Provocateurs
Provocateurs
Podcast Description
Step into a world of bold ideas and daring conversations with Provocateurs.
Hosted by the dynamic Sarah Moxom, this podcast invites you into a space where change-makers, go-getters, and trailblazers share their stories, insights, and hard-earned wisdom.
From dissecting today’s most pressing issues to diving deep into personal growth, relationships, and entrepreneurship, Provocateurs isn’t afraid to push boundaries and ask the questions that matter. Every episode is designed to challenge your thinking, ignite your curiosity, and leave you inspired to see the world in a whole new light.
Ready to step outside your comfort zone? Tune in and join a conversation that’s equal parts daring and enlightening. This is more than a podcast—it’s a catalyst for your next big breakthrough.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes of personal growth, mental health, entrepreneurship, and societal issues. Episodes cover diverse topics such as the challenges faced by individuals in the adult industry, the journey of female DJs navigating a male-dominated music scene, personal stories of resilience among the trans community, and narratives from nightlife figures addressing addiction and redemption. Each episode emphasizes the importance of community, authenticity, and the complexity of modern identities.
The podcast asking the questions the industry avoids.
Provocateurs is a conversation platform built for the nightlife, hospitality, events industry and those shaping culture.
Each episode, Sarah Moxom (Phoenix Group Global Founder) sits down with the operators, promoters, DJs, and disruptors who build the scene and pushes past the polished soundbites to get to what people really think.
We dive into a wide range of topics, from current events to personal growth, relationships to entrepreneurship, with a shared goal to connect across our network and share the stories that got us here.
No scripts. No safe questions.
In this episode of Provocateurs, host sits down with Bournemouth venue owner and former automotive engineer James Gordon. James caused waves across the UK hospitality scene by taking over three massive nightlife sites—Bournemouth House, Harry’s Lounge, and Bar Coast—in the span of just 30 days.
James breaks down his journey from designing air vents for Jaguar and Ford to stepping into hotel ownership at 26 years old with zero experience and managing nearly 90 staff. He shares how engineering problem-solving helped him survive day-one meltdowns, details his lucrative £6,000-a-room hotel pivot for Jewish Passover, and explains why applying financial day-trading strategies led him to “buy at the bottom” during an industry slump. Plus, James addresses negative media perceptions of coastal town nightlife, female safety initiatives, and how venue collaboration is breathing new life into Christchurch Road.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The 30-Day Multi-Site Takeover: How James acquired three distinct Bournemouth venues in a single month and turned them into a connected nightlife hub.
From Engineering to Hospitality: Applying automotive design problem-solving to broken hotel systems, dead lifts, and day-one operational crises.
The £6,000 Passover Hack: How transforming a hotel to fully kosher standards created a premium ten-day event season.
Buying at the Bottom: Why financial day-trading principles convinced James that UK hospitality’s low point offered the highest investment upside.
Community & Safety First: Implementing door-to-car escorts, collaboration with neighboring restaurants, and local business networking to rebuild footfall.
00:00:00 – Intro
00:00:38 – Taking Over 3 Bournemouth Sites in 30 Days
00:03:31 – Working as a Jaguar & Ford Automotive Engineer
00:05:22 – Why Bournemouth? 7 Miles of Sandy Beaches & London Connections
00:06:22 – Day One Hotel Chaos: Broken Tills, Dead Lifts & Phone Crashes 00:09:15 – Managing 90 Staff at 26 Years Old With Zero Experience 00:11:47 – The £2.68/Hour Youth Apprenticeship Program
00:14:09 – Kosher Hospitality: The £6,000-a-Room Passover Hack 00:15:35 – Sliding Scrolls of the Law Out the Back of a 4×4
00:22:06 – Zero Food Cost Business Models: Running Fasting Bootcamps
00:24:44 – The “Eric” Note Trick: How to Remember Every Customer’s Name
00:28:16 – Leaving Day Trading Gold to Buy Hospitality “At the Bottom”
00:31:29 – Addressing Bad Press & Perception of Bournemouth Nightlife
00:35:02 – Sitting Down With Balaclava-Wearing Delivery Drivers
00:38:18 – Female Safety: Walking Drunk Clubgoers Home Safely
00:44:07 – Local Restaurant Collaborations on Christchurch Road 00:49:11 – Where to Find James Corden Online & AI Business Tech
James Gordon Links
https://bomohouse.co.uk/
https://harrys-lounge.co.uk/
https://barcoast.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/james_gordon_lifestyle/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-gordon-sandrock/
Social Links
https://www.tiktok.com/@provocateurspodcast https://www.instagram.com/sarah.moxom/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPmCQvMWLaLTayKshPyGOEg This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
Disclaimer
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