Radio Show

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.