NotLuck isn’t just an agency. It’s the result of years of entrepreneurial graft, a few bold leaps of faith, and plenty of dinner-table brainstorming. We believe business success is not luck — we believe in ideas, strategy, and the right people working together. That’s exactly how NotLuck was born: through a mix of experience, creativity, and family collaboration.

Our story started years ago when Bertie and Lee-ann built and scaled fillmybelly.com - because he knew that you could order takeaway food online?? Travelling back and forward from Essex to Nottingham in 2004 when they first came up with the concept and created the company, no body was ordering takeaway food online. Eventually, they sold the business to Just Eat — and earned their place as well-known, respected names in Nottingham’s business community.

Fast forward a few years, and Bertie suggested the two should once again pool their talents. Only this time, there was a third Cordingley in the mix: their eldest son, Oliver. Together, the three of them shaped NotLuck into what it is today — a creative agency with strategy at its core, tech that actually works, and a healthy dash of personality in everything we do.

So, who are we really?

We believe in spotting opportunities, solving problems, and turning big ideas into even bigger results. Our agency was born out of equal parts entrepreneurial spirit, family collaboration, and a shared love of helping businesses grow in smart, sustainable ways.

What started as an idea over the kitchen table has grown into a respected creative and strategic agency here in Nottingham, with clients across industries and borders. At the heart of NotLuck is a family team — Bertie, Lee-ann, and Oliver — supported by our incredible colleagues Rio and Marianne in the Philippines, whose work behind the scenes is invaluable.

Together, we’ve built an agency that thrives on identifying bottlenecks in businesses and finding tech-driven solutions, from streamlining systems to automating repetitive tasks. These days, a lot of that magic involves AI — and we’re passionate about showing business owners that it doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, it can be a powerful ally. Our AI + Automation workshops prove just that, helping leaders see what’s possible when they embrace change.

So, who are the people behind NotLuck?

Bertie – The Big-Picture Strategist

Bertie’s entrepreneurial streak started young — we’re talking pre-teen, running a loaning library of Sega Mega Drive games, with his mum driving him around to deliver the goods. That eye for opportunity has never gone away. Over the past two decades he’s built, scaled, and sold multiple businesses, including fillmybelly.com, the UK’s first online takeaway ordering platform, which was eventually acquired by Just-Eat.

Well known in Nottingham’s business community, Bertie is the strategist who can quickly spot bottlenecks and opportunities for growth that others might miss. He has a particular talent for explaining complex ideas in ways that feel relatable and digestible, especially when it comes to AI. Clients often say he makes the overwhelming sound doable, the intimidating sound simple, and the future sound exciting.

Lee-ann – The Creative Spark

With Bertie’s suggestion to collaborate again — this time with the addition of their eldest, Oliver — she brought her unique blend of creativity and communication into the mix.

Lee-ann’s background is a cocktail of banking in the City of London, renovating and running a successful yoga studio, and coaching yoga teachers to build their own businesses. She was one of the first in Nottingham to take yoga online during the 2020 lockdown — and her award-winning blog is still being read and referenced nearly a decade later. At NotLuck, she knows how to find the story in every brand and turn it into words that stick. She’s also the driving force behind our playful, people-first approach — weaving empathy, empowerment, and a little sparkle into everything we do. When she’s not crafting strategy or copy, she’s usually dreaming up bold ideas, running women’s circles, or performing as her burlesque alter ego.

Oliver – The Tech Wizard

From a young age, Oliver’s teachers would remark that he knew more about computer science than they could teach him. At one point, he was even recommended to sit his A-Level exam early — without needing to study the curriculum. A natural problem-solver, he’s entirely self-taught in multiple coding languages and has an exceptional ability to process complex information and translate it into simple, scalable solutions.

One of his early projects at NotLuck was being handed a messy spreadsheet and turning it into a fully functioning business growth app. Our accountant’s response? “This is the best set of accounts I’ve ever received from a client.” That flair has since evolved into Oliver becoming the backbone of our tech and automation expertise, ensuring every big idea we dream up is built on solid systems that work flawlessly.

The NotLuck Way

At NotLuck, we each inject our personalities, quirks, and experience into everything we do. Bertie spots opportunities others miss. Lee-ann connects people and ideas with words that stick. Oliver builds the systems to make it all work seamlessly. And with Rio and Marianne by our side, we have a team that makes things happen with care and precision.

We’re not just about websites, campaigns, or automations. We’re about making businesses stronger, smarter, and braver. And we’ll keep showing up with big ideas, sharp strategies, and just the right amount of magic.

Together, we’ve built an agency that thrives on identifying bottlenecks in businesses and finding tech-driven solutions, from streamlining systems to automating repetitive tasks. These days, much of that magic involves AI — and we’re passionate about showing business owners that it doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, it can be a powerful ally. Our AI + Automation workshops prove just that, helping leaders see what’s possible when they embrace change.

Our forthcoming workshop, Unlock AI + Automation For Your Business, will be fun, inspiring and you will leave having built something that you can use straight away. Will we see you there?

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