An Unorthodox CEO

This week's episode, Steve chats with Oliver Towner all about what it's been like taking on a 150-year-old family-run business, the ins and outs of the funeral industry & its biggest misconceptions. Plus, Oliver shares what it was really like working his first funeral, navigating Covid & why sustainability is a growing factor in all funerals.

00:00 Intro
01:58 Growing up in a family business
03:12 What Oliver did before joining the business
05:30 First day working on a funeral & the day to day jobs
08:38 Biggest misconceptions about funerals & funeral directors
10:30 Furniture side of funerals
13:00 Oliver taking on the role as Managing Director & the transition from taking over from his dad
19:50 What covid was like in the funeral industry
23:35 Hardest point of Olivers time so far
25:31 Olivers release from the pressures
28:50 Olivers ‘Baptism of fire’
30:27 Olivers plans for the business
34:10 Biggest changes Oliver has made
35:20 Sustainability in the industry
38:52 Why Towners dont do any specific marketing
42:30 How data works in the funeral industry
44:54 Biggest risks going forward in the industry
47:00 Grief & Death - why dont we talk about it
53:00 Quickfire Questions
59:40 Outro
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This week on An Unorthodox CEO we are joined by Sarah Southerden Lee's wife and friend of Steve & Paula! Listen as Steve & Sarah chat all about how she found her way into finance & how she worked her way up. Plus, find out how Sarah met Lee & how many pairs of shoes she owns...

00:00 Intro
01:40 Sarahs life growing up
03:15 How she found her way into finance
08:15 Best part of Sarahs job
10:40 Working from home & productivity
13:40 Becoming a Team Leader
17:20 Anxiety & overcoming it
20:21 How Sarah met Lee
22:54 Sarah, Lee, Steve, Paula & their friendship
23:51 Sarahs thoughts on Lee joining the business
26:00 Looking in on the challenges of Sussex Beds
28:20 Quickfire Questions
34:30 Outro
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On this week's episode of An Unorthodox CEO, Steve chats with his friend Colin and original member of Sussex Beds all about what the business was like in the 80's and how its change to now. Plus, they chat about Colin's job in Windows, some contentious quickfire questions and how Steve & Colin work together on the Gangshow!

00:00 Intro
02:20 How Steve & Colin met
04:50 Why Colin ended up working at Sussex Beds
07:10 Colins jobs at Sussex Beds
08:10 What is was like moving from general furnishings to beds
10:20 Funny memories from the opening days
11:47 Opening ‘Little Bexhill’
13:10 How the opening of Haywards Heath changed the business
16:22 Colin became Steves manager
18:50 Hiding in wardrobes…
20:00 The opening of Eastbourne Shop & the sport shop
21:30 Colins jobs in the Window industry
22:50 Watching Sussex Beds evolve & what that was like & why good team is so important
24:10 Stage Managing Gangshow
27:19 Performing in Gangshow & other shows
28:54 Quickfire Questions
36:31 Outro
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On this weeks episode, Steve and Mark chat through his life before Sussex Beds and the jobs that led him into sales, how he has worked his way up with at Sussex Beds starting as a Sales Advisor and his journey to Regional Manager, plus how he de-stresses after work!

Question: Ketchup on Lasagna? Yes or No... Let us know in the comments!

00:00 Intro
01:56 Life before Sussex Beds
04:38 How made his way into Sales
09:53 Starting as a sales advisor with us
14:40 Going from a big to a small business
16:20 Becoming Uckfield Store Manager
18:45 Taking the leap to manage a brand new store
20:37 Becoming a Regional Manager & the kind of manager Mark wanted to be
26:00 80% people management and how that works
27:10 Hardest part of his job
29:44 How Mark has changed over the last 10 years
33:40 Mark & his family
36:20 Hobbies & how he de stresses
45:55 Quickfire questions
54:00 Outro
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In this episode of An Unorthodox CEO Steve chats with Oliver Bowen all about the premium bed world. Oliver has been in the industry for over 20+, listen as they chat about how he got into the industry, the businesses he worked for and what he has learnt along the way.

00:00 Intro
01:50 How Oliver got into beds
05:50 His time at And So To Bed & why the business changed
11:00 Why looking for the ‘why’ is so important
13:10 Olivers role at Feather & Black
14:19 Working out where the brand should sit in the market
18:24 Moving to Hästens - working in the luxury sector
22:30 Olivers job now working with Carpe Diem
23:50 How Carpe Diem design their beds
25:12 How Carpe Diem started
27:15 Biggest challenge of bringing in a premium supplier into the UK
29:30 Your team on the floor make a huge difference
31:30 What has changed most in the bed industry over the last 20 years
35:37 Quickfire Questions
44:30 Outro
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