From Setbacks to Success: The Story Behind GlampLaunch
How a 22-year-old electrician turned setbacks, graft, and vision into GlampLaunch.
The Making of GlampLaunch
Every business has a story — here’s ours.
GlampLaunch was founded by Taylor Glass, a former electrician who swapped building sites for building one of the UK’s fastest-growing glamping businesses.
This page isn’t a polished highlight reel — it’s the real journey. The good days, the bad days and the ugly days — along with the lessons learned along the way.
See below for the full story of how GlampLaunch came to life.
Before GlampLaunch (<2023)
Born in 2000, Taylor’s story started long before pods. The foundation was always independence, graft, and building something bigger. Here’s where it all began:
The First Entrepreneurial Spark
At 13, Taylor started his first “business” — bulk buying sweets, chocolate and fizzy drinks from Tesco, filling a kit bag, and selling them at lunchtime in school.
His downfall came when teachers walked into class only to find a dozen pupils all drinking Lucozade's and eating Dairy Milk's at the exact same time whilst Taylor was sat with loose change rattling in his pockets, a smile on his face and a kitbag so heavy he could barely carry it.
The venture didn’t last, but the entrepreneurial fire had been lit...
From Economics to Electrics
Taylor nearly went down the "safe route" — studying Economics at uni. Instead, he picked up the tools and qualified as an electrician.
From 18–22 he grafted across Ireland, the UK, and mainland Europe — Belfast to London, Slovakia to Poland, Germany and beyond. Those years weren’t glamorous, but they gave him discipline, adaptability, managerial skills and the edge to design and deliver projects properly.
Today, that trade foundation means every GlampLaunch pod is wired with BS7671-compliant specs designed by Taylor himself.
Life on the Move
From the moment Taylor left school at 18, he wasn’t living a typical 9–5. He was moving country to country, working 70–80 hour weeks on cold, harsh, building sites, grafting in places where he didn’t even speak the language.
That lifestyle built independence, resilience, and adaptability. It also gave him freedom — time in the gym, time travelling, time to reflect — and the result? The hunger and drive to build something bigger and forge his own path in life.
Long before GlampLaunch, the foundation was there: self-reliance, discipline, and the will to live life on his own terms.
Humble Beginnings (2023)
In April 2023, at 22 years old, Taylor quit his job as an electrician and started his first company. By May the website was live, and by June the first sauna was sold. The year was full of scrappy wins and painful lessons — the kind of raw beginnings that shaped the foundation of GlampLaunch.
The First Sale — and a Total Disaster (Jun '23)
June 2023 brought the very first sale… and it went terribly. The client wanted it installed quicker than the supplier’s lead time, so Taylor (overzealously) hired local tradesmen. They botched the job, the sauna leaked like crazy, and the whole thing had to be replaced.
Expensive, embarrassing — but the kind of lesson you only learn once.
Stumbling Into Sales (Oct ’23)
In November, Taylor booked a stand at a trade show in Belfast. No fancy display, no budget, just a PowerPoint presentation and a handwritten sheet titled "Sales Leads". Attendees were asked to scribble down their names if they were interested.
It was rough... but hey, God loves a chancer, right?..
Supplier Partnerships
Back in September 2023, Taylor met Jack from Lifestyle Appliances during the Solex trade show. Lifestyle was supplying BBQs and garden furniture—it wasn’t pod territory yet—but that handshake marked one of the first supplier relationships that made the company set off in it's initial direction.
First Pod Sale (Nov '23)
Late 2023, the first big breakthrough: the very first office pod sale. Proof that pods weren’t just a crazy idea — people actually wanted them.
This was the pivot point where the dream started to take shape.
Flight Supplier Visit (Dec '23)
Taylor didn’t take supplier promises at face value. In December, he flew to Lithuania to personally inspect the factory before delivering that first office pod.
Walking the floor, shaking hands, checking the builds — it was the start of a partnership that now underpins GlampLaunch’s quality.
Networking & Recognition (Dec '23)
In December 2023, Taylor was invited to an Abode2 real estate event and ended up featured in their print article "Crafting A Vision". Abode2 is the UK’s #1 luxury property magazine—so to land a spot in their pages was a wild validation early in the journey.
Finding Our Stride (2024)
2024 was the year sales started to scale. From saunas and gym equipment to furniture and the first big pod projects, the business found real traction. But growth came with its own challenges: global supply issues, refunds, and the pressure of handling bigger, more complex builds.
Supplying Anthony Joshua (Jan ’24)
The year started with a surprise: a call from AJ’s team at 258 MGT gym. They ordered a leg press and a customised leg extension/curl machine, specifically for Joshua.
It was surreal to think one of the biggest names in boxing was training on kit supplied by a one-man band business.
P.S. This was two months before he beat Francis Ngannou in March — We officially claim credit for his victory 😉
Massive Growth — Sales Take Off (Feb-Sep '24)
Saunas, gym equipment, and outdoor furniture became our bread-and-butter. Orders rolled in every week, proving there was demand for what we were selling.
But behind the wins came a flood of stock issues, delays, and refunds that made scaling harder than it looked...
First Big Site Leads Arrive (Feb ’24 onward)
February brought the first serious glamping site enquiries, including Nick and Amy at The Crown at Pantygelli — who later became GlampLaunch’s first flagship project.
Taylor noticed that most clients often asked the same questions about planning, insurance, and site setup, which planted the seed for what would later become the GlampLaunch 5-Step Framework.
£150k in Refunds — Red Sea Crisis (Apr-Sep '24)
In 2024, global shipping chaos out of the Red Sea hit almost every UK supplier importing from China. Orders were rolling in but the stock dried up, and we were forced to process over £150k worth of refunds. Every customer got their money back within a week — the real cost wasn’t the cash, it was the wasted hours chasing unavailable stock.
The lesson stuck: today, all GlampLaunch pods are sourced from Lithuania and France, within the EU, meaning no more stock nightmares and no more reliance on risky shipping routes.
The £25k Credit Card Fraud (Aug–Sep ’24)
In summer 2024, a fraudster used stolen credit cards to place £15k worth of orders. We paid our suppliers, the goods were delivered, and then the banks refunded the “customers” through chargebacks. The scammer walked away with the products, and we were left footing the bill.
To make it worse, our payment processor froze £25k in funds for nearly two months, forcing us to stop advertising during peak season. The direct loss was about £25k, but the real damage pushed it closer to £35–40k.
It was the toughest moment in our journey so far — but we survived, and weeks later landed our first flagship project...
Factory Visit — The Crown's Pods (Dec ’24)
Following on from the chaos of August–September, Taylor was determined to come out swinging and in December, he flew to Lithuania to walk the floor of the factory while The Crown at Pantygelli's pods were being built.
With Nick and Amy on FaceTime, he literally walked them through their units mid-production, checking details and confirming the finish matched their vision.
It was the moment the pod business stopped being theory and became real.
The Rise of GlampLaunch (2025)
2025 was the year grit became proof. After the turbulence of 2024, GlampLaunch came into its own — delivering flagship projects, a public sector win, and a rebrand that sharpened the mission. This year signals Taylor building the company with authority, factory-direct pricing, and strategy.
The Crown at Pantygelli — First Flagship Project (Jan–Jul ’25)
January saw the delivery of three custom pods to The Crown at Pantygelli, a restaurant-turned-glamping site in Monmouthshire, Wales.
By July, a full testimonial was filmed on-site with Nick, the owner, showing 75% occupancy within months and expansion into weddings.
This became GlampLaunch’s first true flagship success story.
Frensham Heights — Public Sector Breakthrough (Mar–Jul ’25)
In March, GlampLaunch secured its first public sector contract: a bespoke library pod for Frensham Heights School.
Delivered in June and filmed in July, the project proved pods weren’t just for hospitality — they could meet the demands of education too.
The school was so impressed they’re already planning more pods for 2026.
Rebrand to GlampLaunch (Jun ’25)
By summer, it was time to cut away the noise. Home Living Luxury officially became GlampLaunch — a full pivot into glamping, office, sauna and bespoke modular pods.
Our goal? Provide factory-direct pods, built in Europe to the highest UK/EU standards, delivered with lean costs and personal service at factory direct prices.
Bespoke Office Pod — Private Client Success (May–Oct ’25)
In May, GlampLaunch confirmed its second major bespoke office build for a private client, Aileen.
The pod entered production in September, with delivery scheduled for October.
The project showed that GlampLaunch could serve both commercial and private markets with tailored solutions.
P.S. More to follow on this one!
Taylor Becomes GITA Director (Jul ’25)
July marked a personal and professional milestone: Taylor became the youngest director of the Glamping Industries Trade Association (GITA).
In September, Taylor will stand at the Glamping Show as a GITA director, not just a supplier — a sign that both he and GlampLaunch are shaping the industry’s future.
Earlier in the year, GlampLaunch was also registered as an official supplier with Glamping in Ireland. Together, these milestones marked GlampLaunch’s shift from “emerging” to established industry player.
Pipeline Building — The Dam is Ready to Burst (Ongoing ’25)
Behind the scenes, dozens of projects are in planning: from wellness resorts to startup glamping sites.
The questions that began in 2024 have now been distilled into GlampLaunch’s 5-Step Launch Framework — a proven roadmap to take clients from vision to on-site bookings.
The groundwork is laid. The water has been building behind the dam, and 2026 will be the year it bursts wide open.
Now and Next (>2025)
GlampLaunch isn’t just reacting to opportunities anymore — it’s shaping them. With flagship projects delivered, a growing pipeline across the UK, Ireland, and Europe, and Taylor sitting on the board of GITA, the foundations are locked in.
The mission now is simple: scale. More pods, more sites, more impact. Clients can expect factory-direct quality, lean pricing, and a framework that takes the guesswork out of launching.
2026 is set to be the breakout year — the moment the groundwork, lessons, and grit of the early years turn into real momentum.
Not for Everyone — But Maybe for You
If you’re after a glossy corporate brochure, happy to throw £60k at a pod, and content being just another order number… then GlampLaunch isn’t for you.
But if you want to be known by name, deal directly with the founder, and play a part in writing the next chapter of this origin story — then you’re in the right place.
You’ve seen the testimonials: Taylor keeps things light-hearted on the surface, but if you’ve read this far, you’ll know he’s been tested hard and never turns his back. With GlampLaunch, you won’t just buy a pod — you’ll gain a personal ally who has your best interests at heart and will likely become a friend along the way.
Because people don’t buy from corporations. People buy from people.
Don’t Just Take Our Word for It
Real words from real clients across hospitality, education, and home projects.
