Now Story Locker enables them to create an audio legacy of their own, with a personal podcast designed to immortalise treasured memories for family and friends.

The idea is the brainchild of entrepreneur Dhilon Solanki, who wanted a way to share thoughts and stories about his mother Nina – who died when he was in his early 20s –  with his two sons, Kian and Remy.

“During Covid I spent a lot of time with my family and my eldest (Kian) would always ask me ‘What was Grandma like?’,” said Solanki.

“I realised that while we had photos and a few old VHS tapes, we had nothing to share that would truly bring her life story to life, how wonderful she was and her journey with Dada, his Grandfather.

“I started to think how special it would be to create a podcast where my Dad could tell Nana’s story and my son would be able to listen and learn about her first-hand.”

Solanki then got in touch with leading TV and radio presenters who expressed an interest in becoming interviewers for Story Locker, some of which whom agreed to interview his father, Bharat, and bring Nana’s story to life as a podcast.

“When I played it to Kian, he was captivated. That night when I put him to bed, he kept asking if he could listen to Dada’s podcast about Nana again.”

Story Locker now delivers the same service as a uniquely personal gift for loved ones – a professionally recorded interview designed to capture life stories or special milestones like a birthday, anniversary or wedding day, and preserve them forever as a podcast.

Its launch comes as the UK’s passion for both podcasts and genealogy has never been greater.

The number of people researching their family tree online through sites like Ancestry.com surged during lockdown, while the hit BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? has recently begun its 20th series. Meanwhile the latest figures from YouGov show that Brits love their podcasts more than ever, with more than two in five of us now tuning into at least one every week.

Story Locker allows people to select from a range of different podcast packages, and from a team of highly skilled interviewers who can help those being featured to tell their story from the comfort of their home. It also includes a microphone and headset to guarantee great studio sound quality, as well as a professional editing service for the finished interview.

Gift recipients will then have their personal podcast sent to them within their own secure Story Locker. Prices start from £450 – this also includes an introductory call with your choice of interviewer and a personalised secure landing page (your ‘locker’) showcasing your completed podcast, all accompanied by specially written shownotes and your choice of photos for you to share with family and friends.

Solanki said: “Story Locker is a gift for both the interviewee and those who love them. It’s a way to immortalise someone you love, to distil their life story and what makes them special into a podcast that you’ll all treasure and enjoy together. It also offers a nation of podcast listeners a chance to become a nation of podcast creators, each producing something unique that will mean the world to them and their family for generations to come.”

Having launched in 2023, the business has started to generate early sales, secured partnerships including Hitched, RNIB, has been featured in publications such as the Daily Mail, Express Online, Cosmopolitan and Sheer Luxe and most recently featured in the Startups100 list for 2024. 

Solanki has completely bootstrapped the business since the start and is now looking to start his first fundraising journey to really help the business scale. Already SEIS approved, hopefully this puts Solanki and the business in a good position to attract pre-seed/seed and angel investment.