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James Reed: all about business: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Reed Global
'James Reed: all about business' puts you at the heart of fun, dynamic, candid conversation with business leaders, philanthropists and charitable celebrities as they use their journeys to give clear, actionable advice. Hosted by James Reed CBE, the Chairman and CEO of Reed Group, you’ll hear the highs and lows of what it means to be a true business leader to empower you to implement smarter, more meaningful strategy in your business or career.
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- Yesterday58 min
83. Are you selling too early? The succession model most founders have never heard of | Victoria Stapleton
Thirty years of building a business without a board, without investors, and without ever wanting to sell, and it just keeps growing, there’s something to learn from that.In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Victoria Stapleton, founder of Brora, the British luxury cashmere and clothing brand. Victoria has built Brora over 30 years from a single supplier and a home phone number into a business with shops across the UK, a store on Madison Avenue, and a fiercely loyal customer base.Victoria shares what she learned from building slowly and deliberately, and why organic growth gave her control, quality, and a life outside work. She also gives insight about why every founder considering outside investment should think carefully about what they are actually giving if they take it.Together they explore what it really takes to run a product business built on craft and quality: how to manage suppliers, why the shop experience matters more than ever, and what you actually learn about your business by walking the warehouse floor every morning.Victoria's tells is about who she transitioned Brora into an Employee Ownership Trust, one of the most underused business succession models in the UK, and how it works. Timestamps11:25 First Shop and Doing It All18:49 Hiring and Building a Loyal Team20:52 Organic Growth and Staying Independent30:21 In Store Styling Magic38:21 Bonuses Profit And Legacy47:05 Store Locations And New York54:19 Glasgow Store Failure Lessons56:14 Final Questions And FarewellLinksFollow James Reed on LinkedInFollow Brora on LinkedInFind out more Brora and their products hereSubmit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HEREAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
- 1 weeks ago56 min
82. The signs that tell you your business idea is ready to build | Sahar Hashemi OBE
Most people think successful entrepreneurs spot brilliant ideas.Sahar Hashemi believes the opposite.In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Sahar Hashemi, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Buy Women Built. They talk about Sahar’s journey over three decades building businesses, backing herself, and why entrepreneurship is far simpler than most people make it.Sahar shares the hard lessons from scaling Coffee Republic to 110 stores and what happened when they handed the business to the professionals. What she learned about founders staying close to their customers, why bureaucracy is the silent killer of entrepreneurial culture, and why the moment you lose sight of who you are serving, is the moment a business starts to decline.Together they explore what a startup mindset actually looks like in practice, how to know when a growing business is quietly losing its edge, and why the single most important thing any leader can do is keep their people connected to the customer. Sahar also makes the case that something done badly is better than if it’s not done at all, and that the best thing any aspiring entrepreneur can do is start somewhere, however small.Timestamps3:13 Discovering New York-style coffee9:30 The decision to leave law12:19 First Coffee Republic16:54 Going public26:39 The tweet that sparked Buy Women Built35:05 The Rose Review of Entrepreneurship40:43 The startup mindset51:17 No plan, just purposeLinksFollow James Reed on LinkedInFollow Sahar Hashemi on LinkedInFind out more Buy Women BuiltSubmit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HEREAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
- 2 weeks ago53 min
81. How Gousto is taking on the ultra-processed food industry | Timo Boldt
60% of the UK diet is ultra-processed. And the food industry is manufacturing your addiction. So why is this public health crisis continuing in plain sight, and what it would actually take to change it?Two things are clear. Britain's food system is more broken than most people realise. And Gousto is far more interesting a business than its recipe boxes suggest.In today’s episode, James speaks with Timo Boldt, founder and CEO of Gousto, about building one of the UK's most ambitious food businesses from scratch and why, 14 years and 80 million meals later, he's only just getting started.Timo shares how he left a career in investment banking to start again. With no money, no network, no customers, he shares what that journey has taught him about fundraising without connections, growing with your customers and building a business around a problem genuinely worth solving.They also discuss how Gousto has used AI intelligently from the beginning, not as a replacement for people, but as a tool that makes the whole operation sharper; from cutting food waste and optimising factory logistics to building fully personalised menus that 80% of customers now rely on.Timestamps:01:37 What Gousto Does06:23 From Banking to Entrepreneurship13:24 Scrappy Startup and First Orders25:35 Affordability Taxes and Transparency31:16 Healthy Without Preaching34:33 Factories And Delivery Network42:12 China Trip AI And RoboticsLinksFollow James Reed on LinkedInFollow Timo Boldt on LinkedInFind out more about Gousto and their productsSubmit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HEREAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
- 3 weeks ago1h 8m
80. How a £5,000 workshop accidentally became a global luxury brand | Tom Faulkner
What does it take to build a luxury brand by accident and keep it thriving for 30 years without ever taking outside investment?In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Tom Faulkner, award-winning British furniture designer and founder of Tom Faulkner Limited. They talk about the unlikely journey from redundancy at a record label to running one of the UK's most distinctive handcrafted furniture brands, with showrooms in London and New York, and a workshop in Swindon that has been making things by hand since 1996.Tom shares the story of how a side hustle in hand-painted tabletops became a serious business the moment he discovered what you could do with metal. He talks about buying a Swindon fabrication workshop for £5,000, inheriting two employees, slowly building a loyal team and a global client base. All through organic growth, word of mouth, and relationships with interior designers.They explore what it really means to build a premium, handcrafted brand in the modern world: the growing appetite among wealthy clients to understand how things are made, why British manufacturing remains a genuine selling point in the American market, and how Tom navigated the early months of US tariffs with a decision that cost him margin but protected his customer relationships.Together they also discuss the challenge of succession and legacy for founder-led businesses, why Tom has never chased scale for its own sake, and what he hopes to do next.Timestamps4:56 From Chrysalis Records to Hand-Painted Furniture8:40 Buying the Swindon Workshop (The £5,000 Decision)12:56 The Pimlico Road Showroom & London's Design Cluster15:53 Expanding to New York20:24 Staying Artisan: Organic Growth & British Manufacturing25:20 Signature Pieces: Capricorn & the Collections36:13 Navigating Business Challenges & US Tariffs43:01 Future Plans: Collaborations, Sculpture & What's Next57:04 Advice for Young EntrepreneursFollow James Reed on LinkedInFollow Tom Faulkner on LinkedInFind out more about Tom Faulkner LTD and their products HERESubmit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HEREAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
- 4 weeks ago58 min
79. What businesses should learn from museums about innovation | Elizabeth McKay
How can a major museum be run with the same entrepreneurial mindset as a high-growth business?In today's episode, James Reed speaks with Elizabeth McKay, Director and CEO of the London Transport Museum. While many perceive museums as static archives, Elizabeth explains how she applies commercial strategy to ensure one of London’s most iconic cultural landmarks remains financially sustainable and relevant in a modern economy.Elizabeth shares insights from her unconventional career journey and explains why the museum identifies as the best in the world for urban transport. They explore the evolution of work through the lens of London’s history, from the original "chairmen" who carried sedan chairs to the "navvies" who hand-dug the first underground network.Together they discuss the balance between preserving heritage and driving innovation, including the story of Harry Beck’s revolutionary Tube map and how it was initially rejected for being too radical. Elizabeth also outlines the realities of leading a cultural institution that functions as both a charity and a successful commercial entity.Timestamps01:48 Transport history highlights09:50 Young entrepreneurs message20:04 Design DNA of TFL24:26 Running the museum business33:27 Leading through uncertainty40:21 Funding model explained45:10 Youth skills pipelineFollow James Reed on LinkedInFollow Elizabeth McCay on LinkedIn:Find out more about TFL Museum and their exhibitions here: Submit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HEREAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
- May 11, 202648 min
78. The crisis facing UK retail and food businesses | Sarah Bradbury
Why are millions of jobs going unfilled in one of the UK’s biggest industries, while so many young people are struggling to find work?In this episode of all about business, James Reed speaks with Saran Bradbury, CEO of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, about the future of the UK food industry, the growing challenge of attracting young talent, and why the sector may offer far more opportunities than people realise.Saran shares insights from her 25-year career across major retailers, before stepping into one of the most influential leadership roles in the UK food sector. She explains how IGD works across the entire food system and how they help competitors collaborate on the biggest long-term challenges facing the industry.They explore the pressures reshaping food and retail, including changing consumer habits, climate change, AI, automation, workforce shortages, and the potential impact of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, on the future of food consumption.Together they also discuss leadership, collaboration between rival businesses, and why the UK food industry remains one of the country’s most important, and underestimated, economic forces.Timestamps 02:00 What IGD does08:43 Retail tech and AI trends12:27 UK food system challenges18:36 Land use and solar farms23:47 Hidden food careers31:29 Youth unemployment urgency43:27 Closing reflections and CEO ForumFollow James Reed on LinkedInFollow Sarah Bradbury on LinkedInFind out more about IGD and their impact HEREAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
- May 4, 2026interview1h 9m7-min read
77. What it’s really like running a funeral directors business | Damian Melville
Funeral director Damien Melville shares the emotional, logistical, and economic realities of running a family-owned funeral business in North London, from building trust in the Afro-Caribbean community to navigating the trauma of the pandemic and rising operational costs that threaten small business sustainability.
- Apr 27, 202627 min
76. How to get a pay rise: Salary negotiation that works | Connor Scully
Is an awkward conversation the only thing standing between you and the salary you deserve?In this episode of all about business, Connor Scully, Senior Executive Consultant at Reed Specialist Recruitment, sits down with James to discuss how professionals can effectively secure a pay rise in their current role.Connor shares practical advice on how to move beyond the discomfort of pay discussions by focusing on preparation, timing, and proving your worth. The conversation explores how to assess whether you are truly due a salary increase, emphasizing the need to align your output with business goals and quantify your impact through measurable KPIs. Connor explains why being proactive, taking on extra responsibilities during company hardships, or "saying yes" to complex projects, is key to becoming an indispensable asset.Whether you feel underpaid or are looking to take the next step in your career, this episode offers a step-by-step guide to navigating pay conversations with confidence and a growth mindsetTimestamps02:00 Are You Due More04:42 Prep And Timing Mistakes09:38 When To Job Hunt12:19 Ask In Person15:36 Say Yes More Often20:22 Employer Perspective on Pay RequestsFollow James Reed on LinkedInFind out how Reed can help you advance your career here: Find out more about Reed Specialist Recruitment here: Find out more Number Eight restaurant here:All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
About James Reed: all about business
'James Reed: all about business' puts you at the heart of fun, dynamic, candid conversation with business leaders, philanthropists and charitable celebrities as they use their journeys to give clear, actionable advice. Hosted by James Reed CBE, the Chairman and CEO of Reed Group, you’ll hear the highs and lows of what it means to be a true business leader to empower you to implement smarter, more meaningful strategy in your business or career.
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