The Beautiful Business Podcast

The Wow Company
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Welcome to the Beautiful Business Podcast, where we believe that success and sustainability go hand in hand. In each episode, we delve into the strategies, tools, and connections that can transform your business into a force for good. Our expert guests, ranging from agencies and consultancies to tech trailblazers and entrepreneurs, share their insights and experiences, offering you actionable advice that can drive both profitability and purpose. Whether you're an established leader or an aspiring entrepreneur, this podcast aims to empower you with the knowledge, inspiration, and connections necessary to drive positive change in your organisation and beyond. Each episode is designed to provide you with practical takeaways that can be applied immediately, helping you unlock your full potential as a leader and create a thriving business that makes a lasting difference. So, whether you're seeking fresh ideas or new perspectives tune in to the Beautiful Business Podcast and embark on a transformative journey towards sustainable success. Let's build a beautiful future together. The podcast is powered by The Wow Company and if you're dedicated to building a Beautiful Business you can also check out http://wowco.uk/beautifulbusiness (wowco.uk/beautifulbusiness)

  1. How to Drive Profitable Growth with Daniel Priestley and Peter Czapp

    JAN 28

    How to Drive Profitable Growth with Daniel Priestley and Peter Czapp

    In this special live episode of the Beautiful Business Podcast, host Chloe Bannister is joined by two business heavyweights, Daniel Priestley, international speaker and best-selling author, and Peter Czapp, co-founder of The Wow Company and BenchPress. Join the pair for a powerful discussion on how to drive profitable agency growth in today’s economy. With data, stories, and practical advice, this episode is packed with strategies for agency founders who want to grow without sacrificing profit or purpose. From identifying the right metrics to rethinking client acquisition, and from the psychology of pricing to the potential of AI, Daniel and Peter offer a candid and insightful look at what it takes to run a truly beautiful business in 2026 and beyond. Topics Covered: Why profitable growth is harder than ever, and what to do about itThe metrics that really matter: gross profit, revenue per person & conversion ratesWhy most agencies fail at ROI reporting (and how to fix it)Choosing the right clients (and walking away from the wrong ones)Creating demand with waiting lists, assessments, and positioningAvoiding the red ocean: niching, campaigning, and speaking to budget holdersThe mindset shift that separates successful agency owners from the restPractical applications of AI for agency performance and team capabilityBuilding a founder brand and becoming a key person of influenceThe power of specialisation, recurring revenue, and long-term client value Key Takeaways: Focus on outcomes, not outputs: ROI drives retention and referrals.Campaign, don’t niche: own your positioning without limiting growth.Build demand before supply: profitable agencies have waiting lists.Clients buy confidence, be the expert who makes their decision easy.Don’t confuse revenue with success. Chase profitability, not just growth. About the Guests: Daniel Priestley Entrepreneur, international speaker and best-selling author of books like Oversubscribed and Key Person of Influence. Daniel helps founders build demand-led businesses and scale with impact. 🔗 LinkedIn Peter Czapp Co-founder of The Wow Company and creator of BenchPress, the UK’s largest survey of independent agencies. Peter works with agencies daily to improve profitability, resilience, and leadership clarity. 🔗 LinkedIn Links & Resources: ScoreApp: Daniel’s lead generation platform for smart business assessmentsBenchPress Survey: The annual report on agency performance and profitabilityOversubscribed by Daniel Priestley: Buy the bookKey Person of Influence by Daniel Priestley: Buy the book

    1h 18m
  2. Sally Percy on Leading Through Turbulence, Values-Driven Leadership, and the Truth About Elon Musk

    JAN 20

    Sally Percy on Leading Through Turbulence, Values-Driven Leadership, and the Truth About Elon Musk

    How do you lead well when the world feels increasingly unpredictable? In this bonus episode, journalist and author Sally Percy joins Paul Bulpitt to explore how leaders can stay grounded through uncertainty, and why nuance, empathy, and authenticity matter now more than ever. From fairytale pricing to AI anxiety, corporate resilience to career reality checks, this is a wide-ranging conversation with one of the UK’s leading commentators on leadership and modern business. About the Guest:Sally Percy is a business journalist, Forbes contributor, and author of The Disruptors and 21st Century Business Icons. She specialises in leadership, strategy, and the big forces shaping the future of business. Her work explores what today’s leaders need to thrive, not just in growth cycles, but through crisis, complexity and change. This Episode Covers:💼 How to lead through turbulent times: uncertainty, AI disruption, resilience and preparing for worst-case scenarios 🧭 Nuance in leadership: why leaders need to stay curious, open-minded, and emotionally intelligent - especially when the world is polarised 📈 Purpose & performance: why successful businesses exist to solve real problems - and how staying close to your values builds loyalty 💬 How to retain your soul while growing a company: challenges of scaling culture and staying people-first as businesses grow 🌍 The ripple effects of global instability: leadership in the context of war, underinvestment, and political fragmentation 👩‍💼 C-suite reality check: the pressure, scrutiny, and stamina required to lead at scale - and why some executives are more vulnerable than they seem 📚 From Elon Musk to Goldilocks pricing: leadership lessons from icons, disruptors, and fairy tales Links:🔗 Sally on LinkedIn 📝 Sally's Blog on Forbes 📘 The Disruptors – Buy the book 📗 21st Century Business Icons – Buy the book 💬We’d Love Your Feedback Share your thoughts and help shape what’s next for the podcast: 👉 wowco.uk/beautiful-business-podcast-listener-survey

    42 min
  3. Planning a Beautiful 2026: The Golden Rules That Will Guide Us

    12/30/2025

    Planning a Beautiful 2026: The Golden Rules That Will Guide Us

    In this special wrap-up episode, hosts Chloe Bannister and Paul Bulpitt share six golden rules for building a beautiful business in 2026.  Alongside their own reflections, Chloe and Paul revisit standout moments from past guests, including Olympic athletes, agency founders and leadership coaches, bringing each golden rule to life through stories, habits and bold decisions.  Whether you’re closing the year full of momentum or just making it to the finish line, these rules offer a framework to reset, refocus, and reimagine the way you work. As Amelia Wrighton put it, “If you can be there in the boring, you can be there in the beautiful.” This Episode Covers ✨ Focus on What You Can Control Chloe and Paul revisit Ben Hunt-Davis’s Olympic mindset and the game-changing question: Will it make the boat go faster? 🚀 Get Excited About the Year Ahead Drawing on advice from Kate Waterfall-Hill, the hosts explore how reflection tools like the “evidence wall” can energise you for the year ahead, even during the in-between days. 🤝 Bring Your Team on the Journey They reflect on Peter Docker’s story of team alignment in high-stakes environments, and Lord Mark Price’s reminder that happiness drives performance. 💥 Make a Bold Move Jo Hunter’s decision to step away from her role as CEO inspires a discussion on creative courage and what it means to make space for what’s next. 🔁 Check Your Habits From brain-state management to realistic micro-changes, Chloe and Paul reflect on Dr. Jon Finn’s advice on building the kind of habits that future-proof your leadership. 💸 Know Your Numbers A conversation about lighthouses, dashboards and why financial visibility helps your whole team steer in the same direction. Links 🌟 WoW's Golden Rules - https://www.thewowcompany.com/the-golden-rules-for-2026 🎧 Ben Hunt-Davis - https://youtu.be/fvGiN3RVFAQ 🎧 Kate Waterfall-Hill – https://youtu.be/3N4Y3DUXr7s 🎧 Peter Docker – https://youtu.be/KIqsybSbe4Q 🎧 Jo Hunter – https://youtu.be/kziD5Gi4Cvk 🎧 Dr Jon Finn – https://youtu.be/Kctj3Y-iVQE 🎧 Lord Mark Price – https://youtu.be/QoYLY2el9Xg  💬We’d Love Your Feedback Share your thoughts and help shape what’s next for the podcast: 👉 wowco.uk/beautiful-business-podcast-listener-survey

    49 min
  4. Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? with Olympic Gold Medallist, Ben Hunt-Davis

    12/16/2025

    Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? with Olympic Gold Medallist, Ben Hunt-Davis

    What if a single question could transform how your team works? Olympic gold medallist Ben Hunt-Davis shares how the philosophy behind “Will it Make the Boat Go Faster?” can help leaders and teams align, focus, and perform at their best, in sport, business, and beyond. About the Guest Ben Hunt-Davis MBE is an Olympic gold medal-winning rower from Sydney 2000 and co-author of the bestselling book Will it Make the Boat Go Faster?. Following his sporting career, Ben co-founded a leadership performance consultancy that helps organisations build clarity, alignment, and high-performing cultures. In this conversation, he shares lessons from his rowing turnaround story, how to foster a people-first performance mindset, and why being kind and high-challenge are not mutually exclusive. This Episode Covers The turning point: how a painful 7th-place finish led to radical change and team transformationPerformance vs. results: why you should focus on what’s within your controlAlignment over assumption: building shared goals and buy-in across teamsCulture that counts: a high-performance environment means high challenge and high supportKindness ≠ softness: how tough conversations and feedback build trust and progressFrom sport to business: translating elite habits into sustainable leadership practicesLessons in accountability: learning to own outcomes and support others in changeThe danger of boiling it down: why “Will it Make the Boat Go Faster?” isn’t about working faster — it’s about working smarterPlanning for the next season: why now is the time to reset goals and rally your team Links Website: https://willitmaketheboatgofaster.com/  Programmes: https://willitmaketheboatgofaster.com/programmes/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/will-it-make-the-boat-go-faster-ltd/ Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhuntdavis/

    51 min
  5. How to Do Performance Management with Kate Waterfall Hill, Author of 'How to Lead'

    12/02/2025

    How to Do Performance Management with Kate Waterfall Hill, Author of 'How to Lead'

    When leadership feels hard, it’s often because we’ve inherited broken models. In this episode, coach and author Kate Waterfall Hill shares how we can lead with more clarity, courage and joy, and how to build feedback and reflection habits that truly help people grow. From calling out “Linda the Bad Manager” to helping real-life leaders step up with empathy, this conversation is a toolkit for anyone managing humans. About the Guest Kate Waterfall Hill is a leadership coach, consultant and creator of How to Lead – a practical book and podcast that helps people become the leader their team deserves. With a background as an agency MD and, now, as a leadership coach, Kate brings sharp commercial insight and deep human understanding to her work. She’s known by many for her viral TikTok alter ego Linda the Bad Manager, a satirical take on toxic leadership that’s earned her a global following. In this episode, she shares why feedback fails, how to have better conversations, and why brave, compassionate leadership is more urgent than ever. This Episode Covers Accidental managers: why most people aren’t trained to lead, and what they really needMaking feedback normal: why the annual appraisal is broken and what to do insteadThe SOEROC model: a simple framework for clear, kind conversationsHow to “take a beat”: the power of pause in emotionally charged momentsTrust, consistency, safety: building cultures that don’t rely on hero leadersFrom satire to systems: how Linda the Bad Manager sparked deeper coaching workScaling a business with values at the core, and why alignment beats strategyThe rituals and questions that help leaders reflect, recalibrate and recharge Links Kate’s Website: https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/ Kate’s Feedback Masterclass: https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/masterclass Reflect & Plan 2026 Workbook: https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/2026-plan Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-waterfall-hill/

    54 min
  6. 5 Practical Tips to Build a Stronger, Smarter Agency

    11/18/2025

    5 Practical Tips to Build a Stronger, Smarter Agency

    Small shifts. Big wins. This week we pull five practical, no-fluff tips from standout guests across the season - the habits that stick, the models that scale, the posture that sells, and the creative courage that sets brands apart. About the EpisodeA highlights reel of our most actionable moments featuring perspectives from: Dr Jon Finn - habits, brain-state management, AI readiness.John Readman - SaaS mindset and recurring value.Sabrina Chevannes - agency leadership and sustainable growth.Blair Enns - expert-led selling.Nils Leonard - creativity, culture, and brand bravery. This Episode CoversStart smaller than you think - Micro habits beat grand plans. Build simple, daily behaviours that create focus, recharge, and long-term momentum. (Clip: Dr Jon Finn)Think like SaaS, not just services - Solve real problems, validate the value, and productise what works - unlocking recurring revenue and predictable growth. (Clip: John Readman)Slow down to scale well - Growth without process creates chaos. Rebuild the basics: roles, workflow, communication, and the pace of your scaling. (Clip: Sabrina Chevannes)Sell like an expert, not a salesperson - Lead with diagnosis and clarity. Drop the pitch persona and show up as the trusted advisor you already are. (Clip: Blair Enns)Stand for something real - Tools are abundant, originality is scarce. Root your brand in cultural truth and choose courage over convention. (Clip: Nils Leonard) YouTube LinksDr Jon Finn - https://youtu.be/Kctj3Y-iVQE?si=RTEUTAIF9KmYGV0TJohn Readman - https://youtu.be/5Yh7Zmv_EE4?si=1pf50UnkR7U-LdpkSabrina Chevannes - https://youtu.be/nnaLBIOh8-0?si=R_jgBBzRu_sD02NcBlair Enns - https://youtu.be/KXLOJmmUvdo?si=QIY5rnlAl7KtCNWnNils Leonard - https://youtu.be/3vLFLcx9Now?si=C_wQdwIBEID715iu If you've enjoyed Season 3 so far, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share your favourite moments with us - we’d love to hear from you.

    25 min
  7. Creative Courage at Work with Jo Hunter, Founder of 64 Million Artists

    11/04/2025

    Creative Courage at Work with Jo Hunter, Founder of 64 Million Artists

    When creativity becomes a daily practice, teams get braver, kinder, and more effective. In this episode, Jo Hunter shares how 64 Million Artists grew from a simple set of prompts into a national movement and why she’s now stepping aside to keep her own creative fire alive. About the GuestJo Hunter founded 64 Million Artists in 2014 with the ambition to unlock everyone’s creativity across the UK. The organisation runs large-scale participation campaigns (including the January Challenge, which reached around 360,000 people last year) and works with clients to use creativity for leadership, co-creation, and building inclusive, people-centred cultures. Jo discusses announcing her decision to step down as CEO, the team’s choice to close the public programme while leaving a rich resource bank, and her next chapter focused on facilitation and a book on creative courage. This Episode CoversLosing and finding creativity: how daily creative prompts helped Jo reconnect with herself during a tough periodFrom project to practice: the origin and growth of the January Challenge and what happens nextCreativity for wellbeing: why small, low-stakes acts build confidence, connection, and resilienceCulture by design: highlights from the Manifesto for Transformative Workplace Culture — everyday creativity, rest as a strategic lever (four-day week, August off), idea-sharing, and fun that includes everyoneRemote & hybrid reality: short prompts to warm up meetings and build connection onlineTrust → creativity (and back again): creating safe, people-centred environments that invite risk-taking and better ideasLeadership transition: stepping away with courage, closing with integrity, and making space for what’s nextAI & nuance: why creative, curious teams are essential for complex conversations (not polarised hot takes)A tiny challenge you can try: set a timer today; when it goes off, stop and look at the sky — notice what shifts Links64 Million Artists — https://64millionartists.com/The January Challenge — https://64millionartists.com/thejanuarychallenge/Manifesto for Transformative Workplace Culture — https://64millionartists.com/manifesto-transformative-workplace-culture/

    53 min
  8. Turning Loss into Leadership with Amelia Wrighton, CEO of Suicide&Co

    10/21/2025

    Turning Loss into Leadership with Amelia Wrighton, CEO of Suicide&Co

    In this episode, Amelia Wrighton shares how personal tragedy became the driving force behind Suicide&Co — a charity she co-founded to support people bereaved by suicide. From identifying a huge gap in mental health provision to building a national counselling service from the ground up, Amelia’s story is one of purpose, resilience, and bold leadership. About the GuestAmelia Wrighton is the co-founder and CEO of Suicide&Co, a UK charity dedicated to supporting people bereaved by suicide. Since launching in 2020, Suicide&Co has grown rapidly into a national service offering free counselling, emotional support, and resources to help people navigate suicide-related grief. Drawing on her own lived experience and a background in the commercial sector, Amelia has built a data-driven, human-centred organisation that combines empathy with innovation. Her work challenges stigma, reimagines fundraising, and is helping to reshape how the UK responds to suicide bereavement. Trigger WarningThis episode includes discussion of suicide and suicide bereavement. Please take care while listening and use the support resources below if you need help. This Episode CoversFrom loss to leadership: Amelia’s personal story and what inspired her to create a national, tech-enabled service for suicide bereavement.Finding the gap: Why suicide bereavement support is critically underfunded and often overlooked compared to prevention.Designing for scale and humanity: How Suicide&Co blends person-centred care with operational efficiency and data-led decision making.Fundraising with purpose: Why connection, creativity, and community are central to the charity’s approach — from branded merchandise to major gala events.Ambition without burnout: How Amelia stays grounded while leading a fast-growing team tackling emotionally demanding work.The North Star: Suicide&Co’s mission to ensure everyone bereaved by suicide in the UK is connected with support within the first week.What businesses can do: Amelia’s advice for leaders on bereavement policies, compassionate workplaces, and doing pro bono the right way. Support & Resources (UK)Suicide&Co — counselling, emotional support, and resources for people bereaved by suicide. Visit suicideandco.orgSamaritans — free, confidential 24/7 listening. Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.orgShout — free, 24/7 text support. Text SHOUT to 85258 or visit giveusashout.orgSurvivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SoBS) — peer-led groups and support line 0300 111 5065. Visit uksobs.orgMind — guidance on coping with bereavement by suicide and finding local support. Visit mind.org.ukNHS Urgent Help — call 111 or visit nhs.uk/urgenthelp for mental health crisis support.If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. LinksWebsite: suicideandco.orgCounselling: Apply for supportSocial: LinkedIn – Amelia WrightonOrganisation: Suicide&Co on Instagram

    53 min
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About

Welcome to the Beautiful Business Podcast, where we believe that success and sustainability go hand in hand. In each episode, we delve into the strategies, tools, and connections that can transform your business into a force for good. Our expert guests, ranging from agencies and consultancies to tech trailblazers and entrepreneurs, share their insights and experiences, offering you actionable advice that can drive both profitability and purpose. Whether you're an established leader or an aspiring entrepreneur, this podcast aims to empower you with the knowledge, inspiration, and connections necessary to drive positive change in your organisation and beyond. Each episode is designed to provide you with practical takeaways that can be applied immediately, helping you unlock your full potential as a leader and create a thriving business that makes a lasting difference. So, whether you're seeking fresh ideas or new perspectives tune in to the Beautiful Business Podcast and embark on a transformative journey towards sustainable success. Let's build a beautiful future together. The podcast is powered by The Wow Company and if you're dedicated to building a Beautiful Business you can also check out http://wowco.uk/beautifulbusiness (wowco.uk/beautifulbusiness)

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