What We've Learnt: Learning from great minds in the world of business & marketing and beyond

What better way to wrap up this series of WWL than going back to where it started? We pick some of our favourite rules from Wine Bar Theory - the brilliant book written by episode 1 guest, David Gilbertson.

We talk about what those rules mean to us, what we heard from other guests during the series and how their thoughts weave into David's rules.

Finally we also try and build the perfect leader by considering the characteristics that they think make up today's best examples, again reflecting on what our brilliant guests have shared and demonstrated in their own careers.

Emma is the Development Director at Eastbourne College.

She describes her career as ‘squiggly’ but wouldn’t have had it any other way, and believes that her varied experiences as a mother, entrepreneur, business owner, volunteer, charity fundraiser and Deputy Lieutenant in the county of Bedfordshire have all been invaluable, pieces of the jigsaw that create the picture of who she is today.

Emma is a do-er, her glass is always half full and she never takes no for an answer.  Indeed if the answer is no, she just phrases the question in a different way.  Her forward thinking, tenacity and perseverance were crucial when she decided to renovate disused buildings in Bedford and convert them into thriving award-winning cafés and community hubs.

Emma studied English and Theatre Studies at University and worked in television before starting a family.  She took some time off from work but it is hard to keep a good woman down, and if she wasn’t running the school PTA, she was putting on events for charity. She lived abroad for many years before settling in Bedford with her husband and 5 children.

Emma ran a social media business alongside her park Cafés providing training and social media management for SMEs and charities.  She was also President of the Bedfordshire BusinessWomen's Networking Group and Pavilion at the Park, one of her cafés was mentioned in the Good Food Guide as well as being chosen as one of 100 SMEs recognised in the 2018 Small Business Saturday Campaign.  She was also recognised by f:entrepreneur as one of 100 female entrepreneurs in the #ialso Campaign in 2019.

She is a Vice Patron for Autism Bedfordshire and an Ambassador and on the Senior Management Team for the Schoolreaders Charity.  She is the founder of the SoupFest Fundraiser in Bedford and sits on the Bedford Homeless Partnership Executive committee.

A fascinating chat with the great Iain Lovatt this week. Iain shares his journey. Starting with a redundancy and a need to pay bills and how that ultimately gave birth to the biggest chapter of his career and world-leading data business Blue Venn, where he was founder and chair until their recent acquisition. A passionate educator, he talks about his roles in academia as well as how he sees leadership - a refreshing view on empowering those from within and how to surround yourself with the right talent and people to succeed. Lots of great insight and wisdom shared, another excellent listen.

Quite simply, Ruth is a tour-de-force. A true pioneer as well as an inspiring leader.

A wheelchair user from the age of seven, Ruth is a passionate advocate of disabled people’s rights, and acknowledged for her delivery of innovation in the disability sector. She was awarded an OBE in 2012, in recognition of her services to disabled children and young people.

Ruth joined Leonard Cheshire from Whizz-Kidz, where she was CEO. Under her leadership, Whizz-Kidz has become the biggest provider of powered and light weight manual wheelchairs for disabled children outside of the NHS, and a leading campaigning organisation in the sector.

Prior to Whizz-Kidz, Ruth had a successful career in the private sector, in technologies, eventually setting up and running her own IT company for ten years. For several years, Ruth was a Trustee of children’s charity Barnardo’s.

In 2018 she was appointed as a non-Executive Director of Motability Operations Group Plc, and in 2019 was selected as a member of The Mayor of London’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group. We will run out of space to list all of what Ruth has achieved and, as you will hear, she isn't done yet!

This week we speak with Joel Harrison. Editor-in-chief at B2B Marketing and a very well-known (and respected) non-marketer in the world of marketing!

Seventeen years ago he co-founded the aptly named B2B Marketing – a specialist industry publisher in the beginning that has flourished to be the centre point of the industry.

Joel shares lots on both the history of the B2B market and how it has changed (and happily shed its confidence crisis) and what the future looks like – particular around forging a marketing community for the future - their vison with Propolis.

An insightful and enjoyable chat this week with Dom Hawes, CEO of independent agency network Selbey Anderson.

Not only do we hear from Dom on his vision for Selbey Anderson and how his previous experiences running an agency shaped the culture and values of Selbey Anderson, but we talk about leadership – what his time in the military taught him and how that transfers into the corporate world. An avid reader (and learner) Dom talks about recent books that have inspired him, including the other contributors to the recently published book "Purposeful People: Business Leaders Making A Difference" . Dom’s chapter in the book is all about Makers and Takers and how to surround yourself with the former and avoid the latter.

A really insightful episode, chatting with an equally passionate and considered leader.

We turn the tables this week and rather than taking her usual role as the interviewer, the spotlight (or podcast mic in fact!) is directed towards Rachel Tranter.

Rachel has spent the best part of the last decade launching and running Women On Boards in the UK and we talk through that journey and the important work they do to help more women join more boards - interviewing and preparing them for their NED and board roles, but we also chat through leadership, what it takes to be a good board director (and just how talented women haven’t yet realised how much they could offer a board – be it on a paid or voluntary basis) and how the world looks now compared to a decade ago when Rachel and her colleagues started the business.

We're back! Series 3 of WWL and this series is all about leaders and pioneers. We chat with a range of fascinating people, none more so than David Gilbertson. Highly regarded leader, ex and current chairman of a host of businesses and acclaimed author. David takes the time to share his knowledge and wisdom on a range of topics as well as guide us through his brilliant book: Wine Bar Theory.