A derelict department store, a bold pension strategy, and a belief that buildings should trade like living ecosystems. We sit down with Neil to share how we transformed 45 King Street into a boutique apart-hotel and flexible workspace that runs on smart tech, focused design, and community energy.

We trace the leap from three decades in corporate sales to a SaaS pension-backed acquisition, breaking down how an OpCo/PropCo structure and VAT registration funded a full fit-out without bank finance. On the workspace floor, licences replace leases, soundproofing and climate control lift the bar, and co-working acts as an incubator rather than a crutch. When bigger suites proved slow to move, we pivoted them into a thriving events business, adding steady weekday demand and opening the doors to local organisations, exhibitions, and workshops.

Upstairs, fifteen boutique rooms and suites anchor a tech-enabled apart-hotel experience. There’s no front desk and no restaurant; instead, guests get quality essentials, tight partnerships with local food and laundry, and a QR “cube” that connects everything from breakfast to support in seconds. A six–six–six–six comms cadence keeps service personal and consistent. Summer occupancy climbed past 70 percent, and a growing pipeline of pre-booked coach tours stabilises seasonality while B2C channels fill nightly gaps. We also get candid about the tough parts: late-stage compliance changes, nine months of delays, and the real cost of lost trading days. The lesson lands hard—add contingency for both money and months, and build early alignment with building control and fire safety.

If you’re curious about SaaS pensions, flexible workspace operations, boutique hospitality, or how to monetise a multi-use asset with one empowered team member and the right tech stack, this conversation maps the playbook and the pitfalls. Subscribe, share with a fellow operator or investor, and leave a review—what strategy would you try first?

Most teams don’t need more AI hype; they need better decisions. We sit down with data expert and founder of Head for Data, Colin Parry, to strip AI back to what actually moves the needle: clean inputs, clear processes, and tools that match the job. Colin’s path from renewables and wind turbine analytics to leading data science teams gives him a rare field‑to‑boardroom perspective on how to build systems that work in the real world.

We start with the foundations: why data only exists to improve decisions, and how a centralised platform plus solid governance turns scattered spreadsheets into a reliable source of truth. Colin breaks down the difference between deterministic tasks that deserve automation and ambiguous work where AI’s probabilistic strengths shine. He explains why ChatGPT is just one tool in a larger AI family, and how to pick the lightest‑weight solution that solves the real problem instead of forcing everything through a language model.

The episode’s centrepiece is a practical case study with a major property factoring firm. By defining a true unit of work, cleaning their data, and building an optimisation algorithm that accounts for geography, travel time, and seniority, Colin’s team rebalanced workloads across 40,000 properties. Then they layered fees over effort to expose profitability by development, empowering leaders to adjust pricing, retain the right clients, and drop the wrong ones. The result: fairer teams, sharper unit economics, and faster, more confident decisions.

If you’re wondering where to start, we share a simple path: run a focused gap analysis, centralise your data, automate the deterministic steps, and apply AI where intent or inputs are genuinely messy. Want a partner for that first step? Colin offers a free half‑day Intelligent Futures workshop to identify quick wins. Subscribe, share with a colleague who’s drowning in spreadsheets, and leave a review to tell us which process you’d automate first.

A career can pivot on a single moment. For Graeme Clark, watching his father’s late-career redundancy lit a fire to build on his own terms—first as a self-employed joiner, then as a sales professional, later as the owner of a 50-year-old wholesale brand management agency, and finally as the founder of Oakal Fudge, a handmade confectionery brand supplying iconic distilleries, luxury hotels, and farm shops across Scotland.

We explore how Oakal Fudge balances craft and growth without losing its soul. Graeme walks us through making butter fudge by hand, batch after batch, and why the team refuses to industrialise the core process. Instead of chasing supermarket volume, they choose partners who value provenance, flavour, and story—think Glen Eagles, St Andrews, and malt whisky distilleries where spirit is added to the fudge for a distinct, place-based product. With fifteen Great Taste Awards, SALSA accreditation, and capacity to scale production fivefold through packaging automation, the business proves that artisan and ambition can coexist.

The conversation ranges from culture and leadership to finance and resilience. Graeme shares how accelerators, mentors, and winning Scottish EDGE reshaped his approach, sharpening unit economics, planning, and accountability. He explains the traction system his teams use across both companies, why culture beats strategy for long-term execution, and the lessons he’d give his younger self: know your numbers, start with the end, and take time to celebrate progress. If you care about scaling a product the right way, building teams that take pride in their craft, and turning values into daily operations, this story will stick.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow and share the show, leave a review to help others find it, and connect with us to continue the discussion.

We map out a clear, honest guide to menopause with an NHS specialist, from definitions and ages to impacts on work, relationships, and long-term health. We compare lifestyle strategies, HRT and alternatives, and share how community spaces like Menopause Cafe change the journey.

• defining menopause, perimenopause, and surgical or medical menopause
• average age ranges and premature menopause realities
• symptom patterns across the body and brain
• diagnosis via history, checklists, and targeted FSH use
• work, sleep, libido, and relationship impacts
• vaginal oestrogen access and why it matters
• long-term bone and heart health risks
• lifestyle foundations for strength, sleep, and stress
• HRT forms, risks, dosing, and reviews
• testosterone for libido and the research gap
• non-hormonal and complementary options
• Menopause Cafe purpose, ribbons, and global reach

Attend a Menopause Cafe or start one: www.menopausecafe.net
Wear a menopause awareness ribbon to show support: menopausecafe.net

#menopausecafe #HRT #Hotflushes #coldflushes #perimenopause

This Podcast was brought to you by Johnston Media Podcast & Premier Properties Perth as part of our commitment to the community.

We map how Stirling plans to turn momentum into durable local wealth through new sectors, smarter procurement and a stronger startup culture. Alan Connery shares what the council’s economic development team is building, from a film studio to an events‑ready City Park.

• remit and scope of economic development in Stirling
• sector focus across manufacturing, life sciences, digital health and tourism
• leveraging external funding to unlock property and infrastructure
• inward investment aligned to local value add
• demographics, talent pipeline and connectivity advantages
• partner coordination across STEP, Chamber, FSB, CodeBase, BID
• definition and pillars of community wealth building
• plural ownership models and fair work principles
• land use for social value and productive assets
• anchor procurement to retain local spend
• film studio impact on supply chains and hospitality
• City Park enabling major, lower‑friction events
• next‑12‑month priorities and business support routes

Check out the council website. Contact Business Gateway Stirling or your local BID, CodeBase, Chamber or university—whoever you reach first will connect you back to us

Starting a business shouldn’t feel like walking into a maze. We sat down with Business Gateway at STEP in Stirling to unpack a simpler path: begin with one advisor who learns your goals, pinpoints what’s next, and connects you to the exact support you need. From the earliest spark of an idea to the first hires and beyond, we talk through how hands-on guidance, practical workshops, and targeted funding can turn momentum into measurable growth.

You’ll hear how the advisor model creates continuity, saving founders weeks by directing them to the right expert on day one. We dig into Meet the Expert sessions for fast answers on accounting, HR, branding, IT, and legal questions, plus funded and subsidised projects through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund that bring specialists into your business to solve real problems. When a company is ready to scale, we explore how warm introductions to Scottish Enterprise open doors to innovation support and capital grants, with account managers focused on growth and productivity.

Because this is Stirling, the support is rooted in the local economy. We discuss sector-themed programmes for tourism and hospitality, community breakfasts that spark partnerships, and collaboration with the BID, Chambers, CodeBase, Techscaler, Supplier Development Programme, and Scottish EDGE. The thread running through it all is objectivity and encouragement: no gatekeeping, no jargon, just clear steps and honest feedback that help you test ideas, refine plans, and execute with confidence.

If you’re ready to move from thinking to doing, tap into your local network. Subscribe for more founder stories and practical playbooks, share this with someone who needs a nudge to start, and leave a review with the one question you want us to tackle next.

We explore how a regiment’s legacy, a five-star museum at Stirling Castle, and a bold 2050 vision connect with business growth, education, and community. The links between archives, schools, tourism, and the high street show why heritage can power a modern city.

• origins of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and ties to the castle
• why the museum remains central to Stirling’s visitor economy
• 2050 strategy alongside near-term financial stability
• three registered charities and ring-fenced veteran welfare
• digitising archives for research and risk management
• Learning Never Forgetting programme at the national curriculum level five
• reaching remote schools with hybrid delivery and handling boxes
• practical synergies with local firms, events and chambers
• the Kruakin mascot story as cultural connector
• mutual value in hotel partnerships and referrals
• a personal legacy focused on education and community links
• where to find the museum online and on social

Visit argylls.museum.co.uk to enquire or call us via the website. Follow us on Facebook and main social channels.

We map how Lumo uses open access rail to compete with airlines on price and service, and why a direct London–Stirling link can reshape trips for leisure, students and business. We also unpack the plan for battery‑electric trains and the role of local suppliers onboard.

• What open access rail means and how risk drives value
• Lumo’s one‑class model with at‑seat service
• Competing with airlines on price and simplicity
• Recruiting ambassadors from aviation and hospitality
• Measuring satisfaction through constant feedback
• Why Stirling and the intermediate stops matter
• Leisure, business and university travel demand
• Local producers featured in the onboard offer
• Year‑round frequency to smooth visitor peaks
• Transition from diesel to battery‑electric trains
• Success metrics and potential extensions beyond Stirling