Mark Redmond, a Londoner who started his career as a rave promoter in the 1980s, never imagined he would find his calling in the postal industry. After being fired from a £16,000-a-year job at Royal Mail, he turned his setback into a six-figure business called The Private Postman, which now generates over £850,000 in annual turnover.
From Rave Promoter to Postman
At age 26, Mark was deeply involved in organizing and marketing raves and festivals. However, when the festival work collapsed, he found himself cycling around London as a courier just three months later. For several years, he took on various odd jobs while pursuing music, even getting signed as a singer-songwriter at one point.
In his late 20s, a friend suggested he work as a postman, noting that mail carriers often finish their rounds by noon, leaving the rest of the day free for other pursuits. Mark took the advice and joined Royal Mail, prioritizing his music career above all else. The flexible schedule allowed him to work on his music every afternoon.
The Firing That Changed Everything
Mark's tenure at Royal Mail ended abruptly when he was fired from the £16,000-a-year role after a disagreement with a manager over a single failed delivery. He took legal action with a no-win-no-fee lawyer and won an unfair dismissal case, receiving £15,000 in compensation. The court victory felt like redemption, especially when the managers who fired him had to testify before the judge.
With the compensation money in hand, Mark decided to leave Royal Mail behind but stay in the postal industry. The idea for The Private Postman came to him while relaxing in the bath. He created promotional materials introducing himself as an ex-postie and began walking door-to-door in Kensal Rise, where he lived in a bedsit at the time.
Building a Leaflet Delivery Empire
On his first day of promoting the new business, Mark secured £1,500 worth of work from his first client. His unique selling point was using GPS tracking for leaflet deliveries, a novel approach that addressed the trust issues companies had when handing over thousands of leaflets to distributors without verification.
In its first year, The Private Postman turned over £60,000. Today, the company delivers over two million leaflets every month and works with prestigious clients including Harrods, the NHS, and global restaurant chains. The annual turnover now exceeds £850,000.
Innovating for the Future
Mark is now developing a new app to ensure deliveries occur at exact locations, providing businesses with even greater transparency. His long-term plan is to sell this system to other distribution companies, improving efficiency across the industry while scaling his own business.
Reflecting on his journey, Mark says: 'At some point, you've got to push away from the side and swim. There will be little life rafts along the way, but you've got to keep swimming. Running a business is very much like that.'
This article was originally published in October 2025.
