How do you build world-class standards in hospitality and then lead at the highest level of business?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Stuart Gillies, chef, restaurateur, and former CEO of the Gordon Ramsay Group, about building excellence in hospitality and leading through growth, crisis, and reinvention.

Stuart shares his journey from starting out in kitchens through international experience in Sweden, Italy, and New York, to becoming a senior leader at the Gordon Ramsay Group. He reflects on the discipline, attention to detail, and resilience he developed early in his career, and how those lessons shaped his transition from chef to CEO during one of the toughest periods in hospitality.

The conversation explores leadership under pressure, making hard commercial decisions, closing and opening businesses, and why devolving responsibility builds stronger teams. Stuart also shares what it’s really like to run a family hospitality business with his wife Cecilia, navigating COVID as founders, and why consistency, standards, and purpose matter more than ever in building a business that lasts.

A grounded conversation about leadership, craftsmanship, and building high-performance teams in one of the toughest industries in business.

Timestamps

00:00 Start: Stuart Gillies Former CEO Gordon Ramsay Group & Restaurateur

04:30 Early Career Journey: YTS Scheme to International Kitchen Experience Sweden Italy

15:43 New York Daniel Restaurant: Career Catalyst Working With Top French Chefs

22:17 CEO Transition: Leading Gordon Ramsay Group Business Strategy & Restaurant Decisions

36:43 COVID Challenge: Launching Bank House Chislehurst & Number Eight Sevenoaks

38:30 Family Business Success: Working With Wife Cecilia & Teaching Kids Work Ethic

50:00 Couple Business Partnership Advice: Building Strong Marriage Before Business Venture

59:00 Leadership Lessons: Comfort Zone Growth Mindset & Future Hospitality Vision

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Stuart Gillies on LinkedIn:

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

How do you build a creative agency that cuts through in a crowded, fast-changing media landscape?

In this episode of All About Business, James talks with Gregory Nice and Jack Stanton, co-founders of NICE Productions. Together they discuss growing a modern creative agency in the age of social-first content, multi-channel marketing, and AI disruption.

Gregory and Jack share how they built NICE Productions from weekend side projects into a London-based creative agency producing campaigns across TV, social, radio, cinema, and out-of-home. They reflect on starting young, balancing creativity with commercial reality, and how long-term client relationships helped them survive industry shocks, from COVID, to strikes, and shifting media budgets.

The conversation explores how creative agencies can stand out in a saturated market, why multi-channel campaigns now matter more than single-format ads, and how low-budget, high-impact content can outperform expensive campaigns when it connects culturally. They also discuss the real impact of AI on creative work, why human creativity still matters, and how young people can break into the industry with fewer barriers than ever.

This is a candid conversation about building a creative business, staying relevant in a disrupted industry, and creating work that cuts through in a noisy world.

Timestamps

02:42 Launching Nice Productions

08:12 Rebrand to ‘Nice’

18:44 Standing out in a crowded market

22:05 AI disruption in content

37:53 Why big ideas cost big money

46:43 Turning virality into new business

57:34 Landing big clients

01:02:38 How they generate ideas

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Gregory Nice on LinkedIn

Follow Jack Stanton on LinkedIn

Find out more NICE Productions 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

How do you turn a bold idea into a national institution that changes lives?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Jenifer Rosenberg OBE, entrepreneur in fashion and social impact leader, about building purpose-driven organisations that create lasting change.

Jenifer shares her journey from spotting a gap in support for families facing serious illness, to co-founding Heart Cells Foundation and growing it from a kitchen-table startup into a nationally recognised charity. She reflects on navigating funding challenges, building credibility with clinicians and policymakers, and leading through the emotional realities of mission-led work.

The conversation explores scaling a purpose-driven organisation sustainably, balancing commercial discipline with social impact, and the importance of governance, partnerships, and long-term strategy. Jenifer also shares lessons from stepping back from founder leadership, earning an OBE, and staying resilient while driving systemic change.

A thoughtful conversation about entrepreneurship with purpose, leading with conviction, and building something that truly lasts.

Timestamps

02:18 From post room to senior role

08:07 Quality and innovation with Marks & Spencer

16:28 Branching out into fashion

26:40 The power of innovation

30:23 A personal journey with heart failure

35:24 Founding the Heart Cells Foundation

48:37 Maintaining energy and health

Links

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Jenifer Rosenberg OBE on LinkedIn:

Find out more the Heart Cells Foundation here:

Be part of the million job giveaway 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

What if becoming mortgage-free wasn’t about earning more money, but about using what you already spend more intelligently?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Jinesh Vora, Founder and CEO of Sprive, the UK fintech app helping homeowners pay off their mortgages faster without changing their lifestyle.

Jinesh shares his journey from a 14-year career at Goldman Sachs to fintech founder, shaped by a three-generation family legacy of entrepreneurship. He reflects on leaving a high-paying corporate role, bootstrapping a startup through the pandemic, and building trust with banks and lenders in a highly regulated industry.

The conversation explores scaling a fintech responsibly, from angel and venture funding to securing a major TV-for-equity deal with Channel 4. Jinesh also shares candid lessons from pitching on Dragons’ Den, alongside insights on leadership, resilience, AI, and avoiding growth at all costs.

This is a practical conversation about financial freedom, fintech innovation, and building a purpose-led business that helps people take control of their money.

Timestamps

01:49 The birth of Sprive: A mortgage app revolution

11:10 Jinesh's entrepreneurial journey and family legacy

14:39 The Goldman Sachs experience

24:01 Navigating the pandemic and launching Sprive

32:09 Networking and angel investors

34:11 Dragon's Den experience

41:15 Hiring strategies and team building

48:49 Future vision and personal goals

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Jinesh Vohra on LinkedIn

Find out more about Sprive App 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

How do you build a creative business from scratch and ensure it steadily grows without compromising on quality, craft, or values?

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Penelope Chilvers, English footwear designer and founder of the eponymous luxury brand, and they talk about building a resilient business rooted in craftsmanship, customer closeness, and long-term thinking.

Penelope shares her unconventional journey from training as a painter to launching a footwear business in London as a single parent. She reflects on learning her trade from the ground up, building a brand without formal business training, and why necessity — not strategy — drove her early entrepreneurial decisions.

Penelope talks about the importance of craftsmanship, materials, long-term supplier relationships, and how staying close to customers has shaped everything from design to retail strategy.

James and Penelope discuss growth, from opening stores and expanding internationally, to raising investment and introducing clothing alongside footwear. Penelope shares why steady, organic growth has served her better than chasing trends, how slow fashion has become a competitive advantage, and why durability, purpose, and trust now matter more than ever.

This is a thoughtful conversation about learning your craft, respecting the people who help you build, and creating a business designed to last.

Timestamps:

02:59 From painter to designer

07:59 The first big orders

15:00 Sustaining quality and craftsmanship

22:52 Family and business dynamics

29:50 Expanding into the American market

35:52 Men's range and iconic products

47:58 Slow fashion and ethical production

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn:

Follow Penelope Chilvers on LinkedIn:

Find out more about Penelope Chilvers store 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

How do you create a modern PR strategy that builds brand relevance and marketing-led businesses able to thrive through cultural and technological change?

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Francesca Gamble, founder of GTN Consultancy, to explore the future of PR, marketing, and business in an AI-driven world.

With a career spanning global agencies, luxury fashion brands, and major cultural moments — including Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney, and the London 2012 Olympics — Francesca shares her journey from agency leadership to launching her own independent consultancy. She explains what it really takes to build a modern PR and marketing business without hype, awards, or ego, and why so many agencies fail by prioritising image over impact.

The conversation dives deep into brand partnerships, celebrity collaborations, and equity-based deals as powerful growth strategies for challenger brands. Francesca breaks down why great products still fail without strong marketing, how cultural relevance directly drives sales, and why results matter far more than industry accolades.

Looking ahead, Francesca offers a bold and timely perspective on the future of PR and advertising in the age of AI. As automation accelerates across marketing, media, and communications, she argues that being human, authentic, and culturally aware will become the ultimate competitive advantage. A no-nonsense conversation about entrepreneurship, independence, brand relevance, and building a business that lasts in a rapidly changing world.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

04:38 Starting a PR business

10:08 The role of PR in modern marketing

17:54 Celebrity partnerships and brand collaborations

32:28 The importance of flexibility and client relationships

42:24 The reality of entrepreneurship

51:03 Successful celebrity brand partnerships

58:00 The future of PR and female founders

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn:

Follow Franscesa Gamble on LinkedIn:

Find out more about GTN Consultancy 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

What if the future of food isn’t bigger, faster, and more centralised, but local, decentralised, and community-powered?

In this episode of the All About Business podcast, James is joined by Pete Russell, Founder of Ooooby and Co-Founder of DECENT, to explore how technology, ethical entrepreneurship, and optimism can transform the global food system from the ground up.

Pete shares his journey from running a highly profitable industrial food business to building one of the UK’s leading local food platforms, connecting independent farmers and producers directly with their communities. The conversation dives deep into the realities of entrepreneurship, scaling purpose-led businesses, and the challenges of building alternatives to industrial food supply chains.

A key theme of the episode is steward ownership, a business model that separates profit from control. Pete explains how steward ownership protects mission, prevents mission drift, and ensures long-term impact over short-term returns, offering a compelling alternative to traditional shareholder capitalism.

James and Pete also explore the future of commerce and AI, with Pete presenting a bold vision of a shift from the attention economy to the intention economy. As artificial intelligence reshapes how we discover and buy products, Pete argues that traditional marketing and advertising may become obsolete, replaced by systems that prioritise values, trust, and genuine human needs.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

02:03 Meet Pete Russell: The Visionary Behind Oooby’s Food Revolution

03:06 What Is Oooby? Decentralizing the Global Food Supply Chain

06:25 Farm-to-Table Logistics: How Oooby Empowers Local Farmers

10:12 The 1.9% Disruptor: Why Low-Margin Tech is Saving Small Farms

14:45 Debunking the Myth: Why Local Food Costs Less Than Supermarkets

19:30 The Awareness Gap: Why Traditional Food Systems Still Dominate

27:05 17 Years of Resilience: Pivoting Through Near-Death Business Challenges

33:40 The Software Pivot: Solving the Logistics Nightmare of Local Food

40:00 Future of Food: AI, Agentic Commerce, and Decentralized Platforms

56:15 What wakes you up on a Monday?

Follow James Reed on Linkedin

Follow Pete Russell on Linkedin

Find out more about Oooooby and how to sell local food online

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

Building a billion-pound business is one thing, but what does it take to scale globally, exit successfully, and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe, the home emergency repairs and improvements launched in 1993. Richard talks about his journey from early failures to growing a FTSE 100 multinational across the UK, France, Spain, the US, Canada, and Japan that sold for £4.1 billion in 2022.

Richard shares how a plumbing insurance model sparked the subscription-based affinity partnerships, the challenges of international expansion, and why copying successful ideas while focusing on execution was key to cracking markets and achieving organic growth.

Together they discuss Richard’s post-exit ventures including Growth Partner, Business Leader magazine, and his bestselling book "How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps". The conversation also explores Richard's passion for inspiring breakthroughs, the role of optimism in navigating setbacks, and why doubling the UK's large companies through community-driven support, matters more than ever in a challenging economic landscape.

Timestamps

01:00 The early struggles and pivots

06:42 The breakthrough: Plumbing insurance model

17:40 The power of copying and mentorship

28:53 Challenges and opportunities for mid-size businesses

37:55 Introducing growth partner: investment in retail

48:10 The not-to-do list for entrepreneurs

01:02:29 Recruitment: Hiring your replacement

Follow James Reed on Linkedin

Follow Richard Harpin on Linkedin

Buy Richard’s book “How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps”

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

Winning Olympic gold is one of the highest achievements in sport, but what are the skills that you can apply to build an elite team in your business?

In this episode of All About Business, James meets Adrian Moorhouse MBE, three-time Olympian and gold medalist. Adrian talks about his journey from the pool to the boardroom, exploring big hairy audacious goals (BHAGs), the power of curiosity, and heart-driven leadership in challenging times, and why mindset, meaning, and community matter more than ever for sustained success in sport and business.

Adrian discusses his entrepreneurial transition, launching Lane Four in 1995, growing it through high-performance culture and client impact, and navigating its sale to EY in 2021, while confronting common entrepreneur pitfalls. He also shares how escaping school bullying through swimming ignited his drive and why choices over sacrifices defined his path.

Timestamps

01:20 Transition to business

04:44 Challenges and learnings

07:58 Creating a winning team

12:41 Resilience and focus techniques

17:16 From athlete to entrepreneur

32:30 Navigating the 2008 financial crisis

36:46 Mentoring and leadership insights

48:53 The intersection of sports and business

57:09 The importance of curiosity in leadership

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Adrian Moorhouse on Linkedin

Find out more about The Tom Dean Swim School

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

Building a career in television is one thing, but what does it really take to produce global hits like The Crown and Outlander while building and scaling a production empire?

In this episode of 'All About Business,' James speaks with Andy Harries, co-founder and CEO of Left Bank Pictures. Together they discuss Andy's 50-year journey from a promotion scriptwriter at Granada Television, to launching his own company, selling it to Sony, and navigating the streaming revolution.

Andy explains how being rejected at 26 became the fuel for his ambition, how his early documentary work took him around the world, and what he learned directing cultural icons including the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren, and Truman Capote. The conversation dives into the business of creativity, including the high stakes Netflix pitch that led to a 100 million pound deal for The Crown, what global streamers look for when backing premium drama, and how British television has scaled to a global audience.

Andy also reflects on his transition into an executive chairman role, mentoring the next generation of talent, and why protecting British creativity and a strong BBC matters more than ever.

Timestamps

02:26 Journey through Granada

06:02 Transition to comedy and drama

09:34 The Queen and Prime Suspect

12:47 Founding Left Bank Pictures

39:35 Reaching out to Ken Braner

50:17 The Crown and Netflix partnership

01:04:35 Transitioning roles and future projects

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Find out more about Left Bank Picture and Andy Harris

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