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Who is Bobby Cummines? Bobby Cummines is a former hitman and armed robber from the London crime world, dominating his field throughout the 1970's. He was dubbed as Britain's youngest armed robber after holding up a post office with a sawed-off shotgun at age 16. Since then, he has changed his life around and was rightfully rewarded with an OBE for his charity work. Despite his criminal background, Bobby declines the title of gangster and suggests that he was a businessman whose business was crime as he was very good at organising things and earning money. How did Bobby's criminal journey begin? Bobby was born and raised in a straight-going, honest family. Bobby was also straight-going up until the day he had a dispute with police officers at age 15, which led to them stitching him up with a razor blade - suggesting that he was in possession of it. Because of this, he was forced to plead guilty which meant that he lost his job - which then awoke the criminal within him. Due to the lack of work and money, he got involved with the local firm (gang), his organisation skills led to him leading the firm at age 16. His first big crime was an armed robbery at 16, from there, he has been arrested for and accused of multiple murders and shootings. The numerous years of prison time and court visits allowed Bobby to meet a variety of crime figures such as the Kray twins and the Richardsons. Despite playing somewhat of a villain role, Bobby stays true to the code of his era which was both respect and honesty. "If you want respect you have to earn it. The only way you earn it is by treating ordinary people with respect" What is Bobby doing now? Bobby is now a anti-crime campaigner, helping to rehabilitate ex-convicts and those in trouble with crime. Because of the positive impact of his role, he was awarded an OBE in 2011 for his efforts in helping others that were in a similar position to himself at an earlier age. "The Queen told me I had a really colourful background and she was pleased to award me the OBE" He has also been asked to sit upon multiple government committees and has spoken to children at multiple schools in order to push his message as well as helping to change policies regarding crime and young people. His role as CEO of Unlock, the national association of reformed offenders, played a vital part in the rehabilitation of offenders. Bobby's reflection on the crime world Looking back after years of imprisonment, tragedies and bullet wounds, Bobby dismisses any romantic notions about the crime world. "It's a joke. That world is hell. You're totally paranoid" What can young entrepreneurs learn from Bobby Cummines? Looking at Bobby's story, there are some implicit similarities between his life as a criminal and the life of a young entrepreneur. It is clear that the more organised and courageous individuals amongst us often find it easier to dominate within an industry as they take centre stage - this is both the same for the criminal and business world. Therefore, us young entrepreneurs may want to work on our organisational skills as well as our confidence (by trying new things and testing your limits) in order to excel in whatever avenue of work we go down. Moreover, the idea of respect and honesty is also key as it is argued that the lying world shown in the likes of Wolf of Wall Street are dying and the world of honesty and community spirit is now more prevalent. Similarly, Bobby has also spent many years helping others, which may be a great thing to do for entrepreneurs that are starting off as this allows you to help others in a similar position to you and they will help you in return. One may be reading this wondering why a criminal is being glorified, in which case, I would say that I am not glorifying the crime but instead, I'm praising Bobby for turning his life around and pro-actively helping others to avoid going down a similar path. As the great Rafiki (from The Lion King) once said: "The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it" If you know any great stories about people changing their lives around and helping others, please let us know by commenting below or contacting me via Instagram @IfOnlyTheyKnewUK

Who is Jake Lee? Jake Lee is a young entrepreneur, who dropped out of University to run (what is now) a multi-million pound business. Jake was raised in Borden, Kent and was studying Economics as part of a 4 year degree at Loughborough University - although he saw it as a waste of time and left to begin his entrepreneurial journey. "University is the biggest con in the world" The entrepreneur set up a trading company after becoming interested in the trading world at age 14, when his Dad encouraged Jake to look into the industry. He solidified his interest in trading after completing an internship at age 16 with investment bank, Unicredit. Throughout his A-levels and University, Jake studied the ins and outs of trading, such as Forex, giving him the knowledge needed to set up his own trading company - now known as 'Improve Your Future Trading'. Due to Jake's trading expertise and the extensive efforts of his team, he has now built 'IYF Trading' to a stage where it is worth £2million. The team consists of 7 permanent staff members, all under the age of 25 - with 13 freelances also on board. This proves that age is not a barrier to success. However, Jake had not always been destined for a clear path to success, having been predicted to earn D grades in his GCSEs. So what can we, as young business minds, learn from Jake? Based on Jake's story, one can see that no matter what your age is and more importantly, what society labels you as, you CAN make a success of yourself. IOTK wish Jake and his team the best of luck - we know they will continue to do major things. "In five years I want the business to be worth £100 million. I know what I want and I know I am going to change this industry" Feel free to keep up with Jake's journey here: @JakeLeeIYF as well as IYF: @IYF_Trading & https://www.iyftrading.com/

Who is Joe Taylor Joe Taylor is a 19 year old entrepreneur from Leeds, England. Alongside his co-founder, Elliot Rayne, they run a company called EJ Events. What is EJ Events? EJ Events is a company that hosts premium events in England, providing a range of great bespoke events such as: Student nights International themed nights Corporate events Event launches The team launched in December 2018 and have produced so many amazing events that they were recently crowned the "UK's next generation entrepreneurs" for their age group in association with TSB Bank and Enterprise nation. They have also gained exposure within the press. Not only do Joe and Elliot run a successful business, they also share their expertise with schools and colleges around Yorkshire with their public speaking days. What is Joe's plan? In the near future, Joe's goal is to run branded evenings in venues across the UK. What is Joe's advice to young entrepreneurs? If Only They Knew spoke to the 19 year old entrepreneur who shared his advice for those in a similar position. Joe's advice to people wanting to start a business would be to find something you are truly passionate about. From this, you can work out what impact and change you can have within the world. This will then allow you to have an overall goal to focus on whilst bringing around change. Also, Joe suggests having an MVP (minimum viable product). "Don't be scared of being perfect. Being open to constructive criticism is key, it will help you develop as an entrepreneur" Joe is clearly doing very well, running a great business at such a young age. To find out more about Joe and his company, you can visit the following links: EJ Events: https://www.ejeventsuk.co.uk/ Joe Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/joe.taylo/ IOTK wish Joe and his team the best of luck, Ted Lawlor - Owner of If Only They Knew.

French-born but London-bred, Octavian has now become a star across the globe. If you haven't heard of Octavian, he is a musician that mostly dabbles in UK rap, but his music has been described by New York-based magazine 'The Fader' as a mix combination of house, rap and drill. His music has quickly gained the attention from music stars such as Drake, with the Canadian being filmed singing along to Octavian's 'Party Here' single. Octavian Oliver Godji was born on January 22, 1996 in Lille, France, from a family of Angolan heritage. After his Dad sadly passed away, the family moved to Camberwell in South London. Octavian attended Globe Academy in Southwark and won a scholarship to Brit School for his talents, but dropped out within a year and a half. In terms of his music career, Octavian dropped his first mixtape in 2016, but the popularity did not come until around 2018, as his tune 'Party Here' was slowly being picked up by pockets of fans within the UK music scene. This popularity then spiked when not only did social media giant 'IM JUST BAIT' begin posting Octavian's songs, but Drake also posted a video of him singing along to Octavian. This then led to Octavian releasing a hugely successful mixtape called 'Spaceman' in September 2018, which reached the UK top 100 chart and was number 35 in the UK R&B chart. The mixtape was pretty much a statement, with Octavian recognising his fame and solidifying his position as a UK music scene icon. The south-Londoner now has songs with Skepta, A$AP Ferg, Yxng Bane and much more. Moving quickly, Octavian has just released another mixtape ('Endorphins') to add to his discography and legacy. This is proof that anyone from any background can make it to wherever they want to be, just keep working and your efforts WILL be rewarded at some point. I'm sure that this is just the start for Octavian. Congratulations Octavian #EssiGang !

Who is Jack Parsons? Jack Parsons is a 25 year old, award-winning digital entrepreneur, public speaker and an all-round great guy. He has appeared on various platforms, such as BBC radio, London Business Awards and more. Like many of us at a young age, Jack was not entirely sure as to what he wanted to do with his life but he knew he wanted to follow whatever his passion would be. He completed an apprenticeship, which is where he found recruiting and realised his passion for bringing people closer towards their jobs and goals. He left the apprenticeship behind him, now knowing that he wanted to do something great for himself whilst doing something great for others at the same time. "My personal mission is to kick down doors for others to walk through" Jack learned the idea and the importance of building a truly honest personal brand after reading an article by Richard Branson. From this, Jack started reaching out to individuals to begin his journey in the business world, however, nobody wanted to meet him. So, Jack used his initiative and took a photo of 2 cups of tea with the caption "great day of meetings"... but the truth was, Jack didn't meet anybody - but this was the only way to create his personal brand at the time. From this moment, his brand began to pick up momentum across social media. The development of his online presence has allowed Jack to continue with his work, so... What does Jack do? Jack is the CEO of the Big Youth Group (BYG), which is a collective of youth-led services that aim to help young people become greater, whether this is by developing leadership skills or learning the art of building a personal brand, BYG helps young people develop the tangible skills that matter when looking for professional opportunities. As well as being heavily involved with this venture, Jack also speaks publicly across the globe, sharing his story and his advice for those in similar positions to himself. All of this allowed Jack to leave his family home at the age of 22 and employ a team of great people to join him on his journey, as well as fulfilling BYG's pledges: To create a community of 2 million 18-30 year olds To connect 400,000 young people to a work-life experience To create a virtual youth currency to help young people achieve more To build a digital marketplace where young people and businesses are connected in real time To accelerating the growth of 100 startups from young entrepreneurs To support 50 youth programmes, charities and campaigns to improve the odds for young people. "We need to instil confidence in young people by praising the process, not just the outcome" What is Jack’s advice for young entrepreneurs? If Only They Knew spoke to Jack, who shared 3 of his tips for those wanting to be successful both in and out of the business world: “Surround yourself with people who can enable your success” “Things take time so don't panic or rush” ”Be humble always” If you are interested in following Jack Parson's journey, you can follow him on Instagram & Twitter via @JackParsons_CEO as well as Big Youth Group @BigYgroup If Only They Knew wish Jack and his team the best of luck in their personal missions, as well as reaching their 6 pledges. Ted Lawlor, owner of If Only They Knew.

If Only They Knew Erin Moroney, the founder of Nibble - a company that sells nutritious, protein treats. Before founding Nibble, Erin Moroney was the co-owner of a photographic agency and an art director and producer for a creative agency. Then suddenly, the idea for Nibble came to light and Erin created a business that changed her life, as well as many others. Like many great ideas, the idea for Nibble came naturally as a reaction to an issue that many face in life. Erin was a former-vegetarian who was always feeling lethargic and tired, with low blood sugar levels. It was only when preparing for a Marathon that Erin changed then analysed her diet and realised she was protein deficient. To try and amend this problem, Erin looked for more ways to get protein into her diet. After a look of shopping around for protein sources, the entrepreneurial mindset of Erin kicked in and she thought she’d just make her own! To stand out and make a real difference, the entrepreneur knew that her protein bars must be nutritious and low in sugar. Initially, it was a challenge to get the right product, but after a few hundred test batches, Nibble had their product ready. Working with multiple food scientists, as well as manufacturers and more, Erin admits the process was tough but that the hard work was worth it as Nibble was awarded with a Bronze Innovation Challenge Award in 2017. “I think it probably helped in some respects that I’m not from the food industry.  Because I didn’t know any better, I pushed for things that experienced food developers had already ruled out as being too tricky or simply not possible.  Talk about a seriously steep learning curve!” Now, Nibble can be found at the following places: Amazon, Harvey Nichols, Whole Foods, Ocado and many more great places! So for those struggling in life, keep hustling. That key moment will appear and you can change not only your life, but also the lives of those across the globe. Sometimes that great business idea is staring you in the face, it may stem from a challenge you face everyday, just like Erin did. To keep up with Erin and Nibble, visit the following links: Nibble's Website Nibble's Instagram Nibble's Twitter Erin's LinkedIn You can also follow If Only They Knew on all social platforms for more content, from interviews to vlogs - it's all here at If Only They Knew. IOTK Instagram IOTK Twitter IOTK Facebook IOTK Youtube

Meet Jordan Adelekan, the 21-year-old owner of InspireDynasty Jordan Adelekan is the 21-year old entrepreneur from London who has gained support from Yxng Bane, Maya Jama, Tulisa and many others! But what does Jordan do? The young entrepreneur runs a premium clothing brand called InspireDynasty, which has been running for 2 years. InspireDynasty vows to offer the best quality and most value for their customers, perhaps a reason why they have gained the support of many high profile names from all areas of life, from actors to athletes. Jordan has also appeared on radio, featured in blogs & magazines and much more to spread the word about his brand. The reason he created his own company was to “show people that you can be a nobody from nowhere who was nothing, to become a somebody from somewhere who becomes something”. The Young entrepreneur wants people to see the greatness within them, “if I can show greatness within me through my story, I believe that others will be able to see that if I can do it, so can they.” “Ultimately, it comes down to how badly you want it” Jordan spoke in-depth about his vision for the next 5 years: “Within the next 5 years I know that I’m gonna work hard each and every day, without the daily goals being fulfilled I can’t reach longer term goals so my plan always consists of me taking each day as it comes and obtaining victory daily which will walk me into my purpose, my focus is more fixed on my day to day which will enable me to walk in to a greater future, one greater than I could even imagine” “ Without the victory being obtained daily you can’t reach the goals long term that are further down the line & I plan to have my brand evolve into one that seeds are being planted in every country world wide, having an impact and changing lives through the testimony of the brand, ultimately I want this brand to leave a legacy behind that stands for many things and will be remembered for breaking glass doors and turning the impossible into the possible, the goal is for InspireDynasty to live on past my time and past it’s own time too” You can keep up to date with Jordan & his brand by following: @JordanInspire on Instagram @InspireDynasty on Instagram

Meet Teri Elizabeth Ellington, the 23 year old owner of Ellington Timepiece. Ellington Timepiece (a company that sells premium watch collections limited to 100 pieces per colour in each collection) is run by Teri Ellington, a 23 year old from Teeside. Teri had a tough start to life, suffering with mental health issues from around the age of 16. A condition called Agoraphobia left her unable to leave her house without experiencing an overwhelming feeling of anxiety. Fortunately, Teri was introduced to a therapy dog called Sheba, which changed the young lady's life around. “As a teenager unable to leave my home, I could never have believed I would be where I am today. I hope people are inspired by my story and by Ellington Timepiece” Eventually, after rebuilding herself, the Teeside resident then went on to design her own bespoke, limited edition watch line after being inspired by her Grandad's love of watches. This was the beginning of Ellington Timepiece. The company was started in Teri's bedroom in 2017 with just £80 in the bank, then moved to her garage and now, Teri has recently moved into her own office. In honour of the German Shepherd that changed her life, Teri named her first collection of 300 watches, Sheba. After great success, a 2nd collection called Amare was also introduced. Fortunately, Teri successfully received a loan of £35,000 from Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, allowing the young entrepreneur to launch a new website, take on professional marketing support and begin introducing new collections to the company's portfolio. “Since the launch of the timepieces I have been in House of Fraser with them and seen sales way beyond my initial expectations” Ellington Timepiece has done so well, appearing in stores such as House of Fraser, Hillier Jewellers and Master Debonair just to name a few. Personally, Teri has also built a phenomenal personal brand, seeing 1000's of people interact with each of her LinkedIn posts alone. This is because people have fallen in love with the honest depiction of business that Teri shows and has been showing for a while now - documenting many of her milestones. "It's been good to share my journey through social media to inspire others and to say that despite where you are, you can achieve your dreams." As the entrepreneur has now got herself to a great stage, Teri is now an advocate for mental health, helping others who may be going through what a teenage Teri was going through. "I went from selling my car, my belongings and sleeping on the sofa, struggling to make ends meet and battling with my mental health all while trying to believe in myself and I took each day as I came" Moving forward, we're sure Teri will continue to grow her business and keep reaching higher heights - best of luck Teri! If you'd like to follow Teri's journey, visit the following links: Teri Ellington - LinkedIn Teri Ellinton - Instagram Ellington Timepiece - Instagram Ellington Timepiece - Twitter Ellington Timepiece - Website To hear more stories from young entrepreneurs, follow If Only They Knew - the hub for young business minds: Podcast Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Meet Harry Daymond, the awarding winning 20 year old founder of Kart Kompany It’s great to see the entrepreneurial spirit kick in for Harry Daymond at such a young age as at 15, after building a vintage cart with his Grandpa during the school holidays, Harry had a great idea. This idea was Kart Kompany, a company that provides everything you’d need to make your event the best it could be - from sweets to cocktails, Kart Kompany has it all. The young entrepreneur from Sussex continued to develop his company throughout his GCSE’s and A Level's to ensure that it became a success. The success of the company has led to Harry winning many great awards, including a Gatwick Diamond Young Start Up Talent £50,000 prize fund of product and services - really allowing Harry to expand his business. As well as the success of the business, Harry has also gone on to personally achieve great things, being listed on TransferWise’s Top 20 Under 20 UK young entrepreneurs, named one of the top 30 student entrepreneurs by Ernst and Young and has been showcased by the Young Enterprise scheme. “This nomination means a great deal. I am privileged that Transferwise chose me for this award and the opportunities that have come with it.” As well as business, Harry also has a passion for public speaking, being invited to many speaking engagements to inspire people across Europe by sharing his story. ’If Only They Knew’ spoke to Harry to find out if he had advice for other young people who are looking to become successful. Take opportunities if they are presented to you, make them if they are not and always have self-belief “I completed an apprenticeship alongside my business after college to gain some corporate experience, and then about 10 months ago came to the end of the apprenticeship. I turned down the job the company offered me at the end as I had to pursue my journey as an entrepreneur.” Looking to the future, Harry will continue running Kart Kompany in the background, but he is also developing a new business venture, that will be launched July 2020. As well as this, he is still following his passion of helping others by working with a corporate trainer/TedX coach to build a corporate training offering, as well as sharing his story through speaking, to inspire every generation of entrepreneurs. If you‘d like to see Harry’s growth, you can follow him via the following platforms: Twitter Instagram LinkedIn To hear more stories from young entrepreneurs, follow If Only They Knew - the hub for young business minds: Podcast Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

With The Apprentice 2018 starting tonight (3rd October), we spoke to candidate Rick Monk about his plans for the future and his tips for young entrepreneurs. Who is Rick Monk? Rick is a 33 year old quality controller from Lancashire. Rick‘s tip for young entrepreneurs is “Know the market, follow your instincts and surround yourself by helpful, positive people. But that's not to say you shouldn't take advice and learn from others mistakes. I believe only a fool doesn't learn from others, just to repeat the same outcome. Having a positive mental attitude always helps! Explore every avenue of free advertising, I hate and hardly pay for advertising, I don't believe it's value for money” Rick plans to pack his bags and leave the UK in the next 5 years or so - perhaps for some sea and sun 🙌. We wish Rick the best of luck! Catch Rick and the other candidates tonight on BBC1 @ 9pm!

IOTK had the privilege of talking to PR Fashion Agent Anisa to find out more about her journey Anisa started off in the fashion PR sector the day after graduating from Central St. Martins. This was helped by trying out PR work in a placement year for Channel 4’s OFF Schedule fashion guide through an agency Anisa loved! From there, Anisa went in-house at Coco de Met then went free lance, covering areas from fashion to food to technology! 🍔💻 After her father passed away, Anisa realised how short life was & began pursuing her dreams of being an entrepreneur like her father was - hence why Anisa’s agency was set up in 2013! ❤️ Anisa was inspired by her Dad as “he was a total maverick”... always having a hustle on the go, from running a Jewellers in Hatton Garden, accounting, wholesaling watches & knowing KFC’s secret ingredient 😱🍗👏 His passion for business was admired by Anisa! Anisa is currently in the process of pivoting her business & developing new plans... suggesting that something different is in the pipeline - “watch this space”! 👀👀 Thank you Anisa for sparing a moment of your time for us & good luck with the future! 🌟📈 Instagram: @anisatopan @twenty5thhour

Meet Vicky Parkinson, the Author Educating Young Kids Vicky Parkinson is an author from Hertfordshire, England who has created a set of children's books with the aim of educating kids with a series of fun, accessible and easy to follow stories where children can learn fundamental aspects of health and Well-being in an easy to follow, friendly format. The set of books, entitled Will and Cher's Wellness Journey (published by Healthy Habits for Children Publishing, a new publisher that focuses solely on printing health books for kids) aims to entertain and capture the young reader's imagination whilst teaching the value of well-being. From recycling to healthy eating, the books see the characters (based on Vicky's son and dog) go on a journey to find out more about important topics. “If we can educate children to be aware of their Mental Health and Well-being early on, how much better will our society be in years to come?” The author is a well-being coach and mental health advocate, who has always understood the importance of mental and physical health as she had been on a tough journey herself. ​ Victoria grew up in Sidmouth (Devon), which she feels helped to grow her creativity and love for the countryside and animals. As well as her idols, Ricky Gervais & JK Rowling, Vicky also admires the words of young activist Greta Thunberg: “Society is failing us as Greta Thunberg says. I feel exactly the same and our children need to learn how to be healthy and care for their environment at a young age so that it becomes a habit.” To continue following Vicky's journey, follow her via the following links: Instagram Twitter Website