In this episode, we sit down with Tricksy Tom, Tom Cocker, a professional magician and entertainer who turned a childhood love of card tricks into a full-time career performing on stages, holiday parks, and events across the country. We talk about the reality behind the “magic” — from intense rehearsal and dealing with things going wrong on stage, to building confidence, handling pressure, and navigating the entertainment industry.

They open up about finding their creative voice, the grind of performing night after night, how social media now shapes the world of magic, and why the most powerful moments happen when tricks don’t go perfectly.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Opening ✦ It's a Kind of Magic

03:42 – Discovering Magic as a Kid

07:18 – Turning a Hobby into a Career

12:05 – Performing on Stage for the First Time

16:33 – Dealing with Nerves and Mistakes

21:47 – The Reality of Life on the Road

26:14 – The Magic Behind “The Trick”

31:39 – Finding a Personal Style

36:52 – Social Media & Modern Magic

42:11 – When Things Go Wrong (and Why It’s Good)

47:03 – Memorable Audience Moments

52:26 – Advice for Aspiring Performers

56:10 – Final Thoughts & Outro

Rob welcomes Vincent and Jennifer Smart, the husband-and-wife team behind Urban Farm Mushrooms, to talk about their fascinating journey from traditional service businesses to mushroom cultivation. They discuss discovering their love for fungi, learning to grow and market their products, and the challenges of selling mushroom-based food supplements in a world still learning about “food as medicine.” Expect plenty of humour, insight, and inspiration — plus a few “magic mushroom” stories along the way.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – All Mushrooms Are Magic
01:12 – Meet Vincent and Jen Smart
03:00 – From Window Cleaning to Entrepreneurship
06:10 – Finding Passion in Fungi
09:30 – The Leap Into Urban Farm Mushrooms
13:00 – Building a Business as a Couple
16:40 – Challenges of Selling Mushrooms
20:15 – Educating the Market
23:00 – Mushroom Magic vs. Misconceptions
26:30 – Favourite Mushrooms and Why
30:10 – Growing and Training Mushrooms
33:00 – Cordyceps: The Zombie Fungus
36:15 – Life Beyond the Lab
39:00 – The Joy of Helping Others
41:10 – Advice, Kryptonite, and Superpowers
44:00 – Where to Find Urban Farm Mushrooms
45:50 – Closing Pun & Future Plans

This week, Rob Baines sits down with Alice Potter, founder of Eighth House HR, to talk about her journey from teaching primary school children to guiding adults through the challenges of the workplace.

Alice shares how her time in the classroom prepared her for HR, the importance of clear communication, and why getting HR involved early can save businesses time, stress, and money. From funny classroom stories to jaw-dropping HR horror tales, this episode dives into what really happens behind the scenes when people, policies, and personalities collide.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome
01:10 – Meet Alice Potter from Eighth House HR
03:00 – From Classroom to Career Change
06:45 – Lessons from Teaching That Shape HR
10:20 – The Realities of Primary School Life
13:40 – How Teaching Prepared Her for HR Challenges
17:00 – The Turning Point: Entering the HR World
19:15 – “Getting HR Involved” – What It Really Means
22:00 – Why Small Businesses Need HR Early
25:10 – Communication: The Secret to a Healthy Workplace
28:00 – HR Horror Stories and Workplace Confessions
31:20 – Handling the Awkward Stuff Professionally
34:00 – Life Outside HR: Dogs, Kids, and Dough Kneading
36:15 – Comparing Teaching and HR
38:10 – Final Five: Superpowers, Films, and Advice
40:30 – Wrap-Up & Where to Find Alice

Watch on ⁠YouTube⁠.

Rob sits down with Dom Middlemiss, founder of ⁠DJM Financial Planning⁠ and fourth-generation farmer. Dom shares his unique journey from life on the family farm to building a financial planning business, blending traditional farming values with modern financial strategies. They discuss the challenges of running a farm, the parallels between farming cycles and financial planning, the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship, and the importance of finding balance between passion, practicality, and long-term planning.

If you’ve ever wondered how farming and finance intersect—or how to turn life lessons from the field into strategies for business success—this episode is for you.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

02:10 – Farming Roots

05:25 – From Farm to Finance

08:40 – Starting a Business

12:15 – Life on the Farm Today

15:20 – Lessons in Risk and Reward

18:45 – Splurges and Impulses

22:10 – The Joy of Financial Planning

25:00 – Retirement Dreams

27:15 – Farming and Finance Parallels

29:21 – Closing

Watch this episode on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of NeBiznis, Rob welcomes his wife, Charlotte, a nurse with a passion for journaling and stationery. Charlotte shares her journey from nursing to launching her creative business ArtiiSmartii, where she designs stickers, bookmarks, and notepads. They discuss the therapeutic value of journaling, balancing creativity with work and the challenges of starting a small business. From washi tape obsessions to collaborating with local shops, Charlotte’s story highlights how following your passion can grow into something more.

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Chapters

• 00:00 – Introduction & Washi Tape Obsession
• 04:15 – Charlotte’s Origin Story
• 09:32 – Nursing Career & Challenges
• 14:47 – Finding Balance Through Journaling
• 20:10 – The Birth of Artie Smartie
• 25:26 – First Products & Collaborations
• 30:38 – Growing a Creative Business
• 35:12 – Fun Characters & Favourite Creations
• 38:20 – Quick-Fire Questions
• 40:30 – Closing & Where to Find Charlotte

Watch this episode on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of NeBiznis, Rob chats with Tom Cockerill, founder of Cockrell and Co. and host of The UK Flooring Podcast. Tom shares his rollercoaster journey from building a successful flooring business to losing everything—house, cars, business—and then rising again to create a thriving consultancy that now supports flooring businesses across the UK.

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Chapters

• 00:00 – Intro & Meet Tom Cockrell
• 03:12 – Tom’s Business Journey
• 08:08 – Lessons Learned & Asking for Help
• 13:15 – Mental Health & Mindset in Business
• 17:34 – Podcasting & Keeping It Real
• 22:00 – Make or Break: The Mindset Course
• 26:10 – Flooring Freedom & Client Success
• 30:00 – Life Outside Business
• 33:00 – Ice Baths, Kryptonite & Quickfire
• 36:00 – Outro

Watch this episode on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠.

We dive deep into the rollercoaster journey of Arron Goulbourn, founder of Heatwave Plumbing. From early dreams of becoming a car designer to dishing out mortgage advice, Arron shares how a series of twists, turns, and setbacks ultimately led him to plumbing and launching his own successful business.

We talk about the power of resilience, the realities of managing tradespeople, integrating tech into traditional services, and how outdoor hiking adventures help Arron reset from the chaos of entrepreneurship. Plus, there's a surprising amount of chat about plumber innuendos, frozen bogs, and an unforgettable night in a stone hut.

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Chapters

• 00:00 – Intro & Meet Arron Goulbourn
• 03:15 – Life as a Tradesman & Business Growth
• 08:45 – Tech That Transformed the Trade
• 13:50 – Arron’s Winding Career Journey
• 20:15 – Factory Work, Plumbing, and Starting Over
• 27:20 – From Getting Fired to Founding Heatwave
• 32:30 – Plumbing Stereotypes & Funny Stories
• 34:45 – Hiking Adventures & Mental Reset
• 41:00 – Ultra-Marathons, Greg’s Hut & Ice Cream Kryptonite
• 46:00 – Plumber Jokes, Superpowers & Wrap-Up

Watch this episode on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

Join host Rob Baines (from ⁠⁠Rob-Cam Productions⁠⁠) as he chats with Katie, a solicitor at Evans & Co., about the realities of working in family law and conveyancing, while juggling major life events like her upcoming wedding. Katie shares her journey into law, the emotional highs and lows of her work, and offers honest advice for aspiring solicitors, particularly the importance of building connections and learning through real-world experience.

Beyond the legal talk, we touch on wedding stress, honeymoon plans in Mexico, dog-friendly pubs, chocolate addictions, and guilty-pleasure TV shows. Rob and Katie bond over creative passions, shared career pressures, and their mutual love of storytelling (with a surprise Doctor Who connection thrown in!).

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