I present a business show on Meridian FM on the last Sunday of every month at 5pm called "Real Business with Alan Wick". It’s available over the air in Surrey and Sussex, and on TuneIn internet radio. I interview experienced entrepreneurs who are not only happy to share their success stories, but are also willing to talk about their mistakes, what they’ve learned from them and are still learning as they continue along their journey. Plus there’s a Reflections Section at the end, where I link their experiences with learnings you can apply to your business. If you have a question or a comment, do please call my 24 hour hotline 01342 889488. Or you can email realbusiness@alanwick.com.
If you end up missing part of a show, or you want to listen to one again, check out Meridian FM's Listen Again page. I hope you enjoy the show, and more importantly, that you learn something from it that's useful for your own business.
Here's a selection of some of the fascinating entrepreneurs I've had the pleasure of interviewing:
Real Business
with Alan Wick
During this session, I was delighted to be joined by Julian Treasure, founder of The Sound Agency. Julian is an author & an international speaker who has been invited to do 5 TED talks on various aspects of sound & communication. If you are intrigued, do listen as we will be discussing his TED talks & the 100 million views they have garnered. In addition, we discussed subjects including:
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What is “the business of sound” & how it can benefit businesses
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The importance of having a very clear purpose
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The challenges of offering a product or service that people don’t know they need
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How to build a successful business with a virtual team
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The difference between having faith in one’s business & knowing it’ll succeed
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Julian’s most important learnings from his long experience as an entrepreneur
In this radio show, I was thrilled to interview David Hieatt, co-founder of Hiut Denim Co and The Do Lectures.
We explored David’s extraordinary story; starting with how he got his town making jeans again, with the launch of his successful business Hiut Denim Co. David & I discussed his extensive experience and delved into his thoughts around:
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How story telling can make such a difference to a business and brand
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The power of purpose driven brands
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How having a clear purpose makes you strong
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What to look out for when you take investors on board
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The most important sales tool
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How to deal with a crisis and avoid defeat
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Understanding the culture of a business and its impact
Read more about David and the show.
Grenade’s Co-founder and former Chief Marketing Officer, Juliet Barratt has had a fascinating career which has spanned education, charity and training, before succeeding in the world of marketing and sports nutrition, with the launch of market leading sports performance and active nutrition brand, Grenade. Juliet still prioritises education and spends a lot of her spare time mentoring young entrepreneurs and assisting them with start-ups. She loves business and is hugely proud of Grenade’s growth and position in the market. Juliet talks at various events about Founding Grenade and the entrepreneurial journey. Having stepped away from day to day Grenade, Juliet holds Chairperson and NED roles in several branded goods businesses and is excited about working with businesses on their growth journey. Her straight talking and very practical viewpoint is refreshing along with determination and unrivalled work ethic.
Peter Backman is a leading expert on the structure and dynamics of the foodservice sector, and its supply chain, in the UK and across Europe. He has been involved, as a researcher and consultant within the sector, for over 30 years blending his knowledge with a deep understanding of the trends, key players and challenges of organisations with an interest in food service. He regularly speaks at conferences worldwide and his views are sought by television, radio, the Bank of England and the press. Peter has many innovations to his credit having been the first person to define the structure of the eating out market in the terms which are now widely used by the industry, as well as the most extensive database model of the foodservice sector.
Entrepreneur, business growth and business communication expert, investor and guest lecturer, TEDx speaker, Carrie works with a handful of purpose-led organisations to create scale, great products and meaningful work. She's the creator of LoMo - fast, self responsible meeting structures. She founded 50th Generation - an incubator in Cambridge and now London for meaningful, growing businesses. Carrie founded marketing and communication consultancy, Onefish Twofish in 2005. She created the The Lead Generation Machine – a systematic methodology for building a pipeline of business. Carrie is the pioneer of "Clean Communication" - a straightforward, human language and way of communicating clearly with other people at work. And as if that wasn't enough, she's a visiting lecturer at Cambridge University Judge Business School, Anglian Ruskin University and Finnish Venture Camp.
From private sanctuaries to the busiest public places and highest profile show gardens, Bowles & Wyer is the company behind some of the UK’s most looked forward to landscapes. John has more than 35 years’ professional experience and is a widely published and respected designer, lecturing on his work both in the UK and abroad. He co-founded the company in 1993 and continues to take a lead role in design, client liaison and the planning process. He writes a widely read monthly blog that explores his insights into the design process, ponders on the roles of landscape and maintenance, and relates his adventures with cycling and swimming ponds.
Wyldecrest Parks is a mobile home park company. Alfie's businesses in the UK include 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, totalling £285 million. He was recently featured in the Sunday Times UK rich list. He was born in a caravan to a poor Romany Gypsy family. He left school at the age of 12 and started his first business at 14 years old, buying and selling cars and vans.
Listen to my interview with the fascinating Bob Bannister of iManage Performance, a training company that works with organisations to change people for good, focusing on blended learning where they combine face-to-face & online learning.
We discussed such topics as:
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How to successfully manage remote teams
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The creation of high functioning teams and how to get people working well together
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The importance of trust within remote teams
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How to encourage professional intimacy
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The impact of flexibility at work on lifestyle
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The silver linings that can come out of difficult times