Dear 26 Year Old Me

Simon Ward was formerly the Chief Operating Officer for the British Fashion Council and was responsible for London Fashion Week, the highlight of the British fashion industry calendar. He talks openly about the challenges of working in the fashion industry, the ethics of working practice, and how he developed a career after training as an opera singer. Join Ben, Tom, Ellie, and Gareth as they explore the inspirational journey of one of British fashion's great influencers!

Rachel Ray founded "Bright and Beautiful" after she decided she wanted to change the balance of her life. She identified a need among many working families to provide support, and make family life better. That business has since gone national and is now generating millions of pounds of turnover across hundreds of franchises. Hear Rachel's incredible story of how she built a culture, recruited the right people and eventually sold the business to the right buyer.

Ram Gidoomal CBE arrived in the UK as a refugee. Since then he has gone on to build a huge business, retire at 37 years old, be awarded a CBE by Her Majesty The Queen, and run for London Mayor. He has quite simply one of THE most extraordinary stories and we CANNOT WAIT for you to hear it.

From her roots on the remote Scottish island of Harris to becoming Director of BBC Scotland, Donalda MacKinnon has experienced an incredible career in media. In this wide-ranging interview, Donalda shares how she rose through the ranks, what she sees are the priorities for the BBC and how she is attempting to tackle issues of gender imbalance, pay inequality and corporate culture as part of her role. Join Ben, Gareth, Tom and Ellie as they explore what Donalda MacKinnon would say to her 'Dear 26 Year Old Me'.

Season two starts with a BOOM as we welcome former Olympian, TV personality, and all round legend Kriss Akabusi. Kriss joins the D26YOM team as he shares his incredible story from struggling with identity following a childhood in care homes, finding value in discipline through his time in the army, and how THAT '91 World Championships relay gold shaped his thinking on strategy, taking risks and recognising what it takes to be a champion at whatever you do.

Vincent Vieugue is a geophysicist who has worked for 25 years in the oil and gas industry. Despite being French, he has never worked in France but instead everywhere from Norway to Africa to New York and London. In this fascinating episode, Vincent shares how to maintain integrity in an industry that pushes the boundaries, how to start a new business and how to get the most out of the people around you. Also, Gareth talks about Vanessa Feltz. You won't want to miss this one!

Andrew Burton started the Thrifty Car Hire franchise in the UK, growing it to multiple locations across the country. Andrew has since bought and and sold the company TWICE before moving into a new industry. Find out about Andrew's journey and the one piece of advice he gave Ben that transformed his thinking on leadership.

Gary Grant founded his first toy store with his wife Catherine in 1981. Little did they know, in the space of just over 30 years The Entertainer would grow to over 140 UK stores and 13 international locations. Gary's life has been marked by risk, opportunity and learning what it means to lead in business. Join Ben and the team as they explore the fascinating journey of one the country's most talked about businessmen.

David Kinnaman is the author of the bestselling books Good Faith, You Lost Me and unChristian. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to financial services. Since 1995, David has directed interviews with nearly one million individuals and overseen hundreds of global research studies. Join Ben and the team as they hear more of David's story and the lessons he has learned about what it means to lead.

Having progressed through the ranks to become Commander and Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police (the UK's largest police force), Allan Gibson holds a unique perspective on leadership and career development. Join Ben Cooley, Tom Lister and Gareth Russell as they explore Allan's story and discuss trends from the world of business.