Episode #563 - Turning Isolation into Growing A Collective That Transforms Local Shopping Into Shared Purpose - with Sarah O'Neill
Release Date: 01/21/2026
Episode #572 - From Virtual Assistant to Strategic Agency: Evolving for Growth - with Samantha Thurlow
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Samantha Thurlow, founder of In Collaboration, a business support agency that’s grown from offering virtual assistant services to delivering full-service strategy, admin, and marketing. As her business evolves into a two-brand model, with the launch of Creative Bean Studios, Sam shares how she’s adapting to market shifts, overcoming growing pains, and preparing for the next stage of her scaleup journey. Key Takeaways Pivoting the Business Model: Sam transitioned In Collaboration from a flexible associate model to a hybrid employed...
info_outline
Episode #571 - ScaleUp Club - Dr. Serge Santos on Letting Go, Building Legacy, and Leading with Purpose
ScaleUp Radio
This episode of ScaleUp Radio is part of our Scale-Up Club spotlight series – a special format where we welcome back a previous guest to go deeper in a live Q&A session with our Scale-Up Club members. This time, we shine the spotlight on Dr. Serge Santos, also known as The Business Physicist – and for good reason. Serge brings a rare blend of financial acumen, physics-trained problem solving, and a deep passion for business legacy. From being made redundant in 2013 to raising £700 million and running three growing businesses under his Bedrock Enterprises group, Serge speaks with...
info_outline
Episode #570 - ScaleUp Radio Shorts – The Veteran vs The Challenger: Value, Grit & the Art of Scaling
ScaleUp Radio
In this punchy episode of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, hosts Kevin Brent and Louise Blunt unpack the sharpest lessons from two remarkably different guests – and the surprising connections between them. On one side: 🧠 Andrew Bloch; seasoned PR expert, co-founder of Frank PR, and now high-level "fixer" and M&A advisor. On the other: 🚀 Claudiu Cogalniceanu; scrappy startup founder of Sentrya, fighting phishing with tech while driving Uber to fund his dream. Despite being at opposite ends of the business spectrum, their journeys share deep truths about scaling, resilience, and self-awareness....
info_outline
Episode #569 - Turning Procrastination Into Progress – How Graeme Tennick Is Reimagining Accountancy Through Impact, Habits and Accountability
ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Graeme Tennick, the founder of Tennick Accountants – a firm that’s challenging the traditional view of accountants as compliance providers by driving real strategic impact for clients and the wider community. Graeme shares how his firm has rooted itself in a compelling mission: to make lives better – for their team, their clients, and even the world. And this isn’t just a tagline. From the way they set goals with clients to how they measure internal performance and reward behaviour, it’s clear that purpose drives everything...
info_outline
Episode #568 - ScaleUp Club - How to Build a High-Performing Team Culture - with Alina Stancu
ScaleUp Radio
In this special ScaleUp Club VIP session, we’re joined by Alina Stancu, co-founder of The Orange Notebook, for a focused and interactive discussion on what it really takes to build a high-performing team culture, even with a remote team or contractors. Through practical frameworks, lived experience, and powerful case studies, Alina guides us through how culture is either fuelling or silently stalling your business, and what you can do about it. You’ll hear: 🔸 Why most cultural breakdowns stem from missing safety and purpose – and why these two ingredients are non-negotiable. 🔸 How...
info_outline
Episode #567 - Rocket Science vs Business Rates - Scaling Lessons from Both Worlds
ScaleUp Radio
In this special edition of ScaleUp Radio Shorts, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson dive into two recent interviews that couldn’t be more different on the surface; but reveal some remarkably similar lessons underneath. On one side, we have Aqeel Shamsul, founder of cutting-edge space biotech startup Frontier Space, turning microgravity into a drug development advantage. On the other, Tom Perry and Ella Chapman from Holloway Bond, redefining the approach to business rates recovery through data-led outreach and customer-first practices. From rocket science to rateable values, this episode is a...
info_outline
Episode #566 - Why Doing Things Differently with approaching Business Rates Helped This Young Business Scale Without Losing Control - with Tom Perry & Ella Chapman
ScaleUp Radio
Granger Forson here from and on LinkedIn, and in this episode of ScaleUp Radio I’m joined by Tom Perry and Ella Chapman, founders of Holloway Bond. In just three years, Tom and Ella have quietly built a specialist business that champions companies who are unknowingly overpaying business rates. Rather than chasing every prospect, Holloway Bond flips the model on its head by using data to proactively identify who they can truly help, before ever picking up the phone. What stands out immediately is their integrity. Operating on a no-win-no-fee basis, they only take on...
info_outline
Episode #565 - Unlocking Drug Discovery in Space - with Aqeel Shamsul of Frontier Space
ScaleUp Radio
What if the future of drug discovery isn’t on Earth? In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Aqeel Shamsul, the visionary CEO and co-founder of Frontier Space, a UK-based space biotech company developing shoebox-sized biolabs to unlock the power of microgravity for pharmaceutical R&D. Spun out of Aqeel’s PhD at Cranfield University, Frontier Space is on a mission to make in-space research and biomanufacturing accessible, affordable, and impactful, and they’ve already achieved what few startups can: bootstrapping two space missions and securing over £1.3M in...
info_outline
Episode #564 - From water tech to rewards apps - what scaling really takes
ScaleUp Radio
In this ScaleUp Radio Shorts episode, Kevin Brent and Granger Forson compare the fascinating journeys of two recent guests: Samantha Mant, founder of Halcyan Water, and Sarah O’Neill, founder of The Cotswold Collective. While their businesses couldn’t be more different, one focused on water sustainability and the other on community-driven rewards, what unites both founders is their deep sense of mission and their ability to scale with authenticity. The conversation dives into: Why they started: One sparked by environmental impact, the other from a need for community. Marketing with heart...
info_outline
Episode #563 - Turning Isolation into Growing A Collective That Transforms Local Shopping Into Shared Purpose - with Sarah O'Neill
ScaleUp Radio
Find me, Granger Forson, at or on LinkedIn. Sarah O’Neill’s journey began with a simple, heartfelt need: to feel part of a community again. What started as a personal response to the isolation of lockdowns grew into Cotswold Collective, a thriving rewards-based membership platform dedicated to supporting local businesses and bringing people together. Her background in marketing and events became the spark that helped transform a difficult season of life into something meaningful for thousands of others. In our conversation, Sarah shares the early days of the...
info_outlineFind me, Granger Forson, at www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk or on LinkedIn.
Sarah O’Neill’s journey began with a simple, heartfelt need: to feel part of a community again. What started as a personal response to the isolation of lockdowns grew into Cotswold Collective, a thriving rewards-based membership platform dedicated to supporting local businesses and bringing people together. Her background in marketing and events became the spark that helped transform a difficult season of life into something meaningful for thousands of others.
In our conversation, Sarah shares the early days of the Collective, from persuading the first 40–50 local brands to take a chance on an unproven idea, through to today’s network of more than 450 businesses and a rapidly growing membership. Her energy is infectious, and her belief in conscious shopping, shared experiences, and celebrating the stories behind local businesses shines through every step of her journey.
We also explore how the Collective has evolved into a sophisticated digital product, recently launching an app that already has hundreds of downloads. Sarah explains how she designed the offers to be completely bespoke, ensuring that brands feel valued while consumers enjoy something genuinely special each time they use their membership.
What really stands out is Sarah’s deep commitment to purposeful connection. Whether through events, collaborations, or simply encouraging people to rediscover the high street,
Cotswold Collective is about more than rewards. It’s about belonging, supporting independents, and creating those magical moments when people meet, collaborate, and flourish together.
Finally, Sarah opens up about the realities of building the business while raising two young children, the power of saying yes, and what it means to grow something with heart. This episode is packed with inspiration for founders, community-builders, and anyone who believes small actions can create big impact.
To ensure you don’t miss any inspirational future episodes do subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.
So, let’s now dive into the inspiring journey of community, connection and conscious shopping with Sarah.
Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.
If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:
https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin
Book a call with Granger - 30 minutes value add conversation for Business owners with Staff.
https://api.goexela.com/widget/bookings/catchupgrangerugx7zl
You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:
Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!
Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.
More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/
Sarah can be found here:
https://cotswoldcollective.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjayneoneill/
https://www.instagram.com/cotswold.collective/
Resources:
Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/harry-potter-and-the-philosopher-s-stane-harry-potter-and-the-philosopher-s-stone-in-scots-j-k-rowling/3277111?ean=9781785301544&next=t
Diary of a CEO podcast - https://stevenbartlett.com/doac/
Cotswold Collective podcast - https://rephonic.com/podcasts/the-cotswold-collective-podcast
Cotswold Collective app - https://cotswoldcollective.co/