What happens when you quit accounting, stumble into the internet boom, and accidentally build one of the UK’s first online bingo empires? In this episode of The Launch Podcast, Phil Fraser, founder of the Leeds Business Podcast and online gaming veteran, shares how he went from clueless graduate to digital trailblazer—bootstrapping a business from his living room to a multi-million pound exit.

💡 Learn about:

Making bold career pivots (and surviving them)

The early days of online gaming and affiliate marketing

Navigating hiring, culture, and painful layoffs

How to sell a business and actually walk away

Building a business around lifestyle vs scale

This is real talk from someone who's been through it all—no fluff, just valuable insight for anyone building or scaling a startup.

In one of our most powerful and emotional episodes yet, we sit down with Q and Suaia's—professional rugby players and founders of the Talk Your Walk Foundation.

Their stories are raw, real, and deeply inspiring.

From troubled pasts, personal loss, and prison time… to international rugby careers and a mission to transform lives through mental health advocacy—Q and Siri prove that rock bottom can be the start of something extraordinary.

💬 They open up about:

Battling depression, anxiety, and identity loss

Creating their foundation from simple coffee chats

Speaking in schools, prisons, and boardrooms to save lives

Why vulnerability is a superpower, not a weakness

The “Three Cs”: Clarity, Consistency, and Check-ins

Using elite sports mentality to build resilience and purpose

Embracing cultural identity as a bridge for connection

This episode is about hope, healing, and the power of speaking your truth. Whether you’re facing challenges or leading others through them, this conversation will move you, motivate you, and maybe even change you.

In this episode of The Launch Podcast, we dive into the world of indie horror and genre cinema with Rachel and Simeon Halligan, co-founders of GrimmFest and creators of the upcoming psychological thriller Past Life.

From producing their first horror feature to launching one of the UK’s leading genre film festivals, Rachel and Simeon share their journey through the highs and horrors of independent filmmaking. You'll hear how they pivoted into running a festival, built a global audience, attracted A-list talent like Jeremy Piven and Pixie Lott, and stayed fiercely committed to original storytelling.

🎥 What We Talk About:

How they started GrimmFest & pivoted from indie film to full festival

The making of Past Life: a thriller about past life regression, murder, and mystery

Behind the scenes with Jeremy Piven, Pixie Lott & Tim McInnerny

Building a production company + audience from scratch

Lessons from over a decade in horror filmmaking

Why story always comes first

📅 Past Life is expected to release in late 2025—don’t miss the inside scoop before it hits screens!

Follow for more founder journeys, filmmaking insights, and creative inspiration.