Jakub Wawszczyk is a self-taught Software Developer from an Eastern town in Poland. Since moving to Manchester he has skipped the traditional route of university and entered the tech sector at the age of 18. With the help of his 2 co-founder he has recently launched his first start-up, Luma.

Last year, along with their cofounder Dan, Alex and Josie started a new company where profit wasn't the focus, productivity was. They are looking to help companies and individuals work better, be more focussed, avoid burnout and live by these 11 words: one thing at a time; most important thing first: start now.

Drew Forsyth has been a Commercial & Dance photographer for 8 years. He's photographed Anne Hathaway, worked on a nationwide campaign for the CO-OP and much, much more. But how did someone without any formal training build a successful career in such a competitive industry?

Three years ago Rob Kropp - Augusta, Georgia's Rob Kropp - put his stuff away in storage, filled up his car and drove 2000 miles in two days. Since then he has worked in over 11 countries and in more than 100 co-working spaces in what has become a life long commitment to flexible working.

Viv Yau is the co-founder of Manchester's first influencer marketing agency: Bee Influence. Starting in traditional advertising with TBWA\Manchester, Viv then became an early adopter of influencer marketing with her work at Gleam Futures (where Zoella is a client) before going it alone. How has influencer marketing grown over the years and where does Viv intend to take it?

Alex Durant was a Tax Advisor, and then he became "reborn into social medias" and launched a start-up with his childhood friend. JigTalk is a dating app with a difference, it prioritises a users conversational ability over their physical appearance.

Kiran founded his first business at just 16 and has since focused on supporting youth entrepreneurship networks. As Head of Acceleration at Accelerate ME, he has helped over 70 founders grow 40 companies. Companies that have created more than 50 jobs and raised in excess of £2.4M. 

In the space of a few years Michal Wisniewski went from a structured career in engineering to launching his own company that aims to reboot how companies value and activate their culture. Is company culture a trend or is it here to stay?

Unlike a lot of people who fall into Marketing, Poppy Heap decided at the age of 18 to study it at University. Four years later she is about to complete her first full year in work as a Marketing Executive. How has her opinion of Marketing changed and how well did university equip her for the reality of the industry?

What if socks could change the world? Josh Turner took a beer-fueled joke and turned it into a social enterprise. From selling counterfit Ralph Lauren shirts on eBay at 13 to closing down Ipswich town centre with a teen club night, Josh's journey has focused on making his career work on his terms. His approach to work has led to his latest venture: Stand4Socks. What is it like being an entrepreneur? What are the sacrifices and what sort of person succeeds? 

Aine is part of the team that launched PwC's Scale Programme to help start-ups overcome the typical obstacles that young companies encounter. Over the past few years, Aine has worked with more than 150 business over 15 programmes and has a great insight into how companies should grow to ensure that it isn't just growth for growth's sake.

If this series is investigating the growing opportunities on offer for people working within digital, then no one is better placed to talk about its benefits than Vimla Appadoo. Awarded the 2018 Young Digital Entrepreneur of the Year, co-founder of Manchester's SheSaysMCR, former organiser of the city's Silicon Drinkabout and current employee for FutureGov, she has managed to take ownership of her career and navigate it better than anyone while abiding by her values along the way.

If this series is investigating the growing opportunities on offer for people working within digital, then no one is better placed to talk about its benefits than Vimla Appadoo. Awarded the 2018 Young Digital Entrepreneur of the Year, co-founder of Manchester's SheSaysMCR, former organiser of the city's Silicon Drinkabout and current employee for FutureGov, she has managed to take ownership of her career and navigate it better than anyone while abiding by her values along the way.

Steve Hamton has spent 15 years oscillating between being a business person and being an art director. Whether it was photographing Tommy Hilfiger in New York, or working in a stationery company in Manchester, Steve's experience is varied and he represents a professional who wanted to take his career into his own hands. Regardless of the cost.

Steve Hamton has spent 15 years oscillating between being a business person and being an art director. Whether it was photographing Tommy Hilfiger in New York, or working in a stationery company in Manchester, Steve's experience is varied and he represents a professional who wanted to take his career into his own hands. Regardless of the cost.

Amy Gornall has seen Liverpool-based Doris IT expand significantly over her 3 years as part of the team. With rapid growth like this comes a strong loyalty to a company and a brand, but how has this single, first experience of work shaped her overall attitude to her career? Is she in a bubble and, if so, should she even care?

Amy Gornall has seen Liverpool-based Doris IT expand significantly over her 3 years as part of the team. With rapid growth like this comes a strong loyalty to a company and a brand, but how has this single, first experience of work shaped her overall attitude to her career? Is she in a bubble and, if so, should she even care?

Lisa has moved from a Tech start-up where she spent 3 years doing everything to running a co-working space in Manchester's city centre called Accelerate Places. She spends her days surrounded by small businesses looking to scale and grow and knows what makes a company successful and, also, what makes one unsuccessful.

Lisa has moved from a Tech start-up where she spent 3 years doing everything to running a co-working space in Manchester's city centre called Accelerate Places. She spends her days surrounded by small businesses looking to scale and grow and knows what makes a company successful and, also, what makes one unsuccessful.

At the time of recording, Ben Davies was the Marketing Manager of Ziferblat, a pay-per-minute cafe in Manchester's Northern Quarter that embodies the increasingly flexible approach to work. Now the Marketing Manager at Manchester's digital behemoth MediaChain, we cover the freelance economy, forging your own path and understanding when to stop.

At the time of recording, Ben Davies was the Marketing Manager of Ziferblat, a pay-per-minute cafe in Manchester's Northern Quarter that embodies the increasingly flexible approach to work. Now the Marketing Manager at Manchester's digital behemoth MediaChain, we cover the freelance economy, forging your own path and understanding when to stop.

Robyn Dooley dropped out of college at 17 to pursue a mission. Her mission became a movement which evolved into a company: OH. OH offers alternative education for creative people and is filling the opportunities gap in Liverpool. A member of 2018's BIMA100, a speaker at 2018's International Business Festival and all-round digital wunderkind.

Robyn Dooley dropped out of college at 17 to pursue a mission. Her mission became a movement which evolved into a company: OH. OH offers alternative education for creative people and is filling the opportunities gap in Liverpool. A member of 2018's BIMA100, a speaker at 2018's International Business Festival and all-round digital wunderkind.

Dan Kelsall has done a number of things ranging from owning his own gym to creating an organic vaseline. But in this episode, we focus on his start-up Vonkel and explore how it arrived, how it grew and then how it eventually ended. A story that takes in the consequences of shady venture capital and the difficulties of running your own company in your twenties.