Latest / Northern Quarter Talks / Leave People Better Than You Found Them | Jessica Southworth - Hotel Football

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Leave People Better Than You Found Them | Jessica Southworth - Hotel Football · Northern Quarter Talks

0:00
Jessica Southworth: So we concentrate on how people leave us and how they feel and feel like TEDx does exactly the same.
0:05
Jessica Southworth: So again, we talk about alignment and it's like if we can do that and leave them children better than again, maybe how how we found them, then that's all we want to do.
0:16
Jessica Southworth: It was somebody in the room but anonymously donated a hundred and twenty-five K.
0:20
Jessica Southworth: If if hotel football would never have supported us at a cost price to put on a dinner, that person would never have been in the room.
0:27
Jessica Southworth: He also didn't anticipate that many people.
0:30
Jessica Southworth: Like when I say people were queuing out the door around the stadium.
0:35
Simran Whitham: What makes Manchester so special to you to you and I suppose as a brand as well?
0:40
Simran Whitham: But for you personally, what makes it so special?
0:41
Simran Whitham: It doesn't have to be one answer, it does have to be one thing.
0:44
Simran Whitham: Okay, so it has to be
0:48
Title: This is the TEDx Northern Quarter Podcast.
0:50
Simran Whitham: Jessica.
0:51
Simran Whitham: Hello.
0:52
Simran Whitham: Welcome to the official TEDx Northern Quarter podcast, TEDx and Talks.
0:55
Jessica Southworth: I feel very special right now.
0:57
Simran Whitham: You are very special.
0:58
Simran Whitham: Do you know why?
0:59
Simran Whitham: Because you're a very special partner of 2026's conference, Hotel Football.
1:03
Simran Whitham: Thank you for being here today.
1:04
Jessica Southworth: No, thank you.
1:05
Jessica Southworth: Do you know what?
1:06
Jessica Southworth: When we first started to speak, you know, when something really resonates, and I'm like, we need in.
1:12
Jessica Southworth: I don't know how we're gonna do it, but we do it.
1:14
Simran Whitham: So I have to give a huge shout out to Matty White, who actually recommended me to you because I was like, Matty, like who's a good hospitality brand recommend?
1:20
Simran Whitham: You went, I know, just the person.
1:22
Simran Whitham: And funnily enough, you'd actually liked the video of him saying he was gonna be hosting.
1:26
Simran Whitham: So I was like, that's fake, that's alignment.
1:28
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, 100%.
1:29
Jessica Southworth: And yes, anyone that I know would say that that was meant to be.
1:32
Jessica Southworth: So thanks, Manny.
1:33
Simran Whitham: Love that big shout out to Manny, who's actually in here after you, funnily enough.
1:37
Simran Whitham: But I want to talk about hotel football.
1:41
Simran Whitham: You have joined us as an amazing partner, but had you ever heard of TED Talks before I approached you?
1:46
Jessica Southworth: Yes.
1:47
Jessica Southworth: So probably now, about six, seven years ago, I went to my very first kind of travel conference.
1:54
Jessica Southworth: Didn't know anyone, there was hundreds of people there, and I remember one woman, she did a TEDx style talk, um, and she was incredible.
2:04
Jessica Southworth: I'd never seen anything or heard anything like it, and it was basically just for this travel conference, but then that led me on then to look at exactly what it entailed.
2:13
Jessica Southworth: So, yeah, for years I've got a few of my faves, like a few, a few of my faves, um especially from industry and things where you've seen people do it, and it's it's a bit of a not even a guilty pleasure.
2:24
Jessica Southworth: I just love it because you learn so much and it's just different perspective.
2:27
Jessica Southworth: So, yeah, I'm excited.
2:28
Simran Whitham: I'm really excited to work with you as well because you've been honest, I've worked with so many hotels over the years across multiple different events, and you have been genuinely, and I'm gonna go on camera saying this, one of if not the best hotel partner just because of your approach, just how lovely you are as a person as well.
2:45
Simran Whitham: You and Emily have just been absolutely lovely.
2:47
Simran Whitham: But just the fact of how proud of Manchester we seem to both be like we love this city because it is the best city in the world, as people as people in LinkedIn are sick of me saying, but I feel like this is the year of Manchester, which I'm actually going to talk about in my opening keynote speech.
3:01
Jessica Southworth: Love that.
3:02
Simran Whitham: I'm gonna say this was Manchester's year, and I could not have thought of a better hotel than someone who is not only proudly mank, but when people see about Manchester abroad, as I'm sure you probably've been abroad, they all say, Oh, Manchester United, Manchester City.
3:15
Jessica Southworth: Literally, it's the first thing you get asked.
3:16
Simran Whitham: First thing you get asked, and you are one of probably one of the most prominent hospitality venues, not just a hotel, but also club, like football players that you have there, was founded by football players in particular.
3:29
Simran Whitham: Your brand that you've built across Manchester is so strong, and how do you feel like for hotel football?
3:35
Simran Whitham: What made you want to get involved with a TED conference?
3:38
Jessica Southworth: So for us, I think definitely how it it just feels like both align really well.
3:45
Jessica Southworth: So I feel like for for everybody that goes onto a TEDx, they are unapologetically themselves.
3:50
Jessica Southworth: They've they want to speak about something they believe in, um, and it's fine if people want to agree or disagree, etc.
3:57
Jessica Southworth: And it's like with hotel football, we're exactly like that.
4:00
Jessica Southworth: We're not for everyone.
4:02
Jessica Southworth: However, we're deeply rooted in the city, the community, and we do what we believe is right, and at the end of the day, it's more than just a hotel.
4:11
Jessica Southworth: So we concentrate on how people leave us and how they feel, and feel like TEDx does exactly the same.
4:17
Jessica Southworth: So, again, we talk about alignment, but it's where values like that come into play.
4:22
Jessica Southworth: We just felt it was it was a good fit, it was the right fit.
4:26
Simran Whitham: And for people that might not know what I don't know how you wouldn't know who hotel football are at this point with the amount of social concept.
4:31
Simran Whitham: How would you what would you if you had to give the sales pitch or the elevator pitch for what hotel football is in Manchester, how would you describe it like who who are hotel football?
4:43
Jessica Southworth: We are so values, inviting, surprising, playful.
4:48
Jessica Southworth: So we're everything that you'd expect from a four-star hotel, service, quality of food, um in terms of the interior, etc.
4:57
Jessica Southworth: Yes, it's a bit quirky, it's a bit playful.
4:59
Jessica Southworth: However, we try and take the edge off being too overly corporate.
5:05
Jessica Southworth: Everybody should feel like the Rivie IP.
5:07
Jessica Southworth: Um everyone should feel that they've taken something away or they have an experience, and we we talk, we we've talked briefly about kind of our IP, um maybe what we stand for, how important we are, but it is essentially everyone is there on a different part of their journey, and especially when you mention football, football brings people together, and we believe that we're at the heart of that.
5:32
Jessica Southworth: So although we sit across one stadium, we have fans from any team, believe it or not, and because we are hotel football, it is we've essentially built this community of people.
5:43
Jessica Southworth: Um, I think when you look at match day, for me, it's probably one of my favourite days, it's one of my favourite days of the week.
5:50
Jessica Southworth: It's sad when there's not a match day around because we'll have people from far and wide.
5:54
Jessica Southworth: We'll have people coming for a one-off experience and they've come from um say Australia, etc.
6:00
Jessica Southworth: You'll have people that repeatedly have come to us for every game for the past 11 years.
6:05
Jessica Southworth: So I think for us, we're not just a hotel in the city, it is a community and a feeling.
6:12
Jessica Southworth: Whether people like it or not, people have got some sort of experience within the city, whether they support one team or another.
6:18
Jessica Southworth: So, yeah, deeply uh rooted in there.
6:21
Jessica Southworth: But that comes from our owners, yeah.
6:23
Jessica Southworth: You know, their belief in Manchester, they wanted to give back after they finished playing football, and I believe they've given a great deal back to the city just with that one building.
6:33
Simran Whitham: Oh, absolutely.
6:33
Simran Whitham: I mean it ties quite nicely into what I wanted to chat about, which it lives in the shadow of one of the most iconic stadiums in the whole of Manchester.
6:41
Simran Whitham: And I just we all know that Manchester, to me, anyway, I know I say it's the greatest city in the world, but with Manchester, it's got this very special community spirit that you don't find in places like London, Bristol, Edinburgh.
6:53
Simran Whitham: And I feel like when I walked through there, one just your staff have been incredible.
6:57
Simran Whitham: I can tell you embrace community, but also the fact that even your social media, like I can tell that you just celebrate Manke Union football and you've created what feels like a community culture for people that just are football infuses.
7:08
Simran Whitham: That obviously you touched upon that, you know, if you're not interested in football, then it might not be for your taste.
7:12
Simran Whitham: Yeah, and that's but that's fair.
7:14
Simran Whitham: But what you've built for that particular industry is so beautiful, and like you're very well known in the hospitality sector of Manchester as well.
7:21
Simran Whitham: Uh actually quite surprised.
7:22
Simran Whitham: I'm quite well connected in hospitality, and then people have been like, Do you know Jess?
7:25
Simran Whitham: Jessica, I'm like, Yeah, like you get around, don't you, Jessica?
7:28
Simran Whitham: Everyone, everyone knows you in the hospitality sector of Manchester.
7:31
Jessica Southworth: Just block me, that's fine.
7:33
Jessica Southworth: Junky.
7:34
Jessica Southworth: Um, I think you you mentioned it there with community.
7:38
Jessica Southworth: I think we're all about collaboration.
7:40
Jessica Southworth: So, again, if you look through social media, there was a period of time where we took it from being salesy into community, and we've had a better response with our content and how we portray ourselves because we've just been who we are.
7:54
Jessica Southworth: I think there was a time when we were a little bit more polished, a bit more reserved, and we were worried about maybe how a wider audience would take us.
8:03
Jessica Southworth: But actually, when we just all started being ourselves individually, the personality comes through, and I feel like we've connected with people a lot a lot more.
8:10
Jessica Southworth: Um which for me, for me, you know, I mean anyone will tell you collaboration over competition any day of the week.
8:18
Jessica Southworth: So, again, partnering with like you know, an organization like yourselves for us, if we can do something that leaves the city better than we found it, we will do that.
8:27
Jessica Southworth: Um one thing we probably don't do a lot of is talk about um maybe community impact.
8:35
Jessica Southworth: So little things to tell you, snippets about our team.
8:39
Jessica Southworth: I know you said the embrace community.
8:41
Jessica Southworth: Last year we turned 10 and we were given an up, we were given basically a a figure, and we could do team celebration, um, any sort of activity, what what it was that we were gonna do with this money, and everyone decided that we wanted to do a competition for someone to nominate a charity.
8:59
Jessica Southworth: Um, so this this pot of money was like £10,000 because we were turning 10, and our team decided that's exactly what we were gonna do.
9:07
Jessica Southworth: We were gonna give it back to someone that needed it.
9:09
Jessica Southworth: So, again, you know, we had people nominating different charities for different reasons, and in the end, again, alignment.
9:16
Jessica Southworth: We ended up with uh an organisation called Mate Life Kind, helps young people across the Northwest.
9:23
Jessica Southworth: They received this gift from the hotel, and it was only a few months later they actually disclosed that they were ready to close and they were ready to give up, and then they'd received this injection, which has helped us deliver a programme um for the past 12 months.
9:38
Jessica Southworth: It's just finished last week.
9:39
Jessica Southworth: Um, it's helped us deliver a programme to young people about confidence, you know, um how you present yourself, maybe an interview, uh you know, not trying to get yourself involved in the wrong crowd.
9:50
Jessica Southworth: So it's allowed them to do this series of events um in some of the most vulnerable parts of Manchester.
9:55
Jessica Southworth: And it's like if we can do that and leave them children better than again, maybe how how we found them, then that's all we want to do.
10:03
Jessica Southworth: And we'll continue that.
10:04
Simran Whitham: I absolutely love that because this is one of the great things about hospitality events and what they'd really do with community impact is when you think of a hotel or you think of a music venue or any venue, you don't think about all the other stuff that they do on the site, you just see the venue.
10:17
Simran Whitham: But your success as a business as a venue is allowed you to go and do other things as well, and it goes back into community impact, and that is that I didn't even know that that's absolutely fantastic.
10:27
Jessica Southworth: I think since the hotels opened, it'll be a little bit more now, but we've done just over a quarter of a million pounds to local charities, so that's anything from um local council to help with playgrounds.
10:39
Jessica Southworth: We went out and did a street talk bus.
10:42
Jessica Southworth: Um, me and my general manager a few years back went out and we paid for this bus for the council to use in sale and trafford, and it goes out into parks Friday night, people are up to no good, etc.
10:53
Jessica Southworth: And it just brings people in.
10:54
Jessica Southworth: Sometimes these children don't eat, but they can get a meal on the bus.
10:58
Jessica Southworth: Um, maybe they learn something because they're not necessarily engaged in school, but they'll learn maybe some sort of topic on that bus as well.
11:05
Jessica Southworth: So loads of different projects.
11:07
Jessica Southworth: Um, we'll also throw it out to the team and see if this is something that's important to them.
11:12
Jessica Southworth: So for three years, the hotel actually supported me and my sister personally.
11:17
Jessica Southworth: So we were ambassadors for a charity called Nakoa.
11:20
Jessica Southworth: Um so it was children of alcoholics, and the hotel again gifted things at cost to help us put on a charity gala that this charity had never done.
11:29
Jessica Southworth: And it's just that this is just what we're all about.
11:32
Simran Whitham: So it's that's so interesting because I've noticed with your hotel and took it, you seem very charitable, like with like working with collaborations.
11:40
Simran Whitham: Like when we came to you of our packages, and you said we want to do this, we want to do that.
11:44
Simran Whitham: It was literally infectious energy, and then me and Andy sat down, I was like, I'm sure they're doing way more than what's in that package, like when you add up everything, but you like it doesn't matter to me because we see that impact of working with people.
11:56
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, imagine how many platforms you're giving to people.
11:58
Simran Whitham: Well, that's what we founded this podcast for.
12:00
Simran Whitham: So the reason I founded TEDx Northern Quarter with Andy is that for me, what really upsets me is we walk past people every single day in the street, every single day, and it's so easy to be the main character of your own story.
12:12
Simran Whitham: But when you actually look around, like you're literally walking past people like you who are do leading those initiatives at hotel football that changed lives.
12:19
Simran Whitham: You're walking past police officers that might be helping young people or stopping violent knife crime, you're walking past engineers that are working on technology that you use every day.
12:28
Simran Whitham: One of the speakers we have for this year is a rocket scientist that literally helped develop the satellite technology that you use for Uber Eats.
12:35
Jessica Southworth: I saw that and I'm really excited.
12:37
Simran Whitham: But you don't think about that.
12:38
Simran Whitham: He's got I think he's got like 21 Instagram followers, but you wouldn't think it looking at him.
12:42
Simran Whitham: And these are the people you walk past every day.
12:44
Simran Whitham: And I think people get so focused on just the product or the brand, but they don't think about all the other stuff that that brand does.
12:52
Simran Whitham: Yeah, they have a service of you, your service is that you are a hotel.
12:55
Simran Whitham: Yeah.
12:55
Simran Whitham: But then you don't think about that stuff that they're doing.
12:57
Simran Whitham: It's so good that you were you a recipient of the charity, or do you say that you were an ambassador that got brought into the charity?
13:03
Jessica Southworth: So we were ambassadors, um, so very long story short, our dad passed away a few years ago and he was an alcoholic, he'd been an alcoholic all his life.
13:12
Jessica Southworth: Fine, but we decided we wanted to give back because um actually in the UK, one in five children have either one or two parents that are dependent on alcohol.
13:22
Jessica Southworth: So it's a charity that is not for profit.
13:25
Jessica Southworth: We happened to get involved, and at the time they'd never done anything big scale, so no gala dinner without needing money up front to do it.
13:34
Jessica Southworth: People would volunteer to do it, but they demand maybe you know a pot of five, ten K.
13:39
Jessica Southworth: And it's like it's not feasible for a charity that doesn't that doesn't actually turn a profit.
13:44
Jessica Southworth: Um so we'd I'd literally said to my general manager at the time, I really want to do something.
13:50
Jessica Southworth: What is it we can do?
13:51
Jessica Southworth: So when we started the Nakoa Northern Gala 2023, no, 2022, 23 was the first one.
13:58
Jessica Southworth: We did three years um with the help of the hotel.
14:02
Jessica Southworth: We were able to do tickets at a lower cost just to get people in and get the charity visible.
14:08
Jessica Southworth: Um, and actually in the second year, an anonymous um it was somebody in the room but anonymously donated 125k to this charity that cake that keeps them open for five years.
14:20
Jessica Southworth: And that was somebody in the room that bought a ticket, but if we'd never have if if hotel football would never have supported us at a cost price to put on a dinner, that person would never have been in the room and that charity wouldn't have had that.
14:33
Jessica Southworth: So it again it's all and it's all it all aligns at the right time, doesn't it?
14:38
Simran Whitham: And it all starts from an idea.
14:40
Jessica Southworth: Yeah.
14:41
Simran Whitham: So this journal, which will be important to you at the end of the podcast, the opening quote in it is that words and ideas can change the world, and it's by Robin Williams in a film called The Dead Poet Society.
14:50
Simran Whitham: And most people don't think that when all these great things happen, it comes from someone having an idea.
14:54
Simran Whitham: Like yours.
14:55
Simran Whitham: Not that I'm saying you're taking all the credit, but if you and your sister hadn't been ambassadors and had that idea at the time, that charity might not be open today, five years ago.
15:04
Jessica Southworth: Everything compounds, doesn't it?
15:05
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, like it's one thing isn't just from one action, it's like multiple conversations or interactions.
15:10
Jessica Southworth: Who knows what we might be doing next year because of something that started now.
15:14
Jessica Southworth: So yeah, yeah.
15:15
Simran Whitham: I mean, I feel like we've already started.
15:17
Simran Whitham: So I will c I will come on to it, but I I know our speakers are looking forward to it on the on the 10th.
15:22
Simran Whitham: But for me, I wanted to ask you because we've talked about community a lot and Manchester for you.
15:28
Simran Whitham: Your founders, extremely fantastic, successful footballers, they could have done anything.
15:34
Simran Whitham: Yeah, like they could have done it like very well for guys, could have done anything they wanted to do.
15:38
Simran Whitham: Why did they choose to build a hotel like in Manchester and a football like did they build the stadium as well?
15:43
Simran Whitham: Was that the was the stadium already there and they built the hotel?
15:46
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, so the stadium was already there.
15:48
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, um, they decided to do what they did because they they wanted to give back to a city that had supported them for so long, all their lives.
15:57
Jessica Southworth: So they played in that stadium.
15:59
Jessica Southworth: Um, pretty much all of them stayed in in the club throughout the whole duration of their careers.
16:05
Jessica Southworth: Um and when they retired, they just made a decision that they wanted to give back, and obviously, as close as to the stadium as you could possibly get, they just happened to be a bit of a slither of land.
16:16
Jessica Southworth: Um, so the person that owned the land at the time just made an agreement, and they're still part of the action at the hotel to this day.
16:23
Jessica Southworth: So even though they sold the land um to the guys, um, you still see the owner of the land around on match day, he still gets involved.
16:31
Jessica Southworth: Um, he still likes the buzz of match day and everything else, um, and he's still really supportive.
16:36
Jessica Southworth: Um, and then he he does actually do a podcast from the hotel actually every so often during during the season.
16:42
Jessica Southworth: Um, but he but everyone has stayed very well connected, but essentially they just wanted to give back to a city that they love.
16:48
Jessica Southworth: Um, I mean moving on from hotel football, we do have the stock exchange as well, and again, only in Manchester.
16:56
Jessica Southworth: And again, it's just because this the guys are so passionate about Manchester, so it's just it's just love of the city that supported boys throughout our career.
17:05
Simran Whitham: I mean, I feel like this line leads very nicely into what I want to chat about.
17:09
Simran Whitham: But for you, we're both Mancunians.
17:11
Simran Whitham: I can hear it.
17:12
Simran Whitham: Where in Manchester are you from?
17:13
Simran Whitham: What part I'm trying to pick are you are you from Salford?
17:15
Simran Whitham: No, are you from Thameside?
17:18
Jessica Southworth: Yeah.
17:18
Simran Whitham: Are you?
17:18
Simran Whitham: Are you actually?
17:20
Simran Whitham: Yeah.
17:20
Simran Whitham: Are you from Ashn or Duckingfield?
17:22
Jessica Southworth: Drawsden.
17:23
Simran Whitham: All right, Draws.
17:23
Simran Whitham: So I'm from Ducker.
17:24
Jessica Southworth: Oh yeah?
17:25
Simran Whitham: Yeah, so I'm from Duckingfield.
17:26
Jessica Southworth: So I met someone else last week and he was like, oh, you were from Denton.
17:30
Simran Whitham: Yeah.
17:30
Jessica Southworth: And I'm like, hey, it's Manchester, aren't you?
17:32
Simran Whitham: No, I can tell in you'd the A, A, you said A.
17:34
Simran Whitham: Yeah, A.
17:35
Simran Whitham: We said we say that until like A.
17:37
Jessica Southworth: My mum grew up in Staley Bridge.
17:38
Jessica Southworth: Staley V.
17:39
Jessica Southworth: So every now and again I'll say a few like on my coat.
17:42
Simran Whitham: Every now and again she says something, I'm like, Come on, mum, you've been in Manchester now for you can't hear it as much because my missus is from Yorkshire, so my accent has changed since we've been together, but I used to have a proper mank, like mank accent.
17:53
Jessica Southworth: See, I do feel like as you get older it does r refine a little bit, but then I worked in Liverpool for about five years, honestly.
18:01
Jessica Southworth: I would get to work on a Monday, sound really mank.
18:04
Jessica Southworth: By the time I got to Friday, my husband would be like, You're doing that twang again, stop it.
18:08
Simran Whitham: Yeah.
18:09
Jessica Southworth: And I would have this like e thing.
18:11
Jessica Southworth: The reason is a bit bizarre.
18:12
Simran Whitham: Were you doing the ree, the ree?
18:14
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, it was hard.
18:15
Simran Whitham: Yeah.
18:16
Jessica Southworth: Anyway.
18:17
Simran Whitham: Yeah.
18:17
Simran Whitham: But what m I've got to ask you, because I love talking to Mankeans about this.
18:21
Simran Whitham: We are a special city.
18:23
Simran Whitham: This is the I mean 2026 is literally the year of Manchester, I'm thinking, but what makes Manchester so special to you to you, and I suppose as a brand as well, but for you personally, what makes it so special?
18:35
Simran Whitham: It doesn't have to be one answer, it does have to be one thing.
18:37
Jessica Southworth: Okay, so it has to be the people.
18:41
Jessica Southworth: I feel like it doesn't matter what anybody is up against, there is always someone that is willing to help.
18:47
Jessica Southworth: Um, so not necessarily just being friendly, you'll go to some cities, not gonna um, you know, I'm not gonna bad mouth any other city, but you'll go to some cities and anything could be happening, and people just don't acknowledge anybody around them.
18:59
Jessica Southworth: Whereas I feel here, you always know someone that can help, support, guide.
19:04
Jessica Southworth: It doesn't matter what happens to the city.
19:06
Jessica Southworth: We all know things have happened over past years that haven't been great, and everybody clubs together when it's needed.
19:12
Jessica Southworth: I feel like here somebody could just have, you know, the shirt on the back, they might see somebody else needing it, and they will happily help and support where they can and give that give that shirt over.
19:23
Jessica Southworth: So I feel like definitely the people I think we're resilient and I think we know how great we are.
19:28
Jessica Southworth: We know, but it's almost like we're not cocky, we're just we're just pretty confident in in what we do as a city, how we collab, um how we have grown, you know.
19:40
Jessica Southworth: Definitely the past 10-15 years, this city has elevated itself so much.
19:44
Jessica Southworth: Very, but I think we're still very I feel I think we're still quite a humble city at the same time as well.
19:49
Jessica Southworth: So I feel like we have the balance right.
19:52
Jessica Southworth: So yeah, I don't know.
19:54
Jessica Southworth: I've never moved because I wouldn't want to move.
19:56
Simran Whitham: I don't ever want to move either.
19:57
Simran Whitham: The most I think the furthest I would ever do is like a countryside element on the outskirts of Manchester, but I I don't ever want to leave.
20:04
Simran Whitham: This city is so special.
20:06
Simran Whitham: So and I've watched it, and you how old are you, Jesse?
20:08
Simran Whitham: Do you not mind?
20:09
Jessica Southworth: 37.
20:09
Simran Whitham: Right, 37.
20:10
Simran Whitham: So I'm 31 in a week.
20:12
Simran Whitham: And we'll have watched I'm so old.
20:15
Simran Whitham: It's so it's changed.
20:16
Simran Whitham: I remember going into Manchester when I was like 14, 15 years.
20:19
Simran Whitham: It was like, I'm going to town without my mum.
20:21
Simran Whitham: Um it's amazing.
20:22
Jessica Southworth: How exciting was that, by the way?
20:24
Jessica Southworth: Let's get yourself in Afflex Palace.
20:25
Simran Whitham: I know.
20:25
Simran Whitham: It's great.
20:26
Simran Whitham: Afflex.
20:26
Simran Whitham: Oh, the hidden gem.
20:27
Simran Whitham: Afflex Palace.
20:29
Simran Whitham: Oh, the hidden gem.
20:30
Simran Whitham: Is hotel football a hidden gem, Jess?
20:32
Simran Whitham: Is it a hidden gem?
20:33
Jessica Southworth: Oh do you know what?
20:35
Jessica Southworth: I think it is because some people still don't know where they're, even though you can't miss it.
20:40
Simran Whitham: Sorry, I'm just that.
20:42
Simran Whitham: I think I think if I had to say one thing about my city, is that we need to get rid of this hidden gem epidemic that we've currently got.
20:47
Simran Whitham: Afflex Palace is a hidden gem, mate.
20:49
Simran Whitham: It's been there forever.
20:50
Jessica Southworth: It's been there for ages.
20:51
Simran Whitham: Yeah.
20:51
Jessica Southworth: I played right into that, didn't I?
20:52
Jessica Southworth: Yeah.
20:54
Simran Whitham: Oh well, you didn't actually see this.
20:56
Simran Whitham: Um the original video that we did for you started off with me taking the mick of hidden gem culture.
21:01
Simran Whitham: So when I said come to it was literally come with me to this hidden gem, I was like, please don't post that, please.
21:06
Simran Whitham: I was like, I can't, I can't cope with the cringe.
21:09
Simran Whitham: I just can't.
21:09
Jessica Southworth: But you do look at it sometimes and you're like, who has done that?
21:12
Jessica Southworth: Because if you lived in this city, you know it's a staple.
21:15
Jessica Southworth: It's the southerners, it's the southerners.
21:18
Simran Whitham: We can say that, we can say that, it's fine.
21:20
Simran Whitham: But I'm I'm very simple for me, it's always the people.
21:23
Simran Whitham: Like I love this city.
21:25
Simran Whitham: Like I grew up here, and I've never ever been to I've been all over the world, been to nearly 40 countries, and I've never been to a city that just has community.
21:33
Simran Whitham: And the way I describe it is that you can literally just be in different communities in the span of 10 minutes.
21:38
Simran Whitham: You're in Northern Quarter, which is alternative, and then within two seconds, you're in your high street bars in Deansgate, and then within another few minutes you're in Posh bit of spinning fields.
21:46
Simran Whitham: Um but everyone's just so intertwined.
21:49
Simran Whitham: There is something for everyone, but it's all just so intertwined.
21:51
Simran Whitham: And again, I believe you'll understand as you work in the hospitality sector.
21:54
Simran Whitham: I've been to events in London, I've been to events in Edinburgh.
21:58
Simran Whitham: Everyone's so friendly.
21:59
Simran Whitham: When you go to see these events, you can just walk up to anyone.
22:02
Simran Whitham: And I think we know that because we like, yeah, we embrace everybody here in Manchester.
22:07
Simran Whitham: And I think that's why we're so proud of it.
22:09
Jessica Southworth: It is.
22:10
Jessica Southworth: It's like it's like being back at school, and it's you'd be like, oh, if you see someone on the room, go over and say hi.
22:15
Jessica Southworth: I feel like we're all still like that as adults.
22:17
Jessica Southworth: Yeah.
22:17
Jessica Southworth: Like you see something, like you say, you go to an event, you see someone lurking in the corner, they're a bit unsure, and it's like, oh, hey, do you want to join us?
22:23
Jessica Southworth: I feel like we're good at doing that.
22:24
Simran Whitham: As a man, you'll probably appreciate.
22:26
Simran Whitham: So I've got a half-brother, and he'd never been to Manchester his entire life until like five years ago.
22:32
Simran Whitham: His first night out with us together because we were it's long sorry, but we never knew each other existed for long portions of our lives.
22:39
Simran Whitham: Our first ever night out was Manchester.
22:41
Simran Whitham: I took him into Blue's Kitchen, Albert Schloss, and he was like, Man, he's a vibe.
22:47
Simran Whitham: Like, and and he's a proper light, he's like proper like geezer, like geezer geezer.
22:52
Simran Whitham: And he was walking through Manchester, he was like, mate, these people are bear friendly.
22:56
Simran Whitham: Like just coming up to you, like everyone's saying hi to him.
22:58
Simran Whitham: And he was like, I'm not used to this.
22:59
Simran Whitham: Like everyone's like saying hi to me.
23:01
Simran Whitham: And he was like, I can just talk to people.
23:02
Simran Whitham: I was like, Yeah, we just do different things differently.
23:05
Jessica Southworth: Literally, yeah, literally that.
23:06
Jessica Southworth: I love it.
23:06
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, I love it.
23:07
Simran Whitham: And I see that so often, like, people are like, Manchester's such a friendly city, and I think that's what works so well with us.
23:13
Simran Whitham: I think because we as Manchester brands have aligned so well to make this happen.
23:18
Simran Whitham: Like, I'm I'm so excited for the tent for this gar the speaker garla, it's really nice, this football match.
23:24
Simran Whitham: Like, I've always wanted to do a speaker activity, and the football match seems perfectly, but that ties me nicely to you is that we are hosting the first ever speaker dinner gar is it gonna be a garla or is it more like a sort of I don't know how to label it but really sexy dinner, yeah.
23:38
Simran Whitham: And I'm looking forward to it.
23:39
Simran Whitham: Overlooking the old Trafford, and it's gonna be it's gonna be bougie, I think, and having all the speakers and all the guests together, and we've never worked with a partner to do this much as well, and it feels like you've really helped us elevate the TEDx Northern Quad brand even further.
23:53
Simran Whitham: We we've got a very good reputation because our coaching programme and getting our speakers ready for when they do it is great, but now you've really helped us take that experience for the speakers and the brands to a whole new level.
24:04
Simran Whitham: Like they're all like, Oh wow, we get a big like dinner the night before, and we get to like a football match.
24:09
Simran Whitham: I was like, Yeah, have you seen the suite that we're doing the rehearsals in as well?
24:12
Simran Whitham: I was like, and they're like that's the secret one.
24:14
Jessica Southworth: There's a hidden gem.
24:14
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, that is the hidden gem.
24:16
Jessica Southworth: There you go.
24:16
Simran Whitham: We'll do that in the content.
24:18
Simran Whitham: Come with us to this actual hidden gem.
24:20
Jessica Southworth: I love that.
24:21
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, no, I'm glad you say that because I think again, even where our guests are day to day checking in, we're always about that.
24:30
Jessica Southworth: Like, how can how can we make that experience different?
24:34
Jessica Southworth: So, even this is something we really wanted to do and get involved in, but the message is still the same.
24:38
Jessica Southworth: It's like actually, we want to be involved with this, but you know what?
24:41
Jessica Southworth: What else can we do?
24:42
Jessica Southworth: How not necessarily leaving your mark, but again, somebody's gonna take away a memory, or something might happen in that space, and they'll remember where they were however long down the line.
24:54
Jessica Southworth: And I feel like even just with our day-to-day guests, that's what we try to do.
24:58
Simran Whitham: It's very interesting you've said this because I had a question that I actually wanted to ask you on this.
25:02
Simran Whitham: Okay.
25:02
Simran Whitham: In your career at hotel football, what's been the most memorable memory that you've had, where it's been a guest or an impact or an event you've had?
25:11
Simran Whitham: Like for you, when people say what's the highlight of your career at hotel football?
25:14
Simran Whitham: Like, what's like been the one sort of memory that you'd say that you've done there?
25:19
Jessica Southworth: Okay, so if my general manager is listening to this, and I'm gonna really apologise because I know we don't see eye to eye with this one, however, I do like Sam Tan Dave, and he is a big United fan.
25:34
Jessica Southworth: And a few years back we had arranged for him to come and do his album launch up on the rooftop in Heaven, so where you'll all be playing football.
25:43
Jessica Southworth: Oh yeah.
25:44
Jessica Southworth: And he brought his keyboard and he did a private setup there.
25:47
Jessica Southworth: It was amazing.
25:48
Jessica Southworth: I was in my element.
25:50
Jessica Southworth: Probably too many people tried to arrive.
25:54
Jessica Southworth: It did end up being a little bit chaotic on the ground floor, which again, our team had to deal with quite a bit of stress for that.
26:00
Jessica Southworth: So, but for me as Jess, up on that rooftop, I had no idea what was going on downstairs.
26:05
Jessica Southworth: All I knew is I'm sat there, he's launching his album, currently breaking all the streaming records, and he sat on the rooftop in hotel football.
26:13
Jessica Southworth: And I was like, this is epic.
26:14
Jessica Southworth: I was like, That's it, I've made it.
26:16
Jessica Southworth: Then when I realised the chaos downstairs, I was like, Okay, if this is the last thing I ever do, at least he was good.
26:20
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, at least Dave remembers that.
26:22
Jessica Southworth: Yeah.
26:22
Jessica Southworth: Um, so that was that was a really good one because I thought for him, he also didn't anticipate that many people.
26:29
Jessica Southworth: Like when I say people were queuing out the door around the stadium.
26:33
Jessica Southworth: Like me and one of his friends went out and videoed the amount of people there, and he just did not expect it.
26:39
Simran Whitham: Was this a free-ticket event or something?
26:40
Simran Whitham: Or did it just show up?
26:41
Jessica Southworth: And all he did was say he was in Manchester, he did a post from the rooftop, didn't even tag us.
26:47
Jessica Southworth: I was a little bit annoyed at the time, thanks, Dave.
26:49
Jessica Southworth: Um, didn't even tag us, but people recognised that window and the view and came from everywhere within the space of like an hour.
26:58
Jessica Southworth: There were like at least a thousand people waiting for him, and he'd never seen that.
27:03
Jessica Southworth: So, again, that was something he didn't expect, and you know that that will sit as a memory.
27:09
Jessica Southworth: I mean, since then we I have actually stayed in touch with his team, which has been quite cool.
27:12
Jessica Southworth: Um, and he had asked to come back for his launch last year, and I was like, hey, to my GM.
27:19
Jessica Southworth: I was like, I know it's gonna be a no, but if I didn't ask, it wouldn't sit right, and he was like, probably not.
27:23
Jessica Southworth: It's like I think you need somewhere bigger, so which they did that they changed the location and used like a bigger arena, which is probably more suited.
27:31
Jessica Southworth: But yeah, at the time that was that was amazing, it was just after lockdown.
27:34
Jessica Southworth: Um, it had been quite a lonely hotel during that time.
27:39
Jessica Southworth: Um, so yeah, no, that was a that was a good one to bounce back because that'll definitely always stick up there for me.
27:44
Jessica Southworth: Definitely.
27:46
Jessica Southworth: Oh but yeah, that sounds incredible, especially when you're a bit of a fan.
27:50
Jessica Southworth: Oh yeah.
27:50
Jessica Southworth: Football's football, but Dave's Dave.
27:52
Jessica Southworth: My colleague actually left the other day and she's got she got me a mug and it literally says, I love Dave.
27:57
Simran Whitham: I have that though.
27:58
Simran Whitham: I did an event years ago where I got to meet like one of my favourite music and he performed at one of my events.
28:03
Simran Whitham: And to see him on stage at my event that I organised, and there was a queue of fans wanting to meet him.
28:08
Simran Whitham: I joined the queue of fans, and I'm running the event, so I joined the queue, and people were like, Wait, isn't that the CEO of the company?
28:13
Simran Whitham: I'm like, Yeah, I'm a fan mate, and I was like, I've got stuff that I need signing.
28:16
Simran Whitham: And people everyone's like, you know, you can just cut to the front of the queue.
28:18
Simran Whitham: I'm I wouldn't do that, I'm not a fan, but it's those little moments when you work in hospitality events, and you're just like it's a bit surreal, isn't it?
28:25
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, like there you expect to see people related to football, our sport, but I didn't expect that.
28:30
Jessica Southworth: So yeah, it's good.
28:32
Jessica Southworth: Like it.
28:33
Simran Whitham: I'm looking forward to seeing our speakers in the space as well.
28:37
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, we've got it's a good group of speakers.
28:39
Jessica Southworth: I'm I'm looking forward to it.
28:41
Simran Whitham: You've tied nicely.
28:42
Simran Whitham: Who who are you looking most forward to?
28:45
Simran Whitham: Is it all right?
28:46
Simran Whitham: I won't make you pick a specific one then, and I won't let you pay favourites, but is there three sort of like three speakers who if you've done any research that you're kind of looking forward to, or is there any that you're sort of excited for?
28:56
Jessica Southworth: Do you know what?
28:57
Jessica Southworth: I've for a number of years I have followed Jay Skye.
29:02
Jessica Southworth: We do say Jay Sky, don't we?
29:04
Simran Whitham: Yeah, Jay Sky, yeah.
29:04
Jessica Southworth: Yeah.
29:05
Jessica Southworth: So I'm actually I'm really intrigued to see him like just in the flesh in person.
29:10
Jessica Southworth: Because I feel like there's been opportunities in the past and maybe paths might have crossed, but I've never actually got to meet him.
29:15
Jessica Southworth: So I'm actually quite intrigued because I feel like he's quite a cool individual.
29:18
Jessica Southworth: Um again, do you know what someone else I'll always um I'll always kind of advocate for?
29:26
Jessica Southworth: Scott Thomas.
29:27
Jessica Southworth: And again, he's been a supporter of the hotel before now.
29:30
Jessica Southworth: Um so he did some of his events upon the rooftop again, just to get people into hotel football.
29:36
Jessica Southworth: So again, reciprocated.
29:37
Jessica Southworth: Um so I am I am actually looking forward to seeing these two, to be honest, at the minute.
29:41
Jessica Southworth: But I'm really looking forward to getting to know everybody on the night before.
29:44
Jessica Southworth: Because I feel like then I'll be like, I just I can't move all day.
29:47
Jessica Southworth: I'm gonna have to just sit there all day and not move, watch everybody.
29:51
Simran Whitham: It's gonna be incredible.
29:52
Simran Whitham: I'm looking forward to it because it's so the camaraderie is gonna be so high.
29:55
Simran Whitham: Like we did the speakers dinner last year, we took over Mowgli's and the staff blessed them, they weren't prepared for it.
30:00
Simran Whitham: No, no, in a good way, like they were wholesome.
30:02
Simran Whitham: The staff were getting in pictures with everyone, and they were there.
30:04
Simran Whitham: Like I don't think they realize because you've seen some of the people we have speak, they've got millions of followers.
30:09
Simran Whitham: Yeah, I remember we all walked into Mowgli's with some people who got millions, and the staff were like, Wait, that's and you can you know you can see them all whispering at the back and they're like, Yeah, wait, isn't that thing yeah?
30:17
Jessica Southworth: Like to put yourself in their shoes, that's such it's such an exciting feeling.
30:21
Jessica Southworth: And I mean, our guys, our guys will be the same.
30:23
Simran Whitham: Oh, yeah, and they can come have pictures and everything, it's fine.
30:26
Simran Whitham: Like, we're gonna it's gonna be fun.
30:27
Simran Whitham: There's gonna be some big speeches as well.
30:28
Simran Whitham: I'm gonna be doing a big speech with them all, like rallying them.
30:31
Simran Whitham: It's I'm looking so forward to it, and honestly, it feels so aligned because for me with Manchester, I wanted Matty White as the host, I wanted Matty White, I wanted to work with a Manchester Hotel as the partner because for me, this just it has to be for Manchester because we even chose the name from the fact for you.
30:47
Simran Whitham: It was a choice between Northern Quarter and Deansgate.
30:49
Simran Whitham: They offered us TEDx Northern Quarter, TEDx Deansgate.
30:52
Simran Whitham: I was like, it's Northern Quarter every day, every day.
30:54
Simran Whitham: My favourite bit of the city, Northern Quarter.
30:56
Simran Whitham: I just want Manchester brands to come together because as we've highlighted, with the city has changed a lot.
31:02
Simran Whitham: Like we are called the second London, even though I don't like that because we're not London, we've got our own individuality.
31:07
Simran Whitham: But I think in some ways we're better than London, I really do think so, and I think it's because we have these we come together so much.
31:14
Simran Whitham: Yeah, they have the finance, but we've got the community.
31:17
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, uh you're right, and where you said before about the different the different areas of the city, but actually they all link, they're all like imagine loads of little like Venn diagrams, that's all I can think about.
31:30
Jessica Southworth: Like this, I've got little swirls going on in my head.
31:32
Jessica Southworth: In London, you could be ten minutes away from somewhere else, and it's completely different.
31:38
Jessica Southworth: The feeling is totally different, but not always in the best way.
31:41
Jessica Southworth: So, yeah, yeah, Manchester's got it.
31:44
Simran Whitham: It has indeed.
31:45
Simran Whitham: So, Jess.
31:46
Simran Whitham: I've got to ask though.
31:50
Simran Whitham: Yes for TEDx, what is it ultimately that you are the most excited for?
31:56
Simran Whitham: Obviously, it's a TED conference for Manchester.
31:59
Simran Whitham: Got some amazing speakers, both from Manchester and outside of Manchester.
32:03
Simran Whitham: But for you as a brand with hotel, we talked about what in that community collaboration, but is there anything in particular that drew you towards the TED brand in particular?
32:13
Simran Whitham: How does it feel for hotel football to be working with the biggest conference platform in the world?
32:18
Jessica Southworth: So a few years back we did a bit of um an activity, and it was basically if you were to name the hotel a football player, who would it be?
32:29
Jessica Southworth: And everyone said different names.
32:31
Jessica Southworth: And I remember at the time saying hang on, Schreinsteiger, or maybe a Balotelli, potentially, but at the time I said Schreinsteiger, and I was like, literally because he is who he is, there's no wavering, doesn't matter.
32:45
Jessica Southworth: Um, but he he's part of the team, plays for the team, etc., does well.
32:50
Jessica Southworth: So I think we are excited because TEDx does exactly this.
32:56
Jessica Southworth: Everybody on there is exactly who they are, there's no wavering from who they are, but actually they're there to collaborate and elevate each other as well, and we're that's exactly who Whole Tower Football is.
33:06
Jessica Southworth: Um, whether it's our team, whether it's our guests, etc., um, or like you say, the community, we we're exactly that.
33:14
Jessica Southworth: So I'm I'm ex I'm excited to have had the opportunity to to partner, but then on the day just seeing it to come together, because again, no one will realise what has gone on behind the scenes, like what you know you and Andy have had to do to pull together.
33:28
Jessica Southworth: No one sees that, but actually seeing an absolutely polished production in the end, it's gonna be exciting knowing that all of the work that's happened in the background, and you're gonna enjoy it.
33:39
Simran Whitham: I'm gonna tell you, when you and your team sit in that crowd, I can't wait.
33:42
Simran Whitham: Like we've got Kate Green there, got a gospel choir farming for you.
33:46
Simran Whitham: It's gonna be dare I say, in ten years of events, this is the one of the ones I'm looking most forward to.
33:51
Simran Whitham: I say this every year, but I'm looking forward to it.
33:53
Simran Whitham: It's gonna be great.
33:54
Jessica Southworth: It just means you'll want to do another one, doesn't it?
33:56
Simran Whitham: Oh yeah, and we'd love to work with you again in the future.
33:58
Simran Whitham: If you have us back, that is.
34:00
Jessica Southworth: Absolutely.
34:00
Simran Whitham: Don't worry, and I apologize if if I try if if we eat too much food on the 10th.
34:05
Jessica Southworth: Oh no, don't worry, we're all about the food.
34:07
Simran Whitham: Oh yeah.
34:07
Simran Whitham: Manchester's got some of the best.
34:09
Simran Whitham: But on that note, Jess, we're coming to the end.
34:12
Simran Whitham: Now we have a tradition on this podcast.
34:14
Simran Whitham: I mentioned this earlier before.
34:16
Simran Whitham: This is the famous TEDx Red Journal.
34:18
Jessica Southworth: Now I feel special.
34:19
Simran Whitham: You are special because you get to have this.
34:21
Simran Whitham: So, what we do is with everyone who comes on this, whether they're a speaker, a sponsor, or a partner, yeah, is that I said earlier before that we believe every single person has an idea worth sharing.
34:32
Simran Whitham: So we ask everyone who's come on this to put an idea, a question, or a thought they would like the next guest to answer.
34:40
Simran Whitham: So, a question that has been left for you to answer by one of our 2026 guests.
34:46
Simran Whitham: You'll get to ask your own, you'll get to write your own question for the next person.
34:49
Simran Whitham: Okay.
34:49
Simran Whitham: But I might need Stefan's help with this one as well, because I know you understood it quite intensely as well, didn't you, Jess?
34:56
Simran Whitham: Very open.
34:57
Simran Whitham: It was a very open question.
34:59
Simran Whitham: Oh my god, the or the question that has been left for you to answer is from one of our 2026 speakers, Jess Nix, who is the creator of a neurolinguistic programming methodology which is called D Bitch Your Brain.
35:14
Simran Whitham: Phenomenal speaker.
35:16
Simran Whitham: Now, so what are you currently?
35:21
Simran Whitham: The question she's quite open-ended, so I'll need to explain this.
35:24
Simran Whitham: And Jess, if you listen to this, I hope I do this justice on your explanation.
35:28
Simran Whitham: She's asked you the question of what are you making it mean?
35:31
Simran Whitham: And what that means is what else could it mean?
35:34
Simran Whitham: So, what are you doing?
35:35
Simran Whitham: Something which could be a long-term goal, a day-to-day activity, or something that's important to you right now, and what are you actively doing to make that thing mean something?
35:45
Jessica Southworth: Okay, so this has probably been ongoing and will continue to be ongoing.
35:52
Jessica Southworth: So, similar to how we talked about with the brand itself, the the there's a reason why I why I wanted to be at Hotel Football, I always try and leave people better than I found them.
36:03
Jessica Southworth: So, um a couple of days ago, one of my colleagues has left for Pastors New.
36:10
Jessica Southworth: It's an amazing opportunity.
36:11
Jessica Southworth: This person I've worked with for eight years.
36:14
Jessica Southworth: Every time I get an opportunity to say someone's name in a different space where I think it might benefit them, I do that repetitively.
36:23
Jessica Southworth: I have other friends that will do the same.
36:26
Jessica Southworth: Um, this has been like maybe a long time, a long time coming, but just trying to build people up, you know.
36:32
Jessica Southworth: I think conversations that I'll have, you can do that.
36:37
Jessica Southworth: Why can't you see yourself there?
36:38
Jessica Southworth: So I do actively do this in my day-to-day in my work.
36:42
Jessica Southworth: However, probably the biggest, the biggest moment is actually with my daughter.
36:47
Jessica Southworth: So she's 20 now, so I was like 17 when I had saffron.
36:52
Jessica Southworth: And to see her go in and doing freelancing, and we sat at a conference the other week with one of my one of my friends was doing um a bit of a panel talk, and it was the full circle moment where I knew everything up to this point.
37:07
Jessica Southworth: I'm obviously doing it okay, because all of a sudden I hear this voice start to speak and do this 60-second pitch about what they were doing, and I'm like, that's saffron.
37:16
Jessica Southworth: She wasn't anywhere near me, she was sat at the back of the room with her friends, and this is a person that five, six years ago wouldn't come out of a bedroom, wouldn't speak to anybody, couldn't speak without stuttering when she did.
37:27
Jessica Southworth: And I'm like, that is continually talking people up, telling it to go for opportunities, and I'll do that personally, but also in a work position as well.
37:36
Jessica Southworth: And that if if I see someone that's able to blossom, whether it's Saffron, whether it's whoever, whether it's you, if I can do that, then I know that it does have meaning, um, and it's more important than maybe anything that I can do for myself.
37:52
Jessica Southworth: So yeah, that'll continue.
37:55
Jessica Southworth: It's a day it's a daily thing.
37:56
Jessica Southworth: And if I if I spot anything that I think will benefit someone, you have to tell them.
38:00
Jessica Southworth: Does that answer it?
38:02
Simran Whitham: That does.
38:02
Simran Whitham: I think I think Jess is gonna be very happy with that answer.
38:06
Jessica Southworth: I mean, I hope so.
38:07
Simran Whitham: Oh, she will, she'll love that.
38:08
Simran Whitham: And you'll get to meet her as well.
38:10
Simran Whitham: She's gonna come up to you on September 10th for like your answer.
38:13
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, Jess, if it's no good, then I won't have dessert.
38:16
Jessica Southworth: You can have my dessert.
38:18
Simran Whitham: What is for dessert?
38:19
Simran Whitham: I am US.
38:19
Simran Whitham: Oh, is it a cheeky sticky toffee pudding?
38:22
Simran Whitham: Yeah, come on.
38:22
Simran Whitham: That's my favourite.
38:23
Simran Whitham: Okay.
38:23
Simran Whitham: That's one of my favourites.
38:24
Jessica Southworth: Yeah, you can have that then.
38:25
Simran Whitham: Okay.
38:25
Simran Whitham: Thank you, Jess, for joining us for TEDx & Talks Podcast.
38:28
Simran Whitham: Thank you for support for you and hotel football.
38:32
Simran Whitham: And we're really, really excited for this September.
38:36
Jessica Southworth: Thank you for having us.
38:36
Jessica Southworth: We can't wait.