Episode•June 3, 2021•18 min

Business In a Pandemic with Chris Panteli | Ep. 59

Chris owns a family business and runs website LifeUpswing.com, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and decided to use his arms to help others. About Our Guest Hey, I’m Chris. I have a degree in Business Economics from the University of Liverpool, own a small fast food business and run LifeUpswing.com. I've ran my own business for over a decade now and after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 33 - decided to start my personal finance blog to help others and make some extra income. The journey thus far has been tough, but my website is growing and I'm starting make a few hundred dollars a month in affiliate sales. I aim to be at 50,000 session visits by the end of the year, monetized with display ads and making over $1000 a month. Connect with Chris Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrispanteli87 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Azulaozhino/https://www.facebook.com/lifeupswing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life.upswing/ Email: [email protected] Connect with Tiffany on Social Media Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht LinkedIn: Tiffany Grant YouTube: Money Talk With Tiff Channel Pinterest: Money Talk With Tiff This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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Key Takeaways

1
Fresh perspective can revitalize a family business
Chris took over the family fast food business after university and overhauled the menu, ingredients, advertising, and sustainability messaging
His business economics degree provided grounding for changes that had significant early impact
2
Type 1 diabetes diagnosis prompted lifestyle overhaul and new venture
Diagnosed at 33 after dropping to 9.5 stone and entering ketoacidosis; now manages with insulin and lifestyle changes
Used the diagnosis as motivation to pursue positive changes, leading to the creation of LifeUpswing.com
3
Pandemic created opportunity for side income diversification
Lockdown and reduced hours at the restaurant freed up time; Chris invested 20-25 hours weekly into the blog
Recommends secondary online income streams for brick-and-mortar business owners to spread risk
4
Blogging requires significant upfront work and long-term commitment
Chris works 40-50 hours at the shop plus 20-25 hours on the blog, often until 1-2 AM
Writing is only a small part; marketing, technical fixes, and growth strategies take most of the time
Realistic timeline: expect 1-2 years of consistent effort before meaningful income

Intro

Tiffany Grant interviews UK-based entrepreneur Chris Panteli about running a family fast-food business, navigating a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and launching a personal finance blog during the pandemic.
Chris Panteli holds a Business Economics degree from the University of Liverpool, owns a small fast-food business passed down through his family, and runs LifeUpswing.com, a personal finance blog focused on making, saving, and rethinking money.

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– Chris's Background and Family Business

Chris started working in the family fast-food business part-time at age 14 and took over full-time after university around age 21-22.

He modernized the menu, ingredients, advertising, and sustainability messaging, applying lessons from his business economics degree.

– Personal Challenges: Breakup, Diabetes Diagnosis, and Lockdown

Chris's long-term relationship ended, leading to selling a shared house; he moved into an apartment attached to the business.

I went to about nine and a half stone... my organs were shutting down.
– Chris Panteli

Shortly after his diabetes diagnosis and stabilization, the UK entered full lockdown; food businesses were allowed to operate but suppliers shut down, forcing a two-week closure.

– Turning Diagnosis and Lockdown into Opportunity

Chris used the extra time from lockdown and reduced drinking to build LifeUpswing.com as a creative outlet and secondary income stream.

I just threw myself into this new online business and thankfully it's really, really starting to take off.
– Chris Panteli

– LifeUpswing.com: Content and Growth Realities

The blog covers three categories: making money, saving money, and different ways to think about money.

Chris emphasizes that blogging involves far more than writing—marketing, SEO, technical fixes, and video content are major time sinks.

I'm doing maybe another 20, some weeks, 25 hours a week on my blog, going till one, two o'clock in the morning.
– Chris Panteli

– Why Now Is the Time for Online Side Hustles

Chris argues that pandemic-driven shifts to online spending, combined with expected higher taxes and reduced consumer spending post-pandemic, make digital income streams essential for risk diversification.

He notes the collaborative nature of the blogging community, where competitors freely share advice and support.

Resources

LifeUpswing.comarticle
Chris Panteli YouTubevideo

Topics

personal financeside hustlesbloggingType 1 diabetes family businesspandemic entrepreneurshipUK small businessonline incomerisk diversification