Best New Start-Up

Craig Richardson

Transcript

00:00So I'm joined by Craig Richardson, who's just won the Best New Startup Award, Craig, for

00:09your Craig Richardson Funeral Celebrant. How happy are you to be stood here? You just mentioned

00:14to me off camera you're a little bit perplexed and surprised.

00:16Definitely perplexed. I mean, we try everything we can to support families with funerals,

00:21help them save money on their funerals, and to work with them is a pleasure. To get this

00:24is even better.

00:26Over two decades of experience in the industry, give us a bit of an insight into the journey

00:30that's led up to this evening.

00:32Blood, sweat and tears. You know, we work with families every single day. We see grieving

00:35families and everyone grieves very differently. Everything that we do is to support them in

00:41their venture to have closure and we are very honoured and very privileged to do what we

00:46did and thanks to the families I get here.

00:49You've just touched upon it there actually. How do you look to make what is obviously

00:52such a significant moment in people's lives so meaningful really?

00:56If I can make somebody feel happy about their loss of their loved one, then I'm already

01:00doing what I'm doing. No award can beat that.

01:05What's the going forward? What sort of ambitions are you going for, Craig?

01:09I want to set up my own funding company so that I'm able to support families that can't

01:12afford funerals. We will pay for it. That's what I want.

01:16Fantastic. Tonight, what you made tonight, obviously plenty of other successful businesses

01:19in the room. Has it been a good evening?

01:21Everyone's so worthy. I'm standing here holding this thinking, look at me, I'm a winner, but

01:25actually everyone here tonight is a winner. I came in here tonight thinking, well, if

01:28I don't win it, I'm still a finalist. I'm still a winner in my own right. I'm still

01:31making changes. Great night.

01:34Very much a winner. The accolade in your hand says that that is the case. How will you celebrate

01:37this evening?

01:38I'm going to go home and have cuddles with my son.

01:41Spot on. Can't do any better than that. Congratulations, Craig.

01:43Thank you so much.