Former start-up founder Liam Byrne’s career is a study in the fusion of public service values and business acumen. In a wide-ranging conversation with Jamie, Byrne reflects on how his upbringing, education, and professional journey - from a tough Essex school to the heart of government - shaped his political philosophy and fuels his urgent call for a more radical approach to Britain’s biggest challenges.

Why should you start a business? While many are driven by profit or purpose, for Cubitts Founder and CEO, Tom Broughton, it was a profound and singular passion for an object that 60% of us wear every day: spectacles. Join us in a riveting conversation with Tom, filled with laughter and a level of candour that we absolutely adored, as we explore the compelling origin story of what is now an emerging multinational success. Tom's journey, marked by dramatic lows and almost unbelievable hi...

A tech company based in Wrexham, a main office with a built-in pub, and a major property lease in the US signed over FaceTime? Join us for our latest Three Things Podcast episode as we sit down with Joanna Swash, the dynamic CEO of trailblazing customer service outsourcing brand, Moneypenny. Known for her exceptional leadership and forward-thinking approach, Joanna shares the secrets behind Moneypenny’s extraordinary scale-up operation, which has seen it grow into a global leader in out...

With our biggest event ever, 'AI at Work: From Myths to Masterclasses', just around the corner, we delve into the intricacies of Artificial Intelligence with Claudia Harris OBE, the CEO of Britain's leading tech training company, Makers, in our latest Ask an Expert episode. We're all familiar with IQ and EQ, but as technology evolves at breakneck speed, Claudia explains that we must all turn our attention towards a new quotient, worth its weight in gold. LQ, she argues, will set the tone of o...

AI is revolutionising the world at such a rate that it could well be the most significant technological advancement since the inception of the internet. But how? And what can businesses do to harness its power? We had the pleasure of welcoming DN Capital’s Founding Partner, Steve Schlenker, back to our Ask an Expert podcast to ask him those very questions. Due to his involvement in several AI-centric enterprises, Steve has a profound understanding of AI and how it can help businesses across a...

This month we sat down with Ella d'Amato, the dynamic Managing Director of True Global and former Not On The High Street CMO, for our Three Things podcast. Joining us to explain her unorthodox, and utterly brilliant, route to becoming a CEO, this wide-ranging conversation is one you really shouldn't miss. As a unique trifecta of VC, PE, and innovation, True is a truly special enterprise. But the real gold dust in this conversation is how Ella and her colleagues are able to balance thei...

Following the success of our last Three Things podcast episode with former MADE.com CEO, Nicola Thompson, we were delighted to welcome the brilliant Adam Balon to the hotseat this month. In his very first podcast appearance, the innocent co-founder takes us beyond the legendary innocent story and into his current venture as the co-founder of JamJar Investments. In a time of dwindling business valuations and tight purse strings, this is a must-listen for any founder or CEO looking to secure ...

In one of our most exciting episodes to date, we're joined by the former CEO of MADE.com, Nicola Thompson as she speaks out for the first time since the company's downfall. Listen in to learn what it's really like being a CEO in the midst of an existential crisis, and discover the truth behind the business' collapse. The real gold in this episode, however, is undoubtedly Nicola's extraordinary resilience and her exceptional character, which shone through despite the business being caug...

In this eye-opening episode of our Ask an Expert podcast series, we revisit our conversation with Steve Schlenker, founding partner of DN Capital, who last year predicted a financial bloodbath in 2023/24. As we face the consequences of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, Steve shares his insights on the current state of the venture community in both the US and Europe, and the implications for CEOs and founders today. While the situation remains dire, Steve offers a glimmer of hope. His Three Th...

The latest episode of our Three Things podcast sees our host Jamie Mitchell sit down with Thom Elliot, the Co-Founder of Pizza Pilgrims, to explore the incredible story behind the birth, growth, and success of his popular pizza brand. Listen in for a deeply entertaining conversation, including why focusing on your team trumps obsessing over your customers, the unique strategies Pizza Pilgrims employs to keep their teams engaged and motivated, and valuable insights into Thom's thoughts ...

As is the case with any budget announced by the government, the spring budget laid out by the Chancellor on the 15th of March has raised a myriad of questions for consumers and businesses alike. The most notable changes for business leaders that Mr Hunt shared, however, were those concerning corporation tax, and the reliefs and benefits associated with it. In an effort to unpick the details, and shed some light on what they mean in practice, we got in touch with Neil Stockham, Tax Partner at ...

2023 so far has been a spiral of uncertainty for the British economy. For many businesses, the numbers aren't as bad as expected, but with so much scepticism coming from the government and the media, business leaders aren't quite sure where they stand. The CBI sits at the nexus between business, the economy, and politics, so we were delighted to welcome Director General, Tony Danker to the latest instalment in our Ask an Expert podcast series. Listen in to discover what Tony had ...

Radical change was a central theme of Romi Savova's childhood. From the Soviet streets of Bulgaria, to post-Apartheid Pretoria in the 90s, she witnessed the spectacular demise of two of the 20th century's established - yet undeniably oppressive - regimes. Now, as the CEO of PensionBee, Romi joins our Three Things podcast to explain how those experiences instilled in her a powerful sense of purpose and an understanding that change for the better is not only possible, but nec...

Galahad Clark's Quaker forefathers built one of the most successful shoe companies in the UK in Clark's. But now, as the owner and MD of Vivobarefoot, Galahad is - quite literally - reshaping the footwear industry while revolutionising what it means to be a 'good' business. Join us for our latest Three Things podcast where we discover the extraordinary truth behind Galahad's unique shoe brand, from its deep roots in nature and extreme level of transparency, all the way to its abolishment of...

"Poetry doesn't give you any answers, but it acts like a mirror - reflecting, and helping you better understand what's happening inside." Evgeny Shadchnev asks a lot of questions. As a business coach, he's trained to do just that. But it is the types of questions he asks, and the methods he uses to ask them, that make him such an effective coach. Evgeny's journey from small-town Russia to founder of Makers is as inspiring as it is unusual. A software engineer by trade, he somehow lear...

All Together’s Three Things podcast is back for another season and we’re kicking it off with the CEO and Co-founder of Bloom & Wild, Aron Gelbard. Aron founded Bloom & Wild in 2013 alongside Ben Stanway. Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength taking the flower delivery industry by storm. All Together Co-founder, Jamie Mitchell, sat down with Aron to unpick his astonishing success. From his relentless focus on the customer, to his masterful use of scale, Aron explai...

Political chaos. Raging U-turns. Economic uncertainty. These are the troubles facing UK businesses this winter and ensuring planning ahead has become a near-impossible task for business leaders. To shed some light on the situation, All Together co-founder, Jamie Mitchell, sat down with Philip Shaw, Chief Economist at Investec, in an attempt to understand how the recent changes have affected the economy and what CEOs can do to keep themselves afloat in these trying times.

William Reeve is one of the country's most successful serial entrepreneurs, and one of our most prolific angel investors. But in a career that defies convention, William is also a 'hired gun' for other people's businesses, including a stint as Head of Operations for Paddy Power and his current role as CEO of Goodlord, the award winning property rentals platform. Seemingly as comfortable around the Board of FTSE250 retailer Dunelm as he is Chairing scale-ups like Graze and Nutmeg, Willia...

When Douglas Lamont became innocent CEO, revenue stood at £200m and sales were predominantly from the UK. Over the last 9 years, however, revenue has more than doubled, with international sales accounting for 80% under his leadership. In this month’s Three Things podcast, we were eager to find out what makes Douglas the unique CEO he is today, and to ask for Three Things – three pieces of actionable advice – he is taking with him when he takes over as CEO of Tony’s Chocolonely in September.

The party is over in tech. For now. And the impact will be felt by all of us who need to raise capital to finance our businesses, in non-tech industries and tech alike. In our first “Three Things Ask an Expert” podcast, Jamie talks to Steve Schlenker - Founding Managing Partner at DN Capital - on what's been happening to tech stocks in the US, what it means for UK start-ups, and why every early-stage venture needs to act urgently to maximise cash reserves and extend runways.