Before we take a break ahead of series two, there's time for a special bonus episode. Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and Be the Business, took a few minutes out of his day to take us inside the day-to-day workings at one of Britain's biggest retail brands. He discussed:

• How he stays connected to thousands of the company's "partners" around the country
• Why continual improvement is so important
• What happens when he visits different John Lewis or Waitrose sites
• His rallying call for British firms wanting to improve but not knowing where to start

GUEST: Sir Charlie Mayfield HOST: Hunter Ruthven TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, luxury goods, manufacturing For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com