Run The Business

Explore the world of Canicross with Ginetta George, co-founder of DogFit International, as she shares her journey from graphic design to running with dogs, the benefits of the sport, and tips for beginners.

Keywords

Canicross, DogFit, running with dogs, dog fitness, dog sports, pet wellness, business growth, branding, entrepreneurship, running, business, leadership, dog trai

ning

Key Topics

Andy Everett, like host Anthony Gay, is a seasoned media leader. In this episode Andy shares insights on how running enhances leadership, mental health, and creativity. Andy shares practical tips, personal stories, and industry trends that highlight the transformative power of running in both personal and professional life.

Keywords

running, leadership, mental health, media industry, creativity, podcasting, radio, active rest, stress management, personal development

Key Topics

Liz Patient shares her journey from overcoming a serious ski injury to building a successful business that combines her passions for running and Pilates. Discover how acceptance, consistency, and authentic leadership can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and injury prevention.

Find Liz at www.pilatesforrunners.co.uk

Keywords

Liz Patient, Running, Pilates, Injury Prevention, Business, Mental Health, Strength Training, Recovery, Leadership, Personal Growth, Personal Development, Teamwork, Growth

Key Takeaways

Adventure with a purpose! Jack Fleckney shares his journey from being a Royal Marine Commando to founding Legends Expeditions, a company that offers unique adventure experiences while focusing on community impact and conservation. He discusses the lessons learned from military training, the challenges of transitioning to business, and the importance of leadership and teamwork. Jack also highlights the significance of physical health in business success, the camaraderie found in running challenges, and the role of music in motivation. He emphasises the need for goal-setting in running and the impact of his work in Tanzania, where he aims to improve...

Marathon coach and charity consultant Sarah Jones shares her inspiring journey from leading a charity to becoming a running coach. She discusses the importance of resilience, the symbiotic relationship between running and fundraising, and the lessons learned from her experiences in both fields. Sarah emphasises the value of community in running, the mental health benefits of endurance sports, and the significance of having a coach to guide aspiring runners. Her story highlights how running can transform lives and enhance leadership skills.

Keywords

running, charity, leadership, fundraising, marathon, coaching, resilience, community, mental health, endurance

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World famous Utramarathon runner and author Dean Karnazes shares his insights on running, life, and the lessons learned from pushing physical and mental limits. He discusses the importance of mindfulness, the influence of his Greek heritage, and how running has shaped his personal and professional life. Dean discusses his feelings toward teamwork, the role of nutrition, and the significance of embracing failure as a learning opportunity. He also reflects on his future goals, including his aspirations related to the Olympics, and offers practical advice for those looking to start their running journey.

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AI in running - To begin a new season of Run The Business, Anthony Gay is joined by Sam Browne: CEO and co-founder of Let's Do This - the AI registration platform used by the world’s most iconic running events.

Sam's journey includes being diagnosed with a heart issue to becoming a successful entrepreneur and is nothing short of inspiring. He believes that running isn't just about fitness - it's about building resilience, community, and leadership skills.  

Sam shares his thoughts on how running influences leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Disc...

Anthony Gay discusses the season ahead and what he's been doing since the last season of Run The Business with producer Hywel Evans. And he's been doing a lot...

Run The Business is back for 2026! Please subscribe to make sure you get the new episodes as they sprint into view!

In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a founder who went from being a journalist in London, who enjoyed being out at glitzy and often boozy parties, to taking on triathlons and endurance running challenges. 

Helen Croydon talks to Ant about how the lessons she’s learned from getting cold, wet, muddy and exhausted in her triathlon life, doing endurance challenges lasting up to 12 hours, have transferred into tenacity in business.

She talks about what led her to setting up her company, Thought Leadership PR, and the challenges she has f...

A Tennis Ball in Your Pocket - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a woman who is the director of a company that  coaches CEOs and other senior leaders through her business, Sport and Beyond.

Catherine Baker first learnt about leadership through tennis coaching, she spent time as a lawyer, and now she’s written a book; Staying the Distance: The Lessons From Sport That Business Leaders Have Been Missing.

In this conversation, Catherine and Ant discuss the parallels they have both found between competitive sport and leadership and how crea...

The Path to Well-being - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to Ben Pochee, CEO of LGN Wellbeing and Event Director of the Night of the 10,000m PBs.

Ben has a background in business, management and sports science that led him to create LGN WellBeing, a specialist well being company that provides businesses like Unilever, BP, Omnicom Media, Pernod Ricard and many others with in-house run club training.

He is also race director and the man behind the Night of the 10,000m  PB’s  - which has been described as the Glas...

The Streaker - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant talks to a race director from Charlotte, North Carolina, who turned his passion for running into his business.

Brian Mister is the co-founder of ‘Around The Crown 10K’, which is a 10K race in Uptown Charlotte on the entirety of the Queen City’s 3 mile major inner loop, I-277.

This episode explores what it’s like running a business with your wife and what Brian gets out of giving back to his community in Charlotte. He also talks about his running streak - Brian is cur...

A Healthier, Happier Planet - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to the CEO of the global phenomenon that is parkrun; a free, weekly, timed 5k event that takes place in 22 countries around the world, including the USA, Australia and Japan.

Russ Jefferys took up the role as CEO a year ago and had worked in the charity’s communications team for seven years previously. His responsibilities include (but are not limited to); global strategy, culture, marketing & communications, raising revenue through commercial partnerships and growing the parkrun footprint to reach more people, particularly those...

The Journalist’s Paradox - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant talks to the head of BBC Newsgathering - the world's largest broadcast news gathering operation.

Jonathan Munro was previously at ITN for 26 years and has covered huge global events, including the Balkans war, both Gulf wars and the Beijing and London Olympics. 

This conversation looks at why Jonathan took up running to deal with the trauma of losing colleagues in the second Gulf War 20 years ago. Since then he has taken on the London Marathon 10 times, often raising money for the Brit...

The Importance of an Escape Valve - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to Michael Brandt, CEO and Co-founder of HVMN, the company behind Ketone-IQ, a ketone-based energy drink.

Ant and Michael dive into the science of what your brain and body need to find those extra gears for speed and endurance on the trails or in a marathon, but also to stay focused and determined to achieve goals in business.

All the links:

Anthony Gay Twitter - https://twitter.com/anthonygay

Anthony Gay LinkedIn - https...

The Bobsleigh Businessman - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant talks to a CEO who started his career as a GB Bobsleigh athlete. 

After an injury stopped his Olympic dreams in 2014, Will Golder had to pivot into doing something else, which led him to work at RaceNation & SportsGiving, where he went on to become the CEO in 2021.

This episode explores how Will uses his athlete mindset in the boardroom and how setting stretch targets in both running and business has helped him reach heights he didn’t think possible - even if it mea...

The Journey Of 100 Miles Begins With A Single Step - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant talks to Martin Ellemann Olesen, who’s built a business out of helping others in leadership. His goal is ‘to help leaders create organisations where we would love for our kids to work.’

He’s completed several marathons and even a 100 mile race, and shares some of the thoughts he’s had about the similarities he sees between outstanding leadership and running.

This episode explores Martin’s 9 leadership lessons he took from running 100 miles, including knowing your ‘why...

The Task, The Team, The Individual - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a CEO and Founder who started his career as a British Army officer, and now claims to be ‘running obsessive’ and fitter now than when he was in the army.  Ben Legg worked in executive jobs at McKinsey, Coca-Cola, and was former COO of Google Europe, before starting his new company, The Portfolio Collective.

This episode explores how Ben applies leadership lessons learned in the Army, and from working in high level roles at international companies, to support the network o...

The Price Of Fame - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant has a very open and honest chat with a member of the first UK pop band to be put together on a reality TV show. 

Suzanne Shaw shot to overnight fame at just 19 years old, as part of the pop band ‘Hear’Say’.

Since then, Suzanne has spent the last few years making some huge changes to her life; going sober, plant-based and taking up running. She talks to Ant about how these three pillars in her life have led to her star...

In the next episode of 'Run The Business,' Ant connects with Suzanne Shaw, actress and singer who rose to fame as a member of Hear'Say, the first UK pop group to be created through a reality TV show.

Since the group broke up, Suzanne has gone on to accomplish many things as an actress and television personality, and most recently as a business owner. She reveals to Ant how in recent years she's made some major changes in her personal life that have allowed her to thrive in business and inspire others to do the...

In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant is joined by the founder of a company which, in its own words, looks to “help individuals and organisations build resiliency, adapt to change and thrive”.

Jim Frawley from Bellwether Hub is a keen runner and has also competed in many triathlons, including Ironman. He’s spent time considering what hard endurance events have taught him about being in a dark place mentally, and how to get out of it by looking for what is going to get you to the finish, which he also applies to life and busine...

In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant talks to a CEO who’s not only into his running, but is also a competitor in triathlon and Ironman events. 

His business, Kona Energy, focuses on developing clean energy and ‘delivering a carbon zero future’. 

This episode explores how running teaches you resilience in both life and in business. And that taking a moment to slow down, process the problem and work out how you’re going to address it can be useful to people in leadership roles and when running. 

All the links:<...

Setting The Conditions For Success - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to Mark Watson, Managing Director at The Marketing Store.

This episode explores the ways that event energy at running races can be transferred over into the work place, as well as the importance of framing running as a team sport and not just a solo endeavour. To that point, Ant and Mark also discuss the ways in which sharing the load among the team, be it in a running relay or when working on projects, leads to better end results for ever...

6 Requirements to Running a Business & Running a Marathon - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a business owner whose interest in the link between running and business sparked the inspiration for her to write a blog post about it.

Sophie Ryan is the CEO and founder of Interactive Media Services in the UK, a company that supports businesses and organisations with office management, planning, marketing and brand identity amongst other services. 

This episode explores Sophie’s 6 requirements to running a business and running a marathon. Ant and Sophie discuss how ded...

Protecting Nature For Future Generations - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a leader who works with race and event organisers to give runners the option of planting a tree rather than getting a t-shirt.

A keen runner, Jamie Berry’s day job is as Senior Partnerships Manager across The Future Forest Company and their sister company Trees Not Tees.

This episode explores the relationship between running and nature and how we, as business leaders AND runners, can do our bit to help protect the environment and do more to hel...

The Charity Runner - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to the mother of a young boy, whose medical condition led her to set up a charity to fund research into it. 

Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust (Harry’s HAT) was founded by Caroline Coates in 2018, to help children and their families who are affected by hydrocephalus (which is sometimes known as water on the brain), after Caroline’s son, Harry, was diagnosed with the condition during her pregnancy. Caroline recently took up the post of CEO at the charity. 

This episode...

You Are What You Eat - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant talks to a CEO and founder of a start up who used his knowledge and expertise in the world of elite level sports nutrition to build his own business.

David Dunne has been a Performance Nutrition Consultant for British Canoeing, Harlequins rugby team, British Fencing, Team Wiggins cycling, Queens Park Rangers and many many others, but recently started Hexis - an app to help athletes manage their nutrition around their training.

This episode explores the relationship between fueling and runni...

The Sustainable Runner - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a CEO who turned his passion for the environment into a business that involved his hobby of running and extreme endurance events. 

Rob Webbon is the CEO of Presca Sportswear, and set up the company after looking for gear to wear for the many marathons, ultra marathons and triathlons that he was taking part in, and finding nothing that really hit the mark. So he decided to make his own. 

This episode explores the environmental impact running can have on our...

A Time For Reflection - Welcome to the 20th episode of ‘Run The Business’. Since we launched the podcast earlier in 2022, we have had some incredible guests join our host, Ant, to talk about the parallels between running and leadership. 

In this episode, we take a moment to reflect on the insights they have shared when asked ‘what advice would you give to anyone in business or a leadership role considering getting more active and specifically taking up running?’

Featured in this episode: 

The Ex Perfectionist - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to Amy Farnfield, CEO and Founder of Notebook & Pen. Amy’s company provides PA, HR and business services support to busy professionals & small businesses. 

Before setting up on her own, Amy worked for 20 years in private and public sector organisations supporting CEO’s and took her knowledge and experience of the corporate world, along with her exceptional organisational skills to established Notebook & Pen in 2018.

Amy is an avid runner - she’s a qualified running coach and supports and volunteers at...

The Inspirational Runner - This episode of ‘Run The Business’ is an inspirational conversation between Ant and the Chair of UK charity Parkinson’s UK, Gary Shaughnessy.

Gary has a strong track record of leading business around Europe, the Middle East and Africa and was once CEO at Swiss insurance company Zurich. Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015, Gary has been committed to raising awareness of the condition through fundraising challenges, including Arch to Arc, many marathons and even a couple of Guinness World Records. He is now Chair of Parkinson’s UK as well as England...

The Retired Distance Runner - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a CEO whose business, Studiospace, acts as a matchmaker for marketing agencies and businesses across the world.

A keen runner when he was younger, Peter Sayburn now classifies himself as a retired distance runner. Despite that, he still runs every week and discusses, in depth, all of the parallels he sees between running and leading a business, including reflective practice and the importance of being selfish!

All the links:

Anthony Gay Twitter - https://twitter.com/anth...

The Charity CEO And Runner - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to a CEO who, in her words, is a self-confessed runner of the ‘slow and steady variety’. 

Jo Sopala is CEO of The British Society of Echocardiography, a registered charity which represents clinical echocardiography professionals working at all levels and in all areas of the field. She uses running to clear her mind and to set herself goals, which she then translates into her work. 

Jo’s talking to Ant about how she coaches and mentors the people she works wi...

Using The Outdoors To Break The Barriers Of Toxic Masculinity - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant speaks to Dan Stanley, a CEO who is a business coach and an author who works exclusively with professional men.

There’s something for men and women alike in this episode though, as Dan, like so many of us, believes he wouldn’t be the man he is today without running in his life.

Despite his successes on the outside, (he was an award-winning senior army commando, helped grow a multi-million-pound business, a former owner of...

The Psychology Of Success - This episode of ‘Run The Business’ is a little different, as Ant speaks with Dr. Josephine Perry, a chartered sports psychologist who works across multiple sports, including running, with everyone from novices to world champions.

As well as coaching athletes she also helps anyone wanting to aim higher, whether that’s on stage, in medicine, law or leadership.

Dr. Perry has written a book about how success can be obtained in sport and leadership, and shares her wisdom with us about how that links with running and business. 

When Setbacks Create Business Opportunities - This episode of ‘Run The Business’ is a little different, as Ant speaks to an entrepreneur who suffered a freak sporting injury that turned his whole life upside down, but also created his business opportunity. 

Cameron Johnston is the CEO and founder of Riixo, a company that makes products that help with sports injury recovery and performance.

He’s a former professional rugby player who has represented Scotland and the GB 7’s team. A serious injury shortened his playing career and after that he took up a new challe...

The Data Expert Making Marginal Gains - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’  Ant talks to Lewis Reeves, CEO and founder of market research firm Walr. 

Since its inception in October 2020 during lockdown, it now employs over 70 people, has employees and offices all over the world and has been officially credited as a Great Place to Work.

Lewis discusses his entrepreneurial mindset, which he credits his parents and family life for. He also talks about his ethos of working harder, not smarter and how making marginal gains can benefit both business leaders and runner...

Exploring The Data That Runners Make Better Leaders - Jakob Bloch is a CEO and headhunter at Commodity, a firm which searches out the best talent in the industry of commodities. He had a life-changing experience whilst taking part in the world’s toughest footrace, The Marathon Des Sables. 

In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to Jakob about his take on how running, especially long-distance, and leadership can go hand-in-hand and how he has already worked on research into this very field. This episode is not to be missed!

Jakob exclusiv...

The Motivated Marketer - In this episode of ‘Run The Business,’ Ant talks to Dillon Allie, CEO of HDMZ, a marketing agency that serves life science brands. Dillon joined HDMZ in 2005 as an Account Executive, later becoming Senior Vice President and is now its CEO. As President and CEO, his focus is on helping the company reach its vision of becoming the most admired marketing communications agency for the life sciences - something he strives to do through promoting a healthy work culture. 

Dillon and Ant talk about the parallels that running and business have when it co...