WABChats

White & Black
  • 5.0 (6)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • MONTHLY

The WABChats Podcast is all about hearing and learning from those who, like us, are doing things differently. From pioneers, innovators and masters of craft to cultural trailblazers, academics and professional sportspeople – we believe there are lessons, solutions and perspectives, transferable to your context, to be found in all sorts of places. We hope that these conversations will provide transferable insight into the different challenges, questions and opportunities that businesses are facing today, inspiring you to embrace transformation in your own organisation and keep doing things differently. www.wabchats.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Andrew Steele - Calculated Risks, Lasting Value

    8 JUL

    Andrew Steele - Calculated Risks, Lasting Value

    In this episode, Andrew Steele, former Team GB Olympic bronze medallist, shares his journey from the traumatic experiences of missing the home games of London 2012 to an unexpected leap in entrepreneurship. He offers an inside line into a journey beyond sport and talks on reinvention, resilience and carving a unique path to entrepreneurial success.   Andrew speaks about his incredible story, the celebrations and challenges of competing for Team GB and how a single audacious email launched him as the co-founder of DNA Fit, a successful DNA testing company. He discusses the pressure and purpose of leading the Premier Leagues COVID testing programme to now building his own health optimisation company – Stride.  With the belief that societal health will improve from the bottom up, Andrew explains how Stride will offer in-house health tests, tailored interventions and expert support to tackle chronic diseases at a consumer level.   From having no work experience or higher education, to currently bridging the gap between free and private healthcare, this conversation explores the ‘permission to try’, the resilience that is not often learned and the opportunities that arise navigating unexpected detours.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  2. Rhodri Darch - Powering the Past, Driving the Future

    12 JUN

    Rhodri Darch - Powering the Past, Driving the Future

    In this episode, Rhodri Darch, Co-CEO of Everrati Cars, a revolutionary Oxford-based company meticulous in its craft of restoring and electrifying iconic classic cars. Rhodri offers an inside line into a company that’s not just participating in the electric vehicle revolution but carving its own unique path to growth. He shares his unconventional journey to the forefront of EV innovation, from computer games to the British Army, and how his 'scale-up' mentality has shaped Everrati's trajectory. Rhodri explains how Everrati masterfully blends timeless design and automotive soul with high-performing, zero-emissions EV powertrains, creating truly bespoke, hyper-personalised electric vehicles. He discusses how Everrati preserves the heritage of these classics, placing customer emotion and nostalgia at the heart of every project, and how their unique approach stands out amidst the growing luxury EV market.   We discuss Everrati's innovative B2B ventures, and how the company is leveraging their cutting-edge technology and expertise beyond direct consumer sales. Rhodri provides a fascinating insight into their rigorous team building and partner selection processes within the UK's "Motorsport Triangle," ensuring unparalleled quality and a steadfast dedication to excellence.   https://everrati.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  3. Michelle Niziol - Empowering Growth

    22 MAY

    Michelle Niziol - Empowering Growth

    In this episode of WABChats, we speak with Michelle Niziol, a serial entrepreneur and a leading voice for women in business. Michelle shares her remarkable journey, starting her first business at 18 and building a suite of seven complementary companies, including her highly successful mortgage brokerage, IMS Property. She explains the strategic evolution of her businesses, focusing on recurring revenue models and how diversification, like her lettings agency, provided crucial resilience during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Michelle also unpacks some of the unique challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, particularly around access to funding and the pervasive issue of impostor syndrome. Drawing from her own experiences, she offers powerful advice on building confidence, leveraging supportive networks, and transforming adversity into motivation. She discusses what it took to be "10 times tougher" as a woman navigating a male-dominated industry in her early career, and how she balances assertive leadership with her authentic self. Listen now to discover Michelle's drive, her approach to managing multiple successful ventures, and her passionate work with The Empowering Entrepreneur to mentor and support other women in business. Follow Michelle here - Michelle Niziol | LinkedIn Homepage - The Empowering Entrepreneur® Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min
  4. Richard Kennell BEM - Empowering Potential

    24/05/2024

    Richard Kennell BEM - Empowering Potential

    Richard Kennell is the founder and CEO of the charity SOFEA. SOFEA is all about helping young people for whom traditional schooling doesn’t click find their spark, the thing that is going to unlock their talents and ultimately find their path in life. Before starting SOFEA Richard ran his own Education company working with local schools and prior to that Richard had a 20-year career as a secondary school teacher and Assistant Head Teacher. During his time as a teacher, Richard decided he wanted to help those young people that didn’t get on with the traditional schooling system. Richard saw these young people dropping out of school with few skills and fewer qualifications and decided it was time to do something about it. In this conversation, Richard shares with us the inspiration behind the charity and some of the personal leadership challenges he faced when first getting things off the ground. Richard also talks to us about how businesses can help students in this situation and how they can re-think the early-stage recruitment processes to account for an untapped pool of young talent. SOFEA - https://www.sofea.uk.com/ Fareshare - https://fareshare.org.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  5. Piers Daniell - Scammers, smart homes and solving problems

    03/05/2024

    Piers Daniell - Scammers, smart homes and solving problems

    Piers Daniell is an entrepreneur in the world of energy, property and, more recently, politics. Piers set up his first business aged just 15 and hasn't looked back since then. Piers founded internet service provider Fluidata in 2004 and by the time he departed as Chairman in March 2019, it had grown into a £30m company with over 95% customer retention rate. The company won numerous awards multiple times including the Tech Track 100 award, Deloitte Fast 50 and being named a Sunday Times Best Small Company to work for three times. Piers himself has also won a number of awards, including Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Queen’s Award for Innovation which he was presented by the Queen in 2014. More recently Piers has entered the energy market with his company Tewke. Tewke's AI-enabled Automation allows homeowners to boost energy efficiency, save money, and reduce environmental impact by learning from homeowners' routines and encouraging eco-friendly habits. Tewke's objective is to control and optimise energy, by learning, controlling and adapting. In this episode, Piers shares with us the challenges and lessons from the very early stage of his business career and the significant challenges he faced when selling his first major business Fluidata. We then go on to discuss his new business Tewke and the work it is doing to address the problems of behavioural change in sustainable living, using AI and Automation to build what is in essence a smart grid for homeowners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min
  6. Omid Moallemi - Creating and Capturing Value

    18/02/2024

    Omid Moallemi - Creating and Capturing Value

    As the Co-Founder of the social gifting app Prsnt, Omid shares his journey from furniture design and his own consultancy, BlueSix Design, to developing a patented next-generation nicotine device that garnered attention from major tobacco players. We explore the innovative thinking behind Prsnt, a social gifting app poised to disrupt how we connect through instant digital gifts from leading brands like Deliveroo, John Lewis, and Amazon. While Omid’s ventures span diverse sectors, his story offers valuable insights for business leaders navigating innovation, intellectual property (with his patent), and the strategic considerations of building and scaling a tech-driven platform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min
  7. Mihir Warty - Engaging the World

    08/02/2024

    Mihir Warty - Engaging the World

    In this episode of WABChats, we speak with Mihir Warty, Chief Strategy Officer for World Rugby. Drawing on his background as an economist and management consultant, as well as his experience at Sport England and BBC Sport, Mihir shares invaluable insights into the complexities of building and implementing a global strategy for a sport with millions of stakeholders. We discuss the crucial stages involved in this process and explore effective communication strategies for conveying a vision to so many stakeholders. Mihir also discusses the critical art of engaging diverse stakeholders, a challenge World Rugby navigates on a massive scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min
  8. Francesca Muston - Understanding Tomorrow's Market

    15/12/2023

    Francesca Muston - Understanding Tomorrow's Market

    Francesca Muston is Vice President of Fashion at the world-leading trend forecasting company WGSN, the leading authority in consumer trend forecasting. Francesca shares how WGSN leverages expert analysis and AI-powered data science to equip global companies with a crucial strategic advantage: understanding future trends. She discusses how businesses across sectors, not just fashion and retail, can utilise trend forecasting to improve their bottom line, make informed decisions, and strategically position themselves for future growth. Francesca also explores the optimal balance between AI-driven insights and human expertise in navigating the evolving market landscape. Tune in to learn how understanding future trends can be a powerful tool for strategic business planning and risk management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
See All (24)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

The WABChats Podcast is all about hearing and learning from those who, like us, are doing things differently. From pioneers, innovators and masters of craft to cultural trailblazers, academics and professional sportspeople – we believe there are lessons, solutions and perspectives, transferable to your context, to be found in all sorts of places. We hope that these conversations will provide transferable insight into the different challenges, questions and opportunities that businesses are facing today, inspiring you to embrace transformation in your own organisation and keep doing things differently. www.wabchats.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    White & Black
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sam Ridgway
  • Show Website
    WABChats