Search Results

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

This is why young people should invest their money into their future! As an example of why young people should begin investing their money, we will look into the story of Chris Jelev, the young entrepreneur that is making the rights moves to become a huge success! Chris Jelev, AKA CJ, is the founder of the Millennials Club - a group dedicated to providing opportunities to young people, from hosting events to promoting job opportunities. The group has been a huge success since its creation in 2017, gaining traction fast and capturing the attention of huge business influencers such as Joseph Valente from The Apprentice. The team has reached 700 members across 23 different cities across the globe. But before this, Chris ran events via his previous company, CJ Events, which hosted parties for young people. As you can see, the entrepreneur has always stayed active in the business world, this has allowed him to reach great levels of success, such as being nominated for the ‘Entrepreneur of Excellence’ award by the National Diversity Awards. However, instead of spending all of his money on designer clothes and flashy jewels, CJ has wisely invested into not only his own businesses but also a restaurant called Meat House London. This is his first time buying a share of a business and what a great move to make. The restaurant, situated in London’s King Cross, serves steaks, burgers, drinks and shows the sport. This should be what other young people should be aiming for if they’re serious about making money and/or successful moves. Rather than letting money sit in your bank (gathering little to no interest) or spending it on unnecessary things, you could invest your money into something. This could simply be investing into yourself, such as your health and wellbeing, in order to become the best you can be or becoming a stakeholder by investing into businesses. For example, I have invested into a company that utilises blockchain in a unique way and I have seen a lot more profit in a shorter space of time than I would have done if I left my money in my bank. So, to the young people reading this, I urge you (if you’re looking to make the right moves) to invest! Do your research, take the risk and invest. (Only invest an amount you can afford to lose ;D) To keep up with Chris' journey, follow him via: Twitter Instagram For more content for on The Apprentice, business and young entrepreneurs, follow If Only They Knew via: Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Website

Who is Carina Lepore? Carina Lepore is the 30 year old candidate on The Apprentice 2019 and the owner of Dough Bakehouse. Most of the other candidates are confident that they will be Lord Sugar’s next business partner, but Carina believes it’s “written in the stars” that Lord Sugar will want a slice of the ‘Dough’ pie. Baking runs in Carina’s family, with her father running a Bakehouse for many years, sadly the original Bakehouse was closed in 2015 and was resurrected and transformed in 2018 by Carina and her sister. Today, Dough Bakehouse stands proudly in Herne Hill (South London) with a small but great team who have helped build a great brand reputation within their community. Carina says that standing at 5 foot 1, she is a “pocket rocket” that shouldn’t be messed with! So far in the series, we have seen Carina briefly come head to head with Lottie Lion and successfully shut the lioness down - only time will tell who the Queen of the jungle is. Speaking to If Only They Knew, Carina shared some advice that the entrepreneur wish she knew at an earlier stage, stressing the importance of knowledge and overcoming doubt. “Read more books! The power of knowledge is something I only gathered in my adult life! Books are cheap and can fulfill you and give you the knowledge others take years to learn or don’t learn at all!” “Secondly, don’t hold back! If you believe it and feel it then go for it, don’t doubt yourself, don’t overthink - put yourself out there! Take risks. If you’re successful then great if not, then you’ll learn!” As The Apprentice 2019 is not yet finished, we are unsure of Carina’s progress in the series, but one thing that is certain is Carina’s determination. “In the next 5 years I plan on having a successful chain of my bakehouses serving neighbourhoods and community positive vibes and great coffee throughout London and the uk even! #goodvibesonly 🤟🏼😝” Thank you Carina for speaking to If Only They Knew and we wish you the best of luck in the future! You can keep up to date with Carina’s journey by following: @CarinaLepore1 - Instagram @CarinaLepore - Twitter @DoughBakehouse - Instagram & Twitter Similarly, you can view all of our interviews with The Apprentice candidates as well as more great business content, by following: @IfOnlyTheyKnewUK - Instagram, Facebook @IfOnlyTheyKnewU - Twitter www.ifonlytheyknewuk.com

It is unlikely that you haven't seen Ade Adepitan at some point as he has been on many TV shows and also competed in the Paralympic Games, but you may not know his story. Therefore, it's only right that If Only They Knew presents Ade's story as he has been such an iconic figure for many of us Brit's. Ade Adepitan is a 46-year-old TV presenter, Paralympic medalist and children's author! The incredible individual was born in Lagos, Nigeria and contracted Polio within a year of birth, which meant he eventually lost the use of his left leg. A few years later, he was moved to Newham, East London and battled through life despite his disability and eventually fell in love with wheelchair basketball. Ade excelled in the sport, playing for the Milton Keynes Aces and then went on to win a Bronze medal in at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, followed up by a Gold medal at the 2005 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester. Many other people would've stopped there, but the athlete was also involved in the world of television and also did an excellent job in this field! Whether he was acting, presenting or appearing as a guest, Ade has featured on our TV's so many times, from Eastenders to CBBC, Ade has done it all. If this wasn't enough, the celeb uses his fame and talent to help give back to those who also suffer in some way. Not only is he a patron of 'Go Kids Go', but he has also raised money for a countless amount of charities, recently appearing on the National news to show the impact that these charities have. It is for all of these reasons above that Ade Adepitan has become one of the Nation's favourite figures and was awarded an MBE in 2005 for his services to disability sport and was also presented with an Honorary Doctorate for the same reason. Ade shows that there really are no excuses as anything is possible, but he also shows the importance of supporting those around you, hence why he is a real inspiration for young people today. To keep updated with Ade's journey, follow him via... Instagram: @AdeAdepitan Twitter: @AdeAdepitan Facebook: Ade Adepitan For more articles, news and interviews, follow If Only They Knew: Instagram: @IfOnlyTheyKnewUK Twitter: @IfOnlyTheyKnewU Facebook: @IfOnlyTheyKnewUK LinkedIn: @If Only They Knew UK

Meet Danny Carr, Professional Boxer & owner of Athletes Kitchen Danny ‘The Cannon’ Carr is both a professional boxer and entrepreneur, proof that you can professionalize your passions. The 29-year-old hailing from South London has remained undefeated in both business and boxing, maintaining a perfect record for all of his 12 professional fights (with 4 KO’s) whilst also running a successful business! As the son of a boxer (Paul Carr), there's no surprise that Danny picked up boxing gloves at age 10 and had his first boxing bout at 16. Paul never forced Danny to box, instead, it was something that he naturally fell into and allowed him to develop as not only an athlete, but also as a person. Danny then went on to have 42 amateur fights and recently won an area title after beating Lewis Adams in Maidstone, Kent. Talking to boxer Peter McDonagh on the Journeyman podcast, Carr admits that being bullied at school was one of the main reasons why he wanted to progress with boxing, even though it was also a reason for him taking a year or so out due to poor mental health. Danny also suggested that he got into a bit of trouble during that dark but brief period of his life, but boxing, as well as a vision, helped to put him on the right track. "I lost to a couple of people I knew I was better than and it was frustrating me, so I knew I had to walk away from it then, but I always knew I would end up coming back. Now, with every aspect of my training, I train like a pro should" The ‘Cannon’ leveraged his passion for boxing by creating a company called ‘Athlete’s Kitchen’, which provides healthy pre-prepared meals that are designed to keep people on top of their game. Athletes Kitchen started in Danny's home kitchen with help from his friend Sonny, the team did so well that they were putting out around 900 meals a week. They started off by making both prepped meals as well as the typical breakfasts (fry ups, etc). Danny was then contacted by a businessman in Dubai who then partnered up with Athletes Kitchen and opened a restaurant out there which lasted 10 months. Whilst in Dubai, Danny connected with MTK Global, one of the biggest management companies in boxing - who manage the likes of Tyson Fury and Billy Joe Saunders. Danny’s business has become a favourite amongst high profile names such as Jack Charles and Dani Dyer from Love Island, boxers Ted Cheeseman, Dennis McCann as well as many others. The brand has also been linked with Manor Gyms, helping their customers with their diets. Looking forward, the entrepreneur wants to scale the brand as much as possible, working with gyms and athletes to provide meals to as many people as they can. You can follow Danny and Athletes Kitchen via the following: Instagram @Danny_Carrzy @athletes_kitchen Facebook @AthletesKitchenUK

Michael McDonnell is a high-performance mindset coach that helps side hustlers take their business full time. The coach also suffers from cystic fibrosis and diabetes, which has made his life a real challenge as he was diagnosed with this at 2 months old. At a younger age, one of Michael’s friends, who also suffered with both CF and diabetes, had unfortunately passed away in his 20’s due to the illnesses. This hit Michael hard initially but then even more so when he was also diagnosed with diabetes in his 20’s. “I got to a point where I felt like giving up” Having these health conditions would be tough for anybody, but particularly somebody like Michael, who relied on his physical strength as he was a tennis coach and personal trainer! Having been that close to tragedy, it was a major turning point in helping Michael transition into a motivational figure in order to help others who had been through tough times just like himself. “Cystic fibrosis taught me to priorities my health and the power of habits” The mindset coach admits that he always felt the worst in the room when growing up as his disabilities made him feel so different from everybody else, but instead of letting it drag him down, he embraced the difference by becoming an entrepreneur and starting a health business and podcast (called ‘Business On The Beach’). However, Michael admits that he was concerned with the illnesses that constantly loomed over his head, but he battled on to ensure that he not only enjoyed life but also made a success of himself during that time. “Too many people give the way out as a choice” As Michael has such a powerful story, it was only right that If Only They Knew delved deeper into the mindset of this extraordinary individual. If Only They Knew: What do you want your legacy to be? Michael: "I want to make the world a better place because I was here. I felt amazing as a tennis coach when I helped kids and I’ve been chasing that ever since." IOTK: What impact has being involved in business had on your life? M: "It’s given me the confidence I never knew I had...having self-worth issues all my life until the moment I got validation as a human and an entrepreneur - that’s spurred me on to do amazing things and continue to this day." IOTK: What's been the biggest obstacle you've faced in your life and career? M: "Losing my friend who had the same conditions as me... losing family members. All the challenges business-wise and micro failures of my ability don’t even come close to losing people that are close to me." Keep up to Michael's journey via: Instagram: @michael_mcdonnell11 Facebook: @The Side Hustlers Hangout Twitter: @M_Mcdonnell2 Podcast: Business on the Beach Follow If Only They Knew: Instagram: @ifonlytheyknewuk Twitter: @ifonlytheyknewu Facebook: @ifonlytheyknewuk LinkedIn: @if only they knew Youtube: if only they knew uk

Meet Ryan-Mark Parsons and find out his advice for young entrepreneurs and what he has planned for the future Ryan-Mark Parsons is the 19 year old Candidate on The Apprentice looking to partner with Lord Sugar and the self-proclaimed “pig in business” - a term that Ryan-Mark says will be explained as The Apprentice process continues. It wouldn’t surprise me if the ambitious 19 year old goes far in the process as Lord Sugar is likely to see great potential in a young person with such drive and character. “Don’t judge my age. I’m a 60 year old trapped in a 19 year olds body” If Ryan-Mark was to go far, his business idea would be to develop a 21st century luxury concierge service, which is perhaps why he spends so much time at Selfridges & Harrods - just doing ‘market research’ I guess 😉🛍! Whilst networking at the auditions for The Apprentice in London, I briefly spoke to Ryan-Mark who just had this aura of confidence surrounding him. Like everyone else there, he was alone, but it felt as if he had an army behind him as he walked and talked so confidently! This confidence perhaps stems from his strong experience, being an ambassador for Gucci and working with huge names such as Lloyd’s Banks, the NHS, and the House of Commons! “Just believe in you” Speaking to If Only They Knew, Ryan-Mark shared some advice for young entrepreneurs and revealed what his plans are for the future. At an earlier stage in his career, the 19 year old wishes he knew how to "filter out the bullsh*t better and understand who to trust in business" as I'm sure many of us know, business can be a dog eat dog world! After The Apprentice, he wants to continue working in the media, whilst developing his lifestyle consultancy, enjoying TV, radio etc, which is great as he has such a great personality!

After finding herself in the firing line and being saved by Lord Sugar in week 5 of The Apprentice 2019, it seems like a good time to find out more about Jemelin Artigas as she battles her way through the competition. Jemelin is a 34-year-old South Londoner who came from a humble Venezuelan background. Things have definitely not been plain sailing for Jemelin as The Apprentice hopeful was once homeless when coming to the UK at age 17. This did not stop the determined lady as Jemelin got cleaning jobs and handed out flyers in order to survive! The hardwork paid off as not only did Jemelin become a successful network marketing consultant, but she took the huge risk of taking time out of her personal and work life in order to pursue her passion of business and be on The Apprentice as many people do not really know how gruelling the process can be - with weeks of intensive filming and no real access to the outside world! Do what your love, don’t chase a paycheque. Chase whatever sets your soul on fire and you will never work a day in your life. 'If Only They Knew' had the pleasure of speaking to Jemelin, who said that at an earlier stage in her life, she wished she knew that it's ok to make mistakes! "It's ok to fail and to make mistakes that’s how we learn ! I didn’t know or wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do in life until later on ! Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to have it all figured it out that we actually forget to live , being so caught up in the future and what we want we forget to appreciate the present and be grateful for the things we do have and accomplish so probably will be to be more in the present while working on my dreams" In the next 5 years or so, Jemelin wants to continue her success by running great businesses and helping others to do the same, whilst also inspiring people through talks and travelling the world. "I love what I do as I help many people find the thing that many will only dream of and that is freedom and financial stability. My business is growing rapidly as times are changing and the model I have is the most wanted. I also want to inspire people through my talks and hopefully be somewhere hot, near the beach, travelling the world (which is another one of my passions)." The entrepreneur reveals that she is developing a smartphone app for events, proof that Jemelin never stops working hard! "I have a passion for solving problems, which is why I am developing an app for events that will revolutionise the industry solving many problems that no one has tackled so there is a huge gap in the market that this app will be filling!" Best of luck Jemelin!