A TALENTED musician who launched a creative business in lockdown is shooting for start-up success.
Rob Grey is making waves with his new venture, Rad Stuff Photo Video.
With the support of Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council’s (DVSC) Change Makers project, the 29 year-old is now winning contracts and clients across North Wales and beyond.
Based in Rhyl, Rob is lead singer of pop-punk band Everyone and Anyone and discovered his flair for the visual while on tour with another group who needed someone to capture their performances on camera.
Just months later he was making plans to unveil the business when disaster struck and COVID-19 hit the UK; but that did not stop Rob, who decided to “just go for it” and never looked back.
Since the start of 2021 he has been collaborating with Ruthin’s DVSC on the Change Makers initiative profiling businesses that set up or ‘pivoted’ during the pandemic, and is excited at what the future holds.
“When Covid arrived it was the complete unknown, but I knew I had to just go for it,” said Rob, a former pupil at Prestatyn High School.
“I have worked hard and learnt as I go, picking up clients via word of mouth and social media, particularly YouTube.
“Throughout lockdown I thought it would be a good opportunity to develop my video and photography skills, given we were all stuck indoors with time on our hands.
“I really enjoy it and was excited to work on this new series of films with Change Makers; it’s a chance to tell the stories of some interesting North Wales businesses and explore how they’ve coped with Covid-19.
“It has been a tough time for everyone, and we are mindful of that, but there are also a lot of people who grasped the opportunity to do something fresh and different; we want to tell their stories.”
Change Makers was made possible by the Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy Challenge Fund and is a catalyst for ideas and a new breed of social enterprise, embracing the promotion of contemporary artisan markets, traders and crafters, whilst providing emerging entrepreneurs and ‘startisans’ with training and advice on how to turn a hobby or passion into a new career.
Ali Carter, Enterprise and Investment Manager for DVSC, mentored Rob and co-produced the series.
“Rob is a young and dynamic creative who was not going to let the Coronavirus stop him from pursuing his dream,” she said.
“He is an example of someone with the passion and drive to be successful, much like the other entrepreneurs and start-ups we will work with in the future.
“Some have rolled with the punches and adapted to the challenges of Coronavirus, while others had time to reflect in lockdown and decided the time was right to do something different.
“We want to hear from people this applies to, people who, like Rob, just went for it and are making their mark during this unprecedented time in all of our lives.”
