Evolve to Succeed

Nicky Rudd, founder of Padua Communications, demystifies the minefield of PR & communications, talks about working with her husband and how she went from teacher and journalist to business owner.

Show Notes:

(2:42): Background in teaching and early career in PR

(7:14) Maintaining that teaching spirit with monthly free event for business owners

(8:16) Career at BBC

(12:15) Advantages of volunteering

(13:20) Differences between being business owner and being MD for somebody else

(14:45) Tips for people thinking of getting an MD for their own business

(16:08) Progressing further to opening own agency and employing freelancers only

(20:30) How to create team spirit while only employing freelancers

(22:02) Husband joining business

(24:26) Hints and tips on running business successfully with husband/wife/partner

(26:35) Things every business owners should consider about their PR & comms strategy

(31:37) In-house marketing vs. using an agency

(34:00) Where is PR & comms going in the next ten years?

(38:35) Affects of pandemic on the agency

(40:43) What hard thing are you not doing enough of?

(44:30) How do you build your resilience?

(49:35) Personal definition of success

Paul Spiers, founder of The New Principles and Leadership Brand Purpose Institute, talks principled leadership, the essence of entrepreneurialism, and the future generation of leaders.

Show Notes:

(3:20) What is The New P&L?

(7:23) Separating professional and personal values

(10:43) Managing the hybrid model of working

(12:24) What is self-awareness really?

(15:14) Can ruthless leaders learn to change their approach?

(20:37) How to revive passion, focus and beliefs

(24:56) What is creative thinking for business leaders?

(29:49) How to open up and encourage creativity within your team

(32:48) Managing your ego as a leader

(35:20) Are leaders born or bred?

(37:47) What leadership lessons can business owners learn from sports managers and coaches?

(41:12) How to maintain principles of leadership when leadership changes hands

(45:50) Working with next generation to be more principled leaders

(49:18) Patagonia as an example of principled leadership

(51:56) Personal definition of success

Marianne Storey, CEO of mental health charity Dorset Mind, discusses the importance of mental health in a business, how a business leader can implement effective measures for mental health among their team, and provides five pillars for good mental wellbeing.

Show Notes:

(3:20) Path to becoming CEO of Dorset Mind

(5:11) Importance of lived experience

(6:03) Battling stigmas around mental health

(7:28) Dorset Mind's missions

(8:32) Demands on service since the pandemic and what's been learned

(10:29) Challenges of returning to society post-pandemic

(11:26) How would you define good mental health?

(12:26) Most common mental health challenges from business leaders

(15:25) Signs to look for in yourself and your team

(17:26) Organisations that implement mental health well and how they do it

(21:00) Influence of senior members on rest of staff

(22:45) Five ways to wellbeing

(26:17) Influence of nature on mental wellbeing

(27:23) Work with Dorset Chamber

(28:27) Different approaches of men and women to mental health

(33:26) Generational effects on attitudes towards mental health

(34:51) Mental health challenges amongst younger generation

(36:29) The education system and mental health

(37:45) Challenges as CEO of Dorset Mind

(41:28) Personal definition of success

Liz Willingham, founder of Liz Lean PR, on the importance of emotional intelligence, shaking up the business chamber model and handing her daughter the reins to the agency.

Show Notes:

(3:10) Unconventional beginnings

(5:01) Never destined to run own business

(5:38) Moment of realisation and birth of daughter

(7:39) Affect of entrepreneurship on children

(9:36) Moments of doubt/challenges and lessons learned

(11:50) How has the world of PR changed?

(14:20) Advantages of utilising PR agency vs. doing it in-house

(17:44) Finding interesting stories behind businesses

(18:35) The effect of changes in the press and media

(21:45) On emotional intelligence

(25:43) How to cut through the communications clutter

(29:17) Media training for business leaders

(30:56) What would make you turn a client down?

(32:32) Dynamic of having daughter Leila in the business

(38:22) Flexible working model at agency

(42:42) The importance of giving back

(45:46) Finding inner-confidence

(47:05) Mental health awareness

(50:35) Techniques for maintaining/improving mental health

(55:23) Anybody you particularly admire for their communications?

(57:33) Personal definition of success

Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder, is on a mission to provide clean drinking water to one million people. He talks about what inspired this project, and discusses the importance of transparency, authenticity and strong principles in both business and life.

Show Notes:

(3:24) The beginnings of Brewgooder and move towards social purpose

(9:07) Destined to start own business and do something with purpose?

(13:32) What is 'Brewed on Purpose'?

(16:08) Transparency on purpose and social contribution

(20:20) Original aspirations

(24:49) How did you go about creating a beer?

(26:59) Advantages of outsourcing

(29:22) Challenges faced and overcome

(32:50) Route to market and distribution model

(37:03) Best advice I've ever received

(40:49) On resilience and mother as inspirational figure

(43:18) Qualities looked for when recruiting and the joys and challenges of working with diverse personalities

(48:02) Being a B-Corp and advice for those considering it

(51:12) Personal definition of success

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Lester talks candidly about his entrepreneurial life, including the 2008 financial crisis, health issues and starting again after losing everything.

Show Notes:

(3:20) Beginning the journey

(6:44) Setting up a themed restaurant, and subsequent problems

(8:24) Birth of first child and starting all over again

(10:24) New start in property development

(12:06) Why I wasn't content with a good, secure life

(14:47) Responsibilities of being a business owner

(15:46) New book

(16:33) Collapse of property company, broke again and lessons learned

(24:33) Approaching rockbottom

(28:25) Searching for answers in the US

(32:25) Getting diagnosed with prostate cancer

(34:38) Path to wellness and relationship fallout

(36:42) On resilience

(38:52) The entrepreneurial spirit

(43:14) Where do your ideas come from?

(45:11) Holistic approach to wellness

(47:35) Launching Fit at-50plus

(49:09) Changing views of business and entrepreneurialism

(50:22) The thrill of starting a business

(51:11) Plans for Fit at-50plus

(52:36) Is your definition of success different today?

(53:11) Personal definition of success

James Pickles was flying high as a top sales manager, enjoying all the trappings that come with such success. Then, in March 2019, he had a breakdown that left him unable to speak, let alone work. In this podcast, James talks openly about the breakdown and how he used what he learned from it and his subsequent recovery to start a new life as a personal performance coach.

Show Notes:

3:06 - The breakdown

12:38 - The problem of men not opening up

16:29 - Keeping busy and drinking as a way of coping

18:39 - Returning to work shortly after breakdown and subsequent after-effects

30:45 - True breaking point and wearing armour

45:58 - Why we're so reluctant to talk honestly

55:21 - New definition of resilience

58:32 - Attempting to return to work/therapy

1:15:36 - Journey towards coaching

1:18:36 - Any triggers for old habits and mechanisms to use to overcome them

1:25:04 - Relationship with alcohol

1:28:28 - Advice for employers to look after staff

1:32:34 - What I would tell my young self

1:36:38 - Hopes and aspirations

Katie Street, founder and managing director of marketing and advertising agency Street Agency, talks about starting a second business, four day weeks and the effects her entrepreneurship is having on her daughter.

Show Notes:

3:24 - Setting out on her own

6:33 - Dream vs. reality of running your own business

10:37 - The challenges of working in a niche sector

14:51 - The importance of a mentor

16:20 - Biggest digital marketing mistakes and how to fix them

20:16 - Digital vs. Traditional marketing

23:19 - Tips on how to stand out from the marketing crowd

28:02 - Advantages of having a podcast

29:34 - Leveraging your content successfully

36:03 - Adapting to challenges of leading your own business

37:42 - Implementing a four-day week

39:51 - Starting a second business

41:49 - Starting a business on your own vs. starting with partners

44:03 - What hard thing are you not doing enough of?

45:15 - Effect of running own business on personal life and daughter

48:44 - On building resilience and getting through tough times

50:09 - Personal definition of success

Clare Gallie, CEO of Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, talks about the joys and challenges of working in the fundraising sector and reveals the wisdom she's learned from the dying.

Show notes:

4:47 - From chemistry to fundraising

7:30 - Support for careers in charities and fundraising

9:42 - Differences between leading a normal organisation vs. charity

12:59 - The challenges of leading in an emotionally-charged environment

17:29 - Dealing with being challenged as transformational CEO

19:33 - Self-development

21:17 - Effects of the pandemic on the care sector and fundraising

28:16 - Hardest thing about working in hospice care...

30:04 - ...and the most enjoyable thing

32:26 - Lessons learned from being in the presence of the dying

35:58 - Where do you find your inspiration?

37:29 - The effect of ambition and work on personal life

39:06 - How do you rejuvenate?

40:31 - Dealing with disappointment and being let down

41:41 - Personal definition of success

Martin Smith, managing director of specialist recruitment agency Talent Drive, discusses setting up his first business just before the pandemic hit, the current challenges facing the recruitment sector, and his commitment to personal development.

Show Notes:

(3:05) Background and starting Talent Drive

(6:07) The realities of starting and running your own business

(8:21) Building the brand

(10:02) The value of outsourcing

(11:19) Advice for people thinking of taking the leap

(13:13) Current challenges in the recruitment sector

(16:12) Personal characteristics crucial to success

(17:32) What does being authentic really mean?

(20:13) The challenge of cheaper competitors

(22:36) Nurturing relationships in the pandemic

(25:57) What keeps you up at night?

(27:25) Anything you'd do differently if you started again?

(28:24) Commitment to personal development

(29:58) How has being entrepreneurial affected your personal life?

(32:17) Best piece of advice I've ever received

(33:45) What are your most important principles?

(36:08) Personal heroes

(39:33) Advice for people wanting to start their own podcast

(42:34) Where do you see yourself in five years time?

(43:30) My definition of success