Business Without BS

What does it really take to turn an idea into a consumer brand, and convince investors to back you before you've even finished the product?
Maya Bedeau is the founder of 'Onest Energy, a natural energy drink created to bring more transparency to a crowded category. Just eight months after launching, 'Onest won Best Sports & Energy Drink at the UK Soft Drinks Awards, competing against established brands with significantly more history and money behind them.
Maya joins Andy Oury and Jemma Hotta to talk about what building a physical consumer brand actually looks like behind the scenes - from raising £225,000 in early investment and establishing a valuation before launch, to manufacturing, distribution, marketing and finding the right audience.
They also get into the importance of authenticity in founder-led marketing, why your audience needs to see themselves represented in your brand, choosing investors for more than their money, and why listening to too many opinions can sometimes pull a founder away from the original vision.
And, of course, Maya faces Business or BS, with takes on first-mover advantage, revenue vs profit, VC investment, Bitcoin and more.
Think of this as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant, you just don't have to pay for it. Honest opinions, practical insights and no unnecessary jargon.
In this episode:
• Building a consumer brand from scratch
• Raising investment before having a finished product
• SEIS and early-stage startup funding
• How founders value a business before meaningful revenue
• Breaking into a crowded drinks market
• Finding and understanding your target audience
• Authenticity and founder-led marketing
• Building in public and putting your team on camera
• Choosing the right investors
• Why founders shouldn't listen to every opinion
• First-mover advantage and competing with established brands
• Revenue vs profit
• Business or BS
About Maya Bedeau
Maya Bedeau is the founder of 'Onest Energy, a natural energy drink brand focused on transparency and providing an alternative within the traditional energy-drink category. Before launching 'Onest, Maya spent years working inside another drinks startup, where she gained hands-on experience across marketing and the realities of running a small business.
Connect with Maya
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-bedeau-08951a109/
'Onest Energy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkonest/?hl=en
Connect with Business Without BS
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bwblondon
Website: https://withoutbs.com
Connect with Andy Oury
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewoury/

What does it really mean to work for yourself?
There are around four million sole traders in the UK, yet they rarely get the same attention as employees, startups or big businesses. No paid holiday. No guaranteed salary. No corporate safety net. You find the work, do the work, chase the invoice — and then do it all again. That's exactly the world this episode explores.
This week, Andy Oury and Jemma Hotta are joined by Giulio Miglietta, a multidisciplinary artist, craftsman and long-time sole trader.
Giulio's route into business was anything but conventional. He arrived in London with around £200, couch-surfed and occasionally slept at Victoria Coach Station while trying to create a life and career for himself. His goal was deliberately to get uncomfortable, find opportunities and learn how to make things work.
That journey eventually took him through graphic design, illustration and lecturing before developing his own multidisciplinary embroidery studio and distinctive creative practice.
The conversation gets into the reality behind self-employment: independence, uncertainty, finding clients, building skills, standing out in a crowded creative market and choosing a career where there isn't always a safety net.
And because this is Business Without BS, there's also plenty that has absolutely nothing to do with sensible business advice — including why an Italian prefers tea to espresso and whether Giulio needs to find himself a vice.
In this episode:
• Giulio's journey from Italy to London with just £200
• Couch-surfing, squatting and deliberately choosing discomfort
• How struggle helped him develop determination and spot opportunities
• Building a career through transferable skills rather than following a traditional path
• Going from graphic design and illustration to becoming a sole trader
• Why independence is such a big part of self-employment
• The reality of having no paid holiday or traditional employee safety net
• Whether social media has made it easier or harder for young creatives to build careers
• Why standing out matters more than ever
• The forgotten role of craftspeople and sole traders in the economy
• Tea vs espresso — and Giulio's questionable status as an Italian
This episode also ties into The Rebel Accountant's Sole Trader Anthem — a rallying cry for the millions of people working for themselves across the UK.
Think of Business Without BS as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant — you just don't have to pay for it.
No unnecessary jargon. No corporate b****t. Just conversations about what running a business is actually like.

Everybody has an opinion on tax havens. But how many people actually understand what they do?
This week on Business Without Bullshit, Andy and Gemma are joined by Tom Dugdale, a lawyer who has led Harneys’ Offshore Funds team in the UK for the last eight years, working across jurisdictions including the BVI, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Jersey and beyond.
Together, they get beyond the headlines and ask what tax havens — or international finance centres, are actually for.
Are they simply places for the wealthy to hide money? Or are they an important piece of the plumbing behind international business, investment funds and the global economy?
They discuss why offshore structures exist, the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion, why “zero tax” doesn’t necessarily mean no tax is ever paid, the role offshore jurisdictions play in investment funds and pensions, and whether tax competition actually puts a useful limit on governments.
They also get into the Panama Papers, offshore secrecy and transparency, regulation and anti-money-laundering rules, America’s unusual position in the system, and the surprising history of Britain’s own offshore territories.
And there’s a bigger question underneath it all:
What would global finance actually look like without tax havens?
No slogans. No easy villains. Just a proper look at how the system actually works.
🎙️ Business Without Bullshit
Featuring Tom Dugdale, Andy and Jemma.

The UK has a new Prime Minister. Now come the big questions.
In this special episode of Business Without BS, Chartered Tax Adviser Andy Oury and commercial lawyer Jemma Hotta discuss the policies they hope Andy Burnham will prioritise to help Britain become a stronger place to build businesses, attract investment and drive long-term economic growth.
Think of this as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant—you just don't have to pay for it. Honest opinions, practical insights and no political spin.
In this episode:
How can the UK attract more foreign direct investment?
What incentives should Britain offer entrepreneurs?
Can Britain compete globally in AI and innovation?
Should wealth creation be encouraged or taxed?
How can SMEs become the engine of economic growth?
What should Andy Burnham's first priorities be?
What policies would actually encourage businesses to invest?
How can Britain become more competitive internationally?

About the guests
Andy Oury
Andy Oury is a Chartered Tax Adviser, Chartered Accountant and CEO of Oury Clark. Through The Rebel Accountant, he helps entrepreneurs understand tax, build stronger businesses and challenge common misconceptions about the economy.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewoury/
Jemma Hotta
Jemma Hotta is a commercial lawyer specialising in corporate law, international business and complex legal structures.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemma-hotta/
Listen to Business Without BS
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/business-without-bs/id1528844106
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6J1YMncmYCLODOKi8A0CFU
Website
https://withoutbs.com
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The focal premise of this podcast episode centers on the pervasive misconceptions surrounding tax havens and their perceived utility for affluent individuals. I elucidate that the notion that wealthy citizens are evading taxes through offshore accounts lacks substantive foundation, as contemporary regulations have significantly curtailed such practices. We explore the historical context of tax havens, tracing their emergence to post-war fiscal policies, and discuss the intricate balance between legal tax optimization and ethical considerations. Furthermore, I emphasize that while there may exist specific scenarios where offshore entities could be beneficial, these instances are exceedingly rare and fraught with complexity. Ultimately, we advocate for a nuanced understanding of taxation, underscoring that the current UK corporate tax framework offers several advantages that should not be overlooked.

Takeaways:
The common misconception that wealthy individuals exploit tax havens to evade taxes is largely unfounded.
Tax havens are not as beneficial for individuals and businesses as public perception suggests.
The increasing regulation surrounding offshore accounts has made it exceedingly challenging to utilize tax havens effectively.
The UK provides a favorable corporate tax environment, which can serve as an attractive alternative to offshore tax planning.

Companies mentioned in this episode:
Gary Stevenson
Tom Dugdale
Jimmy Carr