Never Settle Podcast

Kirsty Thomson is a social entrepreneur and the founder & CEO of both ACK & The Circle. She setup her first business 6 years ago after returning to her hometown of Dundee and being unable to find a job in academia. As a psychologist & researcher, Kirsty applied those skills to creating firstly ACK & then The Circle - both organisations that are focused on solving problems for their target audience. In this episode we discuss Kirsty’s journey, how she got started in business, where that journey has taken her, and then dive into her experiences on the Saltire Fellowship in Boston this past Autumn. Kirsty’s is an inspiring story of a young woman who’s achieved a great deal in the past six years since she launched her first business. What does the next six years hold for Kirsty? Listen in to find out! You can keep up with Kirsty and her businesses on twitter by following them on - Kirsty https://twitter.com/Kirsty1Thomson ACK https://twitter.com/weareACK The Circle https://twitter.com/thecir

At 29 years of age, Councillor John Alexander is the youngest leader of any Council within Scotland. John took over the Council leadership in May 2017 having originally been elected in 2012 at the age of 23 and serves the community where he still lives. We talk about the changing political landscape, the move to a more collaborative style of politics (of which John is a champion) and delve into what motivates him to live his life serving the community. 2018 is an exciting time for Dundee, with the waterfront development and the opening of the V&A Museum of Design, however, we also talk about the social challenges facing the City - a subject very close to John’s heart. As a modern politician, John doesn’t spend his time sitting in an ivory tower, rather he likes to get out and meet the people of the City, listen to what they have to say, and involve them in the political dialogue. He also makes use of social networks to connect and you can find him on the following platforms: Twitter https://twitter.co

Chris Marr is the Founder of the Content Marketing Academy. Chris is a ‘no bullshit’ kind of guy and through CMA he wants to help you to understand how the dramatic shift in consumer behaviour impacts how you communicate, get new customers and grow a profitable business. In this episode we explore Chris’ early working life inside a large University and why he vowed never to work for anyone again; Chris talks about the importance of learning everyday; we dig into the rebrand of CMA in the summer of 2017 - an event that Chris describes as the most important decision he’s made in business. We also learn about his Jonny Cupcakes obsession, and what makes the brand such an influence for Chris. https://johnnycupcakes.com/ And finally Chris shares the reason why he does what he does with us. Find out more about CMA at: https://www.thecontentmarketingacademy.co.uk/ Connect with Chris on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/chrismarr101

Gillian Easson is Director of Creative Dundee, an organisation that supports creative talent to base, grow and sustain their practice in and around Dundee, by connecting and amplifying the city’s creativity. In this episode we discuss the beginnings of Creative Dundee, which Gillian started as a blog in 2008 with co-founder Lyall Bruce. We explore the changes that have taken place in the City’s creative community since then and discuss the new Creative Industries Strategy that Gillian’s team led on, and which was published in October 2017. Find out more about Creative Dundee at: https://creativedundee.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Creative_Dundee

The Dundee Centre of Entrepreneurship opened on 24th September 2017. A partnership between Elevator, who run the successful Aberdeen Accelerator, and the University of Dundee, this is the first Accelerator program to run in Dundee. In this episode we speak to Simon Fraser from Elevator & Brian McNicoll from the University of Dundee. You’ll hear about both organisations aims for the Centre, as well as their views on the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in the City. Brian also gives us a glimpse into his past as a computer games entrepreneur. It’s another fun & fast-paced show for you to enjoy! Simon Fraser http://www.elevatoruk.com/ Brian McNicoll https://www.dundee.ac.uk/entrepreneurship/theteam/details/brian-mcnicoll.php

Gavin Bell is an Edinburgh-based Entrepreneur, speaker & YouTuber. He’s also originally from Shetland, where his parents still live, and many of Gavin’s YouTube videos share the beauty and remoteness of the Island. In this episode we get into the detail of how to succeed with Facebook Ads (Gav’s a world-leader in this stuff), we talk about Facebook Watch, the App giant’s new video platform and drill into Gavin’s life as a YouTube creator. You’ll learn Gavin’s process for creating videos, how he shares them on different platforms, and he shares his tips for getting started with video. Enjoy the show! Gavin Bell Twitter https://twitter.com/MrGavinBell Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MrGavinBell/ Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYwX0DRfD06rx1E9iNa7fFw Training Course http://mrgavinbell.com/amplify Alasdair McGill - Host Ashton McGill is the culmination of a career that started back in 1987, when I was a young trainee accountant. Fast forward 30 years, many of which were spent as

Alasdair McGill introduces the Never Settle podcast - he gives the lowdown on what the podcast is about as well as a clue on our first guests.