Uncle Nearest founder: To disrupt a market, you have to understand it

Fawn Weaver, the woman behind the Uncle Nearest whiskey brand, shares her personal business advice

16 September, 2024

Dougal Shaw

The unique funding strategy of a vertical whisky distillery

Paddy Fletcher, co-founder and co-CEO of The Port of Leith whisky brand, shares his personal business advice, explaining why he built a vertical distillery

9 September, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Is it better to build your start-up in-person or remotely? 

It’s the existential business question of the post-Covid age: are you remote, in-office, or hybrid? We speak to start-ups who have taken very different approaches 

5 September, 2024

Dougal Shaw

AKQA CEO: Put diversity at the forefront of your business

AKQA CEO Ajaz Ahmed on diversity in tech and advertising and his sense of responsibility when it comes to representation at work

2 September, 2024

Dougal Shaw

First Mile CEO: Don’t forget the power of internal competition

Bruce Bratley, founder and CEO of First Mile, shares his personal business advice, explaining how the company uses gamification to motivate customers

28 August, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Hims & Hers CEO: Before you build it, prove it

Andrew Dudum, the man behind Hims & Hers, wants to bring healthcare into the digital age by using all the user-testing tricks at the modern entrepreneur's disposal

27 August, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Why start-up founders are going back to primary school

We visit a former primary school in north London that has become the unlikely hub for a group of start-ups focused on sustainability 

22 August, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Swingers and the rise of ‘competitive socialising’ 

Matt Grech-Smith talks about how Swingers leveraged pop-up spaces and social media to create a thriving business with a £39m turnover and plans for further expansion on the Business Leader podcast

13 August, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Hawksmoor: How to build an award-winning restaurant chain from scratch

Will Beckett, co-founder of Hawksmoor, shares insights on scaling a business by prioritising staff retention and much more.

30 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Anthesis CEO: My hiring tips if you want to scale

Stuart McLachlan, co-founder and CEO of Anthesis, shares his personal business advice

29 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw

ClicknClear CEO: The skills to start a business can come from anywhere

For entrepreneur Chantal Epp, a passion for the sport of cheerleading led to her business breakthrough

22 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Swingers CEO: Use pop-ups to test your big idea

Indoor, inner city mini golf combined with a boozy night out sounded like a crazy idea, but a pop-up in east London gave it a chance with customers and investors

15 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw

5 insights language-learning companies can offer us 

Digital language learning platforms are big business these days and the data they harvest can yield interesting insights for everyone, including business leaders

10 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Hawksmoor CEO: I believe in ‘casual professionals’

Will Beckett, co-founder and CEO of Hawksmoor restaurants, shares his personal business advice

8 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Is fear an effective driver of performance?

Plus, new car sales hit five-year high, private equity M&A growth, and a new Barbie exhibition launches

4 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw, Josh Dornbrack

The woman behind a ticketing juggernaut

Plus, the next government to benefit from easing of the cost-of-living crisis, Tata Port Talbot steel plant strikes called off and Revolut reports record profits

2 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw, Josh Dornbrack

Rude Health founder: In-person feedback ‘is a gift’

Camilla Barnard, co-founder of Rude Health, which makes organic, dairy alternative drinks and breakfast cereals, shares her personal business advice

1 July, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Hims & Hers CEO: Hire people smarter than you

Andrew Dudum, co-founder and CEO of online health and wellness company Hims & Hers, shares his personal business advice

24 June, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Retail sales and consumer confidence rebound

In today's Off to Lunch, we also cover Carlsberg's bid for Britvic, the cautionary tale of Huy Fong's hot sauce and what we can learn from the Adidas and Puma rivalry

21 June, 2024

Dougal Shaw, Sarah Vizard

Why AI is a co-pilot, not a decision-maker 

Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong, has worked in AI for five decades. He believes we are on the cusp of a “cerebral revolution” but cautions on the limits of the technology

20 June, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Eventbrite CEO: My leadership style is inspired by rugby

Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of the global events marketplace Eventbrite, shares her personal business advice

14 June, 2024

Dougal Shaw

5 Nordic ideas to boost entrepreneurship in the UK 

The UK government wants to boost entrepreneurship. To do so, it could take inspiration from initiatives in the Nordic countries

12 June, 2024

Dougal Shaw

Motorway CEO on why leaders must learn to ‘eat their vegetables’

Tom Leathes, co-founder and CEO of car-selling platform Motorway, shares his personal business advice

10 June, 2024

Dougal Shaw