James Reed: all about business

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 formal business training, and why necessity — not strategy — drove her early entrepreneurial decisions.
Penelope talks about the importance of craftsmanship, materials, long-term supplier relationships, and how staying close to customers has shaped everything from design to retail strategy.
James and Penelope discuss growth, from opening stores and expanding internationally, to raising investment and introducing clothing alongside footwear. Penelope shares why steady, organic growth has served her better than chasing trends, how slow fashion has become a competitive advantage, and why durability, purpose, and trust now matter more than ever.
This is a thoughtful conversation about learning your craft, respecting the people who help you build, and creating a business designed to last.
Timestamps:
02:59 From painter to designer
07:59 The first big orders
15:00 Sustaining quality and craftsmanship
22:52 Family and business dynamics
29:50 Expanding into the American market
35:52 Men's range and iconic products
47:58 Slow fashion and ethical production
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All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE
This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

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 build a modern PR and marketing business without hype, awards, or ego, and why so many agencies fail by prioritising image over impact.
The conversation dives deep into brand partnerships, celebrity collaborations, and equity-based deals as powerful growth strategies for challenger brands. Francesca breaks down why great products still fail without strong marketing, how cultural relevance directly drives sales, and why results matter far more than industry accolades.
Looking ahead, Francesca offers a bold and timely perspective on the future of PR and advertising in the age of AI. As automation accelerates across marketing, media, and communications, she argues that being human, authentic, and culturally aware will become the ultimate competitive advantage. A no-nonsense conversation about entrepreneurship, independence, brand relevance, and building a business that lasts in a rapidly changing world.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
04:38 Starting a PR business
10:08 The role of PR in modern marketing
17:54 Celebrity partnerships and brand collaborations
32:28 The importance of flexibility and client relationships
42:24 The reality of entrepreneurship
51:03 Successful celebrity brand partnerships
58:00 The future of PR and female founders
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Find out more about GTN Consultancy here:
All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE
This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

What if the future of food isn’t bigger, faster, and more centralised, but local, decentralised, and community-powered?
In this episode of the All About Business podcast, James is joined by Pete Russell, Founder of Ooooby and Co-Founder of DECENT, to explore how technology, ethical entrepreneurship, and optimism can transform the global food system from the ground up.
Pete shares his journey from running a highly profitable industrial food business to building one of the UK’s leading local food platforms, connecting independent farmers and producers directly with their communities. The conversation dives deep into the realities of entrepreneurship, scaling purpose-led businesses, and the challenges of building alternatives to industrial food supply chains.
A key theme of the episode is steward ownership, a business model that separates profit from control. Pete explains how steward ownership protects mission, prevents mission drift, and ensures long-term impact over short-term returns, offering a compelling alternative to traditional shareholder capitalism.
James and Pete also explore the future of commerce and AI, with Pete presenting a bold vision of a shift from the attention economy to the intention economy. As artificial intelligence reshapes how we discover and buy products, Pete argues that traditional marketing and advertising may become obsolete, replaced by systems that prioritise values, trust, and genuine human needs.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
02:03 Meet Pete Russell: The Visionary Behind Oooby’s Food Revolution
03:06 What Is Oooby? Decentralizing the Global Food Supply Chain
06:25 Farm-to-Table Logistics: How Oooby Empowers Local Farmers
10:12 The 1.9% Disruptor: Why Low-Margin Tech is Saving Small Farms
14:45 Debunking the Myth: Why Local Food Costs Less Than Supermarkets
19:30 The Awareness Gap: Why Traditional Food Systems Still Dominate
27:05 17 Years of Resilience: Pivoting Through Near-Death Business Challenges
33:40 The Software Pivot: Solving the Logistics Nightmare of Local Food
40:00 Future of Food: AI, Agentic Commerce, and Decentralized Platforms
56:15 What wakes you up on a Monday?
Follow James Reed on Linkedin
Follow Pete Russell on Linkedin
Find out more about Oooooby and how to sell local food online
All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE
This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

Building a billion-pound business is one thing, but what does it take to scale globally, exit successfully, and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs?
In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe, the home emergency repairs and improvements launched in 1993. Richard talks about his journey from early failures to growing a FTSE 100 multinational across the UK, France, Spain, the US, Canada, and Japan that sold for £4.1 billion in 2022.
Richard shares how a plumbing insurance model sparked the subscription-based affinity partnerships, the challenges of international expansion, and why copying successful ideas while focusing on execution was key to cracking markets and achieving organic growth.
Together they discuss Richard’s post-exit ventures including Growth Partner, Business Leader magazine, and his bestselling book "How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps". The conversation also explores Richard's passion for inspiring breakthroughs, the role of optimism in navigating setbacks, and why doubling the UK's large companies through community-driven support, matters more than ever in a challenging economic landscape.
Timestamps
01:00 The early struggles and pivots
06:42 The breakthrough: Plumbing insurance model
17:40 The power of copying and mentorship
28:53 Challenges and opportunities for mid-size businesses
37:55 Introducing growth partner: investment in retail
48:10 The not-to-do list for entrepreneurs
01:02:29 Recruitment: Hiring your replacement
Follow James Reed on Linkedin
Follow Richard Harpin on Linkedin
Buy Richard’s book “How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps”
All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE
This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

Winning Olympic gold is one of the highest achievements in sport, but what are the skills that you can apply to build an elite team in your business?
In this episode of All About Business, James meets Adrian Moorhouse MBE, three-time Olympian and gold medalist. Adrian talks about his journey from the pool to the boardroom, exploring big hairy audacious goals (BHAGs), the power of curiosity, and heart-driven leadership in challenging times, and why mindset, meaning, and community matter more than ever for sustained success in sport and business.
Adrian discusses his entrepreneurial transition, launching Lane Four in 1995, growing it through high-performance culture and client impact, and navigating its sale to EY in 2021, while confronting common entrepreneur pitfalls. He also shares how escaping school bullying through swimming ignited his drive and why choices over sacrifices defined his path.
Timestamps
01:20 Transition to business
04:44 Challenges and learnings
07:58 Creating a winning team
12:41 Resilience and focus techniques
17:16 From athlete to entrepreneur
32:30 Navigating the 2008 financial crisis
36:46 Mentoring and leadership insights
48:53 The intersection of sports and business
57:09 The importance of curiosity in leadership
Follow James Reed on LinkedIn
Follow Adrian Moorhouse on Linkedin
Find out more about The Tom Dean Swim School
All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE
This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk