🎙️ Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet

In this episode, Steve and Jon are joined by three people working right at the centre of the North East’s startup, funding, and investment ecosystem:

💡 Jamie Hardesty – Director of Ecosystem Development, Sunderland Software City

💷 Naomi Allen Seales – Investment Manager, Northstar Ventures

📈 James Katirai – Head of Investments, NEL Fund Managers

Together, they share practical, no-nonsense advice for founders, spinouts, and anyone thinking about what comes next in their business or career journey.

The conversation focuses on what really matters before funding, scale, or growth ever come into play.

We discuss:

• Why doing the work upfront is essential

• The importance of validation, market research, and evidence

• Why building in a silo rarely works

• Having funding conversations earlier than you think

• The power of networks and collective momentum

• Avoiding analysis paralysis

• Trusting your instinct and taking action

This is an honest, experience-led conversation about belief, momentum, and putting yourself in the best possible position to succeed.

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🎧 Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet is Blu Sky’s podcast exploring the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind building and backing businesses across the North East and beyond.

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🌐 Learn more at blusky.co.uk

🎙️ Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet

In this episode, Jon and Steve sit down with two leaders at the heart of North East sport and community:

🏀 Paul Blake – Managing Director, Newcastle Eagles

💛 Sam Blake – CEO, Eagles Community Foundation

Together, they talk openly about resilience, leadership, and what it means to build an organisation that can thrive long after you step back. From learning to let go of micromanagement to empowering the next tier of leaders, this is an honest look at legacy building inside a club that means so much to so many.

We discuss:

• Why resilience underpins everything they do

• The emotional shift from “lead by example” to true empowerment

• Letting go of micromanagement (even when it feels uncomfortable)

• Preparing the next generation of leaders

• Building something that lasts beyond any one person

A thoughtful, human conversation from two people who have spent decades guiding both a club and a community.

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🎧 Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet is Blu Sky’s podcast about the real stories behind leading, growing, and sustaining brilliant organisations.

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🌐 Learn more at blusky.co.uk

Budget Breakdown – What Rachel Reeves’ Tax Changes Mean for You

In this Budget special, Josh and Steve unpack the key announcements affecting business owners, employees, landlords, and savers across the UK.

They cover:

• Dividend tax increases from April 2026

• Savings and rental income tax rises from April 2027

• A new annual tax on properties over £2M starting 2028

• Salary sacrifice changes for pension contributions above £2,000

• Cash ISA allowance cut from £20,000 to £12,000

• Frozen tax thresholds until 2031

• National Minimum Wage and Living Wage increases

• The new mileage-based EV tax coming in 2028

From remuneration strategy to ISA planning, from rental income to electric vehicles, Josh and Steve explain what’s changing, who it affects, and what you may need to plan for.

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🎧 Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet is Blu Sky’s podcast breaking down the real-world business and tax changes that matter, hosted by the team at Blu Sky.

📺 Watch the video episode on YouTube

🌐 Learn more at blusky.co.uk

🔔 Follow for future Budget updates and insights

Founders, Funding & Fallout

What happens when startup founders fall out?

In this episode, Jon and Steve sit down with three North East business leaders, Tristan Watson (Field Trip Supplies, Ignite Accelerator), Neil Stephenson (Stephenson Capital), and Dave Gibson (Blu Sky), to talk about the highs, lows, and hard truths of growing and selling companies.

From cap tables and paperwork to founder alignment and investor expectations, they explore what really goes on behind the boardroom doors, and how to keep relationships intact when things get tough.

It’s a candid, insightful conversation for anyone building, investing in, or leading a business that’s aiming to scale.

Follow Blu Sky for more conversations at the intersection of business, finance, and real-world growth.

Jon and Steve chat with three founders about the real-world impact of AI on creativity, leadership, and building products:

• Ellie Chapman – Founder, Lim (live visualisation & facilitation)

• Alistair McLeod – Founder, Gray Fox Consulting (fractional CIO/CTO)

• Stephen “Mitch” Mitchell – Founder & CEO, SQCDP.co.uk (factory digitisation)

In this episode:

• How AI is reshaping creative work—without replacing human connection

• Leaders setting guardrails: ethics, transparency, and “AI red lines”

• Using AI to boost productivity (20–30%?) vs. risking sameness and shortcuts

• Hallucinations, fact-checking, and why value should come before tech

• Startups vs. enterprises: who adapts faster?

• Data-driven manufacturing, better meetings, and the premium on human facilitation

Takeaways:

Curiosity beats fear, quality control matters, and the future belongs to teams that blend human judgment with smart automation.

Follow the show for more candid conversations with founders and operators.

#TwoPintsPodcast #AI #Creativity #Leadership #Innovation #NorthEastBusiness

In this episode, Jon and Steve are joined by three North East founders who’ve each taken very different paths to building a business:

💻 Mark Renney – Managing Director, Wubbleyou

🧠 Billy Webber – CEO, XR Therapeutics

⚙️ Jarek Rosinski – Founder, Transmission Dynamics

Together, they share candid stories about the highs, lows, and lessons of entrepreneurship – from turning university spinouts into thriving companies, to weathering setbacks and learning the value of resilience along the way.

We discuss:

• The defining moments that sparked their ventures

• Why resilience is more than just a buzzword

• Surviving setbacks and using them as fuel

• Balancing vision with day-to-day reality

• The advice they’d give their younger founder selves

This episode is an honest reminder that behind every business is a story of risk, resilience, and relentless determination.

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🎧 Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet is Blu Sky’s podcast about the real stuff behind running a business — hosted by co-founders Jon Dudgeon and Steve Robinson.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube

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🌐 Learn more at blusky.co.uk

In this episode of Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet, Jon and Steve are joined by three leaders who know what it takes to build – and keep – a thriving team:

👥 Sam Spoors – Founder, Talentheads

🔗 Di Gates – Founder, Connection Heroes

💡 Trevor Norman – Founder, Tribero

They get honest about why engagement levels have been flat for years and explore what it will really take to change that. From outdated benefit packages to the demands of hybrid working, the conversation challenges assumptions and pushes leaders to think differently.

We discuss:

• Why many benefits packages are no longer fit for purpose

• The danger of assuming you know what your team wants

• Why leaders must get out from behind the desk

• The role of AI and digital tools in modern teams

• How trust and vulnerability build thriving workplaces

If you lead a team – or want to – this episode is packed with practical insights and candid advice on creating an environment where people perform, grow, and stay.

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🎧 Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet is Blu Sky’s podcast about the real stuff behind running a business, hosted by co-founders Jon Dudgeon and Steve Robinson.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube

🔔 Follow the podcast to catch new episodes

🌐 Learn more at blusky.co.uk

In this episode, Jon and Steve are joined by three people working across investment, education, and business support — all with a front-row seat to the founder journey:

💼 Alasdair Greig – Director, North Star Ventures

🏛️ Lizzie Withington – Head of Enterprise, Newcastle University

📈 Julie Cuthbertson – Head of Client Delivery, UMi

Together, they explore what founders really need – beyond just capital and guidance. The conversation covers brutal honesty, emotional weight, and the power of collaborative support.

We discuss:

• The unspoken pressures of leadership and expectation

• What makes advice actually helpful (and what doesn’t)

• Why founders need space to be honest – and heard

• The gaps between what founders say and what they really feel

• Building trust, not just tick-box support

It’s an unfiltered conversation that brings fresh insight into how we can build better businesses by building better ecosystems.

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🎧 Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet is Blu Sky’s podcast bringing together founders, doers, and big thinkers for honest conversations over a pint. It’s not about jargon – it’s about what really matters in business.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube

🔔 Follow the podcast to catch new episodes