You are NOT just an industry expert. You are a MEDIA company as well. This has been one of my most repeated phrases over the last couple of years. Whomever I speak to, I say this to; whatever the industry: - legal - finance - fitness - medical - food - cars - construction - POLITICS - everything else You are ALSO a media company. And you need to start functioning like a media company. That's how an unheard of young politician named Zohran Mamdani just became Mayor of New York. The content game was flawless. He didn't just function as a politician, he functioned as a media company. And it was the content and media that got him the win. Yet so many industry experts refuse to put out their own media and content; or just dabble in it. You can't do that anymore. You need to set aside time and resources, as if it is a central pillar to your business, profession or project, towards media and content creation. This isn't just for businesses. It's for EVERYONE. Standing out to get a better job in today's market is less CV and more MEDIA. Too many of you are still shackled by shyness, discomfort on camera, afraid of speaking in public... ...and it's denting your chances of some real progress. Don't let that be you. The Minotaur Video Exemplar programme specifically deals with overcoming your fear of speaking on camera, building your media presence and making an impact in the process. DM for more details on the programme.

6 years ago I started my journey of overcoming my fear of speaking. Only people with real shyness, social anxiety and a crippling fear of public speaking will truly understand. Every opportunity I got prior to that, I ran a mile. At one point, albeit long ago, it was so bad I just could not make routine appointment calls to the doctors etc. But not being able to speak is a prison, espesh in a corporate career or when you’re building your own projects When I left the legal world, my first attempts were to make money WITHOUT having to speak to anyone. It just doesn’t work. Or it didn’t for me. And so being able to speak confidently became a priority. Started with: - writing content and blogs - before moving into making videos - followed by podcasting - to now speaking at events When I made that video in 2019, I was just about starting the video journey. Those that were there saw it from day one. 6 years is a long time to get in front of 100+ people, but better late than never. 1000+ is the next step up. However…I see so many trying to build things in the shadows because they won’t confront their fear of speaking. Take it from me, it’s an even bigger uphill battle. It will in fact be easier to just start yapping away. The Minotaur Video Exemplar programme was designed specifically to support you get confident speaking, to then build a brand and make the impact you know you can. Hard to do that if you continue to hide away. DM for more details on how you can become a confident speaking in public machine.

A real buzz of energy in the room, after connecting with great people and businesses. Rosalind Arden shares her thoughts about the Batley Entrepreneurship Club official network launch event. As mentioned, there are lots of cross-overs between Batley and Dewsbury. Whilst the focus has been on Batley, there are lots of hidden gems in Dewsbury too. Currently, the Dewsbury Arcade is going through a multi-million pound transformation. Initiatives like this help “revive and restore long forgotten Northern UK towns” which is another key aim of BEC.

Style, charisma, humour. Nasar Hussain bought the Bradford charm to the Batley audience. Balancing faith, family and fitness with finances in this day and age is a struggle for many. With many online influencers skewing expectations and narratives, it becomes even more important for role models like Nasar to step forward in showcasing how it should be done in reality. Bringing communities together to listen to experts and then network to build real relationships is another key initiative of the Batley Entrepreneurship Club. In a world that will be transformed by AI, in-person communities will become more imperative than ever.

Omar Bhamji knocked it out of the park when speaking on stage. Getting real insight from someone who’s built a $100M+ company is rare in and of itself. Coming from someone based in Batley, is rarer still. The event wasn’t just inspiring for the audience, but for Omar bhai himself to be more engaged and active in the community… …which is one of the key aims of the Batley Entrepreneurship Club. Great role models exist like Omar bhai, more need to step out into the limelight to make an impact on others. This event proved how much it’s needed to have more of these in-person interview styles occasions based upon the feedback that came back from many.

Dr Farooqui shares his experience of the Batley Entrepreneurship Club Official Network Launch event. “In one word: phenomenal” More events like this needed in Batlehh.

Omer Riaz gives his verdict of the Batley Entrepreneurship Club Network Launch Event. Travelled all the way from Manchester (something I appreciate more having been stuck in Manchester traffic this week 😂) Whilst the focus is Batley, the intention is for the Club to become a regional platform for the North of the UK - with people and businesses coming into Batley. Having established businesses and entrepreneurs like Omer come from Manchester is therefore crucial. You don’t expect events like this in Batley - we trying to change that. To be part of the Club and get support in building you project, become a member now:

Batley Entrepreneurship Club

Shout out to my niece, Iqra Faraz, who handled herself really well with the registrations and this interview, both of which she did for the first time.

Was reminded today why I chose to go my own path as opposed to the traditional career route… …not sure what it’s like for others, but for me sitting in traffic was a soul killer. One (of the many) elements that made the entire lifestyle suffocating. Work-life balance gets talked about a lot; but how draining and wasteful the commute is doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Let’s hope the rest of the week is better in this regard 😂 Traffic aside, Manchester is a lovely City.

2 days later and I’m still tired! Events take a lot of energy out of you. Adrenaline’s died down, can now constructively assess the event. There’s a high and dopamine overload on the actual night. Then there’s a post-event come down the following day. Today’s just recovery and recharge. Although got in a gym session, as the Friday one was missed doing the final event prep. Been hitting the gym 3x a week for 6 weeks on the trot. Only got in 2 sessions this week. 😒 So much editing to do. So much content in the arsenal now, including this attached image. Just about finding the time to stitch it altogether. Next week I’m in Manchester a lot - got my eldest booked in for football training camp. Won’t have much time to edit, as I’m a desktop guy and everything’s on there. But will have to find a way to be productive. Manchester mutuals, if you’re free between 10am-2pm next week, lezzz connect.

Batleh Town Hall was rockin' last night 💥 So happy with how the Batley Entrepreneurship Club Official Network Launch event turned out, and the feedback received so far. The energy was electric. The numbers came in, with around 125-135 attendees on the night 💪🏽 Guests arrived from as far as Birmingham, Manchester, Preston, Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, as well as plenty of locals. Cannot thank the guest speakers, Omar Bhamji & Nasar Hussain enough. Not something they've done before, however they were absolutely fabulous & knocked it out of the park. Complete naturals on stage, and phenomenal role models for the community. So many were inspired by their stories & insights. Pleasantly surprised to learn that another role-model, Cas Majid, is in fact originally a local as well! May just be a special guest speaker soon... Huge thanks to the supporters and sponsors:   - Chaiiwala Batley - The Bakery by Cha Cha Chai - Ashvic Construction - Barkat Catering - West Yorkshire Combined Authority To Zahoor Saharkhar for the tireless cameraman skills.   And of course a huge thank you to all the volunteers and guests that arrived. This is Batley, where things happen! And it happened last night! P.S. Also had a great time at the after party at Bison's - yep, managed to make it this time 😀 #WhereOpportunityLives

Can’t actually believe it: 200 breached! Double century hit 🏏💥 Had to readjust the ticket limit capacity before I went to sleep last night, which originally was capped at 200. Have spoken with the council to change the layout of the Hall: Removing tables. Adding more chairs. Theatre style setup allows for a max capacity of 220. Meaning we can add just 16 more spaces 🔥 This really is your absolute last chance of signing up for a night of community and connection: 🚀 The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club Network 🚀 📆 Friday 24 October 2025 🕣 Doors open 6pm 📍 Batley Town Hall Register now:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

I've actually been dragging my feet with this official BEC Network Launch Event. Was supposed to start planning it weeks before I did. But turned out, I got hit with some mental blockers (Minotaurs). Mixture of: Last one was a lot of work, do we really want to go through all of that again?! Is expectation going to be higher this time around?! What if hardly anyone turns up this time?! Last time the topic was hot and a crowd puller in & of itself. And so on. They say the first time you do summin' it's the hardest. I don't think that's true. The first time you don't really know what you're doing, so you just crack on as you go along. After that, you realise all you have to do and it feels more like a mountain to climb. So if you're at the stage where you're hesitant in starting your project, because you want to know / cover everything it might entail... ...just stop. Stop hesitating. Start doing. It might actually be easier and better for you to not know everything, and figure it out as you progress. With that said, we are now at 172 registrations. This is in fact more than the last event (as for that one quite a few signed up from around the world thinking it was an online session). Cappin' this at 200, so just 28 spaces left. The final countdown begins. Register now or forevah hold your peace 😂:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

How much work do you actually have to do?! In 3 weeks, i've: ✅ Created 32 social media posts ✅ Shared them 157x’s across SM ✅ Sent 2 emails to past attendees / email list. Results: Approx. 150k views. Leading to 1365 page views and 161 registrations. This does not take into account lots of other things. In other words, you have to do A LOT - and you're still not certain about the result. Video version of the earlier breakdown which has full details. With 161 tickets now gone, only 39 remain. Don't leave this last-minute, get yours now:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

Chaiiwala Batley have sponsored 🚀 The Official Batley Entrepreneurship Club Network Launch Event 🚀 The world famous Karak Chai will be served. The Batley community really coming together for this one. Huge shoutout and thank you to Chaiiwala Batley for this generosity. Big thanks again to Farhana Bham for facilitating this as well. With 150+ registered, time is ticking to be apart of what is shaping up to be an extraordinary evening in Batley: 📆 Friday 24 October 2025 🕣 Doors open 6pm 📍 Batley Town Hall Get your tickets here:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

Big shout out to Ashvic Construction, a Manchester firm, for sponsoring the Batley Entrepreneurship Club event. They’re a growing North West firm with over 10 years of industry experience, specialising in: 📍Quantity Surveying 📍Project management, and 📍Value engineering The company has supported projects from commercial fit‑outs to major healthcare and heritage developments. Recently signed a new partnership alongside Century 21 Leeds to provide estate agency services in Manchester. They’re building towards a future of connecting construction expertise with private investment opportunities. They will be at the event on Friday 24 October. Make sure you are too. Grab your tickets with time running out:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

Autumn in Batley, and the UK in general, is a vibe. Take a moment to soak in the simplest of marvels we take for granted… …as opposed to the constant negativity. You’ll be surprised about how your outlook on life changes. Tying to tackle the constant doom & gloom, and replace it with more positivity is a key aim for the Batley Entrepreneurship Club. Positive energy will be rampant at the event on Friday. Just a few days away, book your tickets:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

What to do when undercover secret agents call you a grifter 🤷🏽‍♂️ By the grace of God, we do have sponsors for the event…to be announced shortly 😁 Nevertheless, happy to have further conversations for sponsorship. Otherwise, you just need to book your tickets to be there:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

And a century has been hit! Always good getting to the 100 mark… …but we’ve whizzed past that and currently stand at 117 registrations 💥💥 With both special guest speakers now confirmed, the event went up a notch. And the people are responding. By my estimates, there are still another 25-35 that have verbally confirmed but not booked yet. Even they’re cutting it short and soon gon’ be on the you snooze you lose list. Don’t let that be you, get registered for what’s to be a memorable evenin’ in Batlehhh:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

If you missed the speaker announcements yesterday, fear not as the video version is now here too 😁 We’ve been telling y’all Batley has some incredible things often overlooked. That’s why it’s so cool to have Omar Bhamji speaking on a stage in Batley to share one of those amazing stories. Over the past 4-6 months I’ve often been told we do not have enough (if any) events like this locally. We’re trying to change that, and as of this video being recorded, 95 of you have answered the call by registering. It will not be long now before spaces are gone, so if you plan on being part of this historic night, make sure you get your tickets. Register here for this exclusive Batley Entrepreneurship Club event:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.

Super excited to also announce the second special guest speaker for the Official Launch of the Batley Entrepreneurship Club Network event: Nasar Hussain. You often hear about work-life balance, and how you have to sacrifice important things to make it as an entrepreneur. So much so that many end up falling behind on other aspects of their lives, whether that be faith, family or fitness. Quite a few end up undertaking shady practices. Nasar Hussain however, has managed to build a business from Bradford 19 years ago without losing sight of faith, family or fitness. Twenty five years in tech, driven by hard work & local values - building the future whilst staying true to his roots... ...makes him a shining example for the next generation of entrepreneurs. 🎟️ To secure your spot before we hit capacity register here:

Eventbrite

The Official Launch: Batley Entrepreneurship Club (BEC) Network

Join us for the official launch of the BEC Network: a grassroots community initiative Building Batley Better.