Janet also talks about the advisory services that she offers, which has been a large part of her work this year, which she is looking forward to continuing in 2026. This service is something that has come about partly due to the fact that social care has been so badly funded for so long, and people just don’t know what choices they have with care – or what funding is out there. Sadly, many people seem to think that these options cost too much, but by collaborating with other organisations and advising clients about options, people can be supported in the way that they need, often remaining in their own homes. She is passionate about people understanding that they have choices!

She also talks about the new project that we – including my step-daughter Lauren have set up together. Completely unexpectedly by all of us, we have set up ‘Enlightening Escapes’ - to provide a variety of retreats. The retreats are all going to be, as the title suggests, escapes to do something different and have a bit of fun. They’re hard to organise on your own, so it will be great for us working together. She talks about some of the retreats we have coming up in the new year.

We also talk about the budget and the massive omission that was social care which unsurprisingly Janet finds very depressing. However, she shares how she is working in different ways to support people in the care industry – looking at different ways to make things more efficient and cost effective. One being where she works with Agora Staff, and the other a new part of the business, called Care Assist.

To contact Janet:

Website: https://shreevecareservices.co.uk/

Email: Janet.shreeve@shreevecareservices.co.uk

Phone: 07827324590

If you would like to contact me, you can visit www.Scottmedia.uk , https://enlighteningescapes.co.uk/ or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

One of my TV guilty pleasures to watch is Master Chef and today I’m thrilled to meet one of this years’ finalists – Sam Kaeokon.

Sam has lived in Swindon for just over 10 years, and coming from Thailand, unsurprisingly he loves to cook Thai food! He talks about how he learnt to cook after watching his grandma in the kitchen prepare Thai cuisine. After moving to the UK, he found that although there was some Thai food available, it wasn’t the particular type that he enjoyed, so he taught himself to cook, by watching YouTube, reading cook books, looking online – any and every way he could to spend time cooking.

As well as loving cooking, Sam also shares what it is that he loves about living in Swindon – which includes, as much as the town itself, the places that are around the area too.

Master Chef is a huge TV hit, and Sam explains what it was like to be involved in the competition – from the point where he decided to apply to the final weeks. He talks about how nerve-racking it is when you first arrive, as you don’t know anyone, and you meet the judges, the camera crews and everyone who works behind the scenes. Plus you also have to learn how to use the equipment too. He was so nervous and filled with so many different emotions, he didn’t even remember his interview. However, once he got cooking things were fun.

The hardest part for Sam was the time-lag between filming and the airing for the programme, and having to remain quiet about the outcome!

Sam also talks about how being on the show has made him reassess his life – although he still wants to work in care – probably alongside cooking too.

A very modest man, Sam is proud of what he has achieved, and underlines that it’s not about winning but the journey. He loves caring for people, and he also puts care into cooking!

To contact Sam:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samkaeokon/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573564905057

Tiktok: tiktok.com/@sammikaeokon

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe

My guest today is business friend Debbie Gilbert, who runs a marketing agency, the networking company called Businesswomen UnLtd and also runs events including The Best Businesswomen Awards and the Best SME Awards. She is also about to launch a brand new app called Leanier.

Debbie tells how she began her own business at a time before the internet was so big, and when websites were just emerging and social media didn’t even exist. She fell into her business due to a number of difficult family events that coincided when she moved home to Hertfordshire, having left her job. She soon found herself taking on work to support herself and her family making use of her previous skills in marketing.

We talk about the challenges that women face, but men do not. Debbie first began to think about this when she entered for her first business award, and she realised that out of the 25 winners, there were only 3 women on stage! She shares her reasons why she thinks this is – one being because women are working for themselves, for flexibility to work around families. It was following this revelation that she created the Best Businesswomen Awards in 2015 – which are running 11 years later.

Debbie also talks about how she doesn’t feel women are taken seriously in business and it becomes more noticeable when it comes to venture capital and funding. You may be surprised when you hear the small amount that goes to female businesses – still in 2025.

Debbie’s three top tips for all business owners for 2026:

• You need to get AI fit.
• Connect with human beings.
• If you haven’t yet, enter some awards.

To contact Debbie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debgilbert/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbiejanegilbert/

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe