Some of the biggest names in business from across the North West have sat down with BusinessLive over the first half of 2022 to share their thoughts on how the region is bouncing back from a tough few years and what the future holds.
The likes of Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett have also opened up about the impact of his inclusion in the hit BBC One show will have on representation in the business world and what he hoped budding entrepreneurs would take away from the series.
Long-form interviews are published on BusinessLive every week but below we have complied a list of some of the best read of the year so far.
Make sure not to miss the very latest news from across the North West and the next feature interview by signing up to our regional newsletter here.
'Mad Men' of Manchester: How Don Draper inspired rising star branding agency
The co-founder of an advertising and branding agency, whose clients include Carlsberg, Onken and Boots, revealed the role hit TV show Mad Men had on his career choice as the firm gears up to turnover £1m and double its headcount.
Antonio Giansante was studying at Liverpool John Moores University when the US series debuted in 2007, sparking an interest in the industry which has fuelled his working life ever since.
After taking a shine to the advertising work, but maybe not the lifestyle choices, of characters such as Don Draper, Peggy Olsen and Pete Campbell, the new graduate took on a series of jobs with Chester's Underdog Creative and The Union in Edinburgh before moving to Manchester.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessLive, Mr Giansante revealed the secrets of BGN's success.
Group eyes £1bn valuation, new acquisitions and creating hundreds of jobs after IPO 'put it on the map'
A fast-growing manufacturing and retail group is eyeing up new acquisitions, creating hundreds of jobs and being valued at £1bn within the next five years after its IPO "put it on the map", the firm's CEO has said.
Supreme plc's Sandy Chadha said floating on the London Stock Exchange's AIM in February 2021 was a game changer for the Manchester company which can trace its roots back to his father more than 40 years ago.
Becoming a public company raised £67.5m and also saw Mr Chadha retain overall control by keeping back 56.8% of the shares for himself.
Starting out from a mobile van selling toys and watches at seaside resorts, Supreme now manufactures and imports vaping products, batteries, lighting, wellness and sports nutrition products and sells its wares in the likes of B&M, Poundland, Home Bargains and The Range.
Start-up CEO reveals journey from Olympic dreams to fast-growing software firm used by Vodafone, N Brown and Fujifilm
The co-founder of a software start-up described his journey from giving up his Olympic dreams to being on the verge of doubling the company's headcount by the end of the year and expanding internationally.
Tom Dunlop started out as a teenage badminton star, competing at English, British and European championships and had his eyes firmly set on becoming an Olympian.
But after the stresses and strains of juggling completing a law degree with being a professional, the future CEO decided to call it quits and focus instead on a new career.
After cutting his teeth in a number of fast-growing firms, he decided to use his network of contacts to go out on his own, founding legal software firm Summize in Manchester with David Smith, who serves as its chief development officer.
Premier League stars in talks to invest in Anthony Joshua-backed Pulseroll
Sitting at a kitchen table, a soon-to-be dad wrote the name of Anthony Joshua on a white board.
He had always dreamed about working with the boxing superstar but his IT company wasn't exactly the right fit.
Little did Paul McCabe know that in a few short years, the two-time former heavyweight champion of the world would not only be an avid user of his gym products, he would also have become an investor.
Manchester-based Pulseroll started out with a trip to China and its founder spending all the savings he had on what his wife called a crazy move.
But the business is now worth £10m and is in the middle of its first fundraising round with hopes of securing investment from Premier League footballers and private equity firms.
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel boss backs extra bank holiday bid and why he banned avocado on toast
The building which now houses the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has been a landmark in Manchester city centre for more than a century.
With construction starting in 1891, the imposing structure was originally home to the Refuge Assurance Building until it was transformed into a hotel in 1996.
Going under several different names, including the Palace Hotel, Le Méridien Palace andThe Principal, the hotel has witnessed a lot of change occur outside of its gates.
But since being snapped up by the InterContinental Hotels Group in 2018 the hotel has been given a new lease of life and been reinvigorated inside and out.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessLive, general manager Johan Scheepers lifts the lid on what it's really like to run one of the city's most prestigious hotels, the battle to hire back as many people as possible who were made redundant during the pandemic and also why his hotel has banned avocado and what it has replaced it with on its breakfast menu.
Steven Bartlett hopes to inspire budding entrepreneurs as Dragons' Den adds 700,000 extra viewers
Steven Bartlett has said he hopes to have inspired budding entrepreneurs with his Dragons' Den debut which saw a surge in viewers for its first episode.
The businessman, who co-founded Social Chain with Dominic McGregor in Manchester, has also revealed exclusively to BusinessLive how it felt to go up against his fellow Dragons as well as what made him make his first investment.
CEO says 'helicopter money' worth risk of Covid fraud as fast-growing lender eyes IPO
Getting as close to "dropping money from helicopters" as the UK is ever likely to get during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic was worth risking the potential for fraud, the founder and CEO of a fast-growing alternative finance provider has said.
Stuart Law, who runs the Assetz Group of companies in Manchester, added that without The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), the country's economy "would have collapsed" and that the Government "just needed to get the money out of the door".
In the aftermath of the Chancellor Rishi Sunak having faced criticism over alleged fraud that resulted from the scheme in recent months, Mr Law added the potential fraud was "a cost worth paying".
In a wide-ranging interview with BusinessLive, the CEO also outlines plans for his business to become a public company within the next three years as well as grow its near 150-strong team.
The travel company championed by Trustpilot users with a £1bn target
A travel company "is back on track" to achieve its £1bn turnover target despite its income being " obliterated " during the pandemic.
Travel Counsellors' CEO Steve Byrne has revealed how the last two years has had a "profound impact" on the sector and the business as it fought to "stay true to our values while we were facing the toughest of times".
In an exclusive interview with BusinessLive, Mr Byrne also said the company still expects to be a "massive success story" and return to making "double digit" gains to its sales and profits.
Castore boss on growth plans despite economic challenges
The co-founder of Castore has outlined why the sportwear brand is doubling down on its expansion plans despite the current economic challenges.
Tom Beahon said that he has always believed that if you have a "very strong core brand and value proposition to your community and customers you can be successful no matter what the external challenges are".
He added that it is "so important for any entrepreneur not to talk yourself into being negative" and that Castore aimed to thrive by doing the opposite to its main rivals.
In a wide-ranging interview with BusinessLive, Mr Beahon also said Matt Fitzpatrick's US Open win will help "supercharge" Castore's expansion across the Atlantic and revealed how England's new golf superstar can help the brand crack America.
Beaverbrooks boss on bouncing back from Covid, sharing profits with staff and expansion plans
The boss of Beaverbrooks has described the jewellery giant as a "shining light on the High Street" and revealed plans for further growth after bouncing back from the pandemic with an "exceptionally strong" year.
Managing director Anna Blackburn has also described why the historic family-owned company stuck to its values of looking after its people and local communities over the last two years as well as why it is doubling down on investing in physical stores while other retailers have shifted completely online.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessLive, the MD outlined the impact Covid has had on the firm, how the High Street is becoming more "experiential" and the introduction of a new profit bonus scheme for its employees.
Social Chain co-founder on starting over, 'vulture capitalists', global expansion, sobriety and Steven Bartlett
Dominic McGregor is arguably best known for co-founding Social Chain with new Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett.
The pair dropped out of the University of Manchester to launch the fledgling company, with the journey culminating on the firm going public and then departing for pastures new in 2020.
With Social Chain, which is now turning over more than €600m and in the stewardship of others, the entrepreneurs have set about carving new paths for themselves.
What Mr Bartlett did next - launching his Diary of a CEO Podcast, investing in UK and US companies and starting a few of his own as well as joining Dragons' Den - is very documented.
His business partner and best friend, however, has chosen to fly under the radar comparatively - until now.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessLive, Mr McGregor reveals why he chose to launch a new business from scratch - instead of taking a comfy role in someone else's business - as well as his plans for global expansion.
He also talks about the importance of sobriety in his life and his attitude to business, the desire to help entrepreneurs avoid so-called 'vulture capitalists' and hints at one day entering politics.
UrbanChain boss on green washing, creating jobs and going global
The part the rise in energy prices is playing to drive up the cost of living in the UK has not been far from the headlines over the last few weeks.
With numerous suppliers going bust recently and the energy cap set to be lifted in April, the strain on the finances of the public and businesses has never been greater.
However, one chief executive has said there is a solution and that it may not be too late to fix the "broken energy market".
Somayeh Taheri founded Manchester-based UrbanChain in 2017 after years as an academic at the University of Manchester, Iran University of Science & Technology and Persian Gulf University.
The company, which the CEO says is the first commercialised peer-to-peer energy exchange, using blockchain and AI to "decouple" renewable energy from the wholesale market and reduce the volatility of prices.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessLive, Somayeh Taheri has revealed her plans to expand UrbanChain's reach across the globe and help create jobs.
But she has warned that energy is being changed into a luxury and that action needs to be taken soon to tackle the growing unaffordability of prices.
Kirsty Henshaw on Dragons' Den, 'skyrocketing' sales and expansion plans
A former Dragons' Den contestant has opened the door for private equity investment with her free-from brand set to "skyrocket" by the end of 2024.
Kirsty Henshaw established Kirsty's from her kitchen table in Preston in 2009 and has now set her sights on reaching a turnover of £25m within the next three years.
Despite being told by a bank that she "had no chance", she secured the backing of Dragons Peter Jones and Duncan Banatyne after applying for the 2010 series - having polished off a bottle of wine to help with the nerves.
Speaking exclusively to BusinessLive, the entrepreneur has revealed the impact going on the hit BBC show had on her company, her growth plans for the future as well as the possibility of opening a new factory closer to home in Hale.
