Podcast

Necessity breeds invention! When Eccie and her sister, Gini, struggled to find kitchen space to support their office lunch delivery company, Karma Cans, Karma Kitchen was born. They are growing dramatically, driven by the desire to help food businesses find spaces that suit their needs, without having to build their own kitchens.

Karma Kitchen provides co-working and commercial kitchen spaces across London. Over the next five years, they are planning to open 50 new sites, supplying affordable workspace to over 5,000 startups and SMEs across Europe.

It was fascinating talking to Eccie, shining a light on the world of ‘dark kitchens’. We learn about her dynamic journey to date and her ambitions for the future.

You can find out more about Karma Kitchen’s great work here.

Gregory is a natural born adventurer, serial entrepreneur and venture builder, led by a lifetime of experience across the continents.

This experience of the world, combined with a deep interest in sustainability, an acute insight into different cultures, and a love of wildlife and nature, have combined to form Atlas Accessories, grown from Gregory’s personal search for jewellery that combines meaning, durability and style.

As well as producing distinct pieces with an aesthetic underscored by designs that place connection, depth of meaning and warmth at the fore, his brand is equally focused on the marking of meaningful experiences, empowering storytelling and using success to power change.

Gregory wants to elevate and enrich people’s lives by changing the way we relate to jewellery and to the world around us.

He believes in being ethical and accountable and treating the planet like a stakeholder as he creates purposely designed jewellery pieces that connect people to feelings, meaning and memory and last a lifetime.

It was fascinating hearing Gregory speak with such passion, and an enlightening introduction to the world of storytelling through jewellery.

What does Happy mean to Henry? As his title at Happy embraces, happiness is something Henry thinks about a lot.

Named on the Thinkers50 list Guru Radar of the top 50 business thinkers worldwide, he loves speaking at events - sharing his enthusiasm about how to create great workplace cultures.

Happy, the company Henry founded, focuses on helping organisations to shape happy workplaces, by working with their leadership to enable a culture of trust and freedom.

They know that people don't like being micromanaged, being told what to do, and blame culture. What they do like, and what enables them to thrive, is doing something they are good at, having the freedom to do it well, a manager who coaches rather than dictates, and a culture that celebrates mistakes.

What an uplifting and infectiously heartwarming experience it was talking with Henry. I hope you enjoy it too.

Holy Moly, guacamole! Tom and Gaz, with their team at Holy Moly Dips, are shaking up the chilled dips aisle, on their mission to bring us dips that taste great and make you feel good — by doing things the right way, not the easy way.

Passionate about their range of products tasting great at the same time as being produced sustainably, and by only using the finest natural ingredients, they were tireless in their quest to achieve the convenience of ‘shop-bought’ with the wholesome deliciousness of ‘home-made’. No compromise.

Their products caught my eye when they first hit the shelves, and their seemingly overnight success is intriguing, as is Tom and Gaz’s unconventional career path into food manufacturing.

I was delighted to get this chance to interview Tom and Gaz and hear all about their story, which I’m excited to share with you too.

Mission not impossible. Jumptech is trailblazing their way through the world of electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

Their smart-tech is taking the hassle out of the EV charge point installation process, making it easier for companies to quickly and efficiently install charge points and other low-carbon devices in the most compliant and scalable way possible. And it’s a premium end-user experience.

Simply put, the greater the ease of installation, the greater the uptake – it’s good for the planet and good for everyone involved.

It is exciting to see them accelerate the worldwide adoption of electric vehicles and green, clean technologies by streamlining installations and connecting stakeholders.

Steering the ship of such a rapidly expanding business doesn’t come without its challenges, and I loved talking through Phil and Charlie’s experiences and insights in this brilliant interview.

Their apt name evokes energy, activism and vitality, which Leap has in spades. Matt founded this eco-centred, change-making design agency in 2004. His passion for creativity, sustainability and designing for change formed Leap’s foundations. Leading Leap from the front, Matt sets the course and culture for the agency and enjoys generating new and  exciting relationships. His effervescent enthusiasm is infectious, and his role as an ambassador for B Corp is inspirational. Leap was the first design agency in the UK to be awarded B Corp status.

Matt is curious, values-driven and an everlasting optimist. He believes that creativity has more potential for environmental and social change than politicians, environmentalists and scientists combined. In this interview we find out why.

Do wine and cans go together like strawberries and cream? Henry thinks so! England is now the most exciting sparkling wine region in the world. Causing some of that stir is The Uncommon, the revolutionary British winemaker. Their innovative choice to can, rather than bottle, their wines has a lighter environmental footprint, is brilliantly convenient and keeps their spritzy, aromatic wines fresher for longer.

The Uncommon came to be in 2017, when Henry Connell and his partner, Alex Thraves, decided to make and market ‘unbelievably good bubbly’ in the South East of England.

They are proud to be the first winemakers in the UK to be Certified B Corp, joining a global community that uses business as a force for good.

And their quirky, distinctively designed packaging says a lot about their brand’s personality!

Their business might be all about managing wealth, but their purpose is all about family.

Mike Aitken established Magus Wealth over 25 years ago. An independent, boutique Financial Planning and Investment Management business, they are proud to be a chartered firm - a status that only the UK’s best financial planning firms qualify for.

I love the story behind their logo. It’s the ‘Dara knot’, meaning ‘everything back to family’. It’s a sentiment close to their heart, and it runs through their business like a stick of rock.

For the Magus team, helping their clients to grow, protect and pass on their wealth is about more than money, it’s about building personal, lifelong relationships. Connecting, listening and understanding is at the heart of their business.

What is this refreshing alchemy that successfully blends environmental, social and financial goals?

Meet Rebalance Earth, helping companies to meet their Net Zero and nature-positive targets more efficiently and transparently.

Capitalism can be a force for good in its sustainable form. That’s Rob Gardner’s passionate belief. He’s determined to make a real difference in the face of climate change challenges and biodiversity loss, using his experience from a successful career in banking and investment to develop a platform for natural assets that creates a biodiversity net gain, captures carbon and creates new job opportunities.

How do you manage your mental health? Are you in touch with your moods day to day and aware of your feelings? Gareth Dauncey found a brilliant, visual way to manage his own wellbeing, which he went on to develop in an app to improve many people’s lives. Mood helps people to better manage their mental wellbeing with one tap a day, and share how they feel without the need for words.

Imagine a living in a beautiful place that is affordable and inclusive, where people thrive and economies flourish alongside stunning landscapes. Sounds too good to be true? My guest on this show doesn't think so. Jonathan Smales is the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Human Nature, a new generation sustainable developments business. Jonathan believes passionately that it’s time to create a new generation of places, homes and shared spaces that regenerate where we can live well in ways that respond to the crises of climate and nature. Human Nature’s unapologetically ambitious vision is to create remarkable living spaces, growing strong communities with architecture and landscapes that surprise and delight.

How exhilarating to learn and to be inspired whilst on the wild and beautiful St. David’s peninsula. That’s exactly what the TYF Group provides with their leading sustainability, adventure and education business that helps people reconnect to nature, to possibility and to each other. They have been on a mission for over 35 years to inspire customers of all ages with low-carbon, eco-friendly outfitted adventures, training and education programmes, all nestled in nature’s best surroundings. We discussed how Andy’s passions have combined with business over the years.

Did you find your vocation later in life? Shaun Russell certainly did. His belief that a more Scandinavian approach to life is better for all - a proven model of societal and environmental better practice that the world can truly benefit from - led to him founding Skandinavisk in 2012 to spread the word. We discussed his motivation in starting the business ‘later in life’ and the many valuable learnings he’s picked up along the way, whilst building and adapting the business over the past 10 years.

When your passion serves millions of people and the environment, through a successful and sustainable business, it’s a pretty powerful combination. Interviewing Nick Russill for the second time, we focused on Snow-Forecast, a business he co-founded over 25 years ago. Now one of the internet’s most widely-used specialist weather websites, along with its sister websites it supports a global audience of over 50 million users each year. Nick is passionate about using his voice to help people become more aware of ways to reduce their environmental impact and to acknowledge climate change.

Honesty. Agility. Harmony. Saying no. Sounds refreshing, doesn’t it! Nick Russill is a co-founder of TerraDat, a company using state-of-the-art geophysical mapping techniques to map the subsurface in a non-invasive way that can rapidly map large areas and reduce the chance of missing buried targets. He is also a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence and a photographer. We covered how TerraDat Geophysics started, and its 28 years of steady growth.

They did it! It was fantastic to interview new World Record holder, Guy Rigby, again, now he’s back on dry land! Guy and his fellow rower, David Murray, completed the challenging feat of rowing 3,000 miles from the Canaries to Antigua over 53 days, making them the oldest pair ever to row any ocean to date.

For some people, it’s not enough to reach for the stars. They’ve got their eye on the moon, too! Guy Rigby is one of these inspiring individuals. Not only is Guy a respected Chair for Entrepreneurial Services for Smith and Williamson, but he’s rowing the Atlantic for The Entrepreneur Ship, in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in December 2021 and attempting to break the record for the oldest pair (combined age) ever to row any ocean. It was really interesting hearing all about his and his rowing partner’s thorough preparations for their epic voyage.

When did you last feel inspired and energised; have your perspective challenged? Hearing others’ stories can be incredibly inspirational. For me, David Hieatt is right up there on my list and I’m pretty confident you’ll find him inspirational too. In this second time of interviewing David, he shared his story, starting on the far edge of West Wales on an old farm in 2007. This is where the idea for The DO Lectures began, as a space for the world’s ‘DOers’ to feed their dreams. He talked about the belief, the struggles, and the resilience involved in developing one of the most unique and exclusive events around, the power of purpose-driven brands, and lots more besides.

A new company making jeans in Wales? We explored the extraordinary story behind how David Hiett got his town, Cardigan in Wales, making jeans again, with the launch of his successful business, Hiut Denim. It sounds like it should be made into a film!

They say necessity breeds invention and that’s what certainly drove Emma Killilea to build her brand, Delicious Alchemy. After being diagnosed as a coeliac and realising the limitation of gluten-free products on the market, Emma decided to dedicate her life to making gluten-free options commonplace, to help more people live a happy and healthy life.

Let’s shout about sound! I guarantee you’ll think of it in a whole new light after listening to this interview. Julian founded The Sound Agency . He’s also an author and an international speaker who has been invited to do five TED talks on aspects of sound and communication. We discussed ‘the business of sound’, his TED talks and the over 100 million views they have garnered. We also talked about how it felt to be marketing a product/service that was such a new concept, and the thinking behind having confidence in your business’s future success.

Juggling several businesses, I’m not surprised that Carrie Bedingfield has a lot of good advice to share on time management. Carrie is the founder of Onefish Marketing, a company with the knack for articulating complex services and energising the market you need to sell them to, and 50th Generation, which provides training, funding, mentoring and a powerful community for companies who want to create meaningful, joyful and purpose-led businesses. She is also a TEDx speaker, and the founder of FewerFasterBolder.

What a joy to spend your working days using your creativity and love of the outdoors to bring wonder to your clients’ garden spaces. That’s what John Wyer has been doing for more than 35 years as a widely respected and published landscape designer, lecturing on his work both in the UK and abroad.

Sometimes true stories are more captivating than a best-selling novel. Alfie Best’s story firmly fits in this category. From scratch, after being born in a caravan to a poor Romany Gypsy family, Alfie has built up Wyldecrest Parks, which now has 75 residential mobile home parks, seven holiday mobile home parks and a golf course in Hertfordshire, along with a 50% share in 15 sites in the US. This success has led to him being featured in the Sunday Times UK rich list.

An 18 year old starting up what has become an award-winning, multi-million pound company? That’s quite an achievement, and quite a story! I was excited to quiz Rachael Flanagan on what’s driven her on this successful journey. Mrs Buckét is a commercial cleaning company delivering services and facilities to a range of businesses, helping them maintain a high standard of hygiene in their workplaces. During the interview we discussed how Rachael started her business at such a young age, and how it has developed and grown into the successful company it is today.

Have you ever considered how the worlds of burlesque and business can complement each other? Paulina Tenner has! She is a serial entrepreneur, investor, keynote speaker, writer, and burlesque performer. We discussed Paulina’s novel Holacracy based organisation, GrantTree, which has arranged over £200m in equity-free R&D funding from the government, to help SMEs. We also talked about the highs and lows of investing in small tech businesses.

Do you know when to reach out for support? Its impact on the success on your business can be incredibly powerful. Spencer Gallagher and his team have worked with over 1,000 creative, tech and innovation agencies over the past 10 years. We discussed how they help agencies overcome growth challenges to create successful outcomes for their businesses. As Co-Founder of Agencynomics, the community that supports agencies of today and the future, he helps steer them in making the right business decisions.

Every day’s a learning day, and it’s refreshing to hear about a new take on training. Bob Bannister has built iManage Performance as a training company with a difference, focusing on blended learning (combining face-to-face and online learning). Their sole purpose is to change people for good, through a process of challenging learners to think in new ways and to put new practices into daily action. Their learning is always totally engaging, without a powerpoint presentation in sight!

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pain? Nothing too positive, I’m guessing. Richmond Stace is a pioneer in his attitude to pain management. We talked about how he applies his extensive experience in nursing, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, coaching and neuroscience to help individuals manage and improve chronic pain, embracing people’s strengths and the potential to improve their lives. He runs his business from the heart, prioritising his clients’ wellbeing over his balance sheet.

Financial freedom is an ‘end of the rainbow’ concept for many people. Alexlouise Thomas has made a successful career out of helping people find theirs. She began investing in property and in personal development courses, before retiring from catering at the ripe old age of 32. We discussed how she helps others to live their dreams of financial freedom and fulfilment, and how she loves seeing the transformation in people’s lives. We also discuss the joint ventures that make possible things that an individual couldn’t achieve alone.

Can you read people with your eyes? Observing and interpreting every tiny gesture to understand and interact with them better?  Alan Stevens, Creator & Host of the #WeTogether initiative and The Campfire Project is a real pro at it. His expertise is in showing us how we can read people to build successful relationships, negotiations, improve teams and staff loyalty, and close deals faster. Amongst other things, in our conversation he expanded on micro-expressions and how we can benefit from learning to pick up on them and read them accurately.

In this digital age, how wonderful and refreshing to champion the beautiful art of real handwriting and to see how impactful this form of connection can be. Greg Smith’s Australia-based business, Send Handwritten, provides a unique lead generation service globally, driven by the need for a human connection in the sea of electronic communication. Providing bespoke and creative cards, wax sealed and written by real people, they help businesses stand out in the sea of sameness. In his past life, Greg founded and ran a successful adventure-based outdoor learning business.

Most of us really enjoy a good restaurant experience, but we probably don’t think too much about what goes on behind the scenes that makes it great. The frantically paddling feet beneath the gliding swan! Peter Backman is a leading expert on the structure and dynamics of the hospitality sector, and its supply chain in the UK and across Europe. During this interview, Peter talked about his remarkable life, what it takes to go from zero to hero in business, his advice to young entrepreneurs, his philosophy behind his book ‘Restaurants Also Serve Food’, and his thoughts on the future of the hospitality industry.

Igniting children’s passion for reading is giving them a powerful gift for life, and that’s what Lulu Skantze does every day, through the  business she founded, Storytime magazine. Since its impactful launch in 2014, it continues to be the UK’s leading and most dynamic children’s magazine. Lulu has extensive expertise in children’s literacy, along with a passion for collaboration and language. She shared her ambitions of growing the digital side of the magazine and of becoming a leader in inclusivity, as well as being a strong presence in education.

What a massive adrenaline rush to build a big, recognisable brand with huge exposure. Juliet Barratt knows how that feels firsthand! She  is a brilliant and inspiring leader who has made Grenade the world's fastest-growing nutrition brand. We talked about how it’s crucial to create a strong brand identity and be mindful of your business’s culture. We also covered the key role of distribution channels, the positive and negative effects of investors, and why you need to surround yourself with people who you work well with.