The kbbreview Podcast

Welcome the latest special Save Our Skills bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast – your host, as always, is Andy Davies, the managing editor of Taylist Media.

This week, we’re looking at job interviews – nobody likes them, they’re stressful, awkward and, unfortunately totally unavoidable, so we’ll be discussing basic techniques, preparations, dress codes, difficult questions and follow ups.

And that will all be straight from the kbb coal face with our special guest Tina Wilkins, the HR manager of Vado.The kbbreview Save Our Skills campaign was set up to help those within the kbb industry who have found themselves on the wrong side of redundancy because of the economic impact of the coronavirus.

You can find out more and see all our current candidates at kbbreview.com/saveourskills and, as always, we have been supported from the beginning by our good friends at Quooker so a huge thank you to them.

And you can find out more about Quooker at quooker.co.uk

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast with your host Andy Davies. This is episode 6 of season two and it’s a very special episode as today – November 5th – the new national lockdown has begun.

And, just like last time, since it was announced on Saturday there was huge confusion among kbb retailers not knowing whether they were allowed to open or not.

Back in May a challenge by Wren lead to kbb retail being classified as ‘building supplies’ and showrooms were therefore allowed to open. Most did open, albeit by appointment only, and it kick started a big surge in pent-up demand.

So do those rules apply in the new lockdown? Can you open or not if you want to?

Find out more on the KBSA here

Find out more about KSL here

Find out more about Sheraton Interiors here

Find out more about Roman Kitchens here

Find out more about House of Harrogate here

Find out more about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2021 here

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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast with your host Andy Davies, the managing editor of Taylist Media. 

This is episode five of season two and we have, believe it or not, a much bigger issue even than coronavirus to talk about and that’s sustainability and the environment.

In particular we’ve got a very special interview with someone who is really pioneering how suppliers and manufacturers can operate a sustainable business and still make a profit, regardless of your size.

That’s Richard Hagan of Crystal Doors and he is on a really insightful, honest and fascinating quest.

Find out more about Crystal Doors and their environmental journey here

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Welcome to another of our special Save Our Skills bonus episodes of The kbbreview Podcast.

We started these episodes to look at bit deeper into the kind of advice and help that’s out there for those that might have found themselves on the wrong side of redundancy because of the covid pandemic.

Today we’re going to look at confidence and the role it plays in your job hunt – a positive mindset is one of the most proactive things you can have when you’re approaching that search but, of course, that’s easier said than done if you’ve had you confidence knocked by that redundancy letter.

We’re talking to Confidence Coach Lucy Shutt-Vine and you can find out all about her at her website

You can see all our current Save Our Skills candidates at kbbreview.com/saveourskills and you can also find information about how YOU can become a candidate there too – it’s all free, no catches, just us trying to our bit

And you can find out more about our SOS sponsor Quooker at quooker.co.uk

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and this is episode four of season two.

We’ve got two really interesting retailers as guests today – one kitchen, one bathroom  - but both with very different stories.

First up we have Joe Muhl from Ocean Bathrooms – they’re family business based in the Dorset but they also have a showroom in central London and they’re about to open a brand new studio in Poole. So we’ll hear all about planning that in lockdown.

To find out more about Ocean Bathrooms click here

And then we have a man who needs no introduction but I’m doing it anyway – and that’s Charlie Smallbone, his experience of managing the ups and downs of the market is huge and, of course, he’s now running his own Ledbury Studio in Notting Hill. So we’re so lucky to get his insight into the luxury premium end of the market.

To find out more about Ledbury Studio click here

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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast – this is Episode Three of Season Two and as new lockdowns and restrictions start to bite across the country and uncertainty becomes evermore heightened we're talking to a couple of businesses that are new to the market.

First up we have Jake Colwill from kitchen franchise outfit Kutchenhaus – he’s got a really positive and ambitious story to tell as they continue to open a couple of new stores a month, even in the lockdown.

And then we change gear by talking to a family business that only opened in 2019 made up of two brothers, Hugh and Howard Miller. One is a gifted cabinet maker, the other a gifted architect and together their new bespoke kitchen company based in the heart of Liverpool is also flying despite the lockdown.

A reminder as always that the best way to listen and follow this podcast is by subscribing via a podcast app such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It means you can easily see al the previous episodes and get notified when new ones arrive.

Just search ‘kbbreview’ all one word and don’t forget to rate and review us too if you enjoy it.

Find out more about Kutchenhaus  here

And more about H Miller Bros here

If you're interested in finding out more about sponsoring the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2021 then drop Andy a line at [email protected]

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Welcome to another of our special kbbreview Save Our Skills bonus podcast episodes with your host Andy Davies.

This week we’re talking mental health and how vital it is for both those being made redundant - and the employer making the redundancy - to be mindful of the mental impact that something so devastating can have.

We’ll be meeting our special guest James Capell-Abra from consultancy Stress Matters.

The kbbreview Save Our Skills campaign is about helping those in the kbb industry who have found themselves redundant as a result of the coronavirus upheaval. 

The aim is to try and keep the combined hundreds of years of skills, knowledge and experience within the industry at a time when we need it the most.

We send out a weekly email to the whole sector showcasing some of those candidates looking for their next role and, so far, around 60% of those that have come through have found new jobs.

So if  you - or someone you know - have been made redundant then go to kbbreview.com/saveourskills to find out how you can get on that email.

As always, I’d like to thank our good friends at Quooker who have supported the Save Our Skills campaign since its inception. To find out more about them and their products go to quooker.co.uk

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Welcome to Episode Two of Season Two of The kbbreview Podcast  with your host Andy Davies.

With local and regional lockdowns starting to bite across different areas of the country we have the return of Damian Walters from the BiKBBI to tell us about the latest guidance for installers going into people’s homes.

Then we take a look into the mysterious art of product development and design and what influence the coronavirus experience may have there in the future. A fascinating topic that we'll be discussing with Geberit group industrial designer Ian Randle.

To see the latest advice and guidelines from the BiKBBI click here

To find out more about Geberit click here

Don't forget to rate and review us by searching 'kbbreview' in your podcast app of choice.

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Welcome to another very special Save Our Skills episode of The kbbreview Podcast, with your host  Andy Davies…

Today we’re going to be looking at some do's and don’ts for anyone who has found themselves suddenly job hunting because of redundancy – taking stock, preparing your career story, engaging potential employers, we’re touching on many topics by tapping into some great advice from our guest Career Coach Andrew MacAskill.

Once again, this podcast and the Save Our Skills campaign are sponsored by Quooker  so, as always, a huge thank you to them. You can find out more about Quooker at quooker.co.uk

And you can find out all about Andrew MacAskill at his website https://www.execcareerjump.com/

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Welcome to this special bonus Save Our Skills episode of The kbbreview Podcast.

Your host as always is Taylist Media managing editor Andy Davies.

For those that don’t know, the kbbreview Save Our Skills campaign was launched back in March and it’s all about helping those people who have been made redundant from roles in the kbb industry because of the economic uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus.

The aim behind it is to try our best to not let the years of skill, experience, and knowledge drift out of this industry at a time when it needs it the most.

We send out a weekly e-mail showcasing those job seekers to the whole sector and it’s been really successful so far with nearly 60% of those featured finding new roles.

So, in these special Save Our Skills podcast episodes, we’re going to look in depth at some topics that are very relevant to anyone job hunting in this industry.

And first up we’re going to look at CVs and covering letters – what are recruiters in this industry looking for from a CV, what’s the best format, what level of detail should you put on there and what makes yours jump out from everyone else’s in the pile?

Our special guest is Louise Holloway, who is the head of HR at Franke UK.

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