Charlie Mullins is one of Britain’s best known, and most successful businessmen. He founded Pimlico Plumbing in 1979, turned it into a £50 million a year trade empire, then sold it last year for £140 million. So, what do you do after that? In this episode we talk about:

• His plan to open a new service company with an HQ in Lambeth  
• The reason he sold Pimlico, and why he now feels he "let down customers and staff"
• How Pimlico Plumbing became so successful  
• The big mistake that nearly led to Pimlico going bankrupt, and how he got out of it 
• The moment his lawyer told him "the money's in your account"
• Why he’s running for Mayor of London 
• The one question everyone always asks him, and what the answer is...

 Charlie will be appearing at our SME Expo, which is being held at the ExCeL London on April 25th and 26th. For more details, click here. 

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Russell Glass is the CEO of Headspace, the app designed to teach users how to meditate, do yoga, and practise mindfulness more regularly. Russell took to meditation himself after watching a talk by founder of Headspace Andy Puddicombe, and became CEO in October 2021. Russell discusses how the concept of meditation has become more mainstream in western society, his route to becoming CEO, and how Headspace are supporting staff. In this episode:

• The pandemic's role in bringing mental health into the mainstream
• How western society lost the concept of meditation
• How meditation had a 'staggering' impact on Russell's life
• Russell's journey of becoming CEO of headspace
• Benefits of the four-day work week
• The little things you can do to free up your brain capacity
• How Headspace is supporting employers and employees in the UK
• Headspace's work with footballer Raheem Sterling

For more business interviews, news and the very best analysis, check out the Evening Standard newspaper, or head to our business pages here.

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We all know who Deborah Meaden is: the entrepreneur, the investor, a long-serving Dragon in the den… and environmental campaigner. Deborah’s involvement with climate causes goes back to her college days, and these days it’s become a more important part of her business, and her life, than ever.

In this episode we talk about: 

• How she studied climate change at college 
• Her admiration for Greta Thunberg 
• The urgency of the environmental crisis and how business needs to react 
• Why she would never work in the oil industry 
• Her selection process for investing in companies 
• Why investors are looking for your environmental story 
• Why we shouldn’t criticise companies as “greenwashers” 
• The support she believes government should give to SMEs with environmental goals 
• How Britain’s lost its place as a world leader on green issues 

Deborah’s appearing at our SME EXPO, which is being held at the EXCEL London on April 25th and 26th. Also there will be former Dragon’s Den entrant Levi Roots, and entrepreneurs including Charlie Mullins, Trinny Woodall, and Biscuiteer Harriet Hastings. Click here for more info and to register for free ticket. 

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Arne Schepker has been CEO of language learning business Babbel since 2015. In this episode he discusses, why AI is ‘overrated’, how app-based learning could overtake conventional classes, and how to build the best modern-day work culture. In this episode:

• What has kept you at Babbel for more than 7 years?
• Will app learning eventually take over face-to-face classes?
• Why Artificial Intelligence is ‘vastly overrated and overused’
• Why beanbags and ping pong tables aren’t all you need to build a strong work culture
• Babbel’s plans for a language learning ‘ecosystem’
• Arne’s message to entrepreneurs: “solve real user problems please”

For more business interviews, news and the very best analysis, check out the Evening Standard newspaper, or head to our business pages here.

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Nearly twenty years ago, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones ploughed money from a successful career in marketing into a food business. From day one he took risks, choosing to call his brand ‘The Black Farmer,’ despite research telling him to avoid the “edgy name”. In this episode we talk about: 

• How he built The Black Farmer brand 
• Why he sells “a vision not a product” 
• His belief that good people will find you “if you put it out there” 
• Why some institutions should give up acres of land to people who want to farm 
• Why farming must embrace diversity and new ideas 
• How shows like The Apprentice are pushing impossible Instagram success 

Wilfred will be appearing at the Evening Standard’s SME XPO at London’s EXCEL on April 25th and 26th along with people like Deborah Meaden, Levi Roots and Charlie Mullins. Go to SMEXPO.co.uk for free tickets. 

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Harriet Hastings is the co-founder and MD of Biscuiteers, the London-based food gifting company. In this episode we talk about:

•Why scaling up "wasn't as scary as it should have been"

•How she learned to "go faster, quicker" on ambitious plans

•The Biscuiteers' move into the US market

•Why the online retailer decided to open physical stores

•The value of partnerships with companies like Emma Bridgewater and Warner Bros

•Why marketing is the most important skill set for entrepreneurs 

•Managing rising costs in the global economy

Harriet will be appearing at the Evening Standard's SME Expo which is being held at Excel London on April 25th and 26th. To find out more and get free tickets, go to smexpo.co.uk

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Selina Webb is the EVP of Universal Music in the UK. A former journalist, she joined the company’s Polydor label as Press Director in 1998, rising up to take her current position in 2016. In that time she has established the careers of countless acts, guided the company through ever-changing musical trends across multiple genres, and devised strategies to meet the challenges of constant innovations such as the advent of streaming.  She recently co-authored a book on improving conditions and opportunities for neurodiverse staff, and is playing a leading role in developing mental health support for artists and workers.

In this episode we talk about: 

• How 100,000 new tracks being uploaded daily to Spotify causes competition problems
• Why it takes longer than ever for new artists to cut through, despite there being more ways to discover them
• The pressure on musicians who are constantly connected to audiences through social media
• Why the music industry isn’t the “ruthless” place it’s sometimes portrayed to be.
• What it was like hearing Sam Smith’s voice for the first time, and how Snow Patrol got discovered
• The influence of Fortnite and other video games on modern audiences 
• How to find and secure neurodiverse employees in the creative industries  

For more interviews, news and analysis, go to standard.co.uk/business or pick up the Evening Standard newspaper.

New episodes of How to be a CEO are released every Monday morning, hit your follow button to make sure you don’t miss an episode. 

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For a couple of years, Lime seemed to be one of those companies that pops in exactly the right place at the precisely the right time. It started off in San Francisco in 2017, hiring out electric bikes just as the world was taking climate change more seriously – the ink on the Paris agreement had only dried the year before. In 2018, it was valued at one point one billion dollars – a full on unicorn. In 2019, it doubled its value. Then came 2020, and the pandemic which wiped out 99% of its markets. In this episode, CEO Wayne Ting talks to us about: 

•The race to raise emergency funding with 90% of Lime's revenue disappearing.

•Why "management with optimism" is essential during a crisis.

•The challenges of persuading cities to introduce electric micromobility.

•How even places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen faced backlash when they encouraged more bike use.

•The problems with electric cars and continuing contribution to climate change.

•Can Lime serve six million people in London with 100,000 bikes?

•What's next for Lime? 

For more business interviews, news and the very best analysis, check out the Evening Standard newspaper, or head online at standard.co.uk/business where you’ll find our live blog bringing you up to the minute developments on the biggest stories. 

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Marvin Berglas founded Marvin's Magic in the UK 35 years ago. It's now in 60 international markets. In this episode we talk about:

• The story of how they got into FAO Schwarz in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza
• Their role in innovating "retail theatre" and experiential shopping 
• Why they hired actors instead of magicians 
• How QVC and TV shopping revolutionised their business model
• Difficulties converting exhibition audiences into buying ones 
• The value of close partnerships 
• Protecting brand reputations in global markets
• The product that made them 
• The magical legacy of the Berglas family 

Marvin will be appearing at the Evening Standard's SME Expo, which is being held at ExCel London on April 25-26. Go to https://smexpo.co.uk/ for more information and to register for tickets. 

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John Hitchcox is the founder and chairman of Yoo, a global real-estate and development company, and the world’s largest non-hotel residential brand. He's also one of those behind a £1bn regeneration of Olympia in London.

In this episode we talk about:

•How he's inspired by "things that I need and the things that I want"

•His Plans for Olympia 

•Why he created the enormous Lakes estate in the Cotswolds 

•What happened when their bank went bust during the financial crisis 

•How to survive a recession 

•The influence of his mother who wanted to be a musician, and why he feels he's "conducting an orchestra of business"

•His nights at the karaoke with Simon le Bon 

For more news, interviews and analysis, go to standard.co.uk/business or pick up the Evening Standard newspaper. 

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