The fast-growing podcast that’s garnering world-wide acclaim has already featured personalities including sporting legend Jon Wilkin, comedian Jason Manford, professional racing driver Oli Webb; Coronation Street stars Samia Longchambon and William Roache OBE, Army veteran Andy Reid MBE and amputee golfer George Blackshaw.

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A new ‘Sofa Stories’ podcast by renowned Cheshire entrepreneurs Nick Bianchi and Oliver Dunn is garnering nationwide acclaim as the duo share their passion for business and personal growth.

Nick, a prominent member of the family behind the esteemed furniture retail brand Arighi Bianchi, has teamed up with charismatic chocolatier Oliver Dunn, aka Oli The Choc, for the new venture that blends engaging storytelling with personal insight, creating a platform that not only captivates audiences but that’s also proving an effective marketing tactic to reinforce the Arighi Bianchi brand’s deep-rooted heritage and innovative spirit to new audiences.

Since it launched just a few months ago, Sofa Stories has quickly garnered national attention, with listeners tuning in from across the UK and beyond. The podcast’s rising popularity, showcased by its growing listenership, reflects a successful strategy in brand differentiation that few traditional retailers have explored to this extent.

It’s also attracting some big names who are joining Nick and Oli on their famous sofa based at Arighi Bianchi’s iconic 170-year old store in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Guests have included sporting legend Jon Wilkin, professional racing driver Oli Webb; comedian Jason Manford, Coronation Street stars Samia Longchambon and William Roache OBE, prominent businesswomen Sandy Lindsay MBE, Army veteran Andy Reid MBE and amputee golfer George Blackshaw. There are also stories about Nick’s friendship and shared passion for padel tennis with ex-England cricketer Michael Vaughan.

Nick Bianchi’s unique combination of entrepreneurial savvy, passion for the furniture industry, and love for creative conversation, has made this podcast a must-listen for those interested in the intersections of business, lifestyle, and padel. Joined by Oliver Dunn, whose appearances on national TV have already cemented his reputation as a dynamic and charismatic figure, the duo crafts each episode with a perfect blend of warmth, humour, and authenticity.

Nick explained: “Oli and I are amazed about how popular our Podcast has become, and what a brilliant platform it’s proving to be to help drive awareness of our furniture and furnishings store and ecommerce site.

“We may be a 170-year old family business but this modern way to reach and engage audiences – across the globe – is definitely working. The podcast has proven to be more than just a platform for storytelling; it’s an innovative marketing tool that boosts brand visibility and builds customer trust. It enhances Arighi Bianchi’s reputation as a forward-thinking business willing to engage with modern digital trends.”

Oli added: “It’s an honour to work with NB (Nick) on The Sofa Stories Podcast, it’s a real passion project and the focus is to learn from inspiring people and share as much value as possible with our listener. NB and I share the same hunger for knowledge, growth and enriching our minds with variety and interactions with great people. We like to give our listener a “behind the scenes” insight into what we are both up to, with our “5K debrief style” of episode and with regular surprise guests joining us on the sofa keeps it fresh and exciting for us.

“Curiosity is one of our key values and doing the podcast feeds ours. We believe there’s an abundance to be learnt by gaining insight and perspective from our guests from a variety of worlds such as TV, sport, social media and business.

“I also believe sharing vulnerability is a strength which paired with storytelling and curiosity, creates relatable content, it’s not all positive, we open up about our challenges too. Storytelling is what connects us as humans and going beyond our fears and into the unknown is where we grow.

“The Sofa Stories journey continues to build and gain momentum; we hope more people will listen in. We have some very exciting guests in the pipeline which we can’t wait to announce.”