What actually happens after filming wraps?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace sits down with Holly to explore the world of post production, the part of film and television that shapes the final story you see on screen.

From editing and sound design to ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording), grading, music, and delivering shows to Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV. Holly shares what it really means to be a Post Production Coordinator.

We talk about:

• Growing up wanting to be an actor

• Musical theatre and auditioning for drama school

• Rejection and losing her agent

• Working in restaurants while chasing creative dreams

• Hitting rock bottom in 2019

• Therapy and rebuilding confidence

• Falling into post production unexpectedly

• Working in Soho — the UK’s post production hub

• What ADR actually is

• How editing changes a storyline

• The magic of music and score

• Freelance life in film and TV

• Long contracts vs downtime between projects

Holly also shares:

• Why being organised is everything

• How to break into the industry without connections

• The reality of working on Apple TV, Amazon & Netflix productions

• Why post is where the magic really happens

If you’ve ever wondered how a script becomes the show you binge, this episode reveals the hidden world behind the edit.

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to become a head chef?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace sits down with Andy — Head Chef at ROVI (part of the Ottolenghi group), to unpack the real journey behind running a high-performing kitchen.

From growing up in a hospitality family (with a dad who owned nightclubs and restaurants) to working his way up through kitchens in Australia and London, Andy shares the truth about the industry — the highs, the burnout, the pirate-ship energy of kitchen culture, and the leadership skills no one talks about.

We cover:

• Starting out in a family restaurant
• Culinary school vs on-the-job training
• Moving from Australia to London without a job lined up
• Working your way from chef de partie to sous chef to head chef
• What being a head chef actually involves (hint: it’s not just cooking)
• Managing big teams under pressure
• Menu development, seasonal produce & working with a kitchen garden
• Cooking for 200+ guests in Sicily & Ibiza
• The harsh realities of the hospitality industry
• Why supporting independent restaurants matters

Andy also shares the mindset you need to survive in kitchens:

✔️ Work ethic

✔️ Resilience

✔️ Thick skin

✔️ Passion for food

✔️ Leadership under pressure

If you’ve ever dreamed of running a kitchen, opening a restaurant, or just want to understand what happens behind the pass, this episode is for you.

Resources:

https://ottolenghi.co.uk/pages/locations/rovi

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you turn years in the classroom into a business that actually helps kids?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace talks with Ramita, a former middle-years teacher who founded Elevate, a curriculum and mentoring platform that supports pre-teens (especially girls) with resilience, confidence and social skills.

Ramita walks us through:

• Her original path (pre-med → genetics → a life-changing volunteer teaching stint)
• Why she loved teaching and why teacher burnout is real
• The moment she decided to build something outside school: designing an 8-week curriculum for tweens
• How Elevate launched in Singapore, then pivoted online during COVID to reach kids worldwide
• What the Elevate workshops and school programmes actually cover (resilience, social skills, transition support, online wellbeing)
• How she built the Elevate Festival, turning curriculum pillars into hands-on experiences for girls
• Business realities: juggling teaching + entrepreneurship, finding funding/customers, and dealing with feedback
• Practical advice for educators who want to start a venture: test ideas, lean on your network, iterate, and accept that “failure” teaches you the next move

Resources:

https://www.elevate-ra.com/

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to become a fashion designer?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace sits down with Alethea, a designer at Next, to break down the reality of working in fashion, from high street accessories to predicting next year’s trends.

From growing up on a council estate with dreams of becoming a designer, to working for Vivienne Westwood, to designing pieces you’ve probably seen on the high street, Alethea’s journey proves there’s no single route into fashion.

Alethea shares:

• Always knowing she wanted to be a fashion designer
• The teacher who helped map out her path
• Studying fashion at university and foundation year
• Working for Vivienne Westwood and Lulu Guinness
• Why she moved from designer brands to the high street
• How fashion really makes money
• The difference between designer labels and commercial fashion
• What it’s like seeing your designs out in the real world
• The pressure of development trips to factories
• How trends are actually predicted
• Why macro trends (like politics and economics) shape what we wear
• Navigating feedback and rejection in creative roles
• The realities of working in fashion production

She also opens up about:

• Why you don’t need to be “fashion crazy” to work in fashion
• How to break into the industry without connections
• Why you should make your mistakes working for someone else
• The importance of developing thick skin
• Why creativity and commercial awareness must work together

If you’re interested in:

• Becoming a fashion designer
• Working in high street fashion
• Trend forecasting
• Creative careers
• How to get into the fashion industry
• Commercial design roles

This episode is for you.

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a Brand Manager at Marriott actually do?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace sits down with Kel to unpack what it really means to shape, launch and scale hotel brands across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

From moving countries as a teenager, to working front-of-house in a five-star London hotel, to landing a graduate role at Marriott, Kel’s journey proves that brand leadership isn’t about advertising alone. It’s about building the full guest experience.

Kel shares:

• Why he originally wanted to work in social services
• Moving to the UK at 15 and navigating cultural change
• Studying Business & Hospitality at university
• Why working in hotel operations was essential
• The importance of emotional intelligence in hospitality
• How he discovered brand management through a VP coffee chat
• Completing a Master’s in Advertising & Marketing
• Landing Marriott’s graduate programme
• Navigating redundancy during COVID
• Rebuilding her career internationally
• Moving back to London for a second chance
• Launching new hotel brands across EMEA
• What brand management actually means (and how it differs from marketing)

She also opens up about:

• Cultural differences between working in Asia and Europe
• The hierarchy of hotel operations
• Influencing stakeholders in corporate environments
• Balancing ambition and personal life
• Taking leaps of faith in your career

If you’re interested in:

• Hospitality careers
• Working for Marriott
• Brand management roles
• Corporate marketing
• International careers
• Travel and tourism jobs

This episode is for you.

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when your two obsessions, movies and food, become a business?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace talks to Amy, the founder of Taste Film, about building a cinematic dining concept that pairs full film screenings with menus inspired by the movies. From the seed idea in 2017 to pop-ups, COVID pivots, viral growth, and expansion into new cities. Amy walks us through the messy, thrilling reality of turning nostalgia into a scalable hospitality experience.

They discuss:

• The moment the idea came to life (Goodfellas + garlic = epiphany).

• Moving from TV runner → college teacher → entrepreneur.

• Prototyping: pop-ups, borrowing friends, borrowing kitchens, and buying a projector.

• Keeping the brand alive during COVID (Taste Film at Home, cook-alongs, delivery boxes).

• Operational lessons: menu development, working with venue chefs, and protecting the guest experience.

• Growth pains: viral moments, hiring too fast, learning finance, and building a team.

• Expansion strategy: Manchester, Edinburgh, B2B / studio premieres, and international options.

• Practical tradeoffs: safety nets, part-time vs all-in, funding risk, and the emotional cost of scaling.

Amy also shares honest entrepreneurial advice: start small, learn event ops, know your numbers, protect the product, and lean on people who believe in you.

Resources:

Taste Film: https://tastefilm.co.uk/

The book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/entrepreneur-revolution/daniel-priestley/9780857089731

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to become a sports agent and eventually run your own agency?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace sits down with Stefan, sports agent to Chris Eubank Jr. and co-founder of YRDS, to break down the real path into athlete representation and sports business.

From internships and Olympic volunteering to the Premier League and launching a boutique sport & entertainment agency — this is a conversation about hustle, relationships, and long-term strategy.

Stefan shares:

• Growing up internationally and how that shaped his career

• Getting his break through the London 2012 Olympics

• Working at the Premier League for 10 years

• How he started representing Chris Eubank Jr.

• What a sports agent actually does day-to-day

• Negotiating brand partnerships & sponsorship deals

• Why relationship-building is everything

• Co-founding YRDS and building a boutique agency

• Working with premium fashion brands

• Representing talent beyond sport — including an astronaut

He also talks about:

• The pressure behind major fights and global events

• The long process behind landing big brand deals

• Why boutique agencies can outperform big corporations

• Expanding internationally (Middle East & LA)

• The importance of internships and real-world experience

If you’ve ever wondered what happens outside the ring or how athletes secure life-changing opportunities, this episode reveals the reality behind the headlines.

Resources:

YRDS: https://yrds.com/

Co-founders: @jonoyatess @danieljamesunderwood @stefanwesson

LOCOG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Organising_Committee_of_the_Olympic_and_Paralympic_Games

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it actually take to become a freelance photographer?

In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace sits down with Grace to unpack the honest, behind-the-scenes reality of turning photography from a hobby into a career.

From unpaid internships and temp jobs to shooting for major brands and launching her own agency, this is a transparent conversation about the creative highs and the financial realities of freelance life.

Grace shares:

• Starting with GCSE photography and finding her creative spark

• Why internships matter in creative industries

• Working corporate and knowing when it’s not for you

• Taking the leap into freelance (and saving before you do)

• The reality of inconsistent income

• Why pricing conversations in photography are so important

• Building two brands: personal fashion work vs. event photography

• Securing sponsorships and flying abroad for shoots

• The importance of community in creative industries

She also opens up about:

• Being diagnosed with autism and how that shaped her work style

• Stress in corporate environments

• Why routine matters, even as a freelancer

• Picking up part-time work during quieter seasons

• Setting realistic goals instead of rigid five-year plans

If you’ve ever wondered how photographers actually make money, this episode is for you.

Please note: I had to silence the amount paid for the Converse job as this is under NDA - apologies for the tease!

🎙 How To Become A... explores real-life journeys behind the careers of everyday people. Each episode dives into the path of someone who's built success outside of the spotlight — no fame, no fortune, just real stories. Discover how they started, the challenges they faced, and what drives them forward. 💼✨

🔗 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people find their own path

📩 Got your own story to share? Contact us at hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

📱Follow us on socials: @howtobecomea__

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.