James Reed: all about business

Stop treating social value as a box-ticking exercise, align community needs with your bottom line and turn operational friction into a superpower.

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Sarah Stone, founder of the social value consultancy Samtaler. Together they explore how companies can integrate purpose and profitability without falling into the trap of superficial tokenism. Sarah shares the candid realities of scaling a micro-consultancy, the lessons learned from her background in Downing Street, and how helping renewable energy developers solve local community friction turned into an industry-standard blueprint for success.

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For years, this Ros showed up to work as someone she wasn't, and it took her far longer than she'd like to admit to realise it was quietly costing her the thing she needed most.

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Ros Morgan, chief executive of the Heart of London Business Alliance, the organisation representing over 500 businesses across London's West End.

Ros explains why, early in her career, she believed professionalism meant suppressing her personality entirely, dressing to fit in with an all-male board and refusing to discuss anything personal...

The moment a business starts making real money is exactly when it's most at risk of losing what made it work in the first place.

In this special 100th episode of All About Business, James sits down with entrepreneur Cath Kidston MBE, who built a single shop into a globally recognised brand, watched its values slip once investors and private equity got involved, and has spent her second business, C.Atherley, making sure it never happens again.

Cath breaks down why she believes founders need to define their brand values early and write them down...

Every founder eventually hits a decision that determines whether their company survives them or dies with them. Almost all of them get it wrong.

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic Farmers, who turned three acres and a borrowed tractor into a £120 million business, and found a way to cash out on his terms without ever putting the company up for sale.

Guy breaks down why he sold shares to his own staff instead of chasing a trade sale or private equity deal, and the n...

What if you could see what your Rolex was actually worth before a dealer made an offer?

In this episode, James is joined by Ross Crane to explain how that approach became a business, and what other founders can learn from it. Ross Crane co-founded Subdial to make buying and selling pre-owned luxury watches clearer and faster. Its market data helps customers understand watch prices in an industry where values can be difficult to pin down.

They discuss how to recognise when an idea has reached a dead end, how to respond when a market...

Building and scaling a venture at the intersection of culture and technology requires deep industry insight, structural thinking, and relentless adaptability.

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Rio Caraeff, Co-President of Musixmatch and former CEO of Vevo. Together they unpack a 30-year career spent shaping how music is distributed, monetized, and consumed globally. Rio shares candid stories from his early life, including how Dolly Parton taught him to read and how his father captured the legendary photo of Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire, before detailing his pioneering moves in digital...

Navigating a competitive industry requires adaptability, sharp execution, and a clear focus on long-term value.

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with David Powell, CEO of Andrews Property Group, to trace his rise from a 19-year-old negotiator to leading a major property services firm. David shares candid lessons on managing older teams at age 21, rebuilding after his employer collapsed post-2008 crash, and overcoming the "year-off penalty" after taking a 12-month sabbatical.

The conversation also explores broader economic and business realities. David breaks down why single-revenue models are giving way to multi-stream...

Scaling a business demands a clear story, sales strategies, and a realistic approach to capital.

In the third episode of our Summer Shorts series, James sits down with Enterprise Nation founder and UK Small Business Commissioner Emma Jones one final time, to dissect what it truly takes to transition from a running startup to a high-growth company. Emma outlines how to build a distinct brand without a massive budget, leveraging free PR opportunities like #JournoRequest, and why standing out comes down to knowing your exact story.

The conversation dives into practical sales tactics such as...

You can start a business for under £100, but building one that lasts requires navigating a minefield of practical, legal, and financial decisions.

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Emma Jones to break down the mechanics of turning an idea into a fully operational company. Emma walks through the real-world choices every founder faces. From writing a lightweight five-page business plan to deciding whether to trade as a sole trader or a limited company.

Emma shares why cash flow, not profit, is the ultimate reality test for a startup, how to p...

How do you start a business?

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Emma Jones, serial entrepreneur, founder of Enterprise Nation, and the UK’s Small Business Commissioner. This is part one of a three-part masterclass on starting a business from scratch. Emma delivers practical, step-by-step advice on how to spot market gaps, validate ideas through smart market research, and build a focused niche.

Emma shares insight on why testing a business as a side hustle gives you the space to refine your model, how to navigate early-stage co-founder decisions, and wh...

When do you hire, when do you raise, and when is expansion actually the right move?

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Forest co-founder Caroline Seton to pull back the curtain on how a London startup scaled to over two million rides a month. From using smart pricing to make customers do the heavy lifting in logistics, to navigating 33 separate sets of local regulations, Caroline breaks down the raw operational tactics and tough strategic trade-offs required to build, survive, and scale an asset-heavy business.

Caroline gives a clear blueprint for...

If your industry is facing a talent shortage or failing to prepare the next generation of workers, the solution isn't to wait for traditional institutions to adapt, it's to build the training infrastructure yourself.

In this episode of All About Business, James sits down with Oscar-nominated film producer Lisa Bryer OBE, and Day One Trust CEO Charlie Kennard MBE. Together, they break down a practical masterclass in rapid business execution, industry-led talent pipelines, and building teams that deliver under high-stakes pressure.

Lisa shares how turning a 24-hour corporate bankruptcy into the birth of Cowboy Films...

Are you exhausting resources trying to build every system from scratch? You could achieve faster, safer, scale by taking a proven playbook. And executing it better than anyone else.

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Jake Wilmot-Sitwell, co-founder and COO of Sandbox VR UK. Jake shares how he transitioned from venture capital to entrepreneurship, taking on £10M in capital to scale full-body, immersive VR experiences across the UK and Ireland.

Jake breaks down the core mechanics of their expansion strategy, explaining how a master franchise model eliminated the initial tech-development risk. H...

When your business hits an existential wall, are you willing to rethink your entire financial structure to protect your vision, or will you compromise the mission just to survive?

Most founders believe scaling requires bowing to traditional venture capital and prioritizing short-term margins. COOK proved there is another way by surviving near-bankruptcy, funding its own expansion through an unexpected subsidiary, and scaling past £100 million while keeping absolute control over its mission.

In this episode of All About Business, James Perry, co-founder of COOK and co-founder of B Corp UK joins as guest, and he pulls b...

Most consumer goods brands ask you to buy more - SURI does the opposite. They designed a sustainable, electric toothbrush made from plant-based materials that is fully recyclable. As a result they scaled to over £50 million worth of sales in just four years.

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Mark Rushmore, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Sustainable Rituals, SURI. The fast-growing personal care brand that’s disrupting a defended, multi-billion-pound market by proving that daily wellness routines don't have to come at the cost of the planet.

Mark shares his jou...

Most charities are told to secure funding before they spend. Bloomsbury Football did the opposite — investing in fundraising before the money existed, and growing from four children to 7,000 a week as a result.

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Charlie Hyman, founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football. His fast-growing social enterprise harnesses the universal power of grassroots football to tackle major societal challenges for young people, providing thousands of disadvantaged youth with vital role models, mental health support, and a true sense of belonging.

Charlie shares the 7 steps in starting, building an...

Most people underestimated lab-grown diamonds. Conventional wisdom says that luxury is about heritage, exclusivity and the power of a brand. So why are consumers embracing them so quickly?

And what does that tell us about the future of luxury businesses and the shift in consumer values?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Nathalie Morrison, founder and CEO of Astrea London. Her high-end jewellery brand focuses on ethical luxury, using the top 1% tier of lab-grown diamonds and 100% recycled gold to offer flawless purity that gives consumers more carats and less weight on...

Financial crises can hit any business- especially in today's economy. Selling might feel like the only option. But is it?

What should founders do when things look bleak? How do you rebuild momentum, and give your business the best possible chance of surviving and thriving? When one pair of siblings were running The End nightclub, they found themselves £1.5 million in debt and facing enormous pressure to sell.

Instead, they chose a different path, and turned the business around.

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Zoë Paskin, co-founder and managing di...

Scaling a business seems like the obvious goal. But what if growth without the right strategy leads to losing control?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with David Palmer, founder of Life of Fish, the modern London fishmonger that started as a lockdown pop-up outside a Peckham cafe, and has now grown into a multi-site retail and wholesale business built on sustainability, craft, and genuine customer service.

Together James and David explore the harder lessons of growth: why expanding too fast almost broke the business, how to know when to consolidate rather...

Thirty years of building a business without a board, without investors, and without ever wanting to sell, and it just keeps growing, there’s something to learn from that.

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Victoria Stapleton, founder of Brora, the British luxury cashmere and clothing brand. Victoria has built Brora over 30 years from a single supplier and a home phone number into a business with shops across the UK, a store on Madison Avenue, and a fiercely loyal customer base.

Victoria shares what she learned from building slowly and deliberately, an...

Most people think successful entrepreneurs spot brilliant ideas.

Sahar Hashemi believes the opposite.

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Sahar Hashemi, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Buy Women Built. They talk about Sahar’s journey over three decades building businesses, backing herself, and why entrepreneurship is far simpler than most people make it.

Sahar shares the hard lessons from scaling Coffee Republic to 110 stores and what happened when they handed the business to the professionals. What she learned about founders staying close to their customers, why bureaucracy is the si...

60% of the UK diet is ultra-processed. And the food industry is manufacturing your addiction. So why is this public health crisis continuing in plain sight, and what it would actually take to change it?

Two things are clear. Britain's food system is more broken than most people realise. And Gousto is far more interesting a business than its recipe boxes suggest.

In today’s episode, James speaks with Timo Boldt, founder and CEO of Gousto, about building one of the UK's most ambitious food businesses from scratch and why, 14 years and 80 million meals later, he's on...

What does it take to build a luxury brand by accident and keep it thriving for 30 years without ever taking outside investment?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Tom Faulkner, award-winning British furniture designer and founder of Tom Faulkner Limited. They talk about the unlikely journey from redundancy at a record label to running one of the UK's most distinctive handcrafted furniture brands, with showrooms in London and New York, and a workshop in Swindon that has been making things by hand since 1996.

Tom shares the story of how a side...

How can a major museum be run with the same entrepreneurial mindset as a high-growth business?

In today's episode, James Reed speaks with Elizabeth McKay, Director and CEO of the London Transport Museum. While many perceive museums as static archives, Elizabeth explains how she applies commercial strategy to ensure one of London’s most iconic cultural landmarks remains financially sustainable and relevant in a modern economy.

Elizabeth shares insights from her unconventional career journey and explains why the museum identifies as the best in the world for urban transport. They explore the evolution of work th...

Why are millions of jobs going unfilled in one of the UK’s biggest industries, while so many young people are struggling to find work?

In this episode of all about business, James Reed speaks with Sarah Bradbury, CEO of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, about the future of the UK food industry, the growing challenge of attracting young talent, and why the sector may offer far more opportunities than people realise.

Sarah shares insights from her 25-year career across major retailers, before stepping into one of the most influential leadership roles in the UK fo...

Running a business is hard, but what is it like when your work sits at the centre of people’s most emotional moments?

In this episode of all about business, James Reed sits down with Damian Melville, Managing Director of Melville & Daughter Funeral Directors. Together they explore leadership in one of the most emotionally demanding industries there is.

Damian shares his journey into the family business, reflecting on the responsibilities that come when helping people in their most vulnerable time, and how that shapes both leadership-style and company-culture. He shares what balancing tradition with modernisation me...

Is an awkward conversation the only thing standing between you and the salary you deserve?

In this episode of all about business, Connor Scully, Senior Executive Consultant at Reed Specialist Recruitment, sits down with James to discuss how professionals can effectively secure a pay rise in their current role.

Connor shares practical advice on how to move beyond the discomfort of pay discussions by focusing on preparation, timing, and proving your worth. The conversation explores how to assess whether you are truly due a salary increase, emphasizing the need to align your output with business...

How do you know if you’re being offered what you’re worth?

In this episode of all about business, Leanne Appleton, recruitment expert at Reed, speaks with James about how professionals can increase their earning potential and achieve a higher salary.

Leanne shares practical insights into what really drives salary growth, from understanding your market value to building in-demand skills and positioning yourself effectively in the job market. She explains why working harder isn’t always enough, and how being more strategic about your career decisions can significantly impact your long-term earnings.

The co...

How do you grow an idea into a multi-million pound business before the age of 40?

In this episode of all about business, James Reed sits down with Andrew Hulbert, entrepreneur and founder of Pareto Facilities Management, a company he built from his bedroom into a £50 million business before successfully exiting in his thirties.

Andrew shares the journey from a difficult start in Oxford and an unconventional path into business, to scaling rapidly in a competitive industry and navigating the realities of high-growth entrepreneurship. He reflects on the mindset required to build something from nothing, the i...

Could the answer to a more sustainable handbag or wallet lie at the bottom of your pint glass?

In this episode of all about business, James Reed sits down with Dr. Edward "TJ" Mitchell, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Arda Biomaterials, a London-based startup redefining the future of leather. Using cutting-edge technology, Arda transforms waste grain from brewers and distillers into sustainable, animal-, and plastic-free leather alternatives that are poised to disrupt the fashion and materials industries.

TJ shares his remarkable journey from a PhD in radioactive waste storage to the fast-paced world of...

How do you turn a single idea into a global brand and keep winning in an industry where most products fade away?

In this episode of all about business, James sits down with Steve Perez, founder of Global Brands, to unpack the reality behind building one of the UK’s most successful drinks businesses from scratch.

Steve shares how he identified a gap in the market early on, and backed his instincts to create products that would resonate with a new generation of consumers, most notably the breakout success of VK. But Steve’s story isn’...

Why do some candidates succeed in interviews while others fail, even with the same experience?

In this episode of all about business, James speaks with Will Moore, Senior Area Manager at Reed Specialist Recruitment, about how to effectively prepare for a job interview.

With more than a decade of experience in recruitment, Will shares practical advice on how candidates can approach interviews with confidence and structure. He explains the four key steps to interview preparation, from researching the company and reviewing the job description, to understanding the people you’ll be meeting, and preparing examples fr...

What is the biggest mistake people make when writing a CV? And how can yours land you an interview in 7 seconds?

In this episode of All About Business, James is joined by Libby White, Senior Consultant at Reed specialising in marketing, communications, PR and design recruitment.

While some people claim the CV is becoming outdated, Libby explains why it remains a critical tool for getting interviews and how small changes can dramatically improve your chances of standing out.

Drawing on her experience screening CVs every day, Libby shares practical advice on how candidates...

What’s the difference between chasing the next job and building a long-term career?

In this episode of All About Business Shorts, James Reed speaks with Sophie Clarke, recruitment expert at Reed, about how professionals can think more strategically about their careers.

Sophie explains why focusing only on job titles or salary increases can sometimes distract from long-term career growth. Instead, she argues that understanding your strengths, motivations, and the skills you want to develop is key to making smarter career decisions.

The conversation explores how building a strong personal reputation — through reliability, comm...

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...

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...

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.<...

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...

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...

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 buil...