The Business Leader Podcast (Business Leader)

We sat down with Olympic mental performance coach Charlie Unwin. Unwin was an athlete and platoon commander in Iraq before becoming a mental performance coach for various GB Olympic teams. He is also a speaker and has recently released a book ‘Inside-Out: Train Your Mind and Nerve Like A Champion’, where he shares how anyone can program their mind to achieve their full potential.

Here's what we discussed during our discussion:

• Your new book Inside Out: Train Your Mind and Nerve Like A Champion has recently been released. Would you be able to explain to our listeners what an Inside Out mindset is and what an Outside In mindset is? (0:48)
• How does the Inside Out mindset differ from an Outside In mindset? (03:24)
• One of the themes that is integral to this concept is that the quality of practice is more important than the quantity of practice and the goal. How does the Inside Out mindset align with these ideas? (08:47)
• Is social media stopping us from having an Inside Out mindset? (16:08)
• Why is our relationships with ourselves important? And how can people make their self-talk better? (21:34)
• Is the way we are understanding the capacity of our minds is changing? (26:00)
• Is Virtual Reality a visualisation crutch or tool? (32:11)
• You speak about approaching adversity with a challenge response as opposed to a fight or flight response. Can you explain what this means? (35:01)
• Is there a particular story or person that you’ve worked with that are memorable to you? (38:39)
• Answer the Internet: How can people turn negative things into motivation? (42:14)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down for a chat with Alice Stephenson: founder and CEO of Stephenson Law. Alice has shaken up the legal sector by creating a law firm that breaks down stereotypes, challenges the perception of who a lawyer is, and removed the stuffiness involved in the legal environment. She aims to empower lawyers to challenge tradition and encourage innovation in the legal sector.

Here's what we discussed during our discussion:

• What made you interested in becoming a lawyer? (01:19)
• What was your journey to where you are now as the founder of Stephenson Law? (02:03)
• What about being in law put you off and what struggles did you face in the sector before founding your own firm? (04:08)
• What can be done to make the law sector diverse? (07:08)
• You made the decision to switch to remote working during the pandemic. Would you go back to an office or have you been sold on the upsides of remote working? (09:05)
• Social media has become a big part of your brand and you have become so integral to the brand of Stephenson Law as a result. Is being a brand ambassador a good or bad thing? (10:48)
• How has the legal sector responded to you being unconventional/fitting outside of what we usually perceive as a lawyer? (12:35)
• Do you still do legal work or are you managing the business? (14:45)
• Why is going against the grain of the corporate legal sector important? (17:19)
• How have you, as a remote working business, been able to encourage employees to have a good work/life balance? (20:19)
• Do you think there is toxicity around gender roles and stereotypes in the law sector and what can be done to change this? (23:19)
• What's the one thing that gets you out of bed every morning? (26:43)
• How can people follow your journey? (27:18)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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We sat down for a chat with Martin Chilcott. Martin has founded the largest sustainable business community in the world. He’s devoted much of his career to helping businesses develop efficient and sustainable practices. He is now the founder and CEO of his own carbon reduction platform, Manufacture 2030.

Here's what we discussed during our discussion:

• Clearly sustainability is a big part of your life, is that a drive that came from your younger years and what was life like for you growing up? (01:02)
• What was it like in your early years in business when sustainability wasn't the topic it is now? Was it intimidating being in the industry? (06:04)
• What was the point at which you realised 2Degrees could be a success? (09:24)
• Can you tell us what Manufacture 2030 does and why it’s important? (14:24)
• Do you feel that despite many businesses wanting to become more sustainable there is a lack of education about how to do this? (19:41)
• Which companies are demonstrating note-worthy sustainability best practices? (25:21)
• What does net-zero really mean and what can any business do to make an effort towards being net-zero? (28:15)
• Are governments doing enough to put pressure on businesses to become more sustainable? (33:03)
• What impact does the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have on sustainable manufacturing and efficient supply chains? (34:53)
• Is it possible to tax companies for the amount of greenhouse gasses they produce? (37:19)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on the podcast today is Tom Moore; an ex-platoon commander who founded a talent incubator to help war veterans break into the tech sector. Now, WithYouWithMe has expanded to find work for neurodivergent and gender diverse communities, military spouses, and indigenous populations. Tom speaks to us about being a CEO transparent about mental health, the power of hiring neurodivergent candidates, and having humility as a leader.

Here's what we discussed during our discussion:

• Could you tell us more about your background and upbringing and what was that like? (00:49)
• You say that when you were younger, you felt like you didn’t fit into society. Was that the reason you went into the army or would you say it was more your family history of service? (03:23)
• What were your experiences like in the army? (06:50)
• Could you tell us why you ended up leaving the army and what the next chapter of your life held? (10:53)
• Is there a link between jobs in the army and the tech industry? (18:24)
• Do you find that neurodiverse people do well in tech jobs? (21:46)
• You said you experienced mental health issues after leaving the army. Is this something you still struggle with today? (26:59)
• What's the power of being transparent with your mental health as a CEO? (30:57)
• What does the future hold for WithYouWithMe? (35:09)
• You mentioned making movies was a personal goal. Could you tell us about this? (36:56)
• Why does it matter if you are or were a veteran when applying for certain jobs? (38:45)
• Do you think there's still a stigma around hiring veterans? (39:38)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on the podcast is Kike Oniwinde; the Founder and CEO of BYP Network, a digital platform that connects black professionals with each other and corporations. She has been recognised as a leader in tech and won many prestigious awards including Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Financial Times' top 100 BAME leaders in technology.

Here's what we discussed during our discussion:

• Can you tell us a bit about your story leading up to starting BYP Network? (00:56)
• What barriers are stopping black students, in particular, from achieving high grades at university level? (03:03)
• What experiences did you have or witness that motivated you to start BYP Network? (05:33)
• What is unique about a black professional’s experience in the workplace that makes a platform like BYP Network so important? (07:49)
• Do you think there is a clear solution to elevate more black professionals into executive roles? (09:40)
• BYP has been described as a platform with a mission to ‘change the black narrative’ what does this mean to you? (11:33)
• Do you think that descriptions, such as B.A.M.E, are good for marginalised communities? (15:09)
• How did the BLM movement impact you on a personal level but also the black narrative? (16:53)
• In your opinion, is the professional world changing quickly enough for black professionals? (18:31)
• Can you tell us what BYP does to empower black professionals in the workplace? (19:11)
• What kind of working culture do you find important for your own business? (22:02)
• You were on the GB Javelin team. Was there anything about being an athlete that prepared you for being an entrepreneur? (24:11)
• How are your motivations changing as you’ve grown up? (24:58)
• You're about to have a baby. How will this change your role at BYP and has it changed your approach to work at all? (26:20)
• Do you think more needs to be done in the workplace to support pregnant women? (27:40)
• How can we change the narrative for women in the workplace with kids? (28:54)
• You’ve experienced a significant loss in your life, you’ve recently lost your mum. How has this loss impacted or changed the way you approach life and your work? (31:01)
• Do you have a particular BYP success story that sticks out in your mind? (34:34)
• What is more likely: starting a business from scratch and getting a net worth of $50 million, or winning $50 million in the lottery? (35:58)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down for a conversation with Mark Wilson. Mark is a business strategy expert who founded Wilson Fletcher, an innovation consultancy that helps to transform digital companies through strategy and design. He has recently released a book, Futurestate Design, which aims to help entrepreneurs think differently about the future of their business.

Here's what we discussed:

• What does a digital strategist do? (00:49)
• How did you decide that you wanted to be a strategist? (03:42)
• Are there similarities between architecture and digital strategy? (05:08)
• When did you realise you were going to start Wilson Fletcher? (06:21)
• Did you feel that starting your own business gave you a good idea of how to help your clients strategise for growth? (07:26)
• What excites you about strategy? (09:59)
• What is a futurestate design? (11:10)
• What would you say to a business that would say 'Why can’t we just imagine a strategy with the tools we have today?' (16:12)
• Within the concept, you bring up the importance of a business imagining what their future customers will be like - how can a business do this when the pandemic/Ukraine war/inflation have all recently shown how unpredictable consumer behaviour is? (20:41)
• In your book you say tools such as data, commercial results, looking at what competitors and customers do and market research all inhibit a futurestate mind. This is a bold statement. Why do you think this? (24:10)
• What are recent shifts that we’ve seen in the digital economy? (27:41)
• How did the pandemic impact the digital economy? (30:25)
• Is there a particular innovation in the digital space that you think is really exciting at the moment? (32:29)
• What advice would you give to a business that is finding itself stagnant? (36:37)
• You’re given $150,000 that must be used to start a business. What kind of business do you open up? (39:26)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down for a conversation with Emma Sayle. In 2005, Emma founded a global events business that aims to sexually empower and liberate women, now Killing Kittens has over 180,000 members worldwide. She has also started Safedate, a safe dating app, and the Sisterhood Group, a group of women that take part in sports adventures and challenges. 

Here's what we discussed:

• What is Killing Kittens? (00:46)
• What can someone expect to happen at a KK event? (01:27)
• What motivated you to create Killing Kittens? (03:00)
• Why is it called Killing Kittens? (05:19)
• You mentioned you started the business because you had a strong sense of injustice. Why did you start with parties? (05:56)
• What were the first KK events like? (07:42)
• Are you involved in the tech side of the business? (12:07)
• What was it like starting a business like Killing Kittens in 2005? (13:26)
• How did you find raising funding for a busines s as heavily stigmatised as Killing Kittens? (16:35)
• How did you find the experience of fund raising? (17:42)
• How did the #MeToo movement impact Killing Kittens? And you on a personal level? (23:03)
• How can women feel sexually empowered without feeling judged by people? (27:36)
• How important is sex education? Is there adequate sex education? (30:18)
• Can another counter culture like in the 60s actually be created again? (32:33)
• From your perspective, what makes a great business leader? (34:10)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest is an Army veteran, specialist leadership coach, and facilitator for senior leaders in higher and secondary education. He's also the author of The Leadership Book and has set up the charity Michelle Jurd Trust, which supports initiatives that encourage young people to benefit from outdoor adventures.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us how you ended up becoming a leadership coach? (00:53)
• How did you end up joining the army? (02:07)
• Were there any skills that you picked up in the army that you would recommend leaders adopt? (02:57)
• How did you decide that you wanted to become a leadership coach? (03:22)
• What about your job do find most fulfilling? (04:10)
• If a business leader comes to you looking for help, what's your process for figuring out where someone can improve their leadership skills? (06:08)
• What common characteristics do managers and executives tend to have that don’t work well in a working environment? (07:41)
• What is the most important characteristic of a leader? (09:01)
• How important is trust in a team and especially a relationship with your leadership/manager? (09:42)
• How can a leader cultivate trust and camaraderie in a team? (11:05)
• What would you say to a leader that finds setting boundaries for their team difficult? (13:12)
• How can a leader give their team the tools to fully reach their potential? (15:38)
• Are most leaders extroverts? And how can introverts be better leaders? (17:13)
• What do think about failure and societal attitudes towards it? (19:44)
• Many leaders have had to adjust their leadership style (especially due to the pandemic). Do you think there's a leadership revolution happening? (21:06)
• How do leaders differ based on the sector they’re in? (22:12)
• How would you go about getting cohesion among a team who disagree with one another? (25:52)
• Would you say recruiting people on their shared values with your existing team is more important than their talent? (28:44)
• How can a leader deal with imposter syndrome? (29:33)
• Is it wrong to admire a person for being a great leader but hate them for being a horrible human being? (32:33)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down for a conversation with psychiatrist and author of The Chimp Paradox, Professor Steve Peters. With over 20 years of experience in psychiatry, he has shared his knowledge through the books he's authored which explore the nature of the mind and help readers become healthier, happier, and more successful. His most recent book, A Path through the Jungle, further explores self-development and explains complex neuroscience in a digestible way. We speak to Professor Steve Peters about how to retrain your mind, why imposter syndrome can be a good thing, dealing with chronic stress, and why working from home isn't necessarily healthy for us.

Here's what we discussed:

• You recently published your new book A Path Through the Jungle – in the first phase of the book your mention that all of us are composed of three teams or systems – human, chimp or computer. For those of us that aren’t familiar with this – can you tell us why this is and how they can manifest themselves? (004:45)
• How could business leaders improve by reading your book? (03:47)
• As humans – can we essentially re-wire or re-train our minds and how long does this take? (05:20)
• If people had a difficult upbringing and it affects the person they are today, can they re-wire their brains to change their behaviour? (07:46)
• Can you tell us what you think resilience means in life and in a high-stress business setting? How does somebody know they are resilient? (08:54)
• You’ve touched on the chimp and how it can hijack somebody’s thoughts, but can the chimp ever be positive? (11:53)
• Many of our listeners are successful entrepreneurs and some tell us they suffer from imposter syndrome. Why does the brain do this? And do you have insight into how leaders can work with this better? (13:16)
• How can business leaders focus on work best when they have experienced a significant life event not linked to work? (20:42)
• When thinking about the athletes and high performers that you've dealt with, are there any particular common traits that you think contribute to their success? (28:10)
• How can people better cope with stress in their lives and work? (30:09)
• You mention in the book that many people might be experiencing chronic stress and feel that what they are experiencing is a normal state. How can they unwind this/ prevent it and what should they look out for? (36:15)
• What does your typical day look like Steve? (39:06)
• Have you worked with political figures? (40:50)
• Do you feel like there's still a stigma around struggling with mental health? (41:30)
• What was your reaction to the announcement of the first lockdown in March 2020? (43:22)
• Do you believe home working is good for you long-term? (45:16)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is Bassim Haidar? Not only is he a Lebanese national and Nigeria-born self-made billionaire, but he is also on the forefront of innovation and financial inclusion on a global scale. Starting his first business at just 20 years old, Haidar has gone on to establish Optasia, a large telecoms provider which operates in 19 countries and plays a major role in infrastructure in Africa and the Middle East. He now has a stake in a variety of industries including fintech, logistics, energy, engineering, and medicinal cannabis.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you describe your journey to the position you hold now? (01:03)
• You mentioned that you failed in one of your previous ventures. How did you deal with that failure? (08:53)
• Do you feel that identifying a future gap in the market is the biggest key for an entrepreneur? (11:30)
• Your company offers banking to developing markets and you have 650m users across the world. Why is extending financial inclusion to the unbanked developing world important to you personally? (15:45)
• How does accelerating affordable smartphone ownership positively impact people? (18:40)
• What are the differences between the way the western world and less developed countries welcome new technology? (20:37)
• How has growing up in Nigeria shaped you and the way you look at the world? (22:18)
• Is entrepreneurship something that you're born with or can it be learnt? (24:46)
• Would you say that a fear of failing is a universal characteristic of entrepreneurs? (28:15)
• Imposter syndrome is discussed a lot on our podcast and in the West in general. Is this something that is spoken of in the West exclusively as part of a privilege or is this something that you've noticed in developing countries too? (29:45)
• Do a lot of people, you would be considered to have ‘made it’. Do you feel this way? How do you continue to motivate yourself? (35:31)
• Do you ever have moments when you don’t feel confident or lose your sense of purpose? (37:34)
• How do you deal with stress? Are there things you do to wind down? (39:32)
• You founded your own venture capital firm, Knuru Capital. What advice would you give to business owners about achieving investment? (40:07)
• Answer the Internet: can you become a billionaire with $5m? (44:56)
• What makes a great business leader? (45:09)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie Dixon is a leadership coach, trainer, and author who works with business leaders in over 160 multinational companies across the world. He is the author of the books Overcome and Get It Done and Shaping Paths. His new book The Story Habit reveals a practical approach to helping leaders tell and shape stories. We speak to Jamie about the differences between leaders in China and Europe, the differences between Chinese and European markets, and the power of storytelling in persuasion and leadership.

Here's what we discussed:

• How did you end up becoming a leadership development coach? (00:58)
• Was your university degree related to psychology and did you speak Mandarin before going to China? (03:13)
• Do you deal with business leaders in a specific sector or a variety of them? (04:32)
• What is the biggest difference between Western and Chinese markets? (07:01)
• What are the differences between leadership in Eastern countries and Western countries? (09:25)
• Could you give an example of an interesting approach that these Eastern countries have towards leadership? (12:20)
• Why is storytelling important in leadership? (15:06)
• How can people ensure they are relaying a truthful story to themselves? (30:22)
• How can leaders solve REAL problems at work through storytelling? (34:05)
• What is a leader’s greatest weakness? (36:51)
• How have you used the techniques you teach and have learnt to deal with difficulties in your own life, such as going through the lockdown in Shanghai? (38:50)
• Why do billionaires and successful business personalities love to tell stories about how they fire people? Why do billionaire fans love those stories? (42:49)
• What makes a great business leader to you? (44:00)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The common view is that business people are just... different. They have things figured out. They're in an exclusive world of VCs and angels. Or are they? One man has made it his mission to break down barriers and show that anyone can become an entrepreneur.

Roy Ledgister, founder of proptech investment firm Convivia Group, grew up in Shepherd's Bush and relied on free schools in his youth. He started a car wash business at 14 and, after doing his law degree, became the UK's youngest senior partner at the tender age of 24. After leaving the Bar, Roy was part of the team that created Caridon Holdings LLP and then went on to found Convivia Group.

Despite his success, Roy maintains that he "never got the memo" that he shouldn't be able to achieve so much from his humble beginnings. Instead, he says that that's the very reason for his drive and success and he's keen to spread the word to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In this exclusive interview, we discuss procrastination, "not getting the memo", turning perceived weaknesses into strengths and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us about your journey to founding Convivia? (00:56)
• Is there something in particular that makes people from disadvantaged backgrounds better entrepreneurs? (09:51)
• What are some of the barriers that young disadvantaged people face in getting into the business? (12:15)
• Is there a way to get people from more diverse backgrounds into business and positions of power to show younger generations that this can be achieved? (15:59)
• How can procrastination be debilitating? (19:34)
• Do you think a positive, resilient mindset is something you're born with or can it be taught? (30:07)
• What is the power of being altruistic and giving back as a successful business person? (31:43)
• Answer the Internet: During a typical work day, are lawyers always busy? (36:30)
• What makes a great business leader? (38:06)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this has held executive roles at Barclays, Barclaycard, and American Express. Now, Sarah Webb is the President for UK & Europe at OFX, where she is responsible for all commercial growth in the region. She has a wealth of experience in leadership and 20 years of experience in bank payments.

In this exclusive interview, we discuss imposter syndrome, how to encourage women to get into the finance sector and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Did you always know you wanted to work in finance and technology? (00:54)
• Did you have any role models that inspired you growing up? (01:38)
• Do you feel like you’ve faced any barriers as a woman in finance? (02:37)
• What leadership skills have you cultivated to create your style of leadership? (08:39)
• Have you experienced imposter syndrome and do you feel that women are more susceptible to it? (11:52)
• What advice would you have for women looking for roles in finance? (14:00)
• What would you like to leave as your legacy in the role? (15:59)
• What leadership traits and characteristics do you like and dislike in people? (17:36)
• How can you cultivate healthy disagreement in a team? (19:41)
• Do you see inflation subsiding globally sooner, rather than later? (21:36)
• For those that don't know, what makes a currency strong? (23:45)
• Answer the Internet: If joy became the national currency, what kind of work would make you wealthy? (25:42)
• What makes a great business leader? (27:06)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can the man who helped orchestrate the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan teach you about improving your business? The answer is quite a lot.

The guest on this episode is Chris Paton, who has had roles in the French Ministry of Defence, UK Ministry of Defence, and the Royal Marines before founding a consultancy that supports businesses to become more effective and improve their culture and performance.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell me a bit about your path to founding and now working as the MD of Quirk Solutions? (00:53)
• Is there a parallel between the types of people that go into the army and then the types of people that go into business? (04:09)
• What are the characteristics of a great leader? (06:48)
• How did you end up in the military and what was your experience like? (09:59)
• How can a business leader enable their team to work in an effective way without micromanaging? (13:00)
• You helped businesses adjust back to a post-pandemic world. So many companies and organisations would talk about how this was an opportunity to reset and reshape the way they operate for the better – have you witnessed this? (17:00)
• From your work, do you think there is a common mistake most or many businesses make? (20:07)
• Now businesses face a potential economic crisis and supply chain crisis caused by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and lockdowns in China. What advice would you give to a business on how to navigate this? (28:46)
• Do you think gaming is something that businesses should do regardless of big 'norm-changing' events like the pandemic? (36:09)
• Answer the Internet: Am I a bad employee or I’m at the wrong place? (41:19)
• What makes a great business leader? (44:04)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday. The company that’s stolen a day of the week and reinvented the way that dating apps work. Imagine creating a business model where your product only works one day a week. It’s not exactly the recommended strategy in any business manual but for the past few years, dating app Thursday has taken social media by storm with their viral stunts and unique personality.

The company is happy not fitting in with the norm and founders George Rawlings and Matt McNeill Love have serious ambition. If you think you know Thursday and its story, think again. If you’ve never heard of them, it’s time to pay attention. This is an interview you won’t want to miss.

In this exclusive interview, we sat down with the founders of Thursday to discuss their fast-growing brand, the funding landscape, their approach to marketing and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us about your background before setting up Thursday? (00:42)
• What led you to start a dating app? (03:28)
• For those who don't know what the app is, could you talk us through the user journey? (07:39)
• Are you worried that the idea for Thursday doesn't have the longevity you'd hope? (12:38)
• How have you funded the business to this point, and do you have any tips for people going through the process of raising? (14:53)
• Could you tell us about your approach to marketing and if it's got you into any hot water? (24:50)
• How do you generate your marketing ideas? (28:15)
• How do your personal brands fit into the overall brand identity of Thursday? (29:58)
• How does the wording and attitude towards marketing compare between the UK and US? (34:10)
• Everyone’s very quick to claim to be offended. Do people need to chill out more and can brands like yours help achieve this? (36:30)
• Being co-founders can be tricky. Do you two ever clash? (37:30)
• Do you worry that you'll lose the energy and vibe you have as the business continues to grow? (38:37)
• You're still only a year or so in but do you think about an exit or IPO? (39:21)
• Have you considered other verticals outside of dating, such as business networking? (40:27)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vegan. A polarising word that has divided people for decades. No matter where you stand on the spectrum of feeling toward veganism, it's largely accepted that the cause has an image problem. Confrontational. Angry: these are just a few of the terms regularly associated with the movement. Earthling Ed, aka Ed Winters, is well aware of this and has become a beacon for the cause with his speech and debate style.

His viral debates and stream of content have amassed millions of views online. Ed has spoken at over 1/3 of UK universities and has taught as a guest lecturer at Harvard University in both 2019 and 2020. He's also founded two restaurants and an animal sanctuary, housing over 100 animals rescued from slaughterhouses. In this episode, we talk to Ed about the power of persuasion, using empathy to connect with people in conversations and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us about your journey to becoming vegan? (01:08)
• Can you tell us about your journey to becoming known/famous? (02:55)
• You are known for your videos debating the public about their views on veganism. Has your debate style changed the longer you've done these? (06:14)
• Have you always had the type of personality to put yourself out there in front of people to seek a solution? (10:03)
• What skills do you need to be someone who can debate in a healthy way? (14:01)
• How can you ensure that you don't miss the point of what someone is trying to communicate by being offended? (17:43)
• Many of our listeners are business owners who need to utilise the power of persuasion to get people to believe in their idea and help them secure funding. How have you mastered the power of persuasion? (25:50)
• How did you develop your own personal brand into something that now makes you money and sustains you? (28:36)
• How can you really make sure that every aspect of your business's supply chain is living up to its claim to be ethical and sustainable? (33:51)
• What is an example of a brand that is saying that they are ethical and sustainable and actually living up to this? (38:16)
• Do entrepreneurs ever pitch to you for investment? (42:37)
• Have you looked for investors in your business ventures? (44:53)
• Answer the Internet: Can you explain the argument that consumers should be responsible for climate change when 100 companies are responsible for most of the emissions? (45:49)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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You're 26. You've just founded your own company. You've just met the love of your life. And then you find out you're going blind. 

Liz Jackson MBE is not your usual entrepreneur. Today is Co-Owner and Sales and Marketing Director and Co-Owner of global mergers and acquisitions company BCMS, but there is so much more to her story than that.

This is her story in her words and an episode of The Business Leader Podcast you will not want to miss.

Here's what we discussed:

• What has your journey been like from when you were at school to now? (01:01)
• Did you have any role models growing up who inspired you? (03:56)
• Can you explain how you went blind at the age of 26? (05:40)
• How did you overcome that challenge and maintain the confidence of your teams when this happened? (09:03)
• What is the most common mistake made by businesses during a merger or acquisition? (12:31)
• What risks should business leaders avoid that could affect an exit? (19:17)
• What are some of the unique challenges in acquiring a business overseas? (21:31)
• Could you tell us about Diamonds and Colours? (22:47)
• Is there something fundamentally unique and beneficial about being a female leader? (25:54)
• What would you say is the most significant realisation you’ve had about being a leader? (29:48)
• Why is it important for an entrepreneur to not treat their business like their baby? (35:23)
• What advice do you have for female leaders or entrepreneurs that are looking to get into executive roles but may lack confidence? (38:43)
• Answer the Internet: In a business merger, what happens to the executives in each of the companies? (41:55)
• What makes a great business leader? (42:56)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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From being a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel to founding an innovative cyber security and data analytics company, Oz Alashe MBE has solidified his place as one of the UK's leading voices in the tech sector.

A man who's made a name for himself walking the walk, Oz has a passion for cyber security, impactful leadership and social equality. His background has given him a unique insight into the socio-technical realities and human aspect of cyber security.

He also has a decorated track record of developing strategy, driving innovation and leading implementation in both the public and private sectors. 

Here's what we discussed:

• What inspired you to get into cyber security? (0:44)
• How has your military experience transcended the world of cyber security? (03:13)
• What are currently the most common cybersecurity threats? (05:36)
• What exposed you to the world of tech and led you to set up your company? (07:42)
• Why do you feel it's important to focus on human errors and the roles humans play in cyber threats? (10:51)
• What are the most common human-caused errors that open up a business to the threat of cyber attacks? (13:10)
• What can businesses do to reduce the risk of cyber attacks? (17:10)
• How has the pandemic and working from home impacted the threat of cyber attacks? (21:59)
• How will cyber threats change in the future? (24:37)
• You've recently raised £22.4m in a Series B funding round. Could you tell us what the process was like and do you have any tips for other founders going through that process? (29:56)
• How has your leadership style and technique changed as your business has grown? (34:56)
• Answer the Internet: Why aren't cyber attacks something worthy of a declaration of war? (39:35)
• What makes a great business leader? (41:37)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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The world of investment. The confusing old boys club - or at least that's the perception. Is that a fair characterisation? In this episode, we talk to a renowned chairman and non-executive director who's literally written the book about the world of investors.

David Pattison cut his teeth in the world of advertising and has now become one of the UK's leading voices for young businesses. A graduate of Harvard Business School, David has been on all sides of the M&A process, including leading two exits with significant multiples, managing mergers, building international networks, working with private equity and venture capital, fundraising, acquiring businesses and running large multi-country P&Ls. His new book The Money Train explains everything founders need to know about investors and is a must-read for business leaders.

Here's what we discussed:

• How did your time at Harvard Business School set you up to be an entrepreneur? (01:00)
• Is intuition a big part of what makes a successful entrepreneur? (06:02)
• What was the experience of scaling your own business like? (10:03)
• Should entrepreneurs think about their exit strategy when they are starting? (15:07)
• What is the most common or biggest mistake entrepreneurs make? (18:00)
• Say an entrepreneur has just set up a business – how can they know which type of investor to seek out? (21:50)
• What are the most common challenges businesses have in investment and how do they overcome it? (25:45)
• In your book, you distinguish between a rational and emotional investor – what differentiates these two types of investors? (29:59)
• Can a business that goes through the process of due diligence before an investment become a better business? (33:59)
• How can people effectively scale their business and achieve funding during a recession? (36:33)
• Answer the Internet: Why do people invest in making businesses when they would probably get a better return and far less hassle with even a conservative diversified stock portfolio? (41:10)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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The business world's attitude towards mental health has undergone a sizeable transformation in the past decade. But one young entrepreneur is refusing to accept the slow rate of change and "one-size-fits-all" approach.

Our guest for this episode founded an app offering 1:1 therapy, counselling and career coaching sessions after suffering depression due to an undiagnosed health issue. MyndUp now services over 50,000 employees from global brands, including Savills, Dentons, CVC, The Prince’s Trust, and Avast.

This is our conversation with MyndUp founder and CEO, Joel Gujral.

Here's what we discussed:

• You’ve been open about your struggle with mental health and how this motivated you to start MyndUp – what was your experience like and how did it lead you to this point? (0:55)
• What was your own personal journey and story to founding the business? (04:34)
• How did failure in your early businesses affect your scaling of MyndUp? (06:25)
• Do you think society’s understanding of mental health is flawed? (09:38)
• Do you think there needs to be this double-edged approach to mental health - psychology and life coach? (11:15)
• What impact has the pandemic had on mental health? (12:38)
• Are large organisations just paying lip service providing mental health services or does it even matter because employees are benefitting? (14:03)
• Could offering good mental health support help a business? Such as improved productivity and team cohesion? (15:28)
• Have mental health issues risen or are we just more aware of them? (17:07)
• Is flexible working good or bad for mental health, or is it too soon to tell? (20:06)
• What can business leaders do to support their team members when it comes to mental health? (21:55)
• What are the strengths of being a young entrepreneur? (24:55)
• Do you have advice for young entrepreneurs who may experience imposter syndrome because of their age? (26:00)
• How did you secure funding? (27:27)
• How do you balance your own mental wellbeing whilst being the CEO of a company? (30:44)
• Answer the Internet: How much does it cost to create an app? (35:55)
• What makes a great business leader? (37:14)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Our guest on this episode is an award-winning leadership coach, speaker, educator, and author of the book Real Wins, which draws on her experience coaching in sport, government, and education.

She has had roles spanning across these sectors and has transformed the lives of professionals, young people, athletes, and the internal culture of many organisations. Her pioneering work and coaching and leadership programmes have transformed the lives of professionals, young people, athletes and the culture of many organisations.

This is our conversation with Michelle Moore.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell me about your experience from school age to where you are now? (01:03)
• How can someone identify what their own individual values are? (13:43)
• Why do you think it's so important to "define success on your own terms"? (17:18)
• Within entrepreneurialism, many business leaders feel they need to be high functioning in every aspect of their life. Is this culture problematic? (23:08)
• What did your experience as an athlete teach you about life? (27:59)
• What are your top tips or techniques for dealing with adversity? (31:07)
• What lessons should you take away from a 'win'? (34:43)
• Answer the Internet: Where does self-worth come from in a person? (40:48)
• What makes a great business leader? (43:07)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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When you talk to Steve Oliver, the Founder and CEO of musicMagpie, you can see, hear and feel how the upbringing he received from his parents and the links they built between the business they ran and the community they serve, has influenced him. Operating with a sense of purpose and duty, we met with him at his office to talk about his business, his recent IPO and his views on a whole host of topics.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us about your upbringing? (00:31)
• Your father owning a post office must have had an influence on you? (01:53)
• Do you feel time is repeating itself and you’re a community-driven businessman now? (03:15)
• Moving onto musicMagpie, the business had thirty shops initially, but you took the brave decision to close these and go fully online. Could you tell us about this? (04:32)
• How long did it take to make the decision? (06:14)
• Moving forward, can you tell us why you felt an IPO was the right thing for the business? (08:09)
• What is your advice to anybody considering an IPO? (11:27)
• Did you let your staff know that you were going through the process to IPO? (15:13)
• Has your leadership style changed since you've become a listed company? (16:55)
• You have spoken a lot about musicMagpie’s commitment to sustainability – where does this passion come from? (18:46)
• Do you feel the role you play is insignificant though - if Russia, China, the USA, Brazil and India don’t act, for example? (21:05)
• Should there be harsher punishments for companies that greenwash or don’t act now? (22:10)
• What is the next big challenge that you want to undertake? (22:58)
• Revenues have dipped recently – can you tell us why? (24:47)
• Are you able to attract the talent you need being based in Stockport? (28:04)
• What is your view on working in the office or remotely? (29:21)
• You mentioned leadership there - do you believe the command-and-control style of leadership is dying out? Will we see another Sir Alex Ferguson? (32:03)
• Could you tell us about your expansion into the US? And do you have aspirations of further global expansion? (34:18)
• Is your management style different in the UK and US? (36:20)
• Do you feel that Britain is becoming less great? (38:14)
• In your opinion is broken Britain fixable? (40:27)
• What do you do to relax and switch off? (41:55)
• What makes a great business leader? (43:37)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Chris Donnelly is the co-founder of Lottie, the care home comparison platform that has changed the sector forever. Previously the founder of VERB, a digital marketing agency for luxury and premium brands, Chris has been on the receiving end of numerous accolades, including being named in Forbes’ 30 under 30 in 2020.

He hit the headlines across the country for giving staff the day off to go to the pub when the world opened up after a lockdown. But Chris Donnelly has a strong track record of cultivating a positive workplace culture. His employees get time off if they suffer a miscarriage or are going through IVF.

Chris is one of the most reflective and open guests we've had on the podcast. This is our conversation with 'Britain's best boss'.

Here's what we discussed:

• What was it like getting the title of 'Britain’s Best Boss'? (01:29)
• You let men and women alike take time off if they suffer a miscarriage, and you recognise IVF treatment and adoption as times employees can have time off too – why is it important to recognise these moments in the workplace? (02:20)
• Your business partner is your brother. How has the experience of running a business with a family been for you? (03:51)
• How do you vet care homes to ensure they aren't just paying lip service to residents? (08:07)
• Lottie is now valued at £45m and it was founded at the beginning of 2021. What is the secret to scaling so rapidly? (10:38)
• You recently acquired another company Found for £1.5m. Were there any challenges you faced during this experience? (13:40)
• Do you have any tips for people going through the process of an IPO? (16:24)
• You post a lot about workplace culture on LinkedIn. What kind of workplace culture do you try to cultivate and why is it essential for business leaders to consider culture as important? (20:49)
• Have you experienced backlash from your well-publicised incentives for your employees, such as having the day off after the lockdowns or letting people have time off for IVF treatment? (23:47)
• Where did you the motivation to start luxury marketing agency VERB? (25:59)
• You achieved funding for Lottie from some big names – (Angel and Zoopla exec David Wascha and former Airbnb and Facebook Director Caroline Hudack and Monzo founder Tom Blomfield to name a few) – how can listeners attract the attention of big-name investors? (30:11)
• What is the hardest thing about being a business founder? How have you overcome this challenge? (37:12)
• Answer the Internet: What do CEOs do all day? (40:08)
• What makes a great business leader? (41:30)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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What can business leaders learn from comedians? Dealing with failure? Speaking to crowds? Relating to an audience? What about using the lessons learnt from a breakup to make yourself a better leader? Our guest on this episode is an award-winning stand-up comedian, best-selling author and host of ‘The Breakup Monologues’ podcast, Rosie Wilby.

Rosie's latest book, The Breakup Monologues: The Unexpected Joy of Heartbreak, explores what skills someone can learn from breakups and why they can actually be beneficial. She's also the founder of a boutique music PR agency and a patron of the LGBTQ charity Switchboard. We talk to Rosie about building resilience, failure and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us about what growing up was like for you and how you got into comedy? (00:59)
• What role has your sexuality had in either excelling your career or holding you back? (07:58)
• There's a belief that many comedians have faced adversity or had some problems that made them turn to comedy. Do you think this is true? (13:23)
• A big part of stand-up is failure. How have you learnt from those negative experiences? (16:34)
• Confidence in yourself and being able to speak in front of lots of people is an essential part of their job. Do you have any advice for our listeners on how to develop this skill and ultimately not care so much about what others think of them? (18:42)
• Resilience is a big part of being a comedian because you persistently face rejection. How do you build resilience? (21:44)
• What challenges have you seen people have with professional relationships in the workplace? (25:23)
• Why are breakups so important in teaching us life lessons? (28:37)
• Answer the Internet: How do you get over a fear of public speaking? (34:07)
• What makes a great business leader? (36:51)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Confused by AI? The metaverse? AR? How will it affect your business? Do you even need to take any of this seriously?

This episode's guest is Bernard Marr, a best-selling author, influencer, futurist and strategic business and technology advisor to governments and businesses. His books, which explore data, performance indicators, business management and business trends have been translated into over 20 languages and won multiple awards. One of his most recent books Business Trends In Practice focuses on the future events and circumstances shaping the way businesses operate.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us a little bit about your experience growing up, your journey and what lead you into business? (01:04)
• A lot of your work focuses on the intersection of business and technology. What made you interested in this merger? (03:43)
• Do all businesses from any sector need to keep up with developments in AI and the utilisation of data? (06:01)
• How will AI impact jobs that are currently done by humans? (15:15)
• One thing you pick up on is the pace at which technology is advancing – you say it’s advancing exponentially at a rate never seen before in history – what are the benefits of this but what are the potential risks? (21:23)
• You talk in your book about the shifts in global power trend very interesting – that countries like China and India will become more powerful than the US. You also speak about the rise in political and cultural polarisation and use things like Brexit and the Trump presidency as examples of this increasing polarisation. How do these factors impact businesses? (25:01)
• Is the metaverse a threat to business or a positive development? (30:52)
• Answer the Internet: Why is Blockchain Technology (and cryptocurrencies) promoted as something "big", "revolutionary", and "never seen before", if it's just a technique to account for transactions? What is so revolutionary about using blockchain to make transactions? (43:13)
• What makes a great business leader? (47:18)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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When some people talk in the business world, you can't help but sit up and listen. Whether he's tackling tough subjects or helping leaders through his speaking and facilitating skills, our guest on this episode is a self-proclaimed compassionate provocateur that you need to take note of.

David McQueen is the co-founder of the professional coaching company Q Squared and Black Founders Hub, a network for black-owned high-growth businesses. He is a Non-Exec Director for Forbes Family Group and Our Game Football, a public speaker and coach to executive-level leaders and the host of The Brave Leader Podcast.

Here's what we discussed:

• You have an interesting story because you were an accountant and then you went into IT and now you are a business founder and a speaker and coach. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to where you are now? (01:01)
• You being a charismatic and funny person lends itself to your own public speaking style, and people really relate to your authenticity. Do you think being authentic is important in being a good leader and speaker? (04:40)
• On your LinkedIn, you post a lot about being your authentic self and being - do you think people should be the same version of themselves at work and out of work? (06:45)
• What role does self-esteem have in an executive’s ability to lead well? (09:46)
• How can business leaders recognise their strengths and weaknesses? (12:34)
• When it comes to resilience, how important is it to have a team that is honest and will give honest feedback? (14:33)
• How can business leaders navigate the personalities of their team members and manage conflict? (17:10)
• How important is having the personality type where you don’t take things personally in being a great leader? (20:52)
• What is the importance of defining a company narrative and values? How can business leaders do this? (25:11)
• How can business founders ensure they are considering diversity in every business decision and not just paying lip service/tick-box exercise? (28:34)
• Do we need to speak about race more in a professional setting and how can we speak about these topics? (36:50)
• Answer the Internet: How is company culture formed? (47:17)
• What makes a great business leader? (48:45)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Our guest on this episode is a former UK Special Forces operative, best known for appearing on the hit Channel 4 TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins. He is also the Founder and Managing Director at BreakPoint, a training company that utilises special forces techniques to deliver courses and workshops for corporate teams and leaders.

This is our conversation with Ollie Ollerton.

Here's what we discussed:

• You definitely need to have a particular personality type to join the special forces – so what was your life like growing up and what motivated you to join the special forces? (0:55)
• Do you believe that people who have experienced a great deal of adversity, pain and trauma are the ones who are more likely to have better discipline, willpower, resilience and motivation? (14:01)
• When going through those points of discomfort, how can you motivate yourself to continue striving for that end goal? (18:57)
• How do you deal with self-doubt? (24:34)
• With the work that you do with managers and leaders, what would you say is the most common limiting belief these people have? (28:09)
• As a business leader, how can you cultivate camaraderie and cohesiveness? (31:57)
• How do you think business owners can deal with adversity involved with navigating uncertainty? (37:22)
• What did being faced with the possibility of death so frequently teach you about life? (41:05)
• Answer the Internet: How am I supposed to find motivation in life? (46:29)
• What makes a great business leader? (49:00)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Our guest is the CEO of Babbel, a language learning platform and ecosystem that has sold more than 10 million subscriptions and over 60,000 courses for 14 different languages.

Arne Schepker joined the company as CMO in 2015 before taking the role of CEO in 2019 and scaling the business from a start-up to a household brand, increasing its headcount from 250 to over 750.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell me a bit about what your life was like growing up and how this has led you to the point you’re at now? (0:57)
• You helped scale Zalando before you joined Babbel. What is the secret to effectively scaling a business? (05:14)
• Did you always want to be a CEO? (08:05)
• What can leaders do to make their team work to the best of their ability? (12:39)
• How do you as a CEO cultivate healthy conflict in your organisation? (14:55)
• How did you utilise the pandemic to your benefit? (17:22)
• What has been your biggest challenge either as a company or you as a CEO personally? (22:01)
• Has learning changed due to shorter attention spans/social media/convenience culture? (27:25)
• You've experimented with holocracy and self-management at Babbel – can you explain what this is and why you find this interesting? (31:56)
• Answer the Internet: How do people become CEOs? (37:25)
• What makes a great business leader? (38:15)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Our guest is the co-founder and CEO of Daaci, an AI music composition platform. Rachel Lyske is a vocal coach at the BRIT School of Performing Arts, having worked with artists signed to record labels including Dirty Hit, Atlantic, Infectious and Square Leg Records and is a music consultant for the music exam body ABRSM.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us a bit about your journey and how you went into the music industry? (00:58)
• Did you always know you wanted to be a CEO and founder? (08:05)
• Are there any characteristics that you've taken from your time as a composer in the tech world? (11:22)
• Does this type of technology get its information and data from popular music that already exists? Are you having to be aware of the potential ethical consequences of a technology like this – for example, copyright? (14:17)
• Have you had much backlash about the Daaci offering (from the music industry for example)? (18:33)
• Do you see AI becoming an integral part of other creative industries outside of music? For example, in film? (22:15)
• There are fears about the likelihood of AI taking jobs once performed by humans. Where does this kind of technology leave the job of composition done by humans? (25:20)
• In 2022, you secured £4m in seed funding. What was your process in achieving this funding and do you have any advice for our listeners on how they can achieve funding? (28:54)
• Reports say that only 3% of VC funding goes to female-founded businesses – have you experienced any challenges as a female founder? (32:09)
• Answer the Internet: How do people get AI to do what they want? (34:49)
• What makes a great business leader? (36:09)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Our guest is the founder of Enter the Arena, a business coaching company that aims to empower female business owners in investment. She is a serial entrepreneur and an expert in raising investment and scaling businesses, she is also the recent author of the book RAISE: The Female Founder’s Guide To Securing Investment.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us a bit about your journey up until this point? (00:56)
• Did you have any role models in your early business life? (03:30)
• Was there anything in particular that drew you into helping other businesses grow? (05:11)
• Why do you feel investment into female funded businesses in an area that needs particular attention? (07:00)
• Only 15% of venture funding goes to female founders and only 6% of scale-up companies are led by women. Why are there so few female business owners? What are the barriers women face in getting into business? (09:40)
• Because the business world is male-dominated, the space may understandably seem intimidating for women, how can women who are at the start of their journey or thinking about going into business approach going into business if they do feel intimidated? (13:31)
• Which sectors do female business owners receive the most amount of funding? (17:04)
• Can there be opportunities during this period of time? And what can a business owner do to scale their business even in a global recession? (19:22)
• Is there a common doubt or issue that you see across all of the female founders you work with? (22:22)
• Businesses are part of the fabric of society, so when there aren’t many female business owners what implications does this have on society? (27:23)
• How can our listeners tackle raising investment in the wake of a global economic crisis when investors are likely holding onto cash during this period? (30:56)
• Answer the Internet: What are investors in a start-up allowed to do? (33:42)
• What makes a great business leader? (35:32)
• If a female founder reads your book and realises that they don't want to raise funding, what would be your advice to them? (37:23)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Dubbed a child prodigy, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE was the youngest girl to pass A-level computing at 11 years old. She then went on to receive a Master’s in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford at the tender age of 20.

Having held positions at Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard and Deutsche Bank, Imafidon is no stranger to having a seat at the table. However, she soon realised the table was far from diverse. In between stints on Channel 4’s Countdown and running her own project, Stemettes - a social enterprise that aims to empower and enable young women in the STEM sector.

This very special interview is brought to you by Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate.

Here's what we discussed:

• You had quite an unusual school experience. Would you describe what growing up was like for you? (01:09)
• Did you have any role models growing up? (02:04)
• What was the driving factor in you applying yourself at school? (05:45)
• What keeps you motivated now? Especially in your work with Stemettes? (09:23)
• Why have women and girls traditionally been excluded from STEM subjects and industries? (13:58)
• What motivated you to start Stemettes and use your experience and knowledge to enable and help other girls and women? Why is this an important issue? (23:34)
• It’s known that female business owners face more barriers in starting a business and achieving funding. Is there anything specific you did to achieve initial funding? (29:58)
• How do keep motivated? (32:41)
• What would you say is the biggest technological threat of the future? (35:36)
• Do you ever doubt yourself or have negative self-talk? (42:01)
• How do you view failure and adversity in your professional and personal life? (44:40)
• Questions from Queen Ethelburga's students (48:47)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Our guest is a partner at Local Globe and Latitude and a board member at Innovate Finance. Yvonne Bajela is a founding member and VP at Impact X Capital, a venture capital firm investing in companies led by underrepresented founders at the Seed and Series A stages.

Previously a Senior Investment Manager at Mitsui & Co, she led over $200m in investments in companies including TransferWise, and has played a pivotal role in leading a wide range of investments in companies including Predina and Marshmallow while at Impact X.

Here's what we discussed:

• How did you get into investment? (01:05)
• Did you have role models growing up that were in the sector you work in now? (03:06)
• You were a Senior Investment Manager at Mitsui & Co. and were the youngest investment manager across 90,000 global employees within the group. Have you ever been intimidated being in these positions or have you felt largely comfortable being in the roles you’ve been in? (05:05)
• What do you look for in a business when deciding to invest in it? (06:34)
• For companies you look to invest in, would you say the team is more important than the product or service itself? (07:47)
• What is the difference between a business that makes it and a business that doesn’t? (08:23)
• Do you see luck as a factor in the success of a business? (09:09)
• What questions should a business owner ask an investor to make sure that they are the right investor for them? (10:23)
• How can business owners grab the attention of investors? (11:35)
• Do you think being an extroverted business leader helps when it comes to gaining investment? (13:06)
• From your work with businesses, would you say there is a common flaw you might see come up time and again? (13:46)
• How do you think the investment space will change as a result of the global economic crisis? (14:57)
• How can businesses continue to achieve funding despite the economic conditions? (17:02)
• Why did you feel there was a need for a venture capital firm like Impact X Capital? (18:09)
• What implications does it have to not have more diverse people in investment? What does it mean for the business landscape of the future? (18:51)
• It's important for there to be investors from more diverse backgrounds. How can entrepreneurs or those from a finance background break into investment? (19:59)
• How have you dealt with failure? (20:59)
• Is there any particular factor that comes into play when a business fails? (22:16)
• From working with various business owners, what would you say is the most effective way to lead? (24:25)
• What kind of challenges can arise in a relationship between a business owner and an investor? (25:31)
• What is the benefit of having a company board? (27:39)
• What is the power of having a NED on your board? (29:27)
• Answer the Internet: Why do business owners need investors if they have a steady stream of revenue? (30:40)
• What makes a great business leader? (31:52)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we say farewell to 2022 and welcome in a new year, what is the state of the UK M&A market? To find out, we've spoken to the CEO of specialist M&A advisor BCMS, Jonathan Dunn.

With over three decades of industry experience, Jonathan talks all things M&A in 2023, as well as trends to look out for and comparisons to the Great Recession.

Here's what we discussed:

• What were some of the key M&A trends that we saw in 2022? (00:56)
• How did Trussonomics and the short-lived Liz Truss government impact the M&A market? (03:23)
• Did the post-pandemic M&A boost continue in 2022? (05:36)
• What M&A trends might we see continue from 2022 to 2023? (07:56)
• How would you compare this financial time against other times of turbulence, such as the Great Recession in 2008? (09:48)
• How important is the role of confidence as opposed to cautiousness in boosting M&A? (12:55)
• Which industries do you think will experience an M&A boom in 2023? (15:50)
• Which industries might suffer in 2023? (17:34)
• Are we likely to see a change in buying and investment in the UK from overseas? (18:39)
• Is overseas confidence in UK business changing in any way? (20:18)
• Are there other M&A trends you think we'll see in 2023? (21:31)
• What advice would you give to a seller going into the new year? (22:48)
• The Good News Postcard: Would you rather only be able to travel to the past or only be able to travel to the future and why? (25:42)

Thanks to Mia from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest is the founder and CEO of JBM, an executive search firm working with fast-growing tech start-ups and scale-ups. He is also the host of his own podcast, 40 Minute Mentor, which is one of the top careers podcasts in the UK.

We talk to James Mitra about pivoting a business, the executive search market and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us a bit about your journey up until this point? (00:50)
• What has been a significant challenge you’ve faced in growing your business and how did you overcome this? (06:18)
• How did you know it was the right time to pivot your business? (14:54)
• What is a common challenge those in executive roles are facing right now? (18:44)
• It’s well-reported and known that we are experiencing a skills shortage in the UK. Why would say are we experiencing this? (25:37)
• Some experts have said that businesses that focus on talent acquisition will be one of the lucky businesses to succeed this year. Is there any way you are preparing your business to capitalise on this? (30:16)
• Is success based on hard work or luck? (35:09)
• Good News Postcard: If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be and why? (38:54)
• What makes a great business leader? (40:41)

Thanks to India from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Embracing YouTube before most people had even heard of it, through perseverance and grit, Caspar Lee rose to become one of the biggest content creators on the planet.

From his bedroom as a teenager in South Africa, he built his channel amassing a seismic following and leading him to collaborate with many of the world’s biggest stars including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ed Sheeran and Kevin Hart.

Caspar leveraged his success and co-founded a global influencer marketing business. The company operates globally with 100+ employees and boasts many of the world’s leading brands as clients, including Coca-Cola and Google. He also co-founded Creator Ventures, a $20m VC fund investing in start-ups alongside a syndicate of top creators, musicians, athletes and actors.

Here's what we discussed with Caspar Lee

• Could you explain your background for our viewers? (00:47)
• When did people start to accept your career as a YouTuber? (02:56)
• When it comes to becoming a YouTuber, what would you say are the secrets to success? (04:17)
• What would you say to businesspeople who said they couldn't monetise YouTube? (05:36)
• How have you found the transition from YouTuber to entrepreneur? (07:32)
• How have you learnt your leadership skills? (09:31)
• Running a business of 100+ people is difficult, but especially at the moment. How are you finding this? (10:58)
• Are there any other markets you'd see yourself going into? (12:44)
• What do you look for in the businesses you invest in? (14:17)
• When investing, are you looking for a yield and exit at a certain time or do you have a long-term view of it? (16:23)
• There was a trend of companies celebrating fundraising instead of focusing on making money. Do you think this is starting to change? (18:04)
• What are your tips for people looking to raise investment? (19:56)
• Why do you do what you do? (21:51)
• Do you find yourself learning from other cultures a lot? (23:14)
• Do you feel that failure can be a good thing? (24:43)
• What makes a great business leader? (26:19)
• Would you like to go into TV? Dragons' Den for example? (27:12)
• Some people see money as the by-product of doing well - do you agree with that? (28:05)
• Answer the Internet: What does it mean to build a personal brand? (29:14)

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Sian Gabbidon, the Founder of Sian Marie, a UK-based premium loungewear company. She is a media personality with over 100K followers on Instagram and was the winner of the hit BBC show The Apprentice in 2018. Sian has grown her business from a small swimwear brand she founded in her bedroom, to a known loungewear brand with over 60K followers on Instagram.

We talk to Sian about the secrets to creating a unique fashion brand, her experience on The Apprentice, and the role her personal brand has in the success of her business.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us about your business journey up to this point? (00:45)
• What was it like becoming an overnight star from your appearance on The Apprentice and how did it affect your business? (05:34)
• Do you feel that the exposure from being on The Apprentice was more valuable to you then the investment? (07:39)
• You recently ended your partnership with Lord Sugar. What was the reason for this and was it an amicable split? (09:19)
• We're in a cost-of-living crisis and a recession is looming - how have you prepared your business for this? (10:52)
• Do you have any tips on how fashion brands can stand out in a saturated market? (13:48)
• You have 114,000 followers on Instagram – how important is it for your business for you as a person to cultivate your own personal brand? (16:33)
• Do you ever just want to turn off the public-facing part of your life because it must require a lot of upkeep? (21:32)
• Do you feel you received positive support from other business leaders after your win on The Apprentice? (24:40)
• You’ve expressed your opposition to fast-fashion brands and how unethical they are – how do you make sure your supply chain and the production of your clothing is ethical? (27:53)
• Does there need to be a collective psychological shift in the way consumers purchase clothing because of the impact its having on people and the planet? Will this change in our lifetime? (31:28)
• How did you develop your leadership style? (33:09)
• What qualities are lacking among today’s leaders? (36:14)
• The Good News Postcard: If you could live in any decade, other than this one, what would it be and why? (38:30)
• What makes a great business leader? (40:08)

Thanks to India from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Manny Medina, the co-founder and CEO of Outreach, a Seattle-based sales tech company that reached unicorn status in 2018 and is valued at $5bn. He has previously held positions as CEO at the hiring platform GroupTalent and Director of Business Development for Microsoft.

We talk to Manny about the secrets to facing adversity as a CEO, how he scaled a billion-dollar company, and the importance of product-market fit to success.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us a bit about your journey to where you are now? (00:48)
• Do you believe your background being different to the normal story of a tech CEO has made you a better leader? (03:01)
• What attracts you to the idea of being a CEO of a company? (05:37)
• What do you think is the most important thing in leading a company as a CEO? (07:31)
• What is the secret to scaling a business to unicorn status? (10:51)
• When thinking about business development, what is the most important aspect of it? (14:13)
• How is the economic climate impacting your company and your users? How are you preparing the business for external strain? (17:21)
• What is the most challenging thing about being a CEO? (20:27)
• What does it take to be a great CEO and do you ever have moments of self-doubt? (25:49)
• How did you find the process of restructuring your business and transforming company culture? (29:08)
• Do you think diversity has been an integral part of Outreach’s success? (33:36)
• The Good News Postcard: What is the best and worst thing about your job? (35:39)
• What makes a great business leader? (37:14)

Thanks to India from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Or Lenchner, the CEO of public data collection platform Bright Data. He is also the founder of the Israel-based digital media agency Dmarketing, and was a part of the founding team and head of customer relations for Trophit, a patent-pending technology company.

We speak to Or about Bright Data's lawsuit against Meta, the differences between the Israeli and American tech scenes, the importance of public data for businesses, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Can you tell us a bit about your journey to where you are now? (00:38)
• Did you always want to be a CEO? (03:12)
• How does the CEO role differ to other C-Suite positions? (05:49)
• How important is it for businesses to utilise data to inform business decisions? (07:22)
• There has been a societal awareness about the use of data and controversy around data being unknowingly collected, or data breaches where information is leaked. How do you ensure that Bright Data technology is ethical and safe? (12:00)
• At the beginning of this year, Bright Data filed a lawsuit against Meta to protect access to public data that the tech company - formally Facebook - has tried to close access to. Why did you think this was important? (14:12)
• What’s the secret to scaling a business successfully and what characteristics are important to have in your core leadership team? (18:39)
• Did you come across any challenges working in a company that had been acquired? (21:25)
• Could you tell us about your journey to founding your own company before working at Bright Data? (23:21)
• How has your military experience helped your career in business? (25:50)
• As CEO, you have an important role in influencing and cultivating a company culture – what values do you think are important in this culture? (28:14)
• How does the tech scene differ in markets across the globe - for example Israel and the US? (30:16)
• The Good News Postcard: If you could choose to be any fictional character, which would it be and why? (32:56)
• What makes a great business leader? (33:45)

Thanks to Tasmin from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Ezechi Britton MBE, a tech founder, early-stage investor and a seasoned NED. In addition to roles as chairman of Uome and Strategic Board Advisor for Venture Studio from Crisis, he is also a founding member at VC firm Impact X Capital and Code Untapped, which aims to help coding and tech professionals from minority and ethnic backgrounds access roles in financial services.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us about your journey to this point? (01:45)
• What is it that motivates you to get involved in a business? (08:21)
• In a climate of uncertainty we're in currently, do you have a piece of advice that you give to the companies that you work with that could be relevant to our listeners? (12:33)
• Would you encourage business founders to remain confident through this period of uncertainty? (14:36)
• Can founders be optimistic about raising investment? (17:38)
• How could you get people from minority backgrounds to get investment in a way that's more sustainable? (21:09)
• What trends are you noticing in the tech space when it comes to diversity? (23:47)
• Do you feel the pandemic has deepened inequality in the tech sector? (28:55)
• Do you think the UK tech scene has the potential to match Silicon Valley? (31:23)
• The Good News Postcard: If you weren't a business leader, what would you be and why? (35:28)
• What makes a great business leader? (36:49)

Thanks to Aleyna from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s guest on The Business Leader Podcast rose to fame on Dragon’s Den having founded the male cosmetics brand War Paint. Danny Gray's most recent venture is JAAQ, an interactive mental health platform that gives users access to knowledge from experts and known figures with lived experience.

We talk to Danny about building a brand in the face of hate, revolutionising an entire industry, and helping people manage their mental health.

Here's what we discussed:

• What was your motivation for starting War Paint? (0:46)
• You got offers from all of the Dragons after your appearance on Dragons' Den. What was the post-show experience like? (02:41)
• What were you doing prior to founding War Paint? (04:34)
• The types of products you have in the War Paint range, like bronzer, foundation, primer, and concealer, are all things that have been a part of the make-up routines of many women for decades. Why do you think these products haven’t typically been adopted by men historically? (07:31)
• This industry is interesting because make-up branded for men is not saturated at all and you can look to the women’s cosmetic industry to see specific trends and issues. I think one issue that comes up in women’s cosmetics is make-up as a way to achieve perfectionism. How can you be an empowering cosmetics brand instead of perpetuating the issue you were trying to resolve? (13:08)
• How did you manage to deal with the initial hate you received on social media towards your brand from a business sense? (15:34)
• Is there such a thing as bad press? (19:29)
• Could you tell us about your new venture JAAQ? (22:17)
• Because mental health is sensitive and giving advice on health is serious. How do you ensure the platform is giving sound advice and abides by any ethical rules? (25:23)
• What is your strategy for scaling your businesses? (28:04)
• Founding a business, you inadvertently become a leader whether you like it or not. Are you a natural leader? (29:44)
• How do you manage your own mental health, along with the stress that comes from being an entrepreneur? (32:02)
• The Good News Postcard: What was the highest and lowest point in your career and how did you get through it? (37:05)
• What makes a great business leader? (39:08)

Thanks to Heneh from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s safe to say that firing yourself is a rather unique experience in business. But this is an entrepreneur that has made a career of challenging the norm and thinking differently. Whether it’s taking on the male-dominated insurance industry or questioning the culture of high company valuations (AKA “Ponzi schemes”), she’s not afraid to blaze her own trail.

With refreshing honesty and unwithering self-reflection, in this conversation with Sam White, Founder of Freedom Services Group & Stella Insurance, we cover being “unemployable”, leading teams across the globe, raising funding as a woman, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• If we listed your achievements to date to a younger Sam White, what would her reaction be? (00:23)
• Were you an entrepreneurial person from a young age? (01:03)
• Could you give us an overview of your career to this point? (02:17)
• You describe yourself as “unemployable”, is that something you notice in your peers too? (05:28)
• You started a psychology degree at university, you have a podcast called “Human Business”, where does your fascination with the mind and what makes people tick come from? (07:20)
• You’ve fired yourself as CEO – could you tell us about that story? (10:16)
• You’ve always been a disruptor with your businesses, but as this disruptive native always been within you and how did it manifest itself? (13:43)
• Did you find that leading teams in the US and Australia were different to ones in the UK, and if so, how did you adapt your leadership style? (15:21)
• What has your funding journey been like? (19:25)
• You touch on female funding in your own podcast, have you been shocked at the stories you’ve heard on the podcast and in the female entrepreneurs you come across? (23:10)
• Have you noticed an improvement since you first started fundraising to now? (25:41)
• Do we need to change the relationship and view of failure, and did you notice a difference in the attitudes towards failure between the US and elsewhere? (31:47)
• What are your thoughts on the trend of companies raising a lot of money, with wild valuations, before even turning a profit? (37:48)
• The Good News Postcard: What is the hardest challenge you've ever faced as a business? (42:06)
• What makes a great business leader? (43:28)

Thanks to Oscar from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marmite: beloved by some, and loathed by others. Over the past few years, Matt Gubba has solidified himself as social media Marmite. What began as outspoken talk about the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 lockdowns developed into a rallying cry about the potential for Governments around the globe to limit personal freedom. But there is much more to this business leader than many social trolls are willing to find out.

In this conversation with Matt Gubba, Founder and CEO of BizBritain, we cover the changing funding landscape, failure, creating the International Liberty Forum, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us a little bit about your early entrepreneurial journey? (00:37)
• Could you tell us about what BizBritain does and what led you to set it up? (05:55)
• Where did your drive to support SMEs come from? (08:42)
• How has the funding landscape changed since you first set up the business in 2012? (10:33)
• How did you find taking the reins as CEO of BizBritain? (15:16)
• You’ve been a CEO for over 10 years now. Many leaders say the role can be quite isolated. How do you handle this? (17:26)
• Do you experience moments of self-doubt, and if so, how do you overcome them? (21:34)
• Do you believe the general view of failure has changed in recent years? (23:24)
• Do you feel that having entrepreneurialism in the family helped get you to where you are today? (26:29)
• Could you tell us about the International Liberty Forum? (29:00)
• With being very vocal during the Covid lockdowns and setting up the International Liberty Forum, you've been very vocal on behalf of the 'little guy'. Where do you think this mentality has come from? (32:40)
• Would you say you are a happy person? (36:14)
• The Good News Postcard: Who is your inspiration in business? (39:07)
• What makes a great business leader? (41:22)

Thanks to Maria from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Built and sold a company, struggled with alcohol and mental health and launched an investment firm – and he’s still under 30. Dominic McGregor co-founded the award-winning marketing agency behemoth Social Chain, boasting clients such as Apple, McDonald's, BBC, and Boohoo.

Social Chain grew to a business worth over £300m with 700 staff, alongside Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett. After exiting the business at the age of 27 and having gone through struggles of his own at the start, McGregor was certain that he could assist founders in their business ventures by imparting his knowledge and experiences gained from working at Social Chain. He co-founded Fearless Adventures, a venture capital firm that provides funding and support to founder-led businesses.

We spoke to Dominic about developing his leadership style at a young age, tips to raise funding in a turbulent market, his sobriety and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• What would a younger you say about your career path to this point? (02:53)
• Could you give us an overview of your career? (04:19)
• How did you develop your leadership style? (09:09)
• Do you believe that being young worked in your favour when setting up The Social Chain? (12:20)
• After selling Social Chain, did you have any reservations about not having a business partner by your side in your next venture? ( 14:06)
• Could you tell us about Fearless Adventures? (16:19)
• You set up Fearless Academy, which is a fully funded course to make education free for anyone who doesn't have the means to be able to afford it. Why was this such an important part of the business that you wanted to start? (18:21)
• Why did you go back to university to study History after you sold Social Chain? (20:32)
• You've been open about having a problem with delegation previously, what advice would you have for people who are going through the same experience? (21:51)
• An early venture you started didn't work out, how did you handle that failure? (23:33)
• What was the most significant challenge you faced?(25:21)
• How do you personally deal with stress? (27:53)
• Social Chain came around at the perfect time in history. Do you think that you would have been successful at a different time in life? (30:22)
• How did you find your experience working with Government on its social media strategy? (32:44)
• What tips do you have for entrepreneurs going through the fundraising process?(33:34)
• The Good News Postcard: What was the defining moment for your company?(37:43)
• What makes a great business leader? (39:24)

Thanks to Kiaran from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making the trip to meet with John Caudwell, founder of the Caudwell Group – which included mobile phone retailer Phones4u – at his house in Mayfair, showed just how far this young “ginger curly-haired boy” from the streets of Stoke-on-Trent has come.

We talk to John about his career, his new book Love, Pain and Money: The Making of a Billionaire, selling his baby, why anyone could do a better job than some of our politicians, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could a business like Phones4u exist today? (03:00)
• If we went back to speak to a young Caudwell and told him that one day he will become a billionaire, and help over 65,000 children through Caudwell Children, what would your reaction be? (04:19)
• Could you tell us about the early years of building the Caudwell Group? (06:12)
• When you were losing money at the Caudwell Group, did any part of you think that it was time to pack it in and admit failure? (08:04)
• The Caudwell Group was known for having great talent. How did you manage to retain that talent? (09:54)
• When you exited the business in 2006, was it a difficult decision or did you have your heart set on selling? (11:34)
• Did you have any seller’s remorse after exiting your business? (13:19)
• Some people believe it’s best to prepare for a sale from when you first start your company, but others believe that it can become a distraction while building a business. Which approach do you believe is best? (15:13)
• The Caudwell Group was well known for its company culture. In a world of working from home, do you think it would be difficult to build a similar culture today? (17:02)
• What are your thoughts on the trend of companies raising a lot of money, with wild valuations, before even turning a profit? (19:19)
• What is your prognosis for the UK economy currently? (20:56)
• There’s a train of thought that billionaires should be brought into discussions about policy, and the delivery of those policies because they aren’t affected by a four- or five-year campaign cycle like politicians are. What are your thoughts on that? (23:27)
• Do you feel you've been successful? (24:51)
• You’re a big advocate of sustainability, and you put your money where your mouth is with your developments such as 1 Mayfair. You also famously predicted the 2008 financial crisis before it happened. Looking at sustainability and what is going on in the governments around the world at the moment, what do you think the future holds? (27:12)
• How did you find the experience of writing your book, Love, Pain and Money: The Making of a Billionaire? (30:06)
• The Good News Postcard: What has been your most challenging moment and how have you overcome it? (31:52)
• What is one fact about you that people can't find online? (33:27)
• What makes a great business leader? (34:19)

Thanks to Denis from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even if you’ve never heard of The Sidemen, there’s a teenager in your life who has. One of the world’s most renowned YouTube factions, this content group is a juggernaut but they need smart representation to make the most of their commercial opportunities. Enter Arcade Media and its Co-Founder, Jordan Schwarzenberger.

Jordan’s savvy representation has seen The Sidemen launch three fast-growing businesses: fried chicken restaurant Sides, premium alcohol brand XIX Vodka and the official Sidemen membership club, Side+. The group also has an estimated following of over 138.7 million subscribers and an estimated 37.9 billion views.

In this exclusive interview, we talk to Jordan about the lessons business leaders learn from content creators, speaking to the biggest brands in the world, developing his leadership style and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• For those who may not know, could you explain who The Sidemen are? (00:25)
• Could you give us an overview of your career to date? (04:06)
• Where do you think your can-do attitude came from? (12:54)
• Did you always have an entrepreneurial spirit? (16:17)
• You’re in the room the some of the biggest brands in the world. Do you ever get intimidated or have imposter syndrome kick in? (19:01)
• Could you give us an idea of how many people work behind the scenes for The Sidemen? (23:03)
• You’re still very young but have had to manage a number of teams. How have you changed and developed your leadership style? (26:47)
• Could you tell us about your funding journey? (30:21)
• The creator economy is growing rapidly, despite still being in its infancy. What do you see as the risks creator economy? (33:39)
• What lessons do you think business leaders could learn from the creator economy? (40:05)
• The Good News Postcard: Are you happy with what you've achieved to date and where do you see yourself in 5 years time? (44:36)
• What makes a great business leader? (47:24)

Thanks to Ben from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I don’t think there are many organisational psychologists in this world that can claim to be endorsed as a Jedi by Mark Hamill. Professor John Amaechi OBE can. On top of this, John is also an award-winning, international best-selling author, a sought-after public speaker, an executive coach, and the Founder of APS Intelligence.

John’s CV and list of achievements is a fitting testament to this big thinker (and that’s not a reference to his 6 ft. 10 in. stature). Often outspoken, and frequently driven crazy by people who think facts and evidence should bow to opinion, John Amaechi’s talks have garnered millions of views online. His passion for topics including building high-performing teams and effective organisational design that maximises productivity have seen him become a frequently cited LinkedIn influencer and bestowed with the accolade of being a LinkedIn Top Voice since 2020.

We talk to John about being an introvert, securing talent for his business, his passion for winning, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Some people believe that you need to be an extrovert to be successful in business. You’ve described yourself as an introvert, so what would you say to this belief? (00:51)
• Could you tell us what led you to create your business, APS Intelligence? (05:23)
• Was there a figure in your life growing up that embodied leadership to you? (08:01)
• Along with being an introvert, you’ve also described yourself as a lazy person. Why do you feel it’s important to talk about this? (10:18)
• How have you found the experience of securing talent for your business? (14:14)
• Some business leaders get frustrated that their staff don't think the same way that they do. Is this something you've experienced or seen with your clients? (18:26)
• Could you tell us about your funding journey with APS Intelligence? (21:55)
• Could you tell us about your career in the NBA? (23:49)
• Businesspeople are obsessed with the mindset of elite athletes. How do reflect back on the leaders you encountered in your sporting career? (28:01)
• Is there still a negative view of failure or do you notice that people are beginning to see the positives that come with failure? (32:20)
• You deal with a number of business clients at APS Intelligence. Is there a trend that you've noticed among your clients that gets you really excited about the future? (34:57)
• The Good News Postcard: Within your workplace, how do you maintain respect and collaboration with your colleagues? (39:14)
• What makes a great business leader? (41:37)

Thanks to Oliver from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fred Reichheld is a legend in the field of customer loyalty. If you’ve ever received a text or email asking to rate a product or service, you can thank Fred for that. Although the system isn’t without its critics, it’s estimated that NPS (Net Promoter Score) is now used by two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies.

Since its initial development in the early ‘90s, Fred developed the NPS system to measure how likely customers were to recommend a company to a friend. His latest book, Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers, builds on the early system and is a must-read for any businessperson pursuing sustainable success.

We talk to Fred about the good and the bad of the NPS system, how it’s developed over time, how NPS is a key indicator for the quality of a company’s leadership and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• What would a younger you say about your success? (00:14)
• Could you give us an overview of your career? (01:00)
• Where did your passion for customer loyalty come from? (02:32)
• How much has the NPS changed since you first came up with the concept? (05:04)
• Could you give some examples of companies that you feel have done NPS in the right way? (16:51)
• Have you noticed differences in the application of NPS across the world? (22:31)
• Would you say there is a direct correlation between NPS and good leadership at a company? (24:45)
• Who are the most inspiring business leaders you've met? (30:30)
• Have you noticed a dip in overall customer service since the pandemic? (34:05)
• The Good News Postcard: What is your advice to your younger self? (38:40)
• What makes a great business leader? (40:16)

Thanks to Finley from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Obediah Ayton was raised in the UK but began his professional career studying accounting in the United States of America. Upon his return to the UK, he got a job working at a Family Office under a German entrepreneur, learning about buying companies and becoming a keen Investment Analyst. He then set up shop in the Middle East with a dream of building his own companies.

Despite starting with nothing, he set up several businesses including an accounting company and a media company, before moving into food and beverage management. Now, he runs a holding company that invests in start-ups and has amassed a loyal LinkedIn following of over 64,000 people. He covers topics such as tips for entrepreneurs looking for funding in the UAE and explanations of ruling families, local family offices and groups.

We talk to Obediah about why companies should aim to be camels, not unicorns, how the Family Office ecosystem works in the UAE, and more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Most of the companies are aiming to become unicorns but on LinkedIn you talk about businesses aiming to become camels instead. Could you tell us more about the concept of being a camel? (00:16)
• Could you give us an overview of your career to this point? (02:24)
• What drew you to the UAE? (05:02)
• Could you explain the system that you have in the UAE with regard to Family Offices? (07:04)
• Have you noticed a trend in the size of company that successfully gains investment in the UAE? (14:21)
• How does the UAE view companies with large valuations but are still pre-revenue? (18:27)
• What is the tech scene like in the UAE? (21:26)
• You mentioned on LinkedIn that Dubai is more B2C and Abu Dhabi is more B2B. Could you tell us more about this? (25:01)
• No conversation about the UAE is complete without covering the criticisms, regarding LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of the media etc. How is the way the Middle East is viewed around the world regarded there? (26:57)
• How do companies find looking for talent on the ground in the UAE? (35:21)
• How are you feeling about the opportunities in the UAE over the next decade or so? (39:42)
• The Good News Postcard: What's your favourite sport and why? (42:43)
• What makes a great business leader? (44:58)

Thanks to Chloe from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social media. Influencers. Gen Z. There are many businesses and their leaders who still don’t fully grasp the importance and scope of these influential terms. One young entrepreneur was on the ground floor of the social media revolution and built and sold a company worth tens of millions of pounds.

Timo Armoo is a name you should get to know. We met with him at Servcorp’s beautiful office at The Leadenhall Building in London to discuss building his company Fanbytes, the importance of baking IP into a business, what it’s like when money hits your bank after an acquisition and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career? (02:04)
• How did you feel selling your first business at 17 for six figures? (06:14)
• You started Fanbytes as social media was on the rise. Do you think you would have been successful in another period of time? (11:30)
• Could you tell us about the growth you achieved with Fanbytes? (13:34)
• What made you choose angel investors over Venture Capitalists, is this something that was premeditated or was this something that developed over time? (17:29)
• When did you decide to exit the business: did you build an exit strategy to the business, or was there a lightbulb moment during your journey? (20:42)
• How did you settle on Brainlabs being the company that you were going to sell to? (24:28)
• What were the craziest moments from the acquisition? (27:43)
• How important was developing a personal brand to you? (34:00)
• Why did you find that creating your own technology and systems was so important? (38:21)
• As someone who started their business at a young age, how were you received in rooms filled with people that were more experienced than yourself? (39:42)
• Is there any part of you, now that you’ve exited, that would try and improve the VC landscape? (41:59)
• Where do you see the tech valuation bubble ending up? (44:02)
• What technology is intriguing you at the moment? (45:14)
• Are you putting pressure on yourself for what to do next? (47:08)
• The Good News Postcard: What is your favourite characteristic and why? (49:42)
• What makes a great business leader? (50:26)

Thanks to Grace from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adversity. A word associated with so many high-profile business figures since the dawn of time. James Dyson had 5,126 failed prototypes before coming up with his now legendary bagless vacuum. Self-made multi-millionaire Inger Ellen Nicolaisen, Founder of Nikita Hair, overcame being raised by an alcoholic father and being a homeless 15-year-old with a daughter to care for. These inspirational stories shed light on the never-say-die attitude of entrepreneurship.

Lewis Raymond Taylor’s story is one of hardship and pain but it’s also one of the most beautiful examples of how taking responsibility for yourself and your actions can transform the trajectory of your life, both personally and professionally.

We talk to Lewis about his upbringing, which included three prison sentences, how he’s overcoming the negative stereotype of the life coaching industry and his plans to build his company to become a unicorn in less than a decade.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your upbringing? (01:06)
• Could you tell us about how The Coaching Masters and what led you to establish it? (04:04)
• Did you have an entrepreneurial upbringing? (09:20)
• You have a history of being a disruptor growing up - how did you feel about being disruptive in the business world? (14:18)
• How important is baking IP into your business offering? (17:50)
• There is a negative stigma of life coaches in the business community – because there are so many of them promising people the world. How do you overcome this stigma? (22:54)
• What has your funding journey been to this point? (26:42)
• We’re on the tail end of a market where tech valuations were completely through the roof. How have you found the appetite of the investors you’re talking to? (28:58)
• How have found getting the right people around you to help grow the business? (31:55)
• The Good News Postcard: When you were 10 years old, what job did you want and why? (37:49)
• What makes a great business leader? (39:45)

Thanks to Dexter from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OCI is a trailblazing commercial process outsourcer that possesses the power to reshape supply chains and propel organisations to unprecedented heights of growth. In addition to bagging the prestigious Overall Scale-Up Business Award at the esteemed 2022 Scale-Up Awards, the company was also named the fastest-growing company in the UK and the third fastest-growing company in Europe.

At the helm of OCI, is the company’s founder Oliver Chapman. Under his tutelage, since its founding in 2010, the company has ungrown astronomical growth and revolutionised the supply chains of some of the world’s largest companies. We talk to Oliver about his hustle mindset at a young age, being a business disruptor, why the UK is anti-industry and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Did you always have an entrepreneurial mindset? (00:45)
• Could you give us an overview of your career? (03:24)
• Did you find youth to be an asset when you were setting up your business? (08:45)
• How have you grown OCI to where it is today? (12:01)
• Have you always been a disruptor in and out of business? (16:50)
• Could you tell us about how you've overcome the challenges of growing your business? (20:00)
• You’ve described yourself as stubborn - how have you found securing the right talent to grow your business? (22:25)
• What has your funding journey been to this point? (25:22)
• What real impact have you seen from the war in Ukraine? (29:54)
• Do you get frustrated when big global issues that affect UK business aren't reported on correctly? (35:00)
• As an international company, would you say that the UK is an attractive destination for investment? (37:46)
• What are your long-term plans for OCI? (46:09)
• Have you had a chance to reflect on your journey and appreciate where you've come from? (50:10)
• The Good News Postcard: What was your dream job when you were younger? (51:48)
• What makes a great business leader? (53:57)

Thanks to Leo from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harriet Green is the real deal. She’s run some of the world’s largest companies and has been banging the drum on the tangible benefits of inclusivity for over two decades.

From 2018 to 2020, she served as the Chair and CEO of IBM Asia Pacific, where she focused on driving innovation-led growth within the organisation. Prior to that, she was the leader and founder of the IBM startup Watson Internet of Things from 2015 to 2017. Green's expertise and leadership contributed to the advancement of IBM's initiatives on the Internet of Things domain.

Before her tenure at IBM, Green held the position of CEO at Thomas Cook Group from 2012 to 2014. During her time there, she played a crucial role in transforming the company's fortunes. Under her leadership, Thomas Cook Group's market worth skyrocketed from £148m to over £2bn, and the company's share price experienced a staggering increase of 829%. Following the announcement of Green's departure, the company's share value suffered a significant drop of over £350m. This incident highlighted the impact of her leadership on the organisation's financial performance and investor sentiment.

In addition to her roles at IBM and Thomas Cook Group, Harriet Green also served as the CEO of Premier Farnell from 2006 to 2012 and has been a board member of BAE Systems, a leading multinational defence, security, and aerospace company. Green's notable achievements and track record in driving growth and innovation demonstrate her strategic vision and ability to deliver substantial results in various industries.

We talk to Harriet about how innovation-led growth could get us out of the global economic struggles, restructuring a business with empathy, the importance of building trust with your employees and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you tell us about what Tikkun Olam is and why it's so important to you? (00:55)
• Could you give us an overview of your career to date? (03:04)
• How do you reflect on the improvement we've seen in the last few years in regard to ESG? (06:25)
• You've always been very outspoken about digital transformation before it was widely accepted. Why was that so important to you and where did the drive to make a decision like this come from? (12:10)
• Could you tell us about how you got your job as CEO of the Thomas Cook Group? (16:38)
• How do you reflect on your departure from Thomas Cook? (18:46)
• You oversaw the cutting of over 2,500 jobs at Thomas Cook. How did you deal with making difficult decisions like this and do you have any tips for people who may have to do the same? (25:39)
• Your career has seen you travel all over the world. Have you seen any business practices that stick out in your that you wish people did more elsewhere in the world? (30:33)
• Do you have tips for leaders looking to build trust with their employees? (35:36)
• The Good News Postcard: What's your favourite book and why? (39:49)
• What makes a great business leader? (42:41)

Thanks to Rose from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over 200 years since its first publication hit the streets, The Sunday Times business section has solidified its role in British culture as a must-read for business leaders and entrepreneurs.

“With a nose for scoops”, Oliver Shah has risen to the role of Associate Editor at the publication, even writing a best-selling book along the way. In this exclusive interview, we talk to Oliver about the demise of brash business leader personalities, the current relationship between business and politics, being threatened by Sir Philip Green and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career? (03:22)
• What gave you an interest in business? (04:56)
• How do you reflect on Brexit? (07:25)
• You wrote Damaged Goods: The Inside Story of Sir Philip Green in 2018. How did that relationship come about and what led you to write the book? (09:49)
• Do you feel that the big, brash personalities of well-known business leaders, such as Sir Philip Green, are now a thing of the past? (13:36)
• You've been around exceptional leaders throughout your career, do any stick our mind in particular? (17:49)
• Many people, such as Jordan Peterson, are very critical of how ESG is perceived as a silver bullet. What is your view of ESG? (21:13)
• How do you reflect on the early days of the pandemic? (24:49)
• Do any post-pandemic success stories stick in your mind? (30:26)
• A number of companies have delisted from the London Stock Exchange or pulled their potential listings due to a lack of value. Does the Government need to do more to encourage investment and how do you compare them to Lord Mandelson’s pro-business approach you mentioned before? (35:50)
• The Good News Postcard: What is your favourite ever good news story? (39:42)
• What makes a great business leader? (41:28)

Thanks to Leo from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reviews can make or break a company. What about going on one of the biggest TV shows in the country and having a respected business say, “I like it because it’s a good lesson on how not to run and set up a business.”

That less-than-glowing review was by ex-career banker turned entrepreneur and business turnaround specialist, Jenny Campbell on the hit BBC show Dragons’ Den in 2018. One of the men in the Den that day was Pasta Evangelists’ Co-Founder, Alessandro Savelli. Fast forward to 2021 and the company was acquired by the world’s largest pasta company, Barilla Group, for £40m.

We spoke to Alessandro about bouncing back from a business failure, searching for Co-Founders to start a business with and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career? (1:57)
• Do you think your smartphone business was a bit ahead of its time? (3:39)
• Towards the end of your smartphone jewellery venture, was there a specific signal that you came across that went this is time to wind this down, or did the market do that naturally? (5:52)
• Could you tell us a little bit about the genesis of Pasta Evangelists and what your mindset was starting again after the failure of your previous company? (7:07)
• Your father was an entrepreneur. How much do you think having a support network around you during the difficult times of closing down your previous company helped? (8:54)
• How did you find the process of finding Co-Founders to help you to grow your business to where it is today? (10:08)
• How did your partnerships, such as your one with Harrods, come about? (14:56)
• How did you avoid spreading your business too thin by having too many commercial offerings? (16:35)
• How did the pandemic affect your business? (19:40)
• You ended up being acquired by Barilla Group. If you could go back and give yourself advice before this acquisition to make it easier, what would it be? (20:56)
• Do you consider yourself a disruptor? (23:55)
• I’m curious about the relationship that countries have with failure. What’s the Italian attitude towards failure in a business sense? (26:17)
• Do you have any tips for business leaders and entrepreneurs who may be going through the fundraising process? (28:17)
• The Good News Postcard: What is your greatest strength and how does it benefit you? (29:50)
• What do you think makes a great business leader? (31:46)

Thanks to Grace from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roc Nation is an undisputed juggernaut. Since Hip-Hop icon Jay-Z founded the company primarily with the intent of signing pop and rap artists in 2008, Roc Nation has grown into the world’s preeminent entertainment company.

Boasting clients such as Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Jess Glynne, and Alicia Keys, the company announced the formation of a game-changing sports management division, Roc Nation Sports, dedicated to sports representation for professional athletes in 2013. Michael Yormark was brought into the company a year later, and together, they’ve gone on to revolutionise the world of sports management forever.

Meeting Michael at Roc Nation Sports International’s London HQ, we spoke to him about being a disruptor, taking inspiration from his clients, the importance of leading by example, and much more. 

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us a snapshot of your working day? (00:10)
• Could you give us an overview of your career to date? (01:30)
• What drew you to sports as a career path? (03:48)
• You did a great job growing the Florida Panthers brand and that’s what caught the eye of Jay-Z. How did you find the experience of growing a winter sport in a warm climate? (05:29)
• What made you switch over from the organisation side of the business to being a representative of athletes? (08:13)
• You’ve got big-name clients at Roc Nation Sports International, such as Kevin De Bruyne, Maro Itoje, Romelu Lukaku, and Siya Kolisi. Is there an X factor that draws you to an athlete that you want to represent? (10:23)
• You've taken a very specific stragetic move to sign Southern African athletes from a variety of sports. What led you to take such a disruptive decision? (12:57)
• Do you feel that working with high-performance athletes gives you extra drive with regard to your leadership? (16:05)
• Many leaders find themselves getting frustrated with the team around them for not being as high-performing as them, and not thinking in the same way as them. Is this something you’ve found while building your team at Roc Nation? (18:33)
• Do you believe that some British companies are missing out on growth potential by not tapping into strategic partnerships? (20:41)
• Why was it so important for you as an organisation to be vocal about societal issues such as racism, and to encourage your clients to do the same? (24:00)
• The Good News Postcard: If you had any three wishes, would it be and why? (26:56)
• What makes a great business leader to you? (29:00)

Thanks to Hayden from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fast-paced world of digital transformation, Natascha van Boetzelaer shines as a prominent thought leader on all things related to digital talent and organisations.

As a seasoned expert based in the Amsterdam office of global leadership advisory firm, Egon Zehnder, she has been instrumental in guiding both disruptive start-ups and established companies through the intricacies of digital capabilities on a global scale.

With a diverse portfolio of clients, Natascha collaborates with a wide spectrum of talent, ranging from visionary leaders driving transformation in traditional enterprises to trailblazing entrepreneurs leading pure-play ventures. She also partners with domain experts in critical areas like product and technology, growth, artificial intelligence, and data science, enabling companies to stay ahead of the digital curve.

We speak to Natascha about the difference in leadership over the years, the benefit of hiring talent from outside your sector and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us a bit of a summary of your career to this point? (0:15)
• What was it about the entrepreneurial spirit that hooked you, especially in those formative years? (5:37)
• Was disruption something you actively sought out back then? (6:53)
• You mentioned spending a few years in Hong Kong after living in the Netherlands, was this quote daunting, especially with your young family, or was it just an incredibly exciting opportunity you couldn’t turn down? (8:35)
• Did you notice a big difference in leadership style between Hong Kong and the Netherlands? (10:56)
• What kind of differences have you noticed between those leaders that you started with in the early days to the ones you’re placing today? (13:22)
• We’ve spoken to people who believe that hiring someone that’s completely outside of their sector can give their company the edge. Is this something you’ve noticed? (18:07)
• There’s been a lot of talk about a talent shortage in the UK. Is this something you notice in other parts of the world too? (22:15)
• What kind of innovation are you seeing at the moment that really gets you excited and thinking this is going to be big in years to come? (24:40)
• A Goldman Sachs study reveals that 300 million jobs are going to be replaced by AI, but the Institute of Future of Work says 80% of the jobs that will be around in 10-15 years' time don’t exist yet. So from a bird’s eye view of this, as far as where we are heading, how do you view that, are you excited or a little more cautious? (26:34)
• As far as the placement of a person goes, would you prefer candidates to be a little bit more visible in their personal branding, or does it depend on the person? (28:09)
• What's the key improvement that you think some leaders need to really buck up their ideas and really focus on getting better? (31:37)
• The Good News Postcard: what is your favourite part of your job? (34:13)
• What makes a great business leader? (34:59)

Thanks to Amy from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She has an unstoppable global brand, her name has become a verb synonymous with class and style, she’s a former Dragon, a renowned presenter and author, and a champion of British enterprise, Kelly Hoppen is without doubt an icon.    

However, Kelly’s story isn’t one of overnight success. She was relentlessly bullied at school, she’s dyslexic, she suffered from severely low self-esteem, and her father passed away when she was just 16 years old. At 16 and a half, she convinced her stepfather’s friend to let her redesign his kitchen. Around this time, her friend was having an affair with a famous racing driver, so she became the interior designer of his house as a front to their affair… and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Over the next four decades, Kelly has done work for some of the most well-known names on the planet, from the Beckhams to P. Diddy, and worked with homes, yachts, jets, hotels, restaurants, and more. She’s written over a dozen books and won numerous awards.

We met up with Kelly at her studio in West London to talk about how business has changed, building a global brand, being a Dragon, and much more. 

Here's what we discussed:

• Do you think you're a competitive person? (01:27)
• Could you give us an overview of your career? (02:20)
• Do you think you'd still have the same level of success if you started your business today? (04:27)
• Networking was a big part of your journey. Did you find that difficult as an introvert? (06:18)
• How did you find developing your leadership style as you grew the business? (08:28)
• Are there any practices from around the world that you wish we did more in the UK? (10:07)
• You haven't taken any external funding. Why is that? (11:23)
• Did you do any investing before you joined Dragons' Den? (13:48)
• Why is mentorship so important to you? (14:58)
• Did you have any mentors growing up? (16:27)
• What would you have done if you didn't go into interior design? (17:13)
• You are dyslexic. Do you feel that people's views of neurodiversity have improved? (17:49)
• How has your business been affected by supply chain struggles caused by Brexit and the war in Ukraine? (20:00)
• How does the current doom and gloom compare to other global crises you've experienced during the history of your business? (21:43)
•  Are you still actively investing in businesses? (22:56)
• The Good News Postcard: If you went down a different business career, what would you have done? (24:00)
• What makes a great business leader? (25:14)
• What is one fact about you that people can't find online? (27:01)

Thanks to Hayden from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years ago, AI education was provided by Hollywood. Fast forward to today and AI has smashed through the mainstream zeitgeist, and it’s estimated that over 77% of companies across the globe either use or are exploring the use of AI.

Working within a variety of industries, including banking, FinTech, and investments, TurinTech has solidified its place as the leader in AI-powered code optimisation. Along with three of his fellow co-founders, CEO Leslie Kanthan launched the business in 2018 with the vision of unlocking the full potential code and data with GenAI.

In this exclusive discussion, we talk to Leslie about TurinTech’s funding journey, acquiring talent, the negative view of AI, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career to date? (00:11)
• Could you tell us about Turin Tech? (01:26)
• What made you take the plunge and actually start your own company? (02:55)
• You started a business with three close friends. Some people say that it’s better to not know your co-founders, some say friends and family are best. Where do you stand on this in hindsight? (05:34)
• Could you tell us about your funding journey to this point and do you have any tips for companies raising funding? (08:00)
• How did you find the transition from builder to leader? (10:13)
• There’s lots of talk of a talent shortage in tech. Have you struggled to build the right team to take your company to the next level? (12:13)
• Can you remember when you first started taking an interest in AI? (17:20)
• What does the future hold for AI and what changes need to be made to ensure that it doesn’t end up being a negative for humanity? (19:42)
• As someone who works in the industry, do you get frustrated with the negative headlines around AI? (24:17)
• Is there a technology outside of AI that interests you? (27:50)
• The Good News Postcard: If you could live on another planet, what would it be and why? (29:03)
• What makes a great business leader? (29:54)

Thanks to Holly from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I wasn’t taught money management at school.” This is a long-held frustration by almost everyone who’s attended formal education. But one company has taken matters into its own hands, with the mission to “make every kid smart with money” and become a household name in the process.

The entrepreneur behind GoHenry, the financial technology company founded in 2012, is Louise Hill.  Targeted at 6- to 18-year-olds, the fintech was born out of frustration after realising that there was nothing in society that could help teach her children how to be good with money in an increasingly digital world. The company now boasts over 2 million members and continues to from strength to strength.

We spoke to Louise about creating a new market, the importance of getting out of the way as a good leader, being on both sides of an acquisition and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Who is the Henry of GoHenry? (00:20)
• Could you give us an overview of your career before you set up GoHenry? (03:20)
• You’d imagine GoHenry to be set up by someone who has a background in the banking sector, which you don’t. What made you take the step to start the business? (04:45)
• Would you say your lack of in-depth industry knowledge was actually a benefit? (06:53)
• Could you tell us about starting GoHenry with your Co-Founders? (08:07)
• Could you tell us about your funding journey? (09:09)
• Fast forward to 2016 and you broke the record for the largest equity crowdfunding on Crowdcube, raising £4m. Crowdfunding was in its infancy at the time, were you drawn to it as it was a disruptor like your company? (12:28)
• GoHenry can be regarded as a loud disruptor because most parents are aware of the brand. Were you nervous that established financial companies and traditional banks were going to squash your proposition in the early days? (14:45)
• How did you find the experience of hiring the right people to grow and scale the business? (17:23)
• GoHenry acquired Pixpay. Could you tell us about how this came about and any challenges you came across? (23:12)
• Did you pass on potential acquisitions because of a lack of cultural fit? (26:37)
• You expanded into the US after building a brand in the UK. Did you get frustrated that you had to start from scratch? (27:58)
• Did you find any differences between building a brand in the US, Europe and the UK? (29:18)
• You were acquired by Acorns in April 2023. Could you tell us how this came about? (31:40)
• You’ve been on both sides of an acquisition – when you acquired Pixpay in 2022 and were acquired by Acorns in 2023. Do you have any tips for people going through the process? (34:10)
• The Good News Postcard - If you went down a different career path, what would it be and why? (37:32)
• What makes a great business leader? (39:09)

Thanks to Hayden from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you haven’t heard of disruptive men’s health brand Numan, it’s time to start taking notice. Since its launch in 2018, the company has helped 430,000 men maximise their health.

Having raised over $75m (£61.2m) in funding and boosting a team of over 150 people, the company offers personalised, integrated care in one digital platform and is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Sokratis Papafloratos.

We spoke to Sokratis about learning from a severe business failure, the key belief you need to look out for in an investor, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career? (00:22)
• When you came to the UK in 1997, was the plan always to get into business? (02:36)
• Would you call yourself a good employee? (04:00)
• You sold TrustedPlaces to Yell after four years. Did you scale the company for acquisition, or did you get an offer you couldn’t refuse? (05:33)
• What lessons did you learn from the sale that you applied to your next business ventures? (08:51)
• After TrustedPlaces, you launched Togethera and Upshot but decided to shut the business down after a few years. You were 36 at the time and had already been through a lot in business, but did you go through any trepidation or self-doubt? (10:08)
• Sticking with closing down Togethera and Upshot, some people try to raise funds to get out of the hole and some call it a day at the right time. Where would you class yourself on that spectrum? (17:11)
• Onto Numan – you need funding to pull off this brilliant vision you have. You’re not a healthcare expert, but you do have experience in successful businesses. Do investors prioritise experience and vision over expertise? (20:20)
• You are an angel investor yourself. How much does receiving pitches from people change your thinking when preparing to pitch to someone else? (26:00)
• Could you tell us about the funding journey with Numan? (27:47)
• How have you found the experience of hiring people to help you scale Numan? (31:22)
• Could you tell us about Numan's marketing strategy? (33:57)
• What does the future hold for Numan? (35:45)
• The Good News Postcard: What superhero would you be and why? (37:27)
• What makes a great business leader? (38:32)

Thanks to Ella from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 minutes a day on personal training and development methods, according to research from the Centre for Management & Organisation Effectiveness. Inspiration can come from books, Ted Talks, podcasts and many more sources. But what about improv comedy?

Neil Mullarkey is a unique communication expert who has spent over two decades helping organisations large and small transform their thinking through the power of improv… and yes, that is his real name. His latest book In The Moment provides a powerful case for a more collaborative and creative approach to work and how to achieve it even when embracing hybrid working.

We spoke to Neil about the lessons all leaders can take from improv, getting the most out of hybrid and remote workers, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career? (01:17)
• Was there a specific moment where you thought that the ethos of improv could benefit the business world? (04:20)
• Can you remember how you felt during that first corporate gig? Was there any imposter syndrome? (11:14)
• Have you had feedback from leaders saying that your sessions were exactly what they needed? (16:12)
• Are people surprised that your sessions are much more than just humour? (21:40)
• Your book includes tips for helping people in remote and hybrid working situations. How did you adapt your own practice during the pandemic? (26:58)
• Is there a characteristic or work-on that is consistent across your work? (33:55)
• The Good News Postcard: What was the highest and lowest point in your career and how did you get through it? (37:56)
• What makes a great business leader? (39:36)

Thanks to Heneh from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Rebel with a cause” is the term often associated with the president of Seat and Cupra. A quick glance at his LinkedIn reveals that Wayne Griffiths is not your usual business leader. He’s a vehement fan of David Bowie, despises suits and ties and is almost always seen sporting jeans and a leather jacket.

In 2016, Luca de Meo, who was recently named the most influential and successful person within the global automotive industry by Autocar UK, brought Griffiths over to Seat as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “I remember the first management meeting I attended,” Griffiths recalls, “I said ‘I know you guys think I’m just one of these German guys who will be here for a few years and go back to Audi or VW, but that is not the case.’ I knew I was here to stay, and I knew that it was my destiny.”

“This shift from combustion cars to electric cars is allowing a lot of new brands to enter the market,” he says. “When you’re going through disruption, you need to disrupt yourself or you're going to disappear.” He attributes a lot of this change to the attitudes of the next generation: “I think this generation is looking for something different. They want to drive something different than what their parents or grandparents did, something that stands for their values. The old values of prestige, tradition, status, and luxury; are all taboo. They’re looking to define themselves with contemporary values, sustainability, and emotion.”

We spoke to Wayne about transforming Audi into a global brand, launching Cupra, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career? (01:14)
• What led you to join Seat? (05:22)
• Looking at your career, when did electrification become a priority? (07:53)
• What was the reaction to your idea of launching a new electric car brand? (11:19)
• One of the ways you are disruptive is by hiring from outside of traditional industries. Why is that important to you? (14:46)
• Why have you made it a priority to embrace Spain and Cupra's roots in the country? (18:27)
• What are your thoughts on the UK Government's delaying of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles? (22:20)
• The Good News Postcard: If you weren't a business leader, what would you like to be your job and why? (26:19)
• What makes a great business leader? (27:15)

Thanks to Aleyna from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High performance. The buzz term du jour on LinkedIn and in the business community. The man who literally has a podcast on the topic has his doubts about whether people actually know its true meaning.

Jake Humphrey is a former BBC and BT Sport presenter and the Founder of the Whisper Group, a multi-award-winning company that has emerged as the standout breakthrough broadcast production company of the last twenty years. Besides changing the landscape of broadcasting, the company has also been named Best Place to Work every year since 2017 and worked with a variety of broadcasters including Channel 4, BBC, BT Sport, and Amazon Prime, and produces content for Formula One, NFL, UEFA, and The Paralympics, amongst others.

Humphrey’s podcast, the High Performance Podcast, is a chart-topping smash hit that has evolved considerably since its launch in 2021. Hosting the podcast alongside Prof. Damian Hughes, the pair speak to some of the planet's most notable high performers and turn them into life lessons applicable to anyone.

In this exclusive interview, we talk to Jake about failure, imposter syndrome, why high performance may not mean what you think it means, and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• What makes a great business leader? (00:13)
• Could you give us an overview of your career? (02:00)
• You talk to inspirational people on the High Performance Podcast all the time about mindset. How much do you work on your own positive and determined mindset? (09:38)
• Could you tell us about Whisper and what led you to set it up? (11:45)
• You mentioned that you’re someone who suffers from imposter syndrome. Do you have tips for people who may be in situations as a leader and feel this way? (18:58)
• Some leaders get frustrated because their teams don't think the same way that they do. Have you experienced this or come across it on the High Performance Podcast? (22:24)
• Do you feel like there's a shift to a purpose-driven leadership landscape, compared to years gone by? (29:07)
• Has your perception of high performance changed since starting your podcast? (34:05)
• Have you noticed any particular traits that successful people have in common? (44:05)
• Failure is a part of business. Do you have any tips for people going through a tough period in their business lives? (46:10)
• The Good News Postcard: What was the defining moment for your company? (51:51)

Thanks to Kiaran from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not many business leaders can say they’ve had bullets sent to them through the post, been poisoned by their nanny and arrested on multiple occasions.

In this edition of Business Leader Insight, we talk with Jacqueline Gold CBE, Executive Chair of Ann Summers, at her Surrey home to talk business, legacy, resilience and much more.

Daughter of West Ham United chairman David Gold, Jacqueline has blazed a trail of her own in her business career. She took Ann Summers from a small, seedy sex shop with four stores in the 1970s, to one of the UK’s iconic retail brands. Not only is she the face behind Ann Summers, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year, Jacqueline Gold is also widely-recognised as one of the UK’s leading businesswomen.

Overcoming adversity and life-changing moments along the way, including losing her son at eight months old and fighting breast cancer, Jacqueline is a fierce champion for female empowerment in the bedroom and boardroom.

Jacqueline is the driving force around #WOW (Women on Wednesday). #WOW offers a place for women to network and celebrate each other’s successes, whilst gaining support and advice to grow their businesses. Every week female entrepreneurs and small business owners can join in through Jacqueline’s Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn by tagging themselves or someone they know, telling them a bit about business, and using #WOW. Winners stand a chance to win a mentoring lunch with Jacqueline and a learning day at Ann Summers Head Office.

Here's what we covered during the discussion:

- What is keeping you busy at the moment? (0:39)

- When did you first realise your father wasn’t somebody ordinary and your future would lie in business? (1:23)

- What was the environment like when you first started at Ann Summers? (2:47)

- Can you tell us about the Ann Summers party plan and the impact this had? (3:32)

- You eventually became CEO and transformed the business – but did you ever find you had to battle against the notion you were given the business and the opportunity? (4:42)

- The last few years has seen the rise to prominence of Onlyfans, with the top content creators making high 6-figures per month. Reflecting on the societal attitudes towards sex since you took over Ann Summers, how much do you believe they’ve changed? (6:57)

- You have faced a lot of adversity in your life. Do you feel your resilience has been key to your success? (9:22)

- How have you found networking throughout your business career? (12:53)

- As a leader in retail and someone who's been in business for many years, take us back to the moment the Prime Minister announced that all retail stores had to close. What went through your mind? (14:10)

- If you were 18 and had to start a business again today, what would you follow the same path you have or would you do things differently? (16:39)

- Have you had to change Ann Summers to address the ESG agenda? (17:33)

- What will Ann Summers look like in 30 years’ time and what would you like its legacy to be? (19:43)

- You’ve blazed your own trail as a female business leader. Who has inspired you, whether in business or not? (22:10)

- Do you have any business advice for our viewers? (24:13)

- What is one fact about you that we can’t find online? (25:50)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine sitting one desk over from Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos. What about being the former Executive Business Partner to Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. Or touring the world with high ranking Google executive and business icon Marissa Mayer? Ann Hiatt has worked with all of these legends of business, and her latest book catalogues the lessons she learnt from them.

Ann Hiatt’s very first job was at 16 when she worked at a startup in Redmond, Washington called MusicWare – back when no one knew what a startup was. Growing up in Seattle during the original dot-com boom, surrounded by companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks was a master class in innovation and it changed the course of her life.

Ann is a sought-after international speaker, angel investor and sits on several boards in the UK. Ann has recently relocated from Silicon Valley to Europe and brings with her a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in business today.

Order your copy of Ann’s book Bet on Yourself: Recognize, Own, and Implement Breakthrough Opportunities now.

Here’s what we covered in our chat with Ann Hiatt

- Why did you decide to write Bet on Yourself? (0:52) 
- The book starts with a frank admission that you nearly killed Jeff Bezos – you clearly didn’t but can you tell us about what it was like to work for Jeff and other leaders. What did you learn? How are they different?  (2:00) 
- Can you talk to us about what you see as a formula for success that we can take from these leaders?  (4:50) 
- Can you also tell us about how you were hired by Jeff Bezos – what was this process like? (7:13) 
- Can you give us any insight into how the top CEOs structured their day and was there anything in their routine that stood out? (10:23) 
- Building the right leadership team is one of the key ways to scale a company. Did you learn any lessons from Jeff Bezos, Marissa Mayer or Eric Schmidt about building a reliable and quality leadership team? (15:52) 
- You worked at Google & Amazon before they became the dominant forces they are today. Disruption of the norm is at the heart of both companies. What makes a disruptor in your mind? (18:00) 
- Resilience is a big topic in your book. How can people become more resilient? (20:13) 
- You worked in the US but now live in Spain. Do you notice a difference in the attitudes towards failure and do you think it should be less of a taboo topic in Europe? (23:47) 
- You mentioned that you met Shimon Peres and it had a profound impact on you. Could you tell us about this?  (28:34) 

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We paid a visit to Matt Hancock MP to get his views on all things business. Best known for his role as Health Secretary, Matt also says he is looking to come back to his roots in business – having previously worked at the Bank of England and seeing first-hand his parents’ experience of the ups and downs of running a company.

In the interview, Matt talks about the work he is doing around dyslexia, FinTech and cryptocurrency; and the headwinds hitting the UK economy.

Here’s what we covered in our chat with Matt Hancock MP

- Who is Matt Hancock? (0:28)
-  You're dyslexic and you have been doing a lot of work around this. Could you tell us about this?  (1:13)
- Many successful business leaders didn’t do well at school, but state education has been criticised for not focusing enough on business-focused skills and helping those that are different. Does more need to be done? (3:28)
- Do you think the education system is too rigid because the set curriculum doesn’t work for everybody as we’ve discussed?  (5:03)
- You mentioned your background at the Bank of England. What is your prognosis for the UK economy? (6:43)
-  Can more be done to help with the issues businesses have around finding the talent they need? (9:56)
- Do you think people will look back on how the events of 2020  and think that the government actually handled it well? (11:54)
- What do you see as the biggest challenges for business leaders going forward? (14:34)
- You have been talking a lot lately about crypto – why have you been doing that? (15:50)
- Do you think that crypto might democratise investing? (18:25)
- How do you compare the UK to the likes of the EU, USA and Singapore in terms of innovation? (20:05)
- What is your message to investors who will be looking at the UK? (20:47)
- There are unprecedented amounts of capital available to businesses but could this result in a consequence of companies not achieving product-market fit and raising for raising’s sake? (22:00)
- What is your message to business leaders who have become disengaged with politics? (23:25)
- Are there any business leaders that you admire? (24:35)
- What is one fact about you that we can't find online? (25:25)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, presented by Purplex Marketing, we were honoured to get to talk to Joel Blake OBE, multi-award-winning businessman, leadership consultant and founder of  GFA Exchange.

From a 16-year-old working in a recycling factory to one of the preeminent names in the UK FinTech industry, Joel Blake OBE is a multi-award-winning businessman, professional speaker and leadership consultant, specialising in Business Support and Enterprise development.

With over 15 years’ experience of running his own businesses and assisting others to grow their own, Joel will provide valuable insight and expertise into business growth and the fintech industry.

Here's what we covered during this discussion:

Joel Blake OBE business background (1:04)
What inspired the idea behind GFA Exchange? (3:05)
How has GFA Exchange adapted to COVID-19? (5:37)
How is the UK FinTech sector being impacted by COVID-19? (7:08)
Has the Government done enough with to support businesses through COVID-19? (9:50)
Do you have advice on how business leaders can embrace this difficult time? (12:48)
How do you think businesses will have to change their working environments post-COVID-19? (15:34)
What is a disruptor? (17:40)

Questions from the public

Since many companies are relying on working from home, do you think post-COVID-19 companies will stay this way? (19:48)
Do you think that, with people having more time on their hands, we will see a boom of small startups once the lockdown is over? (20:56)
What’s the best advice you were ever given when starting out? (22:03)
Who would you consider to be a good role model with how they have handled their company during COVID-19? (23:10)
What’s one fact about you that people won’t be able to find online? (24:33)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, presented by Purplex Marketing, we were honoured to get to talk to Brad Barritt, highly-accomplished professional rugby player, entrepreneur and founder of Tiki Tonga Coffee.

On the rugby field, Brad is the captain of Saracens, leading them to four Gallagher Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup titles. He has also represented England at Test level, with 26 caps and 2 tries under his belt.

Off the field, Brad is an experienced Director with a history of working in private equity, healthcare and coffee industry. In 2017, he co-founded Tiki Tonga Coffee Roasters, which has been making waves in the coffee industry around the world.

Don’t forget to visit the Tiki Tonga website and use discount code BUSINESSLEADER10 at checkout for 10% off your first order. Terms & conditions apply.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• Brad Barritt background (0:58)
• What lead you to set up Tiki Tonga? (1:57)
• How has your business been affected by COVID-19? (2:57)
• How have you adapted your business to handle COVID-19? (4:31)
• Could you give us a comparison between how the UK has handled COVID-19 with how South Africa has handled the pandemic? (5:17)
• What’s kept you motivated to work as hard in business as you do in rugby? (7:25)
• Are there any lessons that you’ve learnt on the rugby field that has carried over to your management style? (8:22)
• How do you keep mentally resilient with the uncertainty in business and in sport? (10:05)

Questions from the public

• Who was the best fly-half you ever played with? (11:41)
• Who did you support in 2019 Rugby World Cup Final? (13:20)
• When do you think we’ll see professional rugby back on our TV screens? (14:27)
• Will you ever look at franchising Tiki Tonga? (15:43)
• Could you tell us one fact about you that people won’t be able to find online? (16:34)
• Have you taken any lessons from current/previous coaches and used them in your business? (17:35)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, presented by Purplex Marketing, we were honoured to get to talk to Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England.

Professor West has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England, Bristol since 2008. A prominent leadership figure in the South West and UK, Steve has held various external roles such as Chair of University Alliance, President of Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the West of England Initiative and President of the South West CBI.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• Professor Steve Smith background and career (0:44)
• How has UWE (University of the West of England) responded as an organisation to the Covid-19 pandemic? (1:51)
• How have you personally had to adapt as a leader during this time? (3:10)
• How do you keep mentally resilient during such a difficult time? (6:37)
• What are your plans as a university to getting back to some kind of normality after COVID-19? (9:40)
• Can you tell us about the construction of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol? (14:38)

Questions from the public

• What’s the best advice you can give to students leaving education during this pandemic? (17:33)
• Do you think this crisis will encourage a boom in working from home or freelance work? (19:41)
• What’s the best thing a person can do to help out during this crisis? (22:02)
• What is one fact about you that people may not be able to find online? (23:34)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, presented by Interaction - the office workplace research, design and build experts, we were honoured to get to talk to Mark 'Billy' Billingham MBE, ex-SAS leader and star of Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins.

A leader like no other, Billy joined the Parachute Regiment in 1983 and served until 1991 holding an array of positions including Patrol Commander for operational tours in many worldwide locations and also served as a training instructor for the Regiments as a military specialist.

Billy joined the SAS in 1991 as a Mountain Troop specialist and has been responsible for planning and executing strategic operations and training at the highest level in numerous locations (Iraq, Afghanistan, South America and Africa) and has led countless hostage rescues.

After his military career, Billy became a bodyguard and looked after people such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Sir Michael Caine, Jude Law, Hulk Hogan, Kate Moss, Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise. He is also one of the stars of the hit TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins and is an author and public speaker.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• Can you tell us about how you ended up joining the army? (1:06)
• You served for 27 years in the elite unit – that must make an incredible mark on somebody. How did shape you? (3:56)
• What was your lowest point during this long SAS career and what did you have to do to get through it? (5:06)
• So how did you end up on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins? (7:31)
• What is your view on how the UK has responded to COVID-19 and have you ever seen anything like this? (9:41)
• What advice would you give to leaders to help them navigate this crisis? (12:17)
• Do you think the era of the “Hero Leader” is fading away and a different style is needed for issues like this? (14:25)
• How do you reflect on your time as a bodyguard to the stars and were there any close scrapes? (15:53)
• You talk a lot about ‘Always a little further’ – what do you mean by that? (18:12)

Questions from the public

• What would be your advice for new leaders? (20:45)
• How do you mentally prepare your mind to deal with situations you think you can’t achieve? (22:19)
• Where have you experienced strong leadership and why? (23:16)
• What morning rituals do you follow to set your day up for success? (25:59)
• How do you deal with negativity in a team? (26:52)
• How do you schedule your week or month? (28:04)
• How do you inspire yourself and pick yourself up when you have a bad day? (29:25)
• How do you achieve your team goals when the wider business team can’t see the ultimate goal? (30:48)
• What is something we can’t find online about you? (31:59)

• Final word from Billy (32:36)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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We were proud to talk to Barry Hearn, legendary sports promoter and founder of Matchroom Sport, in this edition of Business Leader Insight, brought to you by Knightstone Capital.

Barry Hearn is a sporting events promoter and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. Barry has transformed sports like Darts, Snooker and Boxing throughout his career and managed names such as Steve Davis, Anthony Joshua and Chris Eubank.

His business is also one of the UK’s fastest-growing and his son Eddie now also plays an influential role within it. Barry was also previously the Chairman of Leyton Orient, where he once signed Harry Kane MBE on loan from Tottenham.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

How have you found the last few months during the COVID-19 crisis? (1:08)
How did you become involved in sport and what led you to create Matchroom Sport? (2:13)
Matchroom Sport has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing companies, but you nearly went bankrupt on your journey. How did you turn it around? (4:30)
You must be very proud to see your son Eddie involved with the business now, could you tell us more about his influence in Matchroom? (6:37)
Do you think sports are finally coming back as normal after COVID-19? (10:09)
How do you think lower league football clubs can survive COVID-19 with funding so tight? (12:37)
Do you think more players should follow Harry Kane’s lead and support their old lower league clubs at this time? (14:39)
You have managed and met some huge characters – who are the standouts for you and the ones that make you smile now? (17:50)

Questions from the public

Do you believe we will ever see a billion-dollar boxing match? (20:45)
What qualities do you look for in a leader? (21:59)
Which areas of sport do you think are most primed for growth over the next 5-10 years? Also, what other trends do you see commerce-wise that are most interesting? (23:07)
What is the best way to generate luck? (26:06)
What fight would you like to see after Fury v Joshua? (28:11)
Who is your all-time sports hero? (30:17)
What is one fact about you that we can’t find online? (33:07)

Final word from Barry (34:48)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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We were honoured to talk to Jon Taffer, best-selling author, hospitality expert and host/executive producer of Bar Rescue on this edition of Business Leader Insight, brought to you by Knightstone Capital.

For nearly four decades, Jon Taffer has been at the forefront of the business management industry offering his expertise to hundreds of thousands of properties and Fortune 500 companies. Jon’s latest book, Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself, a no-nonsense guide that helps people understand and overcome the excuses holding them back from success, became a New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller in its first week of release.

He is also the host and executive producer of Bar Rescue. The show spotlights Jon as he saves failing bars from looming closure, leverages Taffer’s four decades of unprecedented industry experience and trademarked “Reaction Management” strategy to offer advisement on everything from menu design to cost management.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• What’s the feeling in Las Vegas since reopening after the COVID-19 lockdown? (1:11)
• Many leaders have pivoted their business very quickly to adapt to the pandemic. What do you think will make these businesses successful when we get back to normality? (5:29)
• What do you think will be the consequences for businesses that don’t adapt to the new normal? (7:24)
• What tips do you have for UK hospitality businesses when they open back up? (8:39)
• You have a book about excuses and how they hold people back. Why is this mantra so important to you? (10:20)
• How do you know when the time is right to give up and move on to a new business venture? (14:08)
• You’re the host and executive producer of the very popular show Bar Rescue. Could you share some secrets of what it takes to create a successful bar? (17:14)

Questions from the public

• Do you think this crisis has provided a way out and excuse for many businesses that failing anyway and just had poor leadership? (23:45)
• Do you have any smart working tips to work harder without burning out? (24:23)
• Is there still a place for formal dining and will we see it return? (25:17)
• How do privately owned restaurants/bars attract customers from big brands who have huge marketing budgets? (26:49)
• What would you say is more important to the success of a business, good product or good atmosphere and why? (32:22)
• What is one fact about you that people can’t find online? (34:01)
• Some companies have slashed their marketing budgets to save money during the pandemic. What would you say to leaders that have decided to do this? (34:45)

• Final word from Jon (36:13)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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On this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to Lara Morgan, a British entrepreneur with a track record of delivering exceptional accelerated growth. Her investment strategy in wellbeing products primarily is pinned to improving life’s journey.

Lara founded her first business, Pacific Direct, in 1991 at the age of just 23. Having arrived in the UK from Hong Kong with little or no hotel experience, Lara quickly grew Pacific Direct into a specialist global supplier of luxury high-end brands for five-star hotels.

Lara invests in British brands including Scentered.com, the 100% natural, portable, Wellbeing Ritual aromatherapy brand; Gate8 luggage, lightweight, time-saving, functional, business luggage and accessories that reduce stress; KitBrix, a functional, robust, modular, sports kit bag and organiser system for active people, Yogi Bare, the best in class yoga and fitness mats and accessories. Lara is a proud mother of three girls and a committed volunteer and philanthropist.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• You were set to go to university but following your father’s bankruptcy, this didn’t happen. Could you explain the impact this had on you? (0:58)
• You started your first business at the age of 23 and eventually sold it for £20 million. What were the key ingredients to building this business? (2:16)
• What’s the feeling like when you’ve signed on the dotted line and sold your business? (4:25)
• What did the sacrifice of achieving your goals mean to you? (8:10)
• What tips do you have for anybody planning to – or going through – an exit? (9:20)
• For you what are the most important elements to scaling a business? (11:13)
• What does a good business do to motivate their employees? (14:00)
• What do you think makes the mark of a good leader in business? (16:49)
• What advice would you have for entrepreneurs going through a difficult time at the moment? (18:09)
• Could you tell us about your typical working day? (20:04)

Questions from the public

• Do you think it’s an employer’s obligation to look after their employees’ mental health? (21:29)
• What advice do you have for leaders who have had to close their businesses during COVID-19? (22:52)
• What keeps you motivated and hungry in life and business? (24:51)
• What is the best advice you’ve ever received? (26:21)
• What is one thing about you that people won’t be able to find online? (28:05)

• Final word from Lara (29:40)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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Spencer Matthews, TV personality and founder and CEO of the Clean Liquor Company, was our guest on this edition of Business Leader Insight, brought to you by Purplex Marketing.

Spencer Matthews has frequently appeared on British TV screens since first making his name in the E4 series Made in Chelsea. His entrepreneurial spirit has seen him invest in a variety of in start-ups and early growth companies over the years.

Spencer is the founder and CEO of The Clean Liquor Co. The company has been making waves throughout the industry by offering a unique variety of “Clean” low alcohol rum and gin, with more to be added to the range soon. Check out The Clean Liquor Co. website for the full range of products they offer, including CleanGin and CleanRum.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• You were working in the city at that time as filming Made in Chelsea. Can you give us an overview of your career that point? (1:23)
• Could you talk about the lessons you learnt through being on Made in Chelsea? (4:40)
• What inspired you to set up The Clean Liquor Co.? (8:45)
• How has lockdown affected your business and how have you changed your business and marketing plan? (13:53)
• What do you look for when you invest and do you have any tips for start-up leaders? (19:00)

Questions from the public

• Did you learn any business lessons from your fellow Made in Chelsea cast members? (22:58)
• How important has your social media following been for the expansion of The Clean Liquor Co.? (24:46)
• What is one fact about you that people can’t find online? (27:01)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we were proud to talk to Sabrina Stocker: business coach, founder of My Tennis Events, Shopping Slot and former contestant on the Apprentice.

Sabrina also featured on our list of top 32 female entrepreneurs to look out for.

Be sure to follow Sabrina on Twitter and Instagram.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

Can you tell us about your early life and career? (0:51)
You built My Tennis Events into a six-figure business within the first year of trading. What was the secret to this success? (1:47)
Did you have aspirations to become a tennis player? (2:25)
How has My Tennis Events been affected by the pandemic? (3:20)
What other opportunities have you been looking at during the pandemic? (4:17)
How was your experience on the Apprentice? (5:49)
What are Lord Sugar and Claude Littner like to deal with? (6:15)
What made you want to be an entrepreneur? (6:45)
Are you looking to grow your expertise and become an investor? (7:38)
Do you think there’s a culture that encourages entrepreneurship or could we do more? (8:19)
How important is making mistakes in achieving success in your opinion? (9:21)
Do you have any tips for viewers looking to raise funding? (10:12)
Do you have any tips for people looking to start a business? (11:13)

Questions from the public

How did you manage to sustainably scale up your business in your first year? (11:50)
What is the best advice you’ve ever received and what is the best advice that you give to your clients? (12:26)
What was your biggest takeaway from your time on the Apprentice? (12:58)
What is one fact about you that people can’t find online? (13:35)
Do you have any tips to grow your business organically? (15:57)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to the ‘man who saved the BBC’, serial tech entrepreneur and the CEO of Seedlegals, Anthony Rose.

Rose is best known for his work managing the launch of BBC iPlayer, for which Wired UK named him “the man who saved the BBC”. Anthony lead the team as CTO from 2007 until 2010, taking the BBC iPlayer from pre-launch to success. Since leaving the BBC, Anthony has founded 5 companies. He sold Beamly to COTY in 2015 and 6Tribes to the TopGear team in 2016 both for an undisclosed amount.

Anthony is currently working as co-founder and CEO of SeedLegals.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• Anthony Rose background (0:55)
• You played a leading role in the creation of the BBC iPlayer – can you tell us about that time? (2:05)
• In your business career, you have become synonymous with launching disruptor businesses – in your opinion what makes a disruptor? (3:41)
• Have the fundamentals of what businesses need to be and do changed because of the last five months, regarding raising funds? (5:39)
• You see many businesses looking to raise early – but isn’t achieving market fit a better approach for many firms? What I’m trying to say here is would it better for many companies to see if the market wants their product and fund growth this way? (8:01)
• Within the tech space, do you feel there needs to be a shift from creating clever tech and raising money to looking more at what the market and the customer wants? Or is this already happening? (10:24)
• Does exiting a business become easier the more times you do it? (12:07)
• Does it help to have a co-founder and what role can they play? (14:27)
• What parts of the technology sector are exciting for you when you consider the future? (16:42)
• Cutting through the noise is difficult. Do you have any insight into what makes good marketing or PR for a company? (19:07)
• What advice would you give to leaders during this difficult time? (20:41)

Questions from the public

• What was your biggest challenge when setting up the iPlayer? (23:54)
• What is some advice for startup businesses who might be struggling to get investment/interest at this time (27:24)
• What advice would you give to someone who is considering going into the world of entrepreneurship and what keeps you motivated? (30:04)
• What is the best advice you’ve ever received? (32:30)

Watch the full interview on the Business Leader YouTube channel and don't forget to rate and subscribe.

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to Dr Alex Young, the CEO and founder of Virti: a Bristol-based tech firm using XR and AI to set a new gold standard for immersive learning.

A trauma and orthopaedic surgeon by training, Alex built and sold his first company whilst still at medical school. He’s won multiple awards with Virti including the VR Healthcare Award at The VR Awards and ‘Best Startup’ at the Mayor of London’s Medtech Business Awards. Virti is also part of the NHS’ prestigious Innovation Accelerator Programme.

Virti‘s mission is to improve human performance by making experiential training affordable and accessible to everyone on the planet. To do this Virti uses virtual and augmented reality coupled with AI to transport employees into difficult to access environments and safely assesses them under pressure to improve their performance.

Virti operates in healthcare where the system is used for health professional training as well as patient education and Virti also provides soft-skills training to corporates including leaderships, anti-bullying and harassment training and training on infrequent but hazardous events.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

Dr Alex Young background (1:02)
Having sold a company as a medical student and scaled a company in your spare time while working for the NHS, where would you say your work ethic comes from? (4:50)
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected Virti and how have you reacted to it? (6:45)
What role does technology have in the future of the healthcare sector? (10:54)
The company operates in both the UK and US, what would you say are the differences between the two countries when it comes to entrepreneurship and innovation? (14:21)
Funding seems to be funnelled into apps and social media platforms, rather than a broad array of businesses. Is that what you are seeing and is that a negative in some ways? (19:04)
Looking at the future, how can virtual reality and augmented reality play a bigger role for companies? (21:41)
Where are you based and how many employees do you have at Virti? (24:24)

Questions from the public

Based on your experience, what advice would you have for leaders considering looking for funding for the first time? (25:03)
Do you think there's space for more collaboration in the tech sector? (27:33)
What advice would you give to other business leaders who haven’t adopted emerging technologies into their business and way of working yet? (28:55)
What has been the most difficult challenge in your career and how have you overcome it? (30:52)
What is the best advice you've ever received? (32:22)

The Go:Tech Awards celebrate businesses and entrepreneurs leading the way in technology and innovation across the UK. To bring you this event, we’ve collaborated with some of the country’s leading university technology departments, business incubators, and independent tech associations.

Enter the 2020 Go:Tech Awards now.

Check our Virtual Events page for upcoming Business Leader Insight interviews.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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In the latest instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to Ollie Phillips; former England Rugby Sevens Captain and World Player of the Year-turned world-record-holding adventurer, business leader and motivational speaker.

Across a distinguished 14-year professional career, Ollie reached a European Final, captained England at Twickenham and defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand, amongst many other honours. He has also worked as a pundit for Eurosport and Sky Sports, providing commentary and analysis of Rugby World Cups, European Cups and the HSBC World Sevens Series. He is now the Head Coach for the WRU Women’s Seven’s programme.

Not one to rest on his laurels, since retiring from professional rugby Ollie has made a name for himself as an intrepid adventurer. His most recent endeavours include world record-breaking feats that have raised money for rugby charity Wooden Spoon; playing in the most northern game of rugby (at the Magnetic North Pole) and the highest ever game of rugby (at Advanced Base Camp on Mount Everest). Ollie has raised over £2.5 million for numerous charities and remains a dedicated ambassador for Wooden Spoon and the Alzheimer’s Society as well as being a strong supporter of Cancer Research UK.

Ollie brings this same energy and work ethic to the business world. He completed an MBA at Cambridge University (where he won a Blue for playing in the Varsity Match) and is a Director at PwC. Here he leads part of the company’s real estate group across UK & EMEA and is the lead partner for PwC’s relationship with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Responsible for driving and facilitating change for his clients, he helps them take a fresh approach to any challenges they face.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• Ollie Phillips background (1:02)
• What have your difficult challenges, such as climbing Mt. Everest, teach you about yourself? (3:04)
• What insight would you give for leaders who are managing diverse characters in their team? (5:14)
• What is your advice for leading times in a period of crisis? (7:11)
• Do you think leaders need to be more open about their mental health? (9:00)
• What is your advice for dealing with negative team members? (10:47)
• Who are the leaders that you’ve come across in life that you admire? (12:43)
• What are the main challenges you are seeing at the moment in leadership? (15:53)
• Do you still see a physical office space being a part of business in the future? (18:06)

Questions from the public

• How do you keep yourself motivated in business? And did your experience in sport help with this today? (20:30)
• Do you think there’s enough of a focus on getting young sports stars to think about their post-sport careers? (22:45)
• How do you stay resilient and what advice would give to someone who is making the step into the business and entrepreneurial world? (24:17)
• What is the best advice you’ve ever received? (26:15)
• What is one fact about you that people can’t find online? (28:04)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Insight series is taking a break this week. Instead, we are bringing you a very special live event that we hosted with Funding London. The event featured three incredibly successful British business leaders. All three worked in multiple iconic start-ups and built companies generating tens of billions of dollars revenue. They created and led Unicorns before that term was invented. They started their career in Oracle when it was a start-up with a few dozen people.

After over a decade with Oracle, Steve Garnett went on to co-create two other amazing companies, Siebel System and Salesforce, with the founders Tom Siebel and Marc Benioff.

After leaving Oracle, Stephen Kelly led 3 successful turnarounds to growth as a ‘hands-on’ CEO – most recently at Sage. He is the only business leader in the UK, who ran two FTSE 100 companies. He was appointed Prime Minister’s Business Ambassador 2015-19 and is Chairperson of TechNation.

After a decade with Oracle, Sukhendu Pal went on to work for the biggest bank in the world, where he created an organisation which became a multi-billion dollar business serving the emerging markets spanning 72 countries. He then led another successful start-up and founded another.

The three are Funding London’s lead mentors and in this event they discuss how the coronavirus outbreak has forced entrepreneurs to think on their feet, rapidly pivoting business models as they adapt to the “new normal” and use technology to transform relationships with customers and staff.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

• Steve Garnett introduction (1:30)
• Stephen Kelly introduction (2:15)
• Sukhendu Pal introduction (3:26)
• How should we reshape and rebuild great companies for the “new normal”? (4:47)
• What will be the required model of leadership for the “new normal”? (7:11)
• How do you innovate in the depths of a recession? (9:13)
• How can we rebuild public confidence in capitalism and its ability to function in a way that generates inclusive and sustainable prosperity? (14:47)
• What is the biggest challenge companies face for business recovery at this most challenging of times? (19:14)
• Can purpose and profit coexist? (23:06)
• What will leaders do to keep their teams engaged, morale high, culture intact and maintain high performance in the “new normal”? (25:26)
• In your experience, how much more successful are purpose-driven companies? (28:13)

Questions from the public

• What will this pandemic be remembered for? (35:28)
• Why should people keep companies around in the next “new normal” whose sole purpose is the enrichment of a select few? (41:59)
• COVID-19 will have a massive impact on inequality – how do you suggest we eliminate inequality? (50:33)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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The Insight series is taking a break this week. Instead, we're bringing you a very special panel debate that we hosted on mergers and acquisitions.

Many experts are predicting a surge of mergers and acquisitions activity in the coming months; as companies consolidation happens across various sectors and leaders take advantage of available capital to grow their operations.

We assembled a prestigious panel for this discussion:

• Richard Wilkey – Partner, Corporate at Harrison Clark Rickerbys

• Alan Barratt – Founder and CEO of Grenade

• Tim Spooner – Director at KPMG Corporate Finance

• Joanna Scott – Principal at Boost & Co

• Andrew Scott – CEO of Ascot Group

• Myles Hamilton – Director at Shaw & Co

A special thanks to Harrison Clark Rickerbys for sponsoring this very special panel debate.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to Pete Lowe; former Head of Education and Performance Management at Manchester City, a leadership specialist and founder of First Team Ltd.

As a professional speaker and thought leader on the global circuit, Pete draws on his experience of the high-performance environment of Premier League football to help businesses to create and sustain a culture of success. He proves that there are startling similarities between the pitch and the boardroom.

Pete’s track record includes more than 13 years in a senior role at Manchester City Football Club, where he was responsible for helping to develop an unrivalled talent pipeline that created 39 first team footballers and 25 full international players over a ten year period.

The team’s trophy cabinet was a testament to this success, with 13 European tournament wins, an U15 Championship World Cup, six Divisional Premier League Championships and the FA Youth Cup. Understanding how people tick and how to help them realise their potential was instrumental to his career at MCFC. He claims that knowing each character in the training room lies at the heart of extraordinary team performance.

Pete is adamant that there are no shortcuts to sustained success. His powerful insights delivered in a ‘say it as it is’ manner captivates audiences and prove that ‘tales from the touchline’ translate to other arenas, with compelling results. He maintains that ‘excellence’ is a nebulous destination and continuous improvement is the Holy Grail of sustained high performance. A man who speaks from the heart using real-life insights, Pete believes that culture must support strategy and leaders create leaders, not followers.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

- Overview of Pete Lowe's career (1:02)

- You were at Man City when the new ownership took over. What impact have they had on the club and the city? (2:36)

- What impact did the takeover have off the field, in the city of Manchester? (4:43)

- There have been cries by some of the top clubs for funding from the government due to the impact of COVID-19. Do you think clubs should get this assistance despite the perceived wealth in top-flight football? (7:22)

- What lessons from working in sport can be translated over to business? (8:43)

- When coming into a business for the first time, what do you believe are early signs that there's a problem and how do you address those? (11:50)

- Do you think working from home will have an effect on the "winning culture" of the workspace? (13:52)

- What do you believe are the traits of a good modern leader? (15:35)

- What does your typical day entail and how do you keep yourself motivated? (18:35)

- Who do you think is going to win the Premier League and Champions League this year? (21:00)

- How can people get in touch with you? (21:57)

- A final word from Pete Lowe (22:33)

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we were honoured to talk to Bestselling author, investor, business guru & creator of the 10X Movement, Grant Cardone. Grant Cardone owns and operates seven privately held companies, and a private equity real estate firm, Cardone Capital, with a multifamily portfolio of assets worth over $2 billion.

He is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 business books, including The 10X Rule, which led to Cardone establishing the 10X Global Movement and the 10X Growth Conference, now the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world. He is the Top Crowdfunder in the world, raising over $500 million in equity via social media.

The online business and sales educational platforms he created serve over 330,000 individuals and Forbes 100 clients throughout the world. Voted the top Marketing Influencer to watch by Forbes, Cardone uses his massive 15 million-plus following to give back via his Grant Cardone Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring underprivileged and troubled youth in financial literacy.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• You used to be addicted to drugs – using daily – and you were brutally beaten up, losing job after job. You had a tough start to life. What was the trigger that made you say enough was enough? (1:03)
• If you’ve been at the bottom and risen up – why can’t everybody do this? What are the traits you need to turn your life around? (3:23)
• Can you talk more about this and the price you need to pay to have success and wealth and financial freedom? Everybody sees the wealth and spending I guess – but what price do you need to pay? (5:21)
• Some people may find the process of starting a business and building it from the ground up intimidating. What would you do and what advice would you give to others? (6:58)
• You've said in the past that buying a home isn't a good investment. How do you see the current state of the housing market? (8:58)
• How did you deal with criticism and negativity in your rise to where you are today? (10:49)
• What would you say to people who would argue that creating wealth isn't a good thing and it should be dispersed instead? (13:06)
• What does the future hold for you? Continuing to inspire people or maybe a political career? (14:53)
• Trump vs. Biden; who do you think should win the election? (17:18)
• Has there been a particular person or book that has inspired you in your life? (19:02)
• Details of the 10X Boot Camp Interactive (20:58)
• Final word from Grant (23:17)

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we were honoured to talk to Chris Ormrod, Managing Director at The Flavourworks. Originally trained as an actor, Chris joined Mars as a salesman straight from university and subsequently worked for Haagen-Dazs, Ginsters, Findus and Virgin in a variety of sales and marketing roles.

When Chris joined The Flavourworks was supplying several of the UK’s big supermarkets, but it needed to develop new sales initiatives to really grow. Fast forward to today and the changes he has made have increased sales substantially. It is forecasting more than +10% sales growth over the next 12 months, from new initiatives launched this year. This will have the effect of almost doubling its underlying operating profit. In 2020 it launched 50% more new lines than the previous year.

Chris currently chairs Somerset Larder, a start-up business providing all of the catering for Hinkley Point C, and is Chair of Governors at a Somerset academy school and a Director of the Richard Huish Education Group. One of Chris’s wider ambitions is to make the food industry more attractive to school leavers and graduates, with a properly developed and supported career path.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• Can you give us an overview of the business and what The Flavourworks does? (1:20)
• Can you tell us about your career as a business leader and how it has evolved over the years? (2:24)
• You were on the team that created Virgin Cola. What was it like working with Richard Branson? (5:04)
• Can you talk more about the sale of your previous business Ministry of Cake in 2017? How did you find the process of selling and exiting the business? (6:00)
• How is the pandemic impacting your business? (11:01)
• Are you in a growth mindset, such as looking at how to expand and invest in the business? (15:34)
• How are you seeing food habits evolve? (18:31)
• How have you found the last few years with Brexit looming and are you fully prepared as a business for a potential no-deal scenario? (22:37)
• Regarding skills – is there a challenge with attracting local talent to work in the food and drink manufacturing sector, as opposed to hiring workers from Europe? (25:58)
• What advice would you give to entrepreneurs operating in the food and drink space as it’s highly competitive? (29:34)
• Final word from Chris (32:02)

Check our Virtual Events page for upcoming Business Leader Insight interviews.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

A special thanks to Arbuthnot Latham for sponsoring this edition of Business Leader Insight.

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Many will recognise Merlin Griffiths as the friendly barman and the first port of call for the nervous diners in the Channel 4 show First Dates, but there is more to him than meets the eye.

Often referred to as the ‘King of Cocktails’, Merlin has been a mixologist travelling the world and whipping up delectable drinks for over 25 years. He also is the proud owner of a country inn in Northamptonshire, giving him firsthand experience of the difficulties in the hospitality sector.

Thanks to Smart Meter GB for helping us organise this edition of Business Leader Insight. Their guide Hospitality – Take Time, Take Control is available to download now. Contact your energy supplier to find out if your business is eligible for a smart meter.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

• Can you tell us about your background? (1:17)
• Can you talk about the impact that the pandemic has had on restaurants and bars, including your own? (2:09)
• How have you found the messaging from the Government? (3:44)
• A report claimed that Eat Out to Help Out could be a major factor behind the second coronavirus spike. Do you think the hospitality industry is getting unfairly blamed for spreading the virus? (6:29)
• How do you see the recovery – do you see a surge in people dining and investing in experiences when this is over, and do you have any tips for restaurant owners? (9:20)
• Have you heard of any publicans closing their businesses? Has it got that bad for them yet? (15:13)
• How did you end up working on the Channel 4 show First Dates? (17:12)
• You’ve worked with Smart Energy GB on a guide to help small hospitality businesses can take back control in these difficult times, could you tell us about that? (18:38)
• What’s your favourite cocktail? (19:31)
• Final word from Merlin (20:11)

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There's a new President on the other side of the pond and there are constant reports of the vaccines that are going to help us shed the COVID nightmare for good. We're honoured to be joined by Alpesh Patel OBE who will impart his expertise and give hints into the companies you should be investing in.

Having recently penned an insightful look into the companies that stand out in the US, Alpesh joins us for a deeper look into the trends that he is seeing and companies you should look to be investing in. Being an asset manager, but previously a columnist on investing for the Financial Times and presenter for Bloomberg TV, Alpesh has solidified his reputation as an authority on all things investing.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• It's been a strange year, to say the least, how have your found things in your world? (1:26)
• To start off, when investing how do you decide which public stocks to invest in? (2:27)
• Following the news about the Vaccine and Biden election, what impact did you see on the markets? (4:20)
• The markets are driven by the news – Biden election, vaccine etc – but can it be dangerous to gamble around news? (6:26)
• Can you give some insight and tips about what companies or sectors our viewers should be looking towards now? (8:13)
• What investing errors do you think business leaders make when it comes to their own businesses? (12:27)
• If somebody is watching this but isn’t experienced at investing – what are the key tips you can give them? (14:20)
• On the topic of Brexit, you’ve written an article with the now Home Secretary, Priti Patel. What’s your view on the impact this will have on investment into the UK? (16:17)
• Final word from Alpesh (18:20)

Alpesh Patel OBE, Private Equity Fund manager, Dealmaker for the Department for International Trade’s Global Entrepreneur Programme, former FT columnist and with his own show on Bloomberg on investing, is a global authority on investing having written 18 books translated into 5 languages and set up the hedge fund back in 2005. You can get a free copy of his book Investing Unplugged from www.alpeshpatel.com. His fintech shows people how to invest and how to trade.

If you’d like a free course on how to invest – www.investing-champions.com. He’s also a former Visiting Fellow in Business at Oxford University and trained Barrister. In 2020 he received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to the Economy. If you’re interested in learning more about markets and companies to invest in, please contact Alpesh’s team here.

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Chika Russell is an international entrepreneur, mentor and speaker. After 10 years working in finance and banking and qualifying as a management accountant, she went on to launch CHIKA’S. Born out of three simple principles: good food, good ethos and good causes – these are snacks with soul. The CHIKA’S range of African-inspired, boldly-flavoured snacks proved mainstream consumer demand for African foods that immediately struck a chord with retailers like Wholefoods, Waitrose, Holland & Barrett’s and Ocado, establishing CHIKA’S as the leader in this space.

In 2015, Chika Russell took part in BBC’s Dragons Den and gave what Deborah Meaden described as ‘one of the best pitches ever’. The battle between the 5 Dragons for a stake in the business was the most-watched episode of the whole series. In a short period, Chika Russell has grown her business, and is now listed in an impressive 3,000 retail stockists in the UK and internationally, also including airlines and hotels. In July 2015, she launched her snacks for change programme to help send more girls to school. A supporter of girls in education since 2000, in 2019 she formalised a partnership with World Vision empowering girls with the bold aim of supporting 38,000 girls through their education by 2025.

In 2019, we recognised Chika as one of the Top 30 Inspiring UK Entrepreneurs. She has also been recognised as a ‘Consumer Business Rising Star’ by the Black British Business Awards and a future leader by She Leads Africa. CHIKA’S was ranked in the top 50 start-ups in the U.K and she has also represented female-led SMEs at 10 Downing Street’s Women in Business events.

You can order these tasty CHIKA’S snacks online or in a variety of retailers including Waitrose, Ocado & Co-Op.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

• We’ll begin with talking about you and your journey before you took the step of creating your own brand. Can you tell us about your background in business before founding CHIKA’S Foods? (1:23)
• Deciding to create your own business is a big step for any entrepreneur. Were you worried about taking that step and backing yourself? (4:15)
• You then appear on Dragon’s Den and deliver a pitch that Deborah Meaden described as one of the best pitches ever. You get offers from all of the Dragons but decided back yourself and turn them down. Could you talk us through why you made that decision and the process of appearing on the show? (6:06)
• 2020 had been a difficult year for businesses of all sizes. Has your business been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and has it changed your outlook on the business? (12:34)
• Many business leaders are talking about the lack of diversity in different sectors. Do you think more needs to be done to encourage the representation of females and minorities in the sector you operate? (16:27)
• The CHIKA’S Foods brand is closely associated with World Vision. Why was that specific cause so important to you and can you tell us a little about the partnership? (20:04)
• Putting 2020 behind of you and focusing on 2021, what are you looking forward to most in the next 12 months? (25:32)
• What would be your advice to people watching who may be thinking of taking the same step you did and launching their own business? (26:50)
• When are we going to see you on Dragon’s Den, in a chair as a Dragon? (28:59)

Click here to watch other Business Leader Insight interviews and be sure to check our Virtual Events page for upcoming interviews and events.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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Starting his first business at the age of 22 as a sole trader Joseph is the former CEO of the UK’s largest independent Boiler Installation business Impra Gas, spanning across the nation with over 150 staff and a multi-million-pound turnover. This growth was achieved in just 7 short years and Joseph has now sold this organisation at the age of 30.

Joseph rose to fame at the age of 25 after winning the BBC’s The Apprentice the UK’s largest cash prize TV show and also gaining billionaire lord sugar as a business partner. His other achievements include being a number one best-selling author with his book ‘Expelled from The Classroom to Billionaire Boardroom’. He has now set his sights on the international stage and aims to build one of the worlds biggest training and development business's Power2Succeed University focused on working with Business owners and entrepreneurs to achieve success in sales.

Alongside this Joseph has launched the first-ever training in construction The Trade Mastermind & Coaching Academy which was set up to support one-man bands, sole traders and SME's in construction. Joseph believes so strongly in the Laws of attraction and champions the tag line - ‘Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve’ his aim is to give back and make every one of the 8 billion people on this planet believe in themselves cause if they don’t, no one will.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

• You have written a book called ‘Expelled from the classroom to billionaire boardroom’ – can you tell us more about your life and experience in education? (1:05)
• You were a plumber by trade - where did your interest in business come from? (2:23)
• You won the Apprentice aged 25 – what was it like working with Lord Sugar and how did the experience as a whole impact your career? (4:34)
• Many successful business leaders have ups and downs – and you have received some bad press regarding your business ImpraGas. How do you reflect on that period and do you look back with any regrets? (7:59)
• Do you still feel that the way you exited ImpraGas was the correct way to handle that situation? (13:11)
• There is a taboo about failure in the UK, do you feel like the mindset and narrative around that topic should change in the country? (15:35)
• What is your long-term vision for The Trade Mastermind? (19:05)
• After a difficult year, many businesspeople will be disheartened by their company going bust and having to start again. What would be your advice to people going through this? (22:13)

Questions from the public

• Besides Lord Sugar, who has inspired you most in business? (23:36)
• If you could go back to 22-year-old you, what one piece of advice would you give yourself? (24:38)
• What is one fact about you that people won’t be able to find online? (24:59)

Click here to watch other Business Leader Insight interviews and be sure to check our Virtual Events page for upcoming interviews and events.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures. 

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In this fascinating Business Leader Insight interview, we were joined by Ellen Windemuth, founder of the WaterBear Network; the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet.

Ellen’s passion for nature and conservation led to the creation of the WaterBear Network. This unique, free streaming service provides access to award-winning and inspirational content that empowers members to dive deeper, learn more and take action. Prior to WaterBear, she was the owner and CEO of Off the Fence, having founded the company in 1994. Under her leadership Off the Fence has acquired, produced and co-produced over 6,000 hours of content.

Ellen is a seasoned Executive Producer and Distributor and has produced over 500 hours to date herself. She is the Chair of the Jackson Hole Film Festival Board, Honorary President of the Sunnyside Doc 2019 festival in La Rochelle, France and is active in conservation and land development. Her experience in factual entertainment programming is extensive in both production and distribution.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

• Before we talk about Waterbear and your current focus, I wanted to start talking about the early days of your production company Off the Fence. What led you to make the decision to start your own business? (0:50)
• You described yourself as “unemployable” was that also because you had strong views on how a business should be and that kind of thing? (1:31)
• Could you tell us about Off the Fence as far as growth and reach is concerned? (2:19)
• As a business grows, an entrepreneur has to give up some of their control, in important decision making for example. How did you find this in your company, and would you have any tips for viewers going through this? (3:42)
• Off the Fence was acquired after 25 years, and of course, you’re still a part of the business today but what led you to take that decision? (5:19)
• Could you tell us about Waterbear and the vision for the company? (7:22)
• You’ve described yourself in the past as someone who doesn’t like taking risks. This often flies in the face of the stereotypical entrepreneur. What clicked for you to decide that you wanted to launch Waterbear? (9:51)
• Where do you see Waterbear in 10 years’ time? (11:01)
• How have you found the last few months and how has the pandemic affected your business? (12:43)
• What drives you on and gets you up in the morning? (14:34)
• Final word (15:23)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures. 

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A movement is growing. A global agency that's disrupting the search industry, formed out a vision and the passion and creativity of a 27-year-old. This is our conversation with the inspirational Carrie Rose.

"She's too young", "it'll fade away", "it won't last"... The criticisms of this young entrepreneur have been plastered all over social media and whispered in the halls of agencies across the country. But this is not your average business leader. In June 2019, 27-year-old Carrie Rose launched Rise at Seven, with business partner and company CCO Stephen Kenwright, with a vision of using creativity and unbridled drive to disrupt the industry.

Carrie has spearheaded several campaigns for clients, using her creativity as a nuclear weapon to unleash on social media. This has seen the company grow to over 60 employees and £4m turnover in the space of just 18 months. Most impressively, Carrie's achieved these feats with a refreshing honesty. With her team, she openly admits that she is new to this journey as a leader, learning as she's going along. On the eve of the news that the company is now registered in the US, it's safe to say Carrie is a fast learner.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• What was life like for you growing up and did you have an entrepreneurial flair from an early age? (1:00)

• You worked at a number of agencies before creating your current agency Rise at Seven, how did you find working for someone else and do you feel that this prepared you for running your own business? (2:17)

• Do you remember feeling intimidated by working with big global brands at the age of 21/22 or did you not really think about it at that time? (3:41)

• Can you tell us about making the decision to launch Rise at Seven and what were the first steps you took to create the business? (5:41)

• Stephen Kenwright is CCO and your business partner at Rise at Seven. How has did the relationship with Stephen start and how did you decide that you would work well as business partners? (9:00)

• Could you tell us more about Rise at Seven and the journey over the past 18 months to where you are today? (10:35)

• Veteran business leaders have struggled to maintain staff morale and togetherness while working from home over the past year. The majority of your company’s growth has been under some kind of lockdown or restriction. Have you dealt with this personally and as a leader? (12:51)

• Learning a skill at university doesn’t quite prepare you for the real world. How have you found the first 18 months or so of your company and have you come up against any challenges that have made you question yourself? (16:47)

• You’re obviously a young female CEO of a rapidly growing business. Have you had any difficulty with older, more experienced employees, or other business leaders, not taking you seriously in business? (18:38)

• Your agency has spearheaded some exceptionally viral campaigns, what has been your favourite campaign you’ve worked on so far? (20:26)

• Is giving your staff the ability to run with a creative idea important to you? (23:10)

• Although the internet undoubtedly has its upsides, how do you feel about the negative side of social media, online bullying etc? (24:35)

• Where do you see your company in 10 years’ time? (27:00)

• You’re an unashamed creative. Do you see your future solely with your creative agency or do you have another dream opportunity in mind that you would love to pursue? (28:11)

• BUSINESS LEADERS ANSWER THE INTERNET'S QUESTIONS - What is the worst possible thing to put on your CV? (29:07)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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It’s not often you talk to someone who has worked on the CBeebies show In The Night Garden, performed as Mr T on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent and created a business with his 12-year-old son. But he is much more than this. In this episode of Business Leader Conversations, brought to you by Knightstone Capital, we talk to John Lashley; the ‘Main Dude’ and co-founder of the Brooklyn Brownie Co.

It’s a big shift to go from a creative lead in production and film, and becoming a Mr T lookalike, to creating a brownie business, but it is just a snapshot of John Lashley’s journey. John Lashley founded Brooklyn Brownie Co. in 2019 with his then 12-year-old son Leo. The start of Brooklyn Brownie Co. has extra significance to the pair as Leo’s mother and NHS nurse took her own life only days after it was set up.

This candid and inspirational interview gives you an insight into the world of a father who isn’t growing his business for the love of money, but out of love for his son. Follow Brooklyn Brownie Co. on Instagram and check out their website to pick up some tasty treats.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• Could you tell us about your experience growing up and did you have any interest in business from an early age? (1:23)
• You’ve mentioned before that your mother was a strong driving force in your education and path. How important was that figure in your life? (3:21)
• Could you tell us about your journey after you completed your early education? (4:34)
• You worked at Ragdoll for a while, the production company behind the CBeebies show In the Night Garden and then went on to be a lead creative. Working in film production is often seen as a very high-pressure job. How did you find the transition to leadership in this field and are there any lessons in particular that you learnt at that time? (8:20)
• Could you tell us a little about your rise to fame as the world’s only Mr T look-alike? (10:57)
• You worked as a creative lead on a freelance basis for a while. Did you feel like this gun-for-hire approach affected the way you were seen by the team you were brought in to manage? (14:54)
• Could you tell us a little about how you ended up launching Brooklyn Brownie? (17:29)
• How has your business grown since its launch and has the pandemic affected your business at all? (22:35)
• You had a creative past before starting Brooklyn Brownie Co. How creative do you allow yourself to get when making your product? (25:17)
• Do you want your son to stay in the business long term or do you want him to make his own decision on it? (26:52)
• Where do you see the business in 10 years’ time? (29:18)
• BUSINESS LEADERS ANSWER THE INTERNET’S QUESTIONS – How do you even start a business? (31:35)

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Whether you know him from the BBC series Dragons’ Den, his Small Business Sunday Campaign or elsewhere, Theo Paphitis is one of the most well-known business figures in the UK. In this edition of Business Leader Insight, brought to you by Arbuthnot Latham, you will get to know Theo’s rise through business, what drives him and much more.

Theo is known for his many appearances on television, including being a regular on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, Theo’s Adventure Capitalists, Britain’s Next Big Thing, Back to the Floor and The One Show, and as a regular media commentator on current affairs news programmes such as Question Time.

In 2010, small business champion Theo launched Small Business Sunday from his kitchen table on Twitter to help small businesses. This now has over 3,000 #SBS winners in the network, a free annual event and an expansive business network. He is passionate about creating and supporting entrepreneurs and encouraging startups across the UK.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• I understand you struggled at school and may not have found the teachers you had very inspiring. What would you like to go and say to those you were at school with if you could? (0:48)

• You started in business at 15 – can you tell us about why you wanted to do this? And if you wouldn’t have been a successful businessman what do you feel you would have been? (6:14)

• Do you think those early experiences toughened you up for the world of business? (8:03)

• Let’s talk about your time at Millwall FC. Why didn’t you continue with another club or in the game? (8:56)

• Is running a football club very different to running a business and did you learn any lessons that transferred over to your business career? (10:49)

• I’d like to now get your insight into what different ingredients and thinking is needed to grow a £1m business compared to a billion pound one. And why don’t more people think in these terms? (12:20)

• In the UK, it tends to be common for business leaders to exit quickly which means we haven’t produced a Facebook, Tesla, Twitter, Amazon or BMW for example. Some may say that’s a good thing, but do you have any thoughts about why Americans mainly, are more inclined to think in terms of building empires? (13:32)

• Moving onto your role on Dragons’ Den – have you ever invested in somebody you just liked – they may not have had all the number right but you just thought I like this person. Or does it always have to be against a formula? (14:32)

• What should our viewers looking for investment be aware of in regards to best practice when pitching? (15:33)

• Moving onto the economy, you know retail inside out. How do you see it changing and how will it come back stronger from the pandemic? (18:36)

• Do you think other countries will try to leave the European Union now that the UK has? (22:57)

• What keeps you up at night – what are you scared of and this could be external political factors, threats to the business world or something more personal? (26:26)

• For those who aren’t aware of Small Business Sunday (#SBS), could you tell us what it is and how it started? (30:03)

• What is one fact about you that we can’t find online? (32:35)

• A final word from Theo (33:53)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Serial founder, presenter, connector, host… These are a handful of the hats worn by Oli Barrett MBE. 

He is a humble man, who’s curiosity has sparked an impressive career as a host and presenter. Oli has hosted large events such as London Tech Week, Silicon Valley Comes to the UK and rubbed shoulders with an array of leaders from around the world. However, the most impressive element of his networking is Oli’s skill of connecting people from very different organisations to solve big problems. He prides himself on ‘trying to make life-changing introductions’, even setting up ventures to help companies do this.

Oli's latest venture, Turn On The Subtitles (TOTS), was a campaign set up to improve children’s literacy. It has an array of celebrity supporters such as Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig and Sir Lenny Henry but most impressively has made large companies such as Netflix, Sky and YouTube stand up and take notice.

Here’s a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• I mentioned in the introduction that you were called ‘the most connected man in Britain’. I have to ask, how many contacts do you have on your phone at the moment? (1:12)
• When someone mentions this, do you go “here we go again” or is this a title you wear as a badge of honour? (2:00)
• I just want to rewind back to your childhood. What was life like growing up and did you ever feel yourself being interested to the business world or was that not even a consideration back then? (2:48)
• And then it was on to university, what was your university experience like? (3:50)
• That’s such an interesting point, because if I said today on Business Leader Conversations I’ll be speaking to someone who dropped out of not one but 2 universities by the age of 23, many in the general public would label that a failure and that word has massively negative connotations. Whereas many in the business world see failure as the ultimate badge of honour. In the people you’ve come across, how important is failure and do you think attitudes about it be changed? (5:52)
• Hopping back to the schooling system in general, there’s been chatter for years about how it’s not preparing youngsters in the right way, whether that’s teaching them about taxes or that running a business is even an option for many of them. Do you think it’s time for an overhaul of the schooling system to better prepare children for the real world? (7:38)
• In doing the research at you, it’s glaringly obvious that there’s more to you then just being a connector. A lot of the businesses and causes you’ve been involved with have been set up to make other people’s lives better. Why is that so important to you and is that always something you’ve wanted to do? (9:42)
• I want to talk about Turn on the Subtitles now. This is a campaign that you set up with Henry Warren and has been a source of major change so far. Could you tell us about the campaign and its success to date? (11:52)
• You’ve spent a lot of time networking in other countries including the U.S. Are there any differences in the way things are done in business in the U.S that you believe should be brought over to the UK, whether that be a practice, a way of thinking or otherwise? (14:28)
• BUSINESS LEADERS ANSWER THE INTERNET’S QUESTIONS – Why are business people so mean? (16:55)
• What is the best advice you’ve ever received? (20:00)
• Who is the most famous businessperson in your phonebook? (21:18)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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The youngest ever Dragon, the number one business podcast in Europe, author of a Sunday Times Bestseller. Not bad for a university dropout.

In this edition of Business Leader Insight, we went to London to talk to the newest addition to the cast of the BBC show Dragons’ Den.

Steven Bartlett has been in the public eye for a number of years; founding, running, floating and then selling Social Chain, one of the UK’s fasting growing companies. Having amassed a social media following of over 2 million, Bartlett is also the host of ‘The Diary Of A CEO‘ podcast.

Here’s what we covered:

• Could you tell us about your life growing up and before launching into the business world? (0:28)
• Where did you get the drive and mentality to launch The Social Chain at such a young age? (1:15)
• Can you have success without sacrifice and 80-hour weeks? (3:28)
• How have you managed to keep focused on your business endeavours and in a growth mindset? (5:04)
• How have you managed to shift your mindset from growing a business to growing a personal brand and do you have any tips for this? (7:00)
• What is happiness for you? (10:13)
• What would you say are the common characteristics in successful people? (12:56)
• What kind of investments are you looking to make on Dragons’ Den? (14:49)
• Have any guests really stood out to you on ‘The Diary Of A CEO’ podcast? (18:56)
• What would be your advice for businesspeople going through a difficult period? (20:40)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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Having founded brokerage house Stratton Oakmont in the late 80s, Belfort quickly grew the company to become the largest of its kind in the United States. Under Belfort’s leadership, the firm was known as one of the most dynamic and successful sales organisations in Wall Street history. It also grew to an almost unprecedented level, employing over 1,000 stockbrokers and raising over $1.5 bn.

These dizzying heights were followed by a spectacular and well-publicised fall from grace. But today, Jordan Belfort’s legacy represents the ultimate redemption story. Not only was he portrayed by Leonard Dicaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street but he’s become one of the world’s leading motivational speakers, running sales training sessions that extend far beyond asking you to sell him a pen.

Having recently joined the lucrative business of NFT’s, Belfort has completed a $440k purchase of a CryptoPunk and is quickly becoming known as a thought-leader in this space. In this exclusive Business Leader Insight interview, we talk to Jordan about leadership, NFT’s, cryptocurrency and much more.

Here’s what we covered:

• In the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street, you were depicted as being a leader that people fiercely rallied around. What would be your advice for leaders looking to galvanise their business and take it to the next level? (0:40)
• Would you prefer people working from the office over people working from home? (3:13)
• What would be your motivational advice to salespeople that are going through a bit of a slump? (4:46)
• Do you think you need failure to be successful? (7:01)
• How different would your life have been if social media had been available earlier in your career? (8:04)
• Does the online hate you receive bug you at all? (8:59)
• The pandemic has seen an increase in people starting their own businesses. Do you believe the 9-5, Monday-Friday job will start to disappear? (10:26)
• You recently joined the lucrative business of NFT’s with a $440k purchase of a CryptoPunk – can you tell us about this? (12:54)
• What do you see NFT’s as and why should you invest in them? (14:35)
• If you gave us a crystal-ball look into the future, how long until NFTs are completely mainstream and blockchain used in other industries? (18:18)
• What would you say are the risks and downsides to NFT’s and the ‘Metaverse’? (20:42)
• What would you say are the differences and similarities between Wall Street and NFT’s? (24:34)
• If you could invest in anything, what would it be? (27:42)
• Who are the notable business leaders that you admire now? (29:25)
• What’s next for Jordan Belfort? (31:11)
• Any final words for our listeners Jordan? (32:22)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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From making vegetable wreaths and running local Christmas fairs to revolutionising the landscape of e-commerce and encouraging thousands of small businesses to thrive, Holly Tucker MBE is not your average entrepreneur.

In this edition of Business Leader Insight, we sit down for a one-on-one interview with the founder of notonthehighstreet and Holly & Co.

Holly’s obsession with changing corporate landscape and its outdated business ‘rules’ led her to create Holly & Co, a small business advice and inspiration platform that has developed a supportive community of like-minded founders and entrepreneurs.

Holly is also the author of a Sunday Times bestselling book called Do What You Love, Love What You Do, which helps demystify the grey world of business and helps anyone build a business doing what they love.

Here's what we covered during our chat:

- You spent some time abroad growing up. Could you tell us about this experience, and do you feel that it helped shape you into the person you are today? (0:56)

- Notonthehighstreet came about at a time when e-commerce was still in its infancy. How did you find the experience of shaping a whole industry and where did that drive come from? (2:58)

- Many leaders struggle to correctly identify when to give up or pivot correctly. How did you know to keep going with your idea? (6:04)

- Could you tell us about your experience of raising money for notonthehighstreet? (8:20)

- How did you find the transition of being in control of a company and bringing in others to help in leadership positions? (11:25)

- Do you have any tips for leaders looking to build their personal brand? (14:58)

- If someone is at home and has a great idea but no clue where to start, and you could only give them one piece of advice or area to focus on, what would that be? (18:47)

- One of your key focuses with Holly & Co is to ‘bring colour to grey’. Where did this obsession stem from and why is it so important to you? (20:50)

- As a business leader, what is your view on working from home vs. working in an office? (23:25)

- You’re a very happy person. What makes you frustrated and upset? (25:03)

- What direction is social media, and other marketing channels, heading in your opinion? (26:27)

- What is one fact about you that people can’t find online? (28:18)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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