The Business

How did Trinny Woodall build cosmetics brand Trinny London into a multimillion-pound British business? Hannah Prevett speaks to the founder about reinvention.

Few people understand business reinvention quite like Trinny Woodall. Best known for her hit television career, Trinny Woodall launched her cosmetics enterprise Trinny London from her own home in 2017 at age 53. In this episode of The Business, we explore how she navigated fundraising hurdles, targeted the over-40s skincare market, and established a major force in UK retail trends.

Trinny Woodall reveals the corporate strategy behind building her beauty brand from scratch, her non-negotiables in hiring, and why establishing a support network of female founders was crucial to her success in entrepreneurship.

"You need to really build a network of other female founders so that you feel you have women at the same place as you with the same struggles," Woodall says. "Because it's important to sense-check your thought process against somebody who is in a very similar position to you."

Guest:

Trinny Woodall, founder and CEO of Trinny London

Presenter:

Hannah Prevett, associate business editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily Leahy
Video Producer: Bronwen Latham
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
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Is tax policy driving away British business leaders? Hannah Prevett speaks to Castore co-founder Tom Beahon about the future of UK business.

In this bonus episode of The Business, Castore Co-founder Tom Beahon shares his concerns that successful entrepreneurs have little incentive to remain in the UK under current fiscal policy - and what changes he hopes Prime Minister Andy Burnham will deliver.

Founded in 2015 by Tom and his brother Phil, the sportswear company designs bespoke kits for premier football clubs and has become a major player in retail trends. It was last valued at almost £1 billion.

While Beahon has no desire to leave Britain himself, he warns that talented business leaders are choosing international tax havens over building businesses within the UK. He is increasingly concerned that “our best and brightest, our most capable people” are choosing to leave Britain.

“Let's not pretend otherwise,” he says on the show. “That is not good - that doesn't make me happy, I don't think it makes anyone in the entrepreneurial community happy.”

Beahon argues that the government should be asking why successful British businesspeople are moving abroad, rather than criticising them for doing so. He says the UK needs to become a place where people want to, not only to start businesses, but to build and scale them. Beahon believes Burnham should make some difficult decisions on public spending, warning that there is a limit to how much can be taken from those at the top.

If you like this bonus episode, be sure to watch the full interview with Tom Beahon on Times Business, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest:

Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore

Presenter:

Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday Times

Producer: Hope Federico
Video Producer: Bronwen Latham
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall
Photo Credit: Getty
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Castore disrupt global kit deals to build a British sportswear brand valued at almost £1bn? Hannah Prevett speaks to co-founder Tom Beahon about taking on Nike and Adidas.

In this episode of The Business, we look at how Castore transformed from an ambitious startup into a major player in sportswear, securing high-profile kit sponsorships across Premier League Football clubs and international athletics.

Alongside his brother Phil, Tom founded the brand from his parents' kitchen table in 2015 - channelling his early setbacks as a football player into focus and resilience. On the show, he explains what it was like to recover from the Aston Villa kit debacle, lifts the lid on Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment and walks through landing Sir Andy Murray as an investor.

We examine the corporate strategy, supply chain management and entrepreneurship required to challenge legacy sportswear giants. "It didn't make sense to us why there wasn't a British competitor to Nike, Adidas, Puma," Beahon says. "Why can't there be a premium British alternative to these guys? And if not us, then who?"

From navigating shifting consumer demand to expanding into global markets, we analyse what the growth has meant for the company so far, and what might be next.

Guest:

Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore

Presenter:

Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday Times

Producer: Hope Federico
Video Producer: Bronwen Latham
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall
Photo Credit: Getty
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are soaring energy bills threatening the UK’s net zero targets? Dominic O’Connell examines whether Prime Minister Andy Burnham should adjust climate policy to ease the cost of living.

Is the public consensus on the UK’s climate commitments being shattered by high energy bills? In this episode of Power Struggle, our energy mini-series on The Business, we discuss whether the cost of transitioning away from fossil fuels is pushing up household energy bills and slowing economic growth across British business, or if renewables are the solution for bringing prices down.

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has signaled the government will not stick strictly to its green pledges if it risks pushing energy bills higher. With ministers reportedly considering watering down rules on electric car sales, Dominic O’Connell is joined by RenewableUK CEO Tara Singh and Times columnist Juliet Samuel to debate what is really driving up energy bills - gas price volatility or grid upgrade costs - and whether it’s time to drop or double down on net zero.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to press follow at the top of your podcast app.

Guests:
Tara Singh, CEO of RenewableUK
Juliet Samuel, Columnist at The Times

Presenter: Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent
Producer: Hope Federico
Video Producer: Bronwen Latham
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall

Photo Credit: Getty
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
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Is expanding North Sea oil production climate vandalism or the key to lowering energy bills? Dominic O’Connell explores whether Andy Burnham could u-turn on Labour's manifesto pledge to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields in the region.

Ask any climate campaigner their views on North Sea oil, and the answer is straightforward: stop drilling. While Labour came to power pledging to prioritise green energy, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated a more pragmatic stance towards tapping domestic reserves as energy security concerns grow.

In Part 2 of Power Struggle, our energy mini-series on The Business, we explore whether expanding North Sea oil field licences is essential for driving economic growth and insulating the wider UK economy. We examine how government fiscal policy, regulatory shifts, and corporate taxation impact long-term commercial investment in the sector, and other affected industries.

Dominic is joined by Greig Cameron, Scottish business editor at The Times, to discuss the fate of key offshore fields like Rosebank and Jackdaw. Plus, Amjad Bseisu, chief executive of independent operator EnQuest, explains why he thinks uncompetitive tax regimes are pushing energy investment abroad and what ending North Sea oil production means for Britain’s net zero transition.

Guests:
Amjad Bseisu, Chief executive, EnQuest
Greig Cameron, Scottish business editor, The Times

Presenter:
Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall
Photo Credit: Getty
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.