People Behind Brands Podcast

Hosted by Mark Tuxford

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Latest episode

Nov 2025

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About the show

Welcome to People Behind Brands - the podcast uncovering the stories, struggles, and successes of the entrepreneurs, creatives, and innovators from all walks of life. In each episode, host Mark Tuxford, sits down with inspiring guests to explore life lessons from the world of business - these are real people with real stories. And remember — People Behind Brands is more than just a podcast. We also host live events and networking experiences to help you grow your brand through authentic, face-to-face connections and powerful conversations. Visit peoplebehindbrands.com for more information.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 5, 2025Episode 6237 min

Ep 62: Luke Worley - Married At First Sight, Dating Naked, Reality TV Hardships & Building His Business

Today’s guest is someone who’s no stranger to the spotlight - Luke Worley. You might recognise Luke from his appearances on Married at First Sight back in 2023 and, more recently, Dating Naked. Luke opens up about his experiences on TV dating shows and the highs and lows that come with it. But beyond reality TV, Luke is carving out his own path as the founder of Tezlo, where he’s committed to building a brand rooted in honesty and great service. What makes Luke stand out isn’t just his drive in a competitive industry - it’s his dedication to staying true to himself and creating something that not only represents who he is but also supports the people he cares about most. In this episode, we explore Luke’s journey from TV screens to business ownership, how he approaches authenticity in business, and what loyalty really means to him both personally and professionally.

September 17, 2025Episode 6128 min

Ep 61: Paul Warren - Family Heartbreak, Resilience, Purpose & Building Honest Brands

For a very special episode, and our first captured on video; Host, Mark Tuxford sits down with Paul Warren, Founder of Making Websites Better (MWB), for an inspiring conversation packed with life lessons and raw honesty. From starting out as a teenage graphic designer to building an award-winning print business during the 2008 crash, Paul then moved into launching a website performance agency rooted in honesty, empathy, and smart thinking as well as looking back to a period of overcoming financial and personal challenges throughout his career and entrepreneurship - Paul explains why he sees what could be deemed as a 'failure' to others as his teacher, and why authenticity in business (and in life) is so important. Paul touches upon his personal experiences with resilience, family and purpose after losing his sister to an epilepsy related complication, but ensuring her legacy remains intact when he became a charity ambassador for SUDEP Action. If you’re an entrepreneur, creative, or just love hearing real stories behind the brands, this episode is for you. Available now on YouTube and wherever you get your audio based podcasts from.

August 27, 2025Episode 6042 min

Ep 60: Paul Banks - From Mental Health Struggles to Superpowers: Depression, ADHD, Creativity & Purpose

In the hotseat today is Paul Banks - a creative force in video marketing with Javelin Content Management and the host of MarketPulse, a podcast exploring the ever-evolving world of sales and marketing. But Paul’s story goes far beyond video content strategy. He opens up about his personal journey with ADHD - the struggles, the breakthroughs, and how it’s become a superpower that drives his creativity, energy, and empathy. From volunteering as a Police Officer to working in retail, Paul’s career path has been anything but linear. He shares how each chapter shaped the purpose he lives by today: to help people and make a meaningful impact. Paul also talks candidly about his experiences with depression, how his North East roots in Sunderland and love for football keep him grounded, and why everything he does is ultimately for his family. With his wife as his biggest support, Paul’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and turning adversity into action. This one’s about identity, community, and finding power in the things that once held us back.

August 13, 2025Episode 5935 min

Ep 59: Helen Barnett - From Crime Scenes to Content Strategy: Storytelling, Burnout & Finding Freedom

In this episode we chat to Helen Barnett — a former national newspaper journalist turned content strategist, helping brands find their voice and tell their stories with clarity and impact. Helen takes us behind the scenes of her journalism days, the role she always dreamed of doing as a young girl. From cutting her teeth as a crime reporter to chasing deadlines, turning up to intense interviews, and learning to perform under pressure. Today, she channels that same tenacity and storytelling instinct into working one-on-one with clients, becoming what she calls their “own personal journalist.” We also dive into Helen’s experience with burnout, how news has changed in the media over the years and how launching her own content strategy business gave her the freedom to choose not just what she works on, but who she works with. Plus, we get a personal glimpse into her roots as a Crewe Alexandra fan, and the unexpected journey of falling in love with the beautiful game. This is a conversation about trusting your instincts, following your dream and finding freedom in the work you love.

July 23, 2025Episode 5837 min

Ep 58: Sachin Parmar - Branding with Purpose, Navigating Grief & Building a Legacy

In this episode, we’re joined by Sachin Parmar — founder of Graphic Kitchen, a branding studio shaping the hospitality space, as well as his role as the driving force behind Niche by Nisha, a kitchenware product, born from his wife, Nisha Parmar’s journey as a contestant on the BBC hit TV series MasterChef in 2018. Sachin shares his inspiring story of building creative ventures rooted in meaning, love, and personal connection — from helping hospitality brands find their voice, to bringing a family dream to life in the kitchen. But this episode also takes a deeply personal turn. Sachin opens up about the tragic loss of his cousin to suicide — an event that sent shockwaves through his family and changed him forever. He reflects on grief, strained relationships, and what it means to truly show up for the people around us. This is a conversation about creativity, purpose, navigating pain, and the legacy we leave — not just through our work, but in how we treat others.

July 2, 2025Episode 5732 min

Ep 57: Callum Gracie - SEO, DJ Decks & Navigating ADHD, Fatherhood & Business

For episode 57, we head Down Under for our first Australian guest — Callum Gracie. Callum is a digital marketing specialist with a focus on SEO, helping businesses get seen in all the right places online. But when the laptop closes, he’s behind the decks, bringing people together through music and energy. In this episode, Callum opens up about his mission to help others — whether it’s through search visibility or shared experiences — and how his recent ADHD diagnosis has given him a deeper understanding of himself. We explore the highs and lows, the productivity boosts and the mental noise, as well as learning to work with his mind, not against it. Whilst stepping into two massive roles: becoming a parent and building a business. This is a raw and honest conversation about mental health, identity, and purpose — about juggling the chaos and still showing up with heart. Whether it’s for his clients, his family, or the crowd on the dance floor, Callum’s mission is simple: to help people feel seen, supported, and uplifted. So let’s hear what the man from down under has got to say…

June 18, 2025Episode 5640 min

Ep 56: Andrew Wright - From Outsider to Purpose-Driven Fatherhood Through Music & Sustainability

In this episode Mark sits down with Andrew Wright - a Business Development Manager with a powerful story of self-discovery. From feeling like an outsider in his younger years, struggling to find direction and being brought up in an old-school environment where male emotions weren’t openly shared. Andrew’s early years were filled with quiet challenges. But everything began to change when he found music — his creative outlet, his escape, and eventually, his compass. Now deeply invested in sustainability through his line of work, Andrew shares how becoming a father gave him a new purpose. For his daughter, he’s building a future rooted in compassion, creativity, and care for the planet. This conversation is about finding meaning in new places, being vulnerable, and turning your passion into purpose.

May 21, 2025Episode 5523 min

Ep 55: Kyle McGill - Resilience, Fatherhood & Becoming the Person You Needed

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, we sit down with Kyle McGill, a Financial Planner at Amber River, whose story is anything but ordinary. Kyle opens up about his challenging childhood, growing up with an alcoholic mother, no father figure and the emotional scars that followed her passing. Far from letting his past define him, Kyle shares how it became the fuel that drives his relentless pursuit of growth — not just professionally, but as a father, a man, and a human being. Now raising a two-year-old son with his ever-supporting wife, Kyle reflects on the lessons he’s learned, the values he’s building his life around, and the mindset that keeps him never satisfied, always pushing to be better in every area of his life. This episode is about resilience, fatherhood, and the quiet, daily grind of becoming the person you needed when you were younger. If you’ve ever struggled with your past, or you’re on a journey of personal growth, this one will hit home.

March 4, 2025Episode 5428 min

EP 54: Richard Clegg - From DJ Booths to Boardrooms — An Ambitious Life in Business & Beyond

On today’s episode we welcome Richard Clegg from JMS Financial Services Group. It’s fair to say Richard has had a varied career from starting out as a DJ from an early age, playing various festivals and venues. Working with the likes of Tinchy Strider, Ed Sheeran, Skepta, Wiley and many more famous names. Before moving into the world of property development and financial services, working with banks and lenders. Richard has utilised his wide range of connections from multiple industries and embraced transferable skills. Having left school at the age of 16 and dealing with a tough family life in his younger years, Richard is always willing to learn and put his heart and soul into any given project. It’s a testament that Richard has degrees in marketing and finance to hone his skills further. When Richard isn’t busy developing his career and hitting the next milestone, he co-parents his two children who he helped to raise at different points in his life. He opens up about how his work ethic has impacted his personal relationships over his life. Let’s hear what Richard has to say about his eventful and ambitious life…

February 6, 2025Episode 5352 min

EP 53: Bolaji Olatoye - AI, Legacy & The Power of First Impressions

If you have a keen interest in music, you may recall the third studio album titled ‘No Jacket Required’, released by popular singer-songwriter, Phil Collins. However, as our next guest testifies, to make that all important first impression, a smart jacket that stands out is always required. This is also the founding element of how our bond ignited into a friendship & valued connection in business. Mr Bolaji Olatoye takes centre stage in this powerful episode as we touch upon his life lessons from the world of business. These experiences have involved a varied career journey, crafting his vocation in the world of AI and how his late father has left a lasting impact on Bolaji’s life. An expert in his field, Bolaji opens up about how he makes his business work as a husband and wife duo, and how he also wants to leave a legacy for his children in the future. If there is one person who understands the importance of real human connection & stories from real people behind their brands, it’s that man, Bolaji.