James Reed: all about business

• 39. Smarter, fairer, faster: How AI is redefining graduate hiring | James Uffindell

  Most graduates leave university with a degree but little direction, but how do you figure out what to do with your life, and how do you actually get your foot in the door?In this week’s episode of All About Business, the founder of Bright Network James Uffindell shares the full journey. From his first venture helping students access top universities, to scaling Bright Network into one of the UK's leading platforms for connecting talent with opportunity.From a working-class upbringing in Warwickshire to founding Bright Network, a tech-driven platform used by over a million students, James has spent his career solving the problems he once faced himself.James talks about the crisis that led to their biggest innovation, how they scaled an internship program to 150,000 students, AI, data, understanding Gen Z behavior, and what employers really want when they say they’re looking for passion and resilience. If you’re building a startup, thinking about purpose, or wondering how to turn experience into impact, this episode is for you. James’s story is proof that you don’t have to come from the right family or know the right people, but you do need to listen, adapt, and keep showing up. 02:51 James Uffindell's background and inspiration04:10 Building Bright Network08:04 The importance of internships11:52 Personalisation and data utilization24:05 Impact of AI on job market36:55 The importance of office environments for young professionals39:31 The Bright Network platform and its benefits41:23 AI in recruitment and business growth51:03 Diversity and inclusion in the job market59:38 Future plans and expansionCheck out Bright Network’s website: Follow Bright Network on LinkedIn: Follow James Reed on LinkedInAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at Reed.com 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

  --------  

  1:02:40

  --------

  1:02:40
• 38. The chemistry of growth: turning a mould problem into a thriving business | Byron Dixon, OBE

  Five years. Zero sales. No paycheck. Most people would’ve given up. Byron Dixon didn’t. Instead, he turned his chemistry knowledge and desire for change into Micro-Fresh. A breakthrough technology now used globally to fight mold, bacteria, and bad smells in everything from school shoes to hospital bedding.In this episode of All About Business, we meet Byron Dixon, scientist, entrepreneur, and founder of Micro-Fresh. He shares how he went from a council estate in Leicester to living in Denmark and learning from the Scandinavian way of life, to building a global brand that’s protecting lives, championing sustainability, and changing how retailers think about product longevity.Byron reveals the untold truth about bootstrapping a science business, the resilience it takes to go years without revenue, and how one unexpected call changed everything. He also shares how Micro-Fresh is tackling mold in homes, and why “Home-Fresh” might be his most important innovation yet. If you’ve ever doubted yourself, struggled to stay motivated, or wondered if your idea could really make a difference, this episode is for you.03:16 Why Did Byron Start MicroFresh?07:27 MicroFresh's Sustainability, Waste Reduction10:40 Designing A Non-Hazardous Environmentally Friendly Product18:46 Starting Without Advantages20:09 Open University25:18 Determination & No Fear of Failure26:25 The First Breakthrough28:40 Domino Effect - Competition Doesn't Want To Be Left Out31:00 Big Growth & Market Validation36:51 How Does A CEO Prioritize and Achieve Goals?39:59 Moving to the USA?47:03 Why Young People Feel They Can't Do This49:24 Switching Off The Phone51:00 Boredom as a source of creativity52:42 Putting the Phone and Social Media Away54:54 Top 3 Things We Should Import From Scandinavia59:41 Interview RoundCheck out Microfresh’s websiteFollow Microfresh on LinkedInFollow James Reed on LinkedInAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at Reed.com 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

  --------  

  1:01:02

  --------

  1:01:02
• 37. Hitting rock bottom to building a global brand from scratch | Matthew Jones, The King of Doughnuts

  He pushed himself to the limit and lost everything. But that didn’t stop him from coming back stronger than ever and building a global brand from scratch. On this episode of All About Business we meet Matthew Jones, founder of Bread Ahead, who teaches us why the road to success isn’t always smooth. For him it was full of late nights, hard lessons, and a brutal turning point that forced him to rebuild his business and his life from the ground up.When Matthew started making doughnuts at Borough Market, he never expected they’d become a worldwide sensation. The founder of Bread Ahead gives us valuable business insight and shares how he uses Instagram and raw storytelling to grow a devoted following.Bread Ahead is more than a bakery, it's a brand built on resilience, realness, and obsessive attention to flavour.If you’ve ever felt like giving up, or dreamed of starting over. This episode is proof that rock bottom can be the start of something extraordinary.01:59 The rise of Bread Ahead04:21 Innovative flavours and business strategy08:28 Matthew's Culinary Journey19:34 Challenges and recovery25:44 Rebuilding and expanding35:44 The power of social media39:19 Global expansion and future plans43:00 Resilience and learning from failure51:47 The Bread Ahead Academy55:57 The impact of weight loss trends on business57:41 Daily routine and work-life balanceLinksCheck out Bread Ahead’s website: Follow Bread Ahead on LinkedIn: Follow James Reed on LinkedInAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at: Reed.com 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

  --------  

  1:04:33

  --------

  1:04:33
• 36. How to get users on your app from day one | Michelle Kennedy

  Nearly 10,000 apps are uploaded to the app store every week, and most of them are ignored. So how do you launch one that becomes a movement?In this episode of All About Business, we’re joined by Michelle Kennedy, founder and CEO of Peanut; the social networking app that has transformed how women connect and help each other through every stage of motherhood.What does it take to walk away from a top executive role and start from scratch? From pitching with nothing but a deck, to raising over $23 million, to building one of the most trusted platforms for women online, listen to Michelle's story and find out.We dive into her strategy for building a matchmaking app that attracts millions of users, how to validate your idea before you build it, and the biggest lessons she’s learned as a female founder.Michelle also opens up about the hardest parts of fundraising, how she built traction without a product, and why not every business should take venture capital. 01:42 Introduction - Michelle Kennedy01:54 Peanut - Social Media App09:09 Raising Money11:34 Advice on Deck, Pitch, Value Proposition15:56 Not Every Business Needs the Venture Capital Path20:04 I Wouldn't Have Done It If I Knew ...24:25 Achieving Critical Mass - The Network Effect27:40 Start Without Building The App33:34 Peanut Start Her Fund for Women36:48 Advice to Family Women on Starting a Business46:59 Curiosity Spawns New Ideas50:10 Why A Book In The Digital Age?54:57 Reed Interview Round - What Gets You Up Monday Morning?56:39 Where Michelle Sees Herself in Five YearsLinksCheck out Peanuts’s website: Follow Peanut on LinkedIn: Download Peanut app from Google Play: Follow James Reed on LinkedInAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at: www.reed.com 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

  --------  

  57:30

  --------

  57:30
• 35. Cargo without borders: How airships are about to connect the unreachable | Mark Dorey

  Did you know that nearly half the planet still isn’t connected? In many places, getting essential supplies like medicine and food is not only costly, it’s nearly impossible. But what if we were standing on the edge of a breakthrough that could change all of that?On this episode of All About Business, we're joined by Mark Dorey, co-founder and CEO of Straightline Aviation. A pioneering company building hybrid airships designed to deliver cargo to the most remote corners of the world.No roads, no airports - no problems. It’s a bold mission with the power to reshape global logistics and unlock new possibilities for connection, commerce, and care.Mark shares how he turned an ambitious idea into a real business, what to look for in the right business partner, and some of the great lessons he learned when working alongside Richard Branson.01:42 Introduction04:04 How Does an Airship Work?06:55 Why the Early Popularity of Airships?12:04 The Customer Benefits of Airships19:06 Mark's Early Career24:15 Changing Business Models29:51 Future Scale32:07 Learning from Richard Branson34:35 Delegation and Accountability44:49 Pros and Cons of Business Partners47:17 Negotiating and Establishing Business Relationships51:10 Business Opportunity Check List52:43 Establishing Shared Vision and TrustLinks Check out Straightline Aviation’s website:Follow StraightlineAviation on LinkedIn: Follow James Reed on LinkedInAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at www.reed.com 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

  --------  

  57:32

  --------

  57:32

More Business podcasts

Trending Business podcasts

About James Reed: all about business