JobsWorth

Hosted by John Hawker

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Episodes

103

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-GB

About the show

Welcome to JobsWorth, a podcast filled with stories from people changing their relationship with work, inspiring others to do the same Visit the JobsWorth website; https://www.jobs-worth.com/ Watch JobsWorth on YouTube; www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow JobsWorth on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Subscribe to my newsletter 'The Job Journal from GTC'; https://tinyurl.com/TheJobJournalFromGTC Learn more about my proper job; https://www.globaltechcollective.com/

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 21, 20261 hr 13 min

JobsWorth - Kurt Davies - Learning What Really Matters

My guest on JobsWorth this week is Kurt Davies, a former footballer turned teacher who has spent more than two decades as the owner of Saint Pierre School in Leigh-on-Sea. Growing up in Hadleigh, football was everything. But after injuries disrupted his playing career, an unexpected opportunity took him into education. In 1992, Kurt joined Saint Pierre School. He had no formal teaching qualifications but quickly developed a passion for helping children build the confidence he'd struggled with growing up. After leaving the school and being told he couldn't return, Kurt discovered it was for sale. So he bought it. More than two decades later, Saint Pierre remains a huge part of his life. But success hasn't come without challenges. A heart attack in 2015 and his daughter Mia's breast cancer diagnosis forced Kurt to reconsider his relationship with work and what he'd spent so many years chasing. We talk about ambition, confidence, family, the pressures of business ownership and finding contentment in a world that constantly encourages us to want more. Please enjoy… Kurt Davies. Find out more about more Saint Pierre School here 👇 Website; https://saintpierreschool.co.uk/ A huge thank you to the supporters of this week's episode 👇 Little Fin Coffee Roastery- https://www.littlefinroastery.com Alex Allan Nutrition- https://www.alexallannutrition.co.uk/ No Place Like Home- https://www.thisisnplh.com/ Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

October 14, 20261 hr 19 min

JobsWorth - Louis Rennocks - The Hidden Cost of Chasing Success

This week on JobsWorth I sit down with Louis Rennocks, fitness entrepreneur, founder of MyBodyMentor and dad of three. Louis grew up wanting to be famous. Not necessarily for anything in particular… he just wanted a different life from the one he knew. That ambition eventually led him into the fitness industry, where he became a Master Trainer and Head of Events at Barry's, before launching Grindhouse with four fellow trainers during the pandemic. Grindhouse got off to an extraordinary start, generating £108,000 in its first week and securing £1.8 million in investment. But what initially looked like the opportunity of a lifetime eventually became a business that Louis and his co-founders couldn't sustain. We discuss the reality behind those numbers, the pressure of raising investment, what went wrong and how Louis approached rebuilding his career with MyBodyMentor. Along the way, we talk about being difficult to manage, his relationship with money, the impact of therapy, fatherhood and the responsibility of running a business that supports your family. And perhaps most importantly, why the things Louis once thought would make him successful aren't necessarily the things that matter most to him now. Please enjoy… Louis Rennocks. Find out more about Louis and MyBodyMentor 👇 Website; https://www.mybodymentor.co/ Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/mybodymentor?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&vrfl=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/louisrennocks?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&exln=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== A huge thank you to the supporters of this week's episode 👇 Little Fin Coffee Roastery- https://www.littlefinroastery.com Alex Allan Nutrition- https://www.alexallannutrition.co.uk/ No Place Like Home- https://www.thisisnplh.com/ Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

October 7, 20261 hr 4 min

JobsWorth - Calum Butcher- When Your Dream Isn't Enough

This week on JobsWorth, I’m joined by former professional footballer and founder of Revival, Calum Butcher. Football was all Calum ever wanted to do. He joined Tottenham as a teenager before a career that took him to Denmark, non-league, Dundee United, Burton Albion, Millwall, Mansfield and Motherwell, with promotions and plenty of highs along the way. But getting your dream job doesn’t necessarily make the difficult bits disappear. We talk about the reality behind professional football, being released by Spurs, fighting his way back from non-league and the period at Mansfield when long journeys, young children and football stopped fitting together quite so comfortably. Later, a serious injury at Motherwell forced Calum to think about a future he’d spent years avoiding. That future became Revival. We explore leaving behind the only career he’d ever known, starting again in business and why, despite achieving his childhood dream, Calum still doesn’t really know what “enough” looks like. Please enjoy… Calum Butcher. Find out more about Revival 👇 Website; https://revivalshed.com/ Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/revival.shed/?hl=en A huge thank you to the supporters of this week's episode 👇 Alex Allan Nutrition- https://www.alexallannutrition.co.uk/ Little Fin Coffee Roastery- https://www.littlefinroastery.com No Place Like Home- https://www.thisisnplh.com/ Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

June 17, 20261 hr 41 min

JobsWorth - Joseph Fordham - Building a Place to Belong

This week on JobsWorth, I'm joined by writer, photographer, podcaster and founder of No Place Like Home, Joe Fordham. Joe's career has taken him through publishing, photography, startups and freelance work, but beneath all those different chapters sits a common theme: a search for creativity, connection and belonging. We talk about growing up in Dagenham, questioning authority from an early age, leaving education behind and navigating a series of jobs that never quite felt like the right fit. Joe shares how a photography project documenting West Ham supporters during the club's final season at Upton Park unexpectedly changed the course of his life and became the foundation for No Place Like Home. We also discuss creativity, validation, self-belief, community and the importance of building spaces where people feel they belong. This is a conversation about finding your place in the world and what happens when you decide to build it yourself. Please enjoy... Joe Fordham. Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

May 27, 20261 hr 14 min

JobsWorth - We Made It To 100

This week on JobsWorth, things are a little different. To celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast, I sit down with Tom... the person who’s been filming, editing and helping shape JobsWorth behind the scenes since the very beginning. We talk honestly about the reality of building a creative project alongside everyday life, the pressure (and privilege) of consistency, and what we’ve learned after sitting down with 100 different people to talk about their relationship with work. We also share some big news about what comes next for JobsWorth, including the launch of our own podcast and content studio, Jabber. Along the way we get into: · Why neither of us expected to make it to 100 episodes · The guests and moments that stayed with us · Creativity, work-life balance and building something from scratch · Why “talent” might just be obsession and hard work · And what happens when a side project slowly becomes something bigger Please enjoy… The 100th Episode. #JobsWorth #PodcastJourney #CreativeBusiness #WorkLife #PodcastStudio Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

May 20, 20261 hr 27 min

JobsWorth - Gabrielle Burt - Why She Refused to Stay in Jobs She Hated

This week on JobsWorth, I’m joined by Gabrielle Burt, founder of Gabs… the Leigh-on-Sea grazing bar that’s quickly become one of the area’s most talked about independent food spots. But this conversation isn’t really about grazing boards or pastries. It’s about someone who realised very early on that she couldn’t spend her life doing work that made her unhappy. Gabbie talks openly about struggling at school, bouncing between jobs throughout her teens and early twenties, and the feeling that she was never really built for environments where she felt trapped. From selling seashell art outside her house as a kid, to flying to Australia alone at 15 for work experience at a zoo, there’s always been this instinct in her to just… go for it. Before opening Gabs, she worked in care supporting adults with additional needs…work that gave her a huge sense of purpose, but also took a heavy emotional toll. What followed was £300 left from her wages, a homemade logo, a mobile grazing business she somehow ran despite not being able to drive… and eventually, a permanent home in Leigh that now has people queuing for tables most weekends. This is a conversation about instinct, resilience, self-belief, and refusing to settle for a life that feels miserable. Please enjoy… Gabrielle Burt. Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

May 13, 20261 hr 19 min

JobsWorth - Cassie Strickland and Dominic Foster- They Built the Kind of Gym They Couldn’t Find

This week on JobsWorth, I’m joined by Cassie Strickland and Dominic Foster, personal trainers and co-owners of Studio Athletica. What makes this conversation interesting is that neither of them fit the stereotype people often associate with the fitness industry. Cassie admits she actively avoided PE at school, while Dominic describes himself as “bang average” at sport before stumbling into fitness after nearly being kicked out of school. Together, they’ve gone on to build Studio Athletica… a training space designed for people who don’t feel comfortable in traditional gyms. We talk about the reality of working in the fitness industry, the surprisingly low barrier to entry, and why most people only survive in it long term if they genuinely care about helping others. We also get into gym-timidation (yep, you read that right), the pressure PTs feel to “look the part,” and the lessons they learned from working in some very questionable gyms along the way. Cassie also shares the story of opening her first dream studio… and losing it almost immediately because of a hidden basement beneath the floor. Please enjoy… Cassie and Dom. Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

May 6, 20261 hr 30 min

JobsWorth - Dan Nunn & Kane Read - When It’s Not the Job… It’s the Environment

This week on JobsWorth, I’m joined by Dan Nunn and Kane Reed, founders of 5 Physio. Both Dan and Kane knew from a young age that physiotherapy was the path they wanted to follow. What’s interesting is how that shared direction played out… through different environments, frustrations within the profession, and eventually coming back together to build something of their own. We talk about the realities of working in physio, from early experiences in the NHS to recognising the limitations within the industry and deciding to take a different route. We also get into what it’s like building a business with a friend, how they found their roles, navigated early friction, and built a partnership based on trust and clear “lanes”. Along the way, we touch on mistakes, growth, and why sometimes it’s not the job you fall out of love with… it’s where you’re doing it. Please enjoy… Dan and Kane. Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

April 29, 20261 hr 17 min

JobsWorth - Kelcie John-Lewis - From Job to Job to Finding What Fits

This week on JobsWorth, I’m joined by Kelcie John-Lewis. Kelcie is a portrait photographer, mum of two and founder of The Luna Edit, a vintage jewellery brand built around antique and second-hand lockets. In this episode, we talk about Kelcie’s colourful career journey, from office jobs and car dealerships to swimming teaching, photography and eventually building a brand that brings together her love of portraits, storytelling and vintage jewellery. We discuss the feeling of dreading work, the pressure to accept that unhappiness is just part of adult life, and why knowing what you don’t want can be just as important as knowing what you do. Kelcie also shares how The Luna Edit came to life, why lockets became her thing, and what it feels like to finally find work that makes sense. We also get into: ● Changing direction more than once ● Finding purpose through work ● Starting something while raising children ● Building a brand through Instagram ● The magic of old jewellery, photographs and memory Please enjoy… Kelcie John-Lewis. Find out more about this week’s guest here https://www.thelunaedit.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.lunaedit/ Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com

April 22, 20261 hr 31 min

JobsWorth - Jordan Gray - A Career in Music, Comedy and Beyond

This week on JobsWorth, I’m joined by Jordan Gray. Jordan is a musical comedian, writer and performer whose career has taken her from fronting a death metal band as a teenager, to releasing multiple albums, reaching the semi-finals of The Voice, and going on to create her Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated show Is It A Bird? In this episode, we explore what that journey has really looked like. From finding early validation through music, to building a career in the industry, experiencing the reality of success and how that can feel very different behind the scenes. We also talk about the moment things started to feel a bit flat, despite everything appearing to go in the right direction, and what led her to step away from music and move into comedy. Along the way, we get into identity, performance, the pressure that comes with being seen, and how her relationship with work has evolved over time. There are also some brilliant moments throughout from school death metal bands to live performance stories and everything in between. Please enjoy… Jordan Gray. Recorded at Jabber Studio; https://jabberstudio.co.uk/ Watch the show on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@jobsworthpodcast Follow the show on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/jobsworthpodcast/?hl=en Subscribe to the JobsWorth newsletter; https://jobsworth-newsletter.subscribepage.io/ Follow me on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhawker/ Follow me on TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltechcollective Contact the show on hello@jobs-worth.com