A No-Holds-Barred Weekly Diary by Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

Running a business isn’t glamorous. It isn’t glossy. And it certainly isn’t what most people imagine when they see the finished product on a supermarket shelf or visit one of our farm shops.

Behind every pack of sausages, every jar of seasoning, every till that rings — there are battles. Daily battles. Some you win, some you don’t. So I’ve decided it’s time to tell the truth. Every week, I’ll be sharing a raw, honest, unfiltered look at the life of a founder fighting to keep a retail business alive and thriving in modern Britain. No PR spin. No inspirational waffle. Just the reality: the highs, the lows, and the moments you wouldn’t believe unless you lived them.

You’ll see the tough decisions, the frustrations, the breakthroughs, the risks, the customer stories, and the sheer grit it takes to run The Black Farmer brand. Some weeks I’m the CEO. Some weeks I’m the cleaner, the counsellor, or the bouncer. That’s the job. And this diary is where I’ll tell it exactly as it is.

If you’re interested in business, retail, entrepreneurship, community, or just want to know what really goes on behind the scenes…Subscribe to The Founder’s Grind and follow the journey. Expect honesty. Expect surprises. Expect a few raised eyebrows. And above all — expect the truth.

Sign up now and join me on this weekly ride.

What Customers Don’t See (And Why This Life Isn’t for Everyone)

What Customers Don’t See (And Why This Life Isn’t for Everyone)

18th January 2026.   Opening Reflection There’s a strange illusion about retail. Customers walk into a shop, see the shelves stocked, the lights on, the coffee flowing, and assume the business is simply there — stable, solid,...
The Founder’s Grind: A Week in the Arena

The Founder’s Grind: A Week in the Arena

11th January 2026.   Opening Reflection   Ask anybody in retail and they’ll tell you the same thing: January is a nightmare. Customers go into batten-down-the-hatches mode. Christmas is over, wallets snap shut, and everyone...
A Year of Big Experiments: Predictions, Targets, and the Joy of Not Knowing

A Year of Big Experiments: Predictions, Targets, and the Joy of Not Knowing

4th January 2026.   Opening Reflection I’m going to take a leaf out of my favourite daughter’s book. (And yes, I love saying that because people look at me in horror — like I’ve just...
Learning to Live with Uncertainty: A Year in Review

Learning to Live with Uncertainty: A Year in Review

28th December 2025.   Opening Reflection As 2025 draws to a close, I’ve been thinking less about what we achieved and more about what the year revealed. Retail has a brutal way of holding up...
Why Passion Is the Only Thing That Works

Why Passion Is the Only Thing That Works

24th December 2025.   Opening Reflection Christmas is supposed to be a time of reflection, and this year I’ve found myself looking back more than usual. Not just at the last twelve months, but at...
Perspective Changes Everything

Perspective Changes Everything

21st December 2025.   Opening Reflection   This week forced me to slow down — not by choice, but by circumstance. I had one of my regular check-ups at UCLH hospital. Ten years ago, I...
Relief, Realities and the Retail Rollercoaster

Relief, Realities and the Retail Rollercoaster

14th December 2025.   Opening Reflection This week has been a strange blend of relief, frustration, small victories, and the ongoing grind of running a retail business. I started it with my regular appearance on...
The Founder’s Grind - A Week in the Arena.

The Founder’s Grind - A Week in the Arena.

1st December 2025.   Opening Reflection This week reminded me—again—that running a retail business is not for the faint-hearted. People imagine that being a founder is glamorous, that it’s all ideas and meetings and strategy....