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Sacha Lord is the founder of Parklife Festival and The Warehouse Project — two of the UK's most successful live event brands, built over 30 years from a market stall in Liverpool.

He served as Greater Manchester's Night-Time Economy Adviser, became a Sunday Times bestselling author, and helped shape Manchester's cultural landscape into what it is today. He is one of the most influential figures in UK hospitality and events. And it all started with selling leather jackets.

In this episode, Sacha sits down with Emma to talk about what really happens when you stop listening to everyone telling you to play it safe. He opens up about anxiety, self-belief, and the mindset behind building iconic brands — as well as the mistakes, the leadership lessons, and the moment he knew it was time to let go.

This is one of the most honest conversations Emma has had on the podcast. If you've ever doubted yourself, felt stuck, or wondered whether now is the right time to start something new this one's for you.

Emma and Sacha cover:

• How he went from market trader to building world-renowned events
• Why most people give up too early — and how to push through
• How to build teams you can genuinely trust
• The leadership lessons behind scaling large organisations
• How to know when it's time to exit a business
• Why passion still matters, even at the top

"If you've got a passion for something, don't listen to anybody. Just do it."

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Get my personal weekly newsletter here - if you want to Win the Week, every week.

World Class Virtual PA support here: Mi-PA.co.uk

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EmmaMills.co.uk

Reviews and Feedback:

Loving the show? Your feedback means the world to me and helps others find us!

Thanks so much for listening to Focus on the Fun Stuff Podcast! Let’s make business a bit more fun together! 🌟

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Feeling like your weeks are slipping by without real progress?

That’s where I was for 10 years. Another Friday, another week of fighting fires at MiPA, no closer to my big picture goals, no longer enjoying the business I was running.

Then four years ago, I found a way to change all that.

In the latest episode of MiTV, I share that “Win the Week” philosophy that’s seen me completely revolutionise my life as a small business owner, grow my business, and enjoy my life a hell of a lot more.

Give it a watch, and if you need support to create more time in your calendar and get progress happening faster, comment below and let’s have a chat.

Em x

P.S. You’ll get more crucial insights for small business owners like this in my Sunday night newsletter, Win the Week (sign up here: https://emmas-newsletter-adef7a.beehiiv.com/subscribe), and over on my Instagram @emmamipa (give me a follow!)

Please visit my website to get more information: https://www.mi-pa.co.uk/

Support the show

Support The Show

--

Ready to reclaim your time? Grab our free guide and start delegating all of the things a business owner shouldn't be doing: 👉 The 106 Tasks You Must Delegate

--

Connect with Emma!

Get my personal weekly newsletter here - if you want to Win the Week, every week.

World Class Virtual PA support here: Mi-PA.co.uk

Follow Emma on Instagram

Connect with Emma on Linkedin

Watch the Episodes on Youtube

EmmaMills.co.uk

Reviews and Feedback:

Loving the show? Your feedback means the world to me and helps others find us!

Thanks so much for listening to Focus on the Fun Stuff Podcast! Let’s make business a bit more fun together! 🌟

Send us Fan Mail

Neil Walton is the founder and Managing Director behind The HMO Guys, Manchester's fastest-growing independent co-living specialist.

From a back bedroom to a Salford HQ employing nine people, Neil has built a team that now manages around 850 rooms across 150 properties throughout Greater Manchester and Cheshire. His approach is refreshingly simple: property management should be straightforward, responsive, and genuinely useful. Landlords and tenants both seem to agree.

In this episode, Neil sits down with Emma to unpack the journey — and it wasn't a straight line. He got sacked from his first three jobs in a single year. He walked away from a 15-year recruitment career with zero property experience. And seven years later, he deliberately left his business for seven weeks — not for a holiday, but to find out where the gaps really were.

Emma and Neil explore the hiring philosophy behind an 850-unit portfolio run by just nine people, why Neil believes training and mistakes cost about the same, what stepping back reveals about your leadership, and the counterintuitive link between payment terms and customer respect.

Outside of work you'll find Neil planning his next trip somewhere sunnier than Salford and backing his team to keep raising the bar.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations with founders and business owners who've built something that supports their life — not consumes it.

🌐 Work with Mi-PA: https://mi-pa.co.uk

📲 Follow Emma on Instagram: https://instagram.com/emmamills_ 🎧

Support the show

Support The Show

--

Ready to reclaim your time? Grab our free guide and start delegating all of the things a business owner shouldn't be doing: 👉 The 106 Tasks You Must Delegate

--

Connect with Emma!

Get my personal weekly newsletter here - if you want to Win the Week, every week.

World Class Virtual PA support here: Mi-PA.co.uk

Follow Emma on Instagram

Connect with Emma on Linkedin

Watch the Episodes on Youtube

EmmaMills.co.uk

Reviews and Feedback:

Loving the show? Your feedback means the world to me and helps others find us!

Thanks so much for listening to Focus on the Fun Stuff Podcast! Let’s make business a bit more fun together! 🌟