In this episode, Grace sits down with Paul, founder of BOL Foods, a leading plant-based, nutrition-focused food brand.

Paul’s journey is anything but traditional. From dreaming of becoming a professional footballer, to working on a game reserve in South Africa, to breaking bones as a snowboard instructor… his path zig-zagged before leading him into the world of food.

After 14 years helping scale Innocent Drinks, Paul took a leap into entrepreneurship, building BOL into a brand focused on making healthy, convenient food accessible to everyone.

We talk about:

• Taking unconventional career paths (and why they matter)
• What working at Innocent Drinks taught him about business
• How BOL Foods was born from a real gap in the market
• The realities of launching and scaling food products
• Why most ideas don’t work, and why that’s okay
• Building a strong team and company culture
• The importance of passion in business

✨ “If you don’t truly care about what you’re building, it’s very hard to get through the tough times.”

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in startups, food & drink, or building a purpose-driven brand.

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Grace sits down with Nina, the creative behind Nina Bombina, a colourful gifts and homeware brand known for its joyful, dopamine-filled designs.

From always wanting to be an artist, to navigating photography, marketing jobs, and eventually building a thriving product-based business. Nina shares the honest, winding journey behind her brand.

We talk about:

• Starting a creative business during lockdown
• Turning designs into real, sellable products
• Selling at markets vs online (and why markets win for her)
• Getting stocked, featured, and discovered
• Balancing creativity with making a living
• The reality of running a physical product business

This episode is packed with insight for anyone dreaming of building a creative brand or wondering if there’s space for them in a competitive industry (spoiler: there is).

✨ “I thought it wouldn’t go anywhere… but I proved myself wrong.”

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a Glastonbury stage manager actually do?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace sits down with Dan, the programmer and venue manager behind the Rum Shack at Glastonbury, to unpack what it really means to run a late-night festival stage, scout emerging talent, and build community-focused programmes that change lives.

From MCing and MySpace hustle, to founding Lyrix Organix and being invited to run the Rum Shack (first asked in 2013), Dan’s path is full of detours, practical hustle and intentional values.

Dan shares:

• Why he fell into the music scene at university
• How temp jobs (Transport for London) helped him develop real-world admin & people skills
• Starting Lyrics Organics and early nights that helped launch artists (Ed Sheeran among them)
• How he programs 60+ artists across five days and maps the arc of a festival night
• Why he programs outside the mainstream agent-driven model
• Scouting talent before they’re “hot”: the Koji Radical example
• The logistics puzzle of limited Glastonbury tickets and sharing bands across stages
• Building, rotating and mentoring a backstage team (many are former students)
• Creating Levelling the Field: a trainee programme for deaf & disabled festival workers
• Turning festival accessibility into paid, transferable work across other events
• Practical advice: “Start anywhere, follow it everywhere”

He also opens up about:

• Imposter syndrome (and why it doesn’t stop him)
• Balancing values with the practical workload of running a stage
• Why rotating crews and artists matters for inclusion and freshness
• How youth development and long-term scouting create career pipelines
• The emotional side of programming, visualising how a night will flow

If you’re interested in:

• Festival production & stage management
• Live music programming & artist scouting
• Careers in events, youth development or accessibility
• How to launch creative initiatives that scale across festivals

This episode is for you.

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.