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Category: This Is How I Run My Business

Inspiring stories from UK freelancers and small business owners on how they run their business and balance life.

What was the inspiration behind Among Equals? I had been working in creative agencies for a decade when I started Among Equals. I’d worked with incredibly talented creatives, ambitious clients, visionary founders and NGOs on powerful missions and I'd spotted a pattern: they assumed people cared as much as they did. The CMOs and founders assumed people cared about their brand or product as much as they did. The charities assumed people were as invested in issues as they were. And the creatives assumed the general public was as passionate about design and advertising as them. The reality is very different. People simply do not care as much as our industry assumes they do, and that assumption leads to work that doesn’t work. This isn’t just something I felt as a consumer and citizen, it’s something that’s been proven by research time and time again. The vast majority of advertising isn’t loved or hated; it’s just ignored. I wanted to build an agency that would work with this reality – creating genuinely impactful work that would make people care about issues, change behaviour and drive results. So our philosophy is grounded in this reality: ’Start with no one cares. Build brands that change that.' Who do you admire? I firmly believe the phrase ’never meet your heroes’ exists for a reason, so I’ve never put anyone on a pedestal. Instead, I admire anyone who DOES things. It’s easy to have ideas. It’s easy to talk about things you’re going to do. The hard part is actually doing it – taking the leap, writing the book, starting the business, making the move. So I admire anyone who recognises that the world isn’t happening to them. They can happen to it. People like my client Emma Horton, who started a prescription skincare business – Uncouth – while pregnant and working as a doctor because she saw an opportunity. Or my colleague Joe Hedinger, who quit his amazing job at the BBC to move to Norwich and realise his dream of working with books - he works at a delightful shop called The Book Hive now. Anyone who really looks at life, understands it’s short, and takes steps to make the most of it. Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently? On one hand, yes – so many things. Like learning about the financial side of running a business, or the complexities involved in hiring and HR, or understanding the legal aspects of incorporating and trademarking a brand. That would have smoothed a lot of bumps along the way – I’ve had a lot of very, very steep learning curves. But in reality I wouldn’t change anything at all. If I’d known all the challenges I’d face along the way, setting up the agency would have seemed extremely daunting. But because I didn’t, I just jumped in. It’s taken a lot of energy and work to get here, but I’m so proud of the business we’ve become and everything I’ve learned. It’s made me much more resilient. Today I can honestly stand here and say 'anything is possible’ – and that’s because of all the challenges I faced, not in spite of them. What defines your way of doing business? People are everything. Full stop. You can’t achieve anything without the right team around you. So I only have three rules at Among Equals: 1. Hire people who are better than you. 2. Empower them, then get out of their way. 3. When anyone asks who is responsible for great work, there is only one answer: 'the team’. That includes our clients too. We work collaboratively, as equals, with our clients and I’m proud to call many of them friends. Someone once said to me ‘I don’t want to be friends with the people I work with. I’m not like you, I don’t need more friends’ and I’ve never heard anyone miss the point more. Why wouldn’t you want great working relationships with your team and your clients? When has good work ever come from contempt or conflict? Weird. What advice would you give to someone starting out? Learn how to wrangle fear. I’d wanted to have my own business for years but I’d been waiting for the perfect time. I was so scared of not having work, or enough money to live. But when the pandemic hit and everything seemed terrifying I realised the perfect time doesn’t exist - if you want to do something, you just have to go for it. I got to a point where the fear of NOT starting a business outweighed the fear of doing it, so I quit my nice, stable job in the middle of a global disaster and set it up. Fear can be paralysing, but it’s also incredibly powerful. So embrace it when it drives you, and when it feels like it’s going to overwhelm you just keep going and don’t look down.

Getting To Know You: Emily Jeffrey-Barrett, Co-founder of Among Equals

27 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Jamie Young 0 Comments

Discover how Emily Jeffrey-Barrett, Co-founder of Among Equals, transformed a decade of agency experience into a thriving business that challenges industry assumptions.

Mike Lynch

Mike Lynch obituary: Pioneering tech entrepreneur and Cameron adviser, known as the ‘British Bill Gates’

22 August 202423 August 2024 This Is How I Run My Business Not Ltd 0 Comments

Mike Lynch, the ‘British Bill Gates’ and founder of Autonomy, has passed away at 59. Known for his tech innovations and a high-profile legal battle with HP, Lynch’s legacy endures in the UK tech industry.

FreeOfficeFinder, established in 2002, is an innovative and comprehensive service that helps businesses find and rent their ideal office spaces at no cost.

Exploring the Vision Behind FreeOfficeFinder: A Conversation with CEO Nick Riesel

13 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

FreeOfficeFinder, established in 2002, is an innovative and comprehensive service that helps businesses find and rent their ideal office spaces at no cost.

Adaptive Accountancy, based in Yorkshire, is not your typical accounting firm. Led by CEO Ed Johnson, the company is committed to embracing the constant evolution of today's business world.

Getting to Know You: Brad Walker, founder of Adaptive Accountancy

13 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

Adaptive Accountancy, based in Yorkshire, is not your typical accounting firm. Led by Brad Walker, the company is committed to embracing the constant evolution of today’s business world.

Please attribute all comments to Ed Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of PushFar Intro of circa 300 words on the business. PushFar is the world's leading mentoring platform. Founded in 2018, it is a fast-growing, fast-paced and widely used tech startup company. PushFar provides its technology to hundreds of clients and tens of thousands of individuals in over 100 countries. The platform allows mentors and mentees to find, form and manage effective mentoring relationships all over the world. As an open mentoring platform, anyone can sign up free to find a mentor, volunteer to mentor others, network, connect and develop their career, with a whole host of career progression tools and techniques. Additionally, organisations can launch, run and scale mentoring programmes for their employees and networks. What is the main problem you solve for your customers? The main objective is to make mentoring more accessible, effective and impactful for all, so they can each reap the multitude of benefits that mentoring has to offer. We help individuals to find and form mentorships, whether they want to provide the mentoring or be mentored. We also help organisations to run mentoring programmes in an easy and effective way. What made you start your business - did you want to rock the status quo, or was it a gap in the marketplace that you could fill? I was originally looking for a mentor for myself and struggled to find one and I soon realised that a lot of people were in the same position as me. Organisations were also struggling to launch impactful mentoring programmes, with a lot of manual processes involved, which were time consuming and not wholly effective. It was clear that mentoring wasn’t easily accessible to either individuals or organisations and I wanted to change that. What are your brand values? Our brand values are what form the foundations of PushFar: Authentic, Accessible, Supportive and Innovative Do your values define your decision-making process? Yes - always. Our values are the fundamental principles by which PushFar is led, and they all play in to one another. We must remain innovative, constantly adapting the services we offer to ensure we are offering our customers the best support on the market whilst remaining accessible to all. Working by these values ensures that we remain authentic to PushFar’s founding mission of providing effective mentoring to all. Is team culture integral to your business? Team culture is absolutely integral to us. Working closely with clients who are mainly in the HR and learning fields, we know firsthand, the value of a powerful and supportive culture. What do you do to go the extra mile to show your team you appreciate them? Our appreciation to our team is shown via trust and empowerment across the board. We provide flexible hours and fully remote working, as well as flexible holidays. This allows our team to feel respected in the same we appreciate and acknowledge the value they bring to PushFar. In terms of your messaging do you think you talk directly to your consumers in a clear fashion? Yes! We ensure that our messaging is concise and understandable for all. We are here to help both individuals and organisations and we like to make the process as easy as possible from the start. What’s your take on inflation and interest rates - are you going to pass that on to your customers or let your margins take a hit and reward customer loyalty in these tougher times? We've not increased pricing in the last 6-years. We are focused on delivering a great service that helps our business grow whilst continuing to add value. How often do you assess the data you pull in and address your KPIs and why? We are constantly assessing the data that we pull in, in real time. As a tech company this is critical for both us, and for our clients. In an ever-evolving industry, the data we are continuously assessing ensures we remain the leading mentoring platform and that our customers receive the most up to date and highest quality service. Is tech playing a much larger part in your day-to-day running of your company? Yes! As a tech company, it is at the heart of everything that we do; From our service offering to clients, through to our remote working approach with colleagues and employees. Tech plays a major role in our growth, both in terms of our reach and the services we provide. The use of advancing technology helps us streamline processes without diminishing quality, guaranteeing the service that customers receive is as efficient as possible. What is your attitude to your competitors? We have a very healthy attitude towards our competitors. It discourages complacency when we all play fairly. Competition is important to ensure that the market keeps evolving and that the services on offer have no option but to be innovative. Innovation and growth are of great importance to PushFar so we don’t fear our place within the market. Do you have any advice for anyone starting out in business? If you are wanting to start a business, just do it. There will never be a right time, it’s all about the mindset that you apply. Focus, dedication and hard work are what you need to abide by. There's no shortcut for any of it. It can be a lonely and pressured place to be as the lead decision maker of the business. What do you do to relax, recharge and hone your focus? I switch off, partaking in a digital detox and immersing myself in books and the outdoors through the likes of running. Do you believe in the 12-week work method, or do you make much longer planning strategies? I personally believe longer-term strategies are key. They’re less restrictive and allow for a greater sense of direction and a view of the bigger picture and long-term goals. What is your company’s eco strategy? As a tech company, we try to do everything we can to reduce impact on the planet. We actively encourage remote working and regularly host video calls where possible to reduce commutes. We’re also entirely paperless and will continue to make strives to ensure we are considering eco-impacts. What three things do you hope to have in place within the next 12 months? Over the next 12 months our focus is on growth; a larger team, a greater client base and more awesome features on offer.

Secrets of Success: Ed Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of PushFar

12 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Not Ltd 0 Comments

Ed Johnson is the CEO and Co-Founder of PushFar, the world’s leading mentoring platform.

The former boss of Marks & Spencer has been appointed chairman of Asda as the supermarket chain searches for a replacement chief executive.

Asda’s struggle under Issa brothers draws criticism from Chairman Lord Rose

10 August 2024 This Is How I Run My Business Not Ltd 0 Comments

Asda chairman Lord Rose expresses embarrassment over the supermarket’s decline, criticising its performance under the Issa brothers and urging co-owner Mohsin Issa to step back from daily operations.

Objective is a leading tech agency based in Essex, specialising in helping businesses streamline their processes through bespoke software solutions and unlocking value using data analytics.

Getting To Know You: Lara Fox, Managing Director, Objective

10 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Not Ltd 0 Comments

Objective is a leading tech agency based in Essex, specialising in helping businesses streamline their processes through bespoke software solutions and unlocking value using data analytics.

The Student Energy Group (TSEG) is a forward-thinking student bill provider and utilities company founded by a group of passionate young entrepreneurs.

Getting to Know You: James Villarreal, Co-Founder of The Student Energy Group

9 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Not Ltd 0 Comments

The Student Energy Group (TSEG) is a forward-thinking student bill provider and utilities company founded by a group of passionate young entrepreneurs.

Roach Bridge Tissues, a specialised printer and converter of wrapping tissue paper, serves the retail POS and e-commerce markets with a diverse clientele that includes designer apparel, footwear, cut glass, pottery, wine bottle wrapping, interleaving for sheet metals, optical lenses, and home removals packaging.

Secrets of Success: Insights from Camilla Hadcock, Director of Roach Bridge Tissues

8 August 20248 November 2025 Made in Britain, This Is How I Run My Business Not Ltd 0 Comments

Roach Bridge Tissues, a specialised printer and converter of wrapping tissue paper, serves the retail POS and e-commerce markets with a diverse clientele that includes designer apparel, footwear, cut glass, pottery, wine bottle wrapping, interleaving for sheet metals, optical lenses, and home removals packaging.

Chris Kemp is the CEO and founder of Ingenuity Group, a leading force in the marketing consultancy landscape.

Getting to Know You: Chris Kemp, CEO & Founder of The Ingenuity Group

8 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

Chris Kemp is the CEO and founder of Ingenuity Group, a leading force in the marketing consultancy landscape.

Verto aims to make global financial transactions easier for businesses of all sizes. As a partner for handling cross-border payments, foreign exchange, and banking solutions, Verto simplifies the complexities of international finance.

Getting to Know You: Ola Oyetayo, Co-Founder of Verto

8 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

Verto aims to make global financial transactions easier for businesses of all sizes. As a partner for handling cross-border payments, foreign exchange, and banking solutions, Verto simplifies the complexities of international finance.

Jesse-Swash

Getting to Know You: Jesse Swash, Co-Founder of Design by Structure

7 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

Design by Structure is an award-winning strategic branding agency that specialises in B2B branding solutions for holders of capital, the companies they invest in, and the organisations that support them.

Andrew Martin serves as the CEO of SMEB, a pioneering fintech company dedicated to supporting small businesses across the UK.

Getting to Know You: Andrew Martin, CEO of SMEB

7 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

Andrew Martin serves as the CEO of SMEB, a pioneering fintech company dedicated to supporting small businesses across the UK.

Established in 2019, Acquirz is a market-leading B2B data solutions and email marketing agency, dedicated to transforming the way businesses connect with their target audiences.

Getting to Know You: Russ Wilmot, Co-Founder and Director at Acquirz

7 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

Established in 2019, Acquirz is a market-leading B2B data solutions and email marketing agency, dedicated to transforming the way businesses connect with their target audiences.

Harold-Groothedde

Secrets of Success: Harold Groothedde, CTO and Founder of Surveil, an ITEXACT Company

7 August 20248 November 2025 This Is How I Run My Business Paul Jones 0 Comments

“There has to be a better way”: This simple, yet powerful sentiment from Harold Groothedde sparked a revolution in cloud optimisation.

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