We met Mark through our work and participation with Run Dem Crew, and he stood out as one of the most welcoming, warm and humble people we’ve ever met. He is well respected and connected in London’s restaurant scene (check out Levan and Bar Levan if you haven’t already), but he is also well known as the founder of 2nd Drop Records. Mark is a man of many talents, and isn’t afraid to take on the unknown and pivot to shake things up. It’s genuinely hard not to like Mark, we’re sure you’ll agree after listening to our conversation with him.
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Mark offered up an honest account of his career to date, spanning various different roles and marketplaces. We talked about the non-linearity of careers, the reciprocity of service and the beauty of genuine community. We’ve known Mark for some time and it was lovely to talk with him in this context, where we shared a lot of similar stories about business growth and whether it is always worth it.
Although we work in different industries, it is clear that his approach to restaurants has many similarities our approach to the creative industry. Mark left us with lots to reflect on, and you’ll find the same.
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This recording was a part of UB Live 2024, a series of live-streamed conversations and IRL panel discussions to celebrate Rosie Lee’s 24th birthday.
UBC011 - Mark Gurney