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"We're not going to regret what we did. We're going to regret what we didn't do." That's Damion Lupo's life philosophy.

What if the solution to America's critical housing shortage wasn't just building more homes, but completely reinventing how we build them? Damion Lupo and his team at FrameTec have raised over $100 million to commercialize the first major innovation in house framing since the nail gun was invented in 1952.

At the heart of FrameTec's revolutionary approach is a patented "infinite board" system that transforms lumber processing. Unlike traditional construction that wastes materials and requires days of on-site work, their method identifies defects, finger-joints boards together, and produces precise, furniture-quality frames in just one day – up to four times faster than conventional methods. This isn't incremental improvement; it's exponential efficiency that could help close America's 10-million-unit housing gap.

Damion's journey to FrameTec spans decades of entrepreneurial experience, including building over 70 companies and weathering devastating failures (like losing $25 million during the 2008 financial crisis). His hard-earned wisdom about team-building, raising capital through relationships rather than institutions, and focusing on what he calls the "foundational 15%" that gives businesses an 85% chance of success provides invaluable insights for entrepreneurs in any field.

Whether you're fascinated by construction innovation, entrepreneurship, or simply curious about solutions to the housing crisis, this conversation offers both practical insights and philosophical depth about calculated risk-taking and leaving a positive legacy.

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The traditional office lease is quietly strangling business growth. Frank Cottle realized this four decades ago when he pioneered the flexible workspace concept that has now evolved into Alliance Virtual Offices—a global network of 1,500+ premium locations serving over 200,000 corporate clients.

Frank's journey began with a simple observation: the rigid structures of commercial real estate were fundamentally misaligned with the dynamic nature of modern business. "A company without flexibility today is not going to last very long," he explains, highlighting how traditional leases function as debt instruments that limit growth potential and capital access.

This reality becomes especially clear when entrepreneurs pitch to investors. Those burdening their balance sheets with long-term leases and office infrastructure expenses receive substantially less favorable treatment than those embracing flexible solutions.

The concept Frank calls "just-in-time real estate" represents a profound shift in thinking about workspace. Rather than renting square footage, Alliance Virtual Offices provides comprehensive business services—everything between the carpet and ceiling, including reception, telephony, meeting facilities, and administrative support.

This approach scales precisely with business needs, whether you're a solo attorney needing a prestigious address and occasional meeting room, or a multinational requiring a custom network across dozens of locations.

What makes this model truly revolutionary is how it democratizes opportunity. Young entrepreneurs priced out of expensive commercial districts can now establish their businesses with London Cavendish Square or Singapore CBD addresses from just £70 monthly. Remote teams can coordinate global operations without committing to facilities they might outgrow within months.

Even Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies have embraced this model to shed unnecessary real estate obligations while maintaining operational effectiveness.

As someone who values working from home and dislikes commuting, Frank has built a company that enables others to design work environments aligned with their personal preferences and productivity needs. In a world where tomorrow's billion-dollar company might launch with just three employees working from anywhere, Alliance Virtual Offices provides the infrastructure to make those ambitious visions possible.

Ready to liberate your business from the constraints o

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Jennifer Johnson transformed her childhood thrift shopping experiences into True Fashionistas, a thriving consignment business that uniquely combines luxury and mid-market merchandise with furniture and home decor in a single location. After overcoming a business partner's betrayal, she expanded to a 13,000 square foot store with 50 employees while building a personal brand as an author and coach.

• Started with empty 1,800 square foot store that filled within two weeks
• Business partner left after two months, opening competing store and poaching staff
• Expanded to 3,600 square feet within a year, later adding furniture store
• Built brand through community involvement and hurricane relief efforts
• Conducts regular audits of business processes to eliminate customer friction points
• Gradually transitioned to personal brand with podcast and book "Grace and Grit"
• Learned $25,000 lesson about thoroughly vetting business partners
• Maintains philosophy that setbacks happen "for you, not to you"
• Created "personal board of directors" with professionals and mentors
• Recommends "The Power of We" by Kyle McDowell for building company culture

Share this episode with a fellow unnoticed entrepreneur who might benefit from Jennifer's wisdom about resilience and community-building.

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It all started with a wait in line for a pee.

That got fellow Bristol students Amber Probyn and co-founder Hazel McShane thinking; "There has be equality for women at events." The first urinals were introduced for men in 1866!

Amber and Hazel have successfully launched Peequal, the UK's first squat-and-go women's urinal. These are designed to be 2.7 times faster than traditional portable toilets, solving a problem that affects half the world's population.

Hear their story including:

• Raising £250K during COVID despite being an event-based business
• What they did when the suppliers let them down on the eve of the big launch at Glastonbury 2022
• How they manage as a team, and supplied toilets to the London Marathon 2025.

It's an amazing story told by an inspirational entrepreneur; one of many great stories coming out of the NatWest Accelerator in this mini series.

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Charlie Taylor shares the story of KASK Wines, a Bristol wine bar focused on natural, organic wines that emerged from his own allergic reactions to commercial alcohol products containing numerous toxins.

• Walking away from a corporate career in Dubai to pursue entrepreneurial dreams
• The shock of learning that commercial wines can contain 60-70 different toxins
• Pivoting during COVID lockdown by delivering wine samples and hosting virtual tastings
• Creating a pub-like atmosphere where wine happens to be the main product
• Navigating the mental health challenges of entrepreneurship
• Joining the NatWest Accelerator to regain focus and develop growth strategies

*Disclaimer: Please note that the views and information have not been endorsed, issued or approved by NatWest. Any views expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of NatWest.

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How did an unnoticed and under-appreciated magazine editor in Wales overcome the challenges of building a multi million pound content agency serving major shopping centres across the UK?

In this episode:

• How Charlotte Laing transitioned from a freelancer to leading a team of over 50 people.
• The importance of storytelling in marketing and how to create engaging content that resonates with audiences.
• Strategies for scaling a business, including the challenges of recruitment, cash flow management, and maintaining quality as the team grows.
• Insights on navigating the competitive landscape of the agency world and how to stand out against larger firms.
• The role of AI in content creation and how to leverage technology while keeping the human touch in storytelling.

Charlotte also discusses her experience with the NatWest Accelerator program and the value of community support for entrepreneurs.

*Disclaimer: Please note that the views and information have not been endorsed, issued or approved by NatWest. Any views expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of NatWest.

Sponsored by NatWest Accelerator.
Build a path to growth as unique as your business.

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In this episode, I share what I’ve been up to lately, including launching my new website and magazine for The Unnoticed Entrepreneur.

I talk about how you can now read articles, listen to podcast episodes, and even interact with my digital twin to ask questions.

I’ve also updated my YouTube channel to make it more focused.

I announce a special series of interviews with entrepreneurs from the NatWest Accelerator program and invite you to let me know what kinds of guests and topics you want to hear about.

My goal is to build a more interactive relationship with you, so I’ll be adding a survey and doing more solo insight episodes. I also encourage you to sign up for my newsletter so we can stay connected in every format.

Oh...and a new theme tune sound designed by Alfie, an 18 year old aspiring DJ who lives in my village here in Wiltshire.

https://www.theunnoticedentrepreneur.com/

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Think your business data is under control? Think again. In this eye-opening episode, Jim James talks with Paul Graeve, founder of The Data Group and author of Data Driven Leader, about why owning and mastering your data might be the biggest business edge you're overlooking.

Paul reveals:

• The mindset shift every entrepreneur needs to treat data like gold.
• The hidden costs of siloed data across tools like HubSpot, Shopify, and Salesforce.
• How to unify scattered info with cloud-based solutions like Snowflake.
• Why dashboards and alerts should empower everyone—from interns to execs.
• A powerful tip for business continuity most startups miss.
• His personal journey writing Data Driven Leader—and what leaders often get wrong.

If you're building a business that lasts and scales, this episode is for you.

Listen to the full conversation on The UnNoticed Entrepreneur—available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Grab Paul's book: Data Driven Leader

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