From Wine Cellars to SEO Success: Lessons from My Unconventional Career

From Event Floors to Entrepreneurial Growth: My Journey to Scaling Success

My name is James Nathan. I’m 36 years old, living in Richmond, London, with my fiancé and our lovely golden retriever/cocker, Manuka. My journey has not been a straight line. Every twist and turn has helped me learn how to assist businesses in unlocking real growth today.

The Early Hustle: Where It All Began

At 16, I got my first taste of hard work at Bright-sparks, an event catering company. Watering tables at races and exclusive city dinners taught me the value of long hours and teamwork. The money was good, but what really hooked me was the energy. I worked hard so I could play harder with friends.

Bright-sparks wasn’t just a job. It was a rite of passage that built the work ethic that has stayed with me ever since. These early experiences shaped my understanding of commitment and the importance of collaboration in a successful endeavor.

A Gap Year Filled with Learning

When it came time for a gap year, I already knew I wanted to keep working. I enrolled in Ballymaloe Cookery School, where 5 am starts and 12-hour days were the norm. From feeding chickens to cooking delicious meals, I learned a new respect for discipline and hard work. After three months, I left with both a merit certificate and invaluable life lessons.

Next, I joined a ski instructor course with B.A.S.I in Zermatt. I had been skiing since I was three, and I initially thought it would be all about powder, carving, and late-night bars. The reality was quite different, focusing more on classroom learning than slopes. However, by the end of the course, I achieved my qualification to teach, which was the real goal.

Following that, I went to Greece and worked as a chef at a private members club on the coast. This experience lasted seven months, filled with 35-degree heat, a substantial amount of ouzo, and plenty of fun. Afterwards, I found myself back in the UK, cooking in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Falling Into Wine: Finding My Niche

At 19, I started working at New London Wine, a well-known merchant in Battersea. During three years there, I learned everything about fine wine trading. Eventually, I moved through four more independent merchants across London. I began at the bottom and worked my way to the top in each.

What I noticed everywhere was the limited digital presence of these businesses. So, I embraced the title of “the digital man.” I built websites, optimized them, and unlocked new revenue streams. At Albion Wine Shippers, I launched a spirits division. I scoured whisky auctions for rare bottles and built an online following for products that wouldn’t typically sell in a shop. This digital pivot revolutionized these merchants.

Entrepreneurial Spark: Pull The Cork

After 3½ years at Albion, I reached a wall. There was nowhere left to grow. I caught up with a friend who was running a winery in the south of France, and we pondered why we shouldn't launch our own online wine retail business.

That’s how Pull The Cork was launched, riding the wave of the UK’s natural wine movement. I didn’t know everything about natural wine, but I understood how to sell and scale. Within just two months, we had over 200 wines on the platform, many of which were totally new to the UK market and offered on an allocation basis.

I was responsible for logistics, sourcing, building relationships, tasting wines, and driving growth. My blog quickly attracted a cult following, achieving 30,000 monthly visits within four months. This initial success was further fueled by my part-time business, Market Jar.

Scaling Up: The LWS Merger

Eight months later, I discovered a struggling wholesaler: London Wine Shippers (LWS). Ironically, it was the same company I had worked for at 19, now under new ownership and £30k in debt. Despite its challenges, it had a prime warehouse and central London presence. We merged Pull The Cork with LWS. With a lean team, we became a powerful operation, shipping two pallets of e-commerce orders a day at our peak. During the pandemic, we were deemed "essential," keeping London supplied with wine and spirits during the lockdown.

As the business grew, however, so did the challenges. Internal politics and questionable decisions from the LWS side made it increasingly hard to build the business I envisioned. After 18 months, I made the tough but necessary decision to exit, even though I knew it was the right choice.

Market Jar: Building Growth for Others

Fast forward eight years, and I’m still leading Market Jar. I've collaborated with household names, groundbreaking startups, and even celebrities. I understand what it takes to drive high-ticket growth and yield results.

Having worked with all sides of the agency model, we are redefining our offer. I’ve experienced the frustrations of being burned by high churn rates and outdated models that do not serve clients effectively. At the end of the day, our focus is always on the client!

That’s why we do things differently. Most agencies lock you into retainers of £5/6k a month, but we concentrate on results, not retainers. Our clients now pay a flat fee of £24k upfront, or split into £12k at the start and £12k at month three. This payment covers six months of hands-on growth.

We’re not interested in overwhelming you with reports or tying you to endless contracts. We aim to create measurable, real growth so you can focus on running your business while we manage everything else. With a clear, jargon-free approach and an unwavering focus on ROI, you will always know your current standing and how your investment is performing.

You will receive a customized growth plan across six modules specifically designed for businesses at the growth stage point (with proven sales). You'll gain expert guidance and grounded systems to push your business towards expansion.

Instead of the typical agency retainer costing £96,000 over two years, we ask for only £24,000. There are no inflated retainers, no endless “strategy” decks, and no waiting six months to see any movement. Just fast results, free from the usual agency baggage.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Each step in my diverse career—catering, cooking, wine, and entrepreneurship—has taught me crucial lessons about grit, growth, and the immense power of digital influence. Now, I dedicate my experience to helping others achieve sustainable and authentic growth.

If you’re ready to unlock real, sustainable growth, let’s talk.