Business and a Brew

Danielle Thompson
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Welcome to Business and a Brew – the podcast where real conversations about business happen over a good drink. Hosted by Danielle and Simon, this show brings together two friends with years of shared experiences, lessons learned, and plenty of stories to tell. We’re here to explore the highs, lows, and in-betweens of business, from awkward challenges to unexpected victories. No topic is off the table – if it’s part of the entrepreneurial journey, we’re talking about it. Whether you’re looking for relatable advice, fresh perspectives, or just a laugh, you’ll find it here. Think of us as your business buddies, chatting over coffee (or something stronger), keeping it real and keeping you entertained. So, grab your brew of choice, tune in, and let’s get talking. Cheers!

  1. 5D AGO

    The Hidden Politics of Fishing

    We’re turning our attention to the UK fishing industry and asking some uncomfortable but necessary questions about who the system really works for. We talk through the pressure small scale fishers are under, from shrinking quotas and rising costs to competing with vast industrial fleets that operate on a completely different scale. We rewind to the days when cod was apparently “endless” and how that belief aged about as well as warm milk. Modern fishing practices proved otherwise, and we get into the slightly bonkers reality of discarding unwanted catches, where perfectly good fish are thrown back because the rules say so. Make it make sense. We also touch on the impact of public awareness campaigns like Fish Fight, how they shifted public conversation, and whether post Brexit policy reform could actually create space for fairer, more sustainable practices. This chat zooms out to look at solutions too. We explore how better technology could improve transparency, why sustainability isn’t just an environmental issue but an economic one, and how consumer awareness and buying choices can make a real difference to local fishing communities. It’s a conversation about food, fairness, and the long term cost of short term thinking. Thought provoking, grounded, and perfect listening for anyone who’s ever wondered where their dinner really comes from. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    29 min

  2. MAR 9

    Bayer Buys a Beehive Full of Lawsuits - part two

    The story doesn’t end when a name disappears. We pick up where part one left off and follow the money, the lawsuits, and the legacy that refused to stay buried. This time, we’re unpacking the $63 billion acquisition that was meant to draw a line under a scandal, and why it didn’t quite work out that way. We talk through how Bayer absorbed Monsanto in 2018, retiring the Monsanto name and rebranding the operation as Bayer Crop Science. On paper, it looked like a fresh start. In reality, the controversies came with it. We dig into the ongoing fallout around patented seeds and glyphosate based herbicides, including Roundup, and why links to cancer claims have kept Bayer tied up in courtrooms and headlines worldwide. We explore how hard it is to change public trust once it’s been broken, and whether a rebrand can ever undo the impact of decades of corporate behaviour. This conversation zooms out to the bigger picture. What does this mean for global agriculture? Who carries responsibility when practices affect food systems, health, and livelihoods on a massive scale? And can companies this big truly pivot towards something more sustainable, or is the system itself the problem? Part two is about consequences, accountability, and the uncomfortable reality that some legacies don’t disappear just because the logo changes. And yes, it opens the door to what might come next, including whether sustainable agriculture is a genuine possibility or just another glossy promise. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    14 min

  3. MAR 2

    Bayer - Seeds, Patents, Power and Profit! part one

    We’re opening up a two-part conversation around one of the most controversial business stories of the modern era. This first part focuses on how innovation, when paired with unchecked power, can quietly reshape entire industries and lives. We dig into how genetically engineered crops were introduced in the 1990s and why farmers were forced into buying new seeds year after year. We talk about patent enforcement, lawsuits, and a business model that created dependency rather than choice. Rising costs, mounting debt, and devastating human consequences became part of the landscape, changing how the world viewed corporate responsibility in agriculture. We explore how public perception shifted, from celebrating scientific progress to questioning the ethics behind it. This isn’t just about seeds or chemicals. It’s about power, profit, and who carries the weight when the system is designed to protect the top. This is part one of two. The groundwork. The context. The story before the consequences fully unfold. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    20 min

  4. FEB 23

    Juicero the wifi juice you never knew and never needed.

    Juicero had Wi-Fi. Venture capital. Sleek design. And absolutely no reason to exist. We unpack how Juicero raised around $120 million to build a $399 juicer that only worked with proprietary juice pouches and stopped functioning if your internet went down. A machine so over-engineered it managed to forget the most important part: usefulness. Then came the moment that ended it all. A 2017 investigation by Bloomberg revealed you could squeeze the juice packs by hand and get the same result. No Wi-Fi. No machine. No nonsense. We talk about why this wasn’t just a product failure, but a validation failure. How clever tech, investor excitement, and buzz can overpower basic common sense. And why expensive innovation without real-world practicality is a fast track to embarrassment. Along the way, we nod to other infamous flops like the Amazon Fire Phone, Segway, and Crystal Pepsi, all brilliant ideas on paper that forgot to ask one simple question: does anyone actually need this? A cautionary tale about hype, hardware, and what happens when innovation solves a problem that doesn’t exist. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    20 min

  5. FEB 16

    The Festival That was not FYRE!

    FYRE Festival promised champagne, supermodels, and luxury villas. What people got was cheese sandwiches, wet tents, and a masterclass in what happens when marketing runs miles ahead of reality. We break down how a glossy influencer campaign featuring names like Kendall Jenner helped sell tickets ranging from eye-watering to outright unhinged, while the basics like food, water, toilets, and infrastructure were… entirely optional. Millions were raised. Instagram went wild. Logistics never turned up. We talk about how hype became the product, why the marketing technically worked, and how the actual event collapsed under the weight of its own promises. From the Bahamas chaos to the legal fallout that landed Billy McFarland in prison, this is a cautionary tale about ambition without execution. It’s a conversation about influencer culture, blind trust, and why a beautiful feed doesn’t mean a viable plan. Because selling the dream is easy. Delivering it is the hard part. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    16 min

  6. FEB 9

    The Bait and Switch of Pale Ale

    Changing a formula sounds simple on paper. It rarely is in real life. We dig into why tweaking a product can be one of the fastest ways to upset your most loyal customers, using craft ale as the perfect example. The stuff brewed to be drunk fresh isn’t the same as beer designed to travel, sit, and finish fermenting somewhere else. When you scale up, things change. Taste changes. Process changes. And sometimes the very thing people fell in love with quietly disappears. We talk about how growth forces these decisions, why early fans often feel betrayed, and how pretending nothing’s changed usually makes things worse. There’s a big difference between evolving a product and accidentally sanding off its personality. This is really a conversation about honesty. About knowing what your brand stands for. And about why transparency matters when success starts pulling you away from your roots. Great chat for anyone growing a product, a business, or a brand and wondering how much change is too much before it stops feeling like you. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    23 min

  7. FEB 2

    They Leaned Into Ugly And Made Billions - The story of CROCS

    Crocs were once the punchline. The shoe you mocked… right up until everyone started wearing them anyway. We talk about how Crocs went from cultural joke to business comeback story of the decade. After selling hundreds of millions of pairs and then watching their stock fall off a cliff, the brand looked finished. Ugly, unfashionable, and very much not cool. Then something interesting happened. Under new leadership, Crocs stopped apologising and leaned all the way in. They embraced the ugly. Used humour instead of hiding. And suddenly collaborations with Post Malone, Balenciaga, and even KFC made Crocs culturally unavoidable. We unpack how that shift took Crocs from a market value of around $1 billion to more than $6.5 billion, with stock prices soaring and relevance fully restored. Not because they changed the product, but because they changed the story. Do we personally love them? Absolutely not. Do we respect the strategy? Begrudgingly… yes. A lesson in brand confidence, cultural timing, and why sometimes the smartest move is to stop trying to be liked. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    13 min

  8. JAN 26

    F1 Saves babies lives

    Formula One and premature babies don’t sound like they belong in the same sentence. And yet here we are... We talk about how the high-speed, high-pressure world of F1 pit stops ended up transforming the care of critically ill babies at Great Ormond Street Hospital. When Dr Martin Elliot and Dr Alan Goodman looked at how F1 teams manage flawless handovers at 200mph, they saw something healthcare desperately needed. Clarity. Rehearsal. Roles that are nailed, not assumed. By borrowing the discipline of motorsport and applying it to medicine, teams reduced technical errors by 42 percent and shortened handover time by 13 percent. Not through more effort, but through better process. We unpack why marginal gains matter, why structure doesn’t kill humanity, and how small changes in how we communicate can quite literally save lives. What started as an unlikely crossover became a global model for safer care and a powerful reminder that brilliance often lives in unexpected places. Proof that sometimes the smartest ideas come from looking completely outside your lane. About Simon and Danielle: Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business. Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003. Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009. Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat. Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

    16 min
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About

Welcome to Business and a Brew – the podcast where real conversations about business happen over a good drink. Hosted by Danielle and Simon, this show brings together two friends with years of shared experiences, lessons learned, and plenty of stories to tell. We’re here to explore the highs, lows, and in-betweens of business, from awkward challenges to unexpected victories. No topic is off the table – if it’s part of the entrepreneurial journey, we’re talking about it. Whether you’re looking for relatable advice, fresh perspectives, or just a laugh, you’ll find it here. Think of us as your business buddies, chatting over coffee (or something stronger), keeping it real and keeping you entertained. So, grab your brew of choice, tune in, and let’s get talking. Cheers!

Information

  • Creator
    Danielle Thompson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Business and a Brew
  • Show Website
    Business and a Brew