The Industry Leaders Podcast

For our latest episode, we spoke to Founder of Kettlewell Colours, Melissa Nicholson!

In this episode, we discover the power of colour as Melissa shares how Kettlewell helps women feel good by finding the colours that suit them best. They have clothes in over 300 colours available, all year round.

Melissa shares the journey from starting the business to today, opening up their Colour Studio store, and the lessons and successes they've enjoyed along the way.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

For our latest episode, we spoke to Co-Founder of Unplugged, Hector Hughes. Since launching their digital detox cabins in 2020, they've expanded to 20 cabins across the UK, 11 employees and sold out months.

We discuss why Hector and his Co-Founder Ben started Unplugged, their interesting growth story - from funding to growing their team, and Hector's advice for people looking to start their own business, plus lots more.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

We are delighted to have Neil Campbell, Chief Growth Officer at Smol on our podcast this week!

Neil takes us behind the scenes of Smol who are on a mission to clean up the planet with plastic-free cleaning alternatives.

We find out how they're disrupting the industry from creating innovative products that work to how they stand out against household names, plus lots more.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Our latest guest on the Industry Leaders Podcast is Mike Barry. He spearheaded Marks & Spencer's Plan A initiative and was their Sustainability Director for 20 years. He now consults businesses, big and small, on sustainability.

He is a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, a Trustee at Blueprint for Better Business, and co-chaired the Consumer Goods Forum where the world's largest retailers and FMCG brands came together to work on issues such as deforestation, plastics and forced labour.

We were delighted to interview him for our podcast and find out more about his work and how businesses can be more sustainable.

We spoke about his time at M&S and implementing Plan A from getting employees onboard to the huge impact it had. He also discussed how brands can avoid greenwashing, where they should look first to be more sustainable, which labels actually matter, and lots more.

This is a really inciteful conversation full of practical steps for direct brands wanting to make a positive impact.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

From pre-pack administration deal in 2019 to a record-breaking financial year, Nathan Williams explains how he and his team turned Mamas and Papas around. It really is an inspiring and must-listen for anyone working in a direct brand.

We hope you enjoy listening!

For the latest episode of Industry Leaders, we are joined by Molly Freshwater and Harriet Mears. Sisters and Founders of Secret Linen Store.

We get to hear more about how Secret Linen Store started in just 6 months, and the different ways they stand out as an online business.

They also share more on their sustainability initiatives from how they're using every scrap of material, natural dye, and striving for B-Corp status. Plus, you'll find out why seaweed is a force for good!

Molly and Harriet's passion and positivity shines through this episode. We hope you enjoy listening!

Justin Stead was the Former CEO of Radley London and Founder of Aurelius Foundation.  ​

​This episode is quite different to our usual as we dive into stoicism and particularly, how Justin uses the philosophy in business and his personal life. He shares more about the 4 principles of stoicism and how this all works to create a happy and fulfilled life. We also find out more about sustainability at Radley London and how he encourages wellbeing at work.​

​Let us know what you think, we hope you enjoy!

Claire Watkin was 29 years old when she took over as Managing Director of Trendsetter and The Fine Bedding Company, a fourth-generation family business.​

In this episode, we discuss how Claire became to be the MD, the dynamics of a family business, Claire's collaborative leadership style, and brand expansion. ​

Plus, we cover sustainability and how (and why) they became B-Corp certified, the importance of employee happiness, their mission of making the finest bedding for the best night's sleep and so much more.​

Thank you, Claire, for providing a great insight into running a business that is truly focused on people, planet and product.​

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Our latest guest on our Industry Leaders Podcast is CEO of Pennies, Alison Hutchinson. 

This is a fantastic episode that makes for an inspiring listen, especially in current times. Alison shares the story behind Pennies, how it started, and how they got their first brands on board, including Dominoes. We talk about the huge impact of donating pennies to charities, the difference micro-donations make and how everyone can get involved. Alison also shares more about building teams, leadership and lots more.

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

This week we sat down with Adam Brown, Founder of Orlebar Brown. Known for their original tailored swim shorts and loved by everybody from 007 to Michael Fassbender. 

In this episode we cover Adam's early career figuring out what he was good at, how the idea for Orlebar Brown came about, and being acquired by Chanel. Adam also shares more about the brand ethos, how his target customer doesn’t fit into one box, advice for brands looking for investment, and lots more. 

We hope you enjoy this episode!

As COO of FatFace, Mark has been responsible for modernising their retail approach and starting out their transformation journey. In this episode he discusses this in more detail, from how he drives change within a brand with such history and employee tenure, why ideas shouldn't always come from head office, and the critical role stores play. 

Plus, we cover important leadership traits, how FatFace's UK operation achieved carbon neutral and are now aiming for carbon zero, advice for businesses staring at the UK's challenging horizon, and lots, lots more. 

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

A quick note: Mark discusses what the government business support will look like, we sat down to record this episode before the mini budget was released and reversed.

This week on the podcast we spoke to Don Williams, Partner, Retail Sector at KPMG. Don is an expert in retail with a particular focus on supply chain, international expansion, online and digital transformation, and harnessing data to build businesses for the future. This episode gives DTC businesses lots of valuable insights and actionable tips as we discuss the data and context behind the headlines. ​

We discuss everything from how to thrive amidst a challenging economy, where to start with sustainability and how to communicate that to your customers, and why Don remains optimistic plus so much more. ​

We hope you enjoy this episode!

We were excited to speak with Georgia Metcalfe, Founder of French Bedroom, for our latest episode. We discussed how Georgia started French Bedroom, the reality of being a retailer for the past two years, including a shipment that was stuck on the now infamous Ever Given ship, creating customer experiences, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this episode!

This week on our podcast we speak to Nayna McIntosh, Founder & CEO of Hope Fashion. We talk about knowing when to move on, the inspiration behind Hope Fashion, the reality of raising investment, the importance of mentors, and lots more. 

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

This week's guest on our podcast is Sophie Cornish - MBE, two-time author, multiple award winner, founder of Not On The High Street and Managing Partner of the brilliant womenswear brand Busby & Fox!

In this episode we chat about starting Not on the High Street from her kitchen table, why Busby & Fox was the perfect opportunity for her, creating amazing shopping experiences for women aged 50+, the future of small retail, and lots more. 

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

For our latest podcast episode, we spoke to Rohan Blacker, Founder of Pooky and previously sofa.com. In this episode, he shares more about taking the jump into entrepreneurship after a career as a solicitor, standing out in 2022, building businesses in digital's early days and the hilarious story of how he got the sofa.com domain name. 

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

Jo Tutchener Sharp founded Scamp & Dude in 2016, after being separated from her children during a lengthy stay in hospital undergoing life-saving brain surgery. What initially started as a kidswear brand has now grown into womenswear and they're loved for their purpose-driven, super-power infused clothes. In this podcast episode, Jo shares more about her story, how Scamp & Dude began, being stocked in Liberty's, advice for businesses and lots more.

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

We're so excited by this week's guests, Mandy Watkins and Rupert Youngman, the duo behind fashion and lifestyle brand, Hush. 

In this episode, we hear more about how Hush started, their growth and their plans for the future. Plus, we discuss fast fashion and sustainability, building teams, design inspiration, and lots more. 

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

Mehul Tank is the CEO of Scandinavian brand, Georg Jensen and former CFO of British Womenswear brand, Hobbs. In this episode, Mehul shares his career journey via CFO to CEO, Georg Jensen's exciting story, the importance of connecting online and retail experiences, and so much more. ​

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

What makes a successful leader? 

Drax Executive have undertaken the largest study of its kind across Europe to identify a framework of behaviours that the most successful high-growth businesses possess in their leadership teams. 

In this episode, Samuel presents a fascinating perspective on leadership, informed by data. We discuss the four key behaviours of leaders, the importance of curiosity in your leadership team, team dynamics, and lots more.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Seasalt is having a moment. CEO Paul Hayes has just announced that the brand is set to hit £100m in sales and that a huge 56% of sales are now online - not bad for a business that started life selling workwear to local farmers and fishermen. Listen to Paul tell Sorcha O'Boyle about how he set the business up for growth, why they don't discount and what lies ahead for one of the most successful UK retail brands in recent years. 

Dr Anna Persaud is the CEO of This Works, the skincare brand that works with your body clock. With a PhD in biochemistry, Anna brings her clinical expertise and commercial experience to the podcast this week and gives her take on the most exciting developments in skincare and how This Works is taking on its US expansion. Enjoy!

Join us for a chat with our first travel brand! CEO of the Leger Shearings Group, Liam Race, sits down with Sorcha O'Boyle to talk through how Leger acquired Shearings during the height of the first lockdown, how it feels to have tour buses back on the road, and what lies ahead for the travel industry. Enjoy!

Founded in 1970, Jigsaw is a signature British fashion brand that has weathered the shift to omni-channel and embraced the challenges of the changing High Street. In this episode, Sorcha O’Boyle caught up with Beth Butterwick, Jigsaw’s newly-named CEO, to hear about how she fell in love with fashion, what it’s like to lead a heritage brand as it digitises – and what she’s learned about taking risks.

RIXO is the breakout brand of the last few years. It's been called everything from a cultural zeitgeist to an instant classic from the moment it exploded onto the fashion scene in 2015. In this episode, we met founders Orlagh McCloskey and Henrietta Rix to hear about how they launched the brand, what they're working on at the moment, and what success means to them. 

Women’s fashion brand Wyse London is taking the world by storm. For this episode, we sat down with founder Marielle Wyse to learn about the early years of Wyse, how and why she shifted the brand from a wholesale to a direct-to-consumer model, and where she gets her inspiration.

Marielle’s story is a fascinating one about how a brand can adapt quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic and why your most important relationship is with your customer.

What do most D2C CEOs overlook? How can Boards and NEDs help CEOs to do their job better? And what will the High Street look like in 2030? We sat down with Meg Lustman, former CEO of Hobbs and now mentor and coach to direct-to-consumer CEOs and senior leaders to hear her take on these questions and many more. This episode is jam packed full of insight and advice from one of retail's most respected leaders - enjoy!  

What's it like to transition from CFO to CEO? What's the simplest way to find out what needs to change in your business? And how does a 135-year-old direct-to-consumer brand adapt to keep up with digital transformation in the modern marketplace? We sat down with Nathan Smith, CEO of Whittard of Chelsea, to learn the answers to all of these questions and more in this week's episode of the Industry Leaders Podcast. Happy listening!

Hotter Shoes is leading the digital transformation on the High Street. Listen to CEO Ian Watson share how he and his team have digitalised the business and encouraged their customers embrace new technologies across their stores, their app, and online. Hear how Ian left school at 16 but has become a great advocate for education and learning (he's currently doing a Doctorate at Warwick Business School, as well as getting Hotter ready for its floatation at the end of 2021 - no mean feat!)

Freddie's Flowers is on a mission to bring beautiful cut flowers to homes all over the UK and beyond. Tune in to hear Ted Bell give his take on what it takes to bring a business from start-up to launch and how his experience at Abel & Cole brought him to Freddie's Flowers.

Dune London is one of the UK's most enduring and well-loved footwear brands. In this episode, we caught up with Daniel Rubin, Founder and CEO of Dune London to learn what key ingredients make up a successful brand, how Dune is leading the way in digital transformation, and why he still crosses the road to see what's new and exciting in shop windows. 

Join the first episode of the Industry Leaders Podcast as we sit down with Maria Hollins, joint-MD of Ann Summers. Learn what inspires Maria, what she learned during her time at ASOS, and what advice she'd give her younger self.