Better Business Radar | Strategy, Innovation, Leadership, Marketing, B2B Growth

How we work is business strategy | The value and purpose of flexible workspace with Ceinwen Jarvis of Second Home

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 06:00:12 +0000

A fascinating ripple effect caused by the pandemic and shaping the future of work is flexibility. Not just in when we work, but also where. Co-working spaces have typically been the domain of entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, but could they also help SMEs and larger business to attract the best talent whilst minimising risk?

In this episode, Cofruition founder Sam Floy speaks with Ceinwen Jarvis, Global Head of Marketing at Second Home, a brand is best known for its plant-filled co-working spaces. Ceinwen and Sam talk about the future of work and the office, how choosing flexible workspace is a strategic decision, and how their jungle-like offices are about more than just aesthetics.

If you have listened to the episode and would like to find out more, visit Second Home's website or follow them on Instagram.

Ceinwen suggested reading:

If you are feeling academic...

E.O. Wilson, Biophilia

Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities

And if you are not...

Florence Williams, The Nature Fix

To be inspired by and get hold of F.O.M.O. generating toilet paper, visit Who Gives A Crap's website. You can learn about the B-Corp movement and how to join it here.

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Cofruition provides fully-managed company podcasts for businesses looking for a simple and effective way to demonstrate thought leadership, expand their network and have consistent high-quality content.

Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

Be vulnerable to create safety | How to make sure creativity flourishes with Lucy Doolan of H&K Strategies

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 06:00:16 +0000

Creativity is essential for businesses to thrive, both In the creative industries and beyond. Innovation is driven by creativity, in turn driving growth and profit. So how can you create an environment in which creativity flourishes? What should we look to do in our teams, or look for in the agencies we work with, to get the broadest and best ideas to solve business challenges? And, how does diversity relate to and enable creativity?

In this episode, host Sam Floy speaks to Lucy Doolan, Global Creative Director at Hill and Knowlton Strategies. Lucy is a champion of diversity in the creative industries and recently launched Spark, a global community for female and non-binary creatives.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more, follow Lucy Doolan on LinkedIn or visit hkstrategies.com.

Lucy suggested reading We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and following Cindy Gallop for inspiration.

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"Good leaders listen" | How to successfully find and retain top level talent with Sarah Skinner of Grace Blue

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 11:16:51 +0000

Hiring leaders is a much more pressured task that bringing in junior talent. When you reach that crucial stage of growth that requires the expertise of senior staff, it's essential that you get the process right, from recruitment, past onboarding and through to retention. So, what should that process look like? Bringing in new leaders also brings in new perspectives and ideas. How can you make sure the transition is both smooth and productive?

To get some answers, host Sam Floy speaks to leadership search expert Sarah Skinner, CEO EMEA and Global Managing Director of Grace Blue.

If you have listened to the episode and would like to find out more, you can follow Sarah on LinkedIn, or find more information and helpful resources on graceblue.com.

Sarah is inspired by Grace Blue founder Juliet Timms. She recommends reading The Agile Leader by Simon Hayward.

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"Operating in silos is not conducive to growth" | Strategies and structures to support business growth with Jake Higgins of Grwth Club

Wed, 24 May 2023 06:00:08 +0000

There's a science to growing a businesses that can be applied to any enterprise. What do companies with some of the fastest, continuous growth have in common? And what should business leaders be putting in place to enable their businesses to grow?

To get answers to these questions, host Sam Floy speaks to marketing and growth expert Jake Higgins. Jake is co-founder of Grwth Club, a business that matches start ups to the right agencies to enable their growth. Jake is also a Venture Partner at London-based firm Forward Partners, and a growth advisor to a number of businesses.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more, you can follow Jake on LinkedIn, check out his Substack page, or visit Grwth Club's website.

Jake is inspired by Nilan Peris, Chief Product Officer at Wise (formerly TransferWise).

If you are interested in learning more about business growth, Jake recommended reading:

Mom Test by Rob Fizpatrick,

The Competitive Strategy: techniques for analysing industries and competitors by Michael Porter,

Fundraising Field Guide by Carlos Espinal,

The Long and the Short of it: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies by Les Binet and Peter Field,

How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp,

And finally, his challenges to some of the established growth and marketing theory in The wrong and the short of it? by Jake Higgins.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"Flexible working is a competitive advantage" | On being a digital nomad and what the future of work looks like with expert Matthew Grollnek

Wed, 10 May 2023 06:00:06 +0000

Since the pandemic sent us all to work from home, the world of work has transformed and many large, established companies are still managing the fallout from that sudden disruption. Being a digital nomad has become much more feasible and desirable, and now employees are demanding a different kind of freedom and flexibility from their employers.

So what do these changes in lifestyle mean for companies hiring strategies? What opportunities could they open up for employees? And how can businesses take advantage of this opening up?

In this episode Cofruition founder Sam Floy speaks to employability and future of work expert Matthew Grollnek.

If you've listened to their conversation and would like to find out more, follow Matthew Grollnek on LinkedIn.

To dive into the future of work, Matthew suggested:

A podcast, That Remote Life, Mitko Karshovski

Reading GitHub's Remote Working Playbook

The two people that inspire Matthew happen to have written books, so here are two more for your reading list:

The Network State by Balaji Srinivassan

Pathless Path by Paul Millerd

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"The UK Doesn't Have Enough Engineers But We Need to be Able to Attract and Retain Those People" | Special Mini-Episode on Attracting and Retaining the Best Talent

Thu, 04 May 2023 06:00:14 +0000

This is a special mini-episode exploring the attraction and retention of talent. How can companies solve skills gaps? Where should they look for talent? And how can they prepare for the future of work?

The inspiration to make a different kind of episode started with an insightful conversation with recruitment expert Tony Wright, director of boutique global search specialist Quantum. His comments about the need for companies to be active in their search for talent recalled similar ideas that Holly Simmons from Niya and Gov Kandola from Venari Partners shared with us. Shortly after we spoke again on similar topics to future of work expert Matthew Grollnek.

In this episode, host Sam Floy has drawn together ideas from each of these experts to explore how companies can resolve recruitment issues, find the best talent and set themselves up for success in the future.

You can find the full conversation with Holly Simmons here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6OB9zyrLWiR8E0fjDytDah?si=a5e8c5377403462b

Our full conversation with Gov Kandola is here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hxWzzrXExwtmAtj9XqZ0P?si=a97d7c3a1bec4c9e

And look out wherever you get your podcasts for our chat with Matthew Grollnek, which will be released next week.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"A Personal Brand is a No-Brainer" | Content Marketing Strategies for B2B Companies with Kathryn Strachan of Copy House

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 06:00:12 +0000

If you are building a company, content marketing is probably quite high on your to do list. And if you’re leading a company, you’ve probably been told you need to build your personal brand. But why? And how?

In this weeks episode, host Sam Floy is joined by Kathryn Strachan. Kathryn is owner and Managing Director of Copy House, a leading content marketing agency for fast-growing fintech and technology brands. Kathryn and Sam discuss the difference between B2B and B2C content marketing strategies, the role of Chat GPT in the content marketing industry, and why it's essential to build a strong personal brand.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more, follow Kathryn on LinkedIn, or visit Copy House's website.

Kathryn is inspired by Spencer Gallagher, agency growth specialist and Founding Partner of Cactus. She suggested reading On Writing by Stephen King if you want to learn more about great copywriting, and Agencygnomics by Peter Hoole and Spencer Gallagher if you want to build and grow a successful agency.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"Do A Pilot. The Numbers Speak For Themselves." | Why a Four Day Week is Common Sense with Charlotte Lockhart from 4 Day Week Global

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 06:00:19 +0000

Who doesn’t want to work less and live more? It's not surprising that a shorter working week has benefits for staff. According to 4 Day Week Global, 78% of employees with four day weeks are happier and less stressed. But there are business benefits too. Alongside improved productivity, 63% of businesses working to a four day week find it easier to attract and retain talent. So what is it that’s stopping businesses from changing how they work? And how can we all benefit from a four day working week?

Host and Cofruition founder Sam Floy speaks to Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder of 4 Day Week Global, a not-for-profit ushering in the future of work.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more, visit www.4dayweek.com.

For anyone interested in knowing more about the four day week, Charlotte suggested: reading the 4 Day Week book, which you can also find in audiobook format; visiting the 4 Day week website for their resources; and checking out their 'persuade your boss' page, for those all important facts that can convince the people in charge to set up a four day week pilot.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"The Future of Healthcare is Preventative" | Opening Access to Healthcare Through Technology with Annie Coleridge from Simply Health

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 06:11:30 +0000

It's no secret the NHS is struggling. But what does that mean for the future of health? There seems to be a shift, supported by the growing availability of health technology, to taking on more personal responsibility for our health, and finding health solutions outside of our trusty national service. How should companies respond to this shift? And what opportunities exist in the health services space?

Cofruition founder Sam Floy speaks to Annie Coleridge, Product Director at Simply Health, a B Corp certified health services company with a 150 year history.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more about Simply Health, visit https://www.simplyhealth.co.uk/. If you'd like to find out more about Annie and her career to date, find her on LinkedIn.

Annie's recommended resources for anyone wanting to get to know the female health space better are:

The Food Medic podcast

Dr Chatterjee's podcast Feel Better Live More

The Female Brain (book) by Dr. Louann Brizendine

Annie is inspired by female founders working in women's health, including Ida Tin who founded menstruation tracking app Clue, and Eirini Rapti, Founder of inne, a biotech startup that helps women to track their fertility.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"Exponentially Increase The Ideas Available in Your Business" | It's Time to Start Pursuing Cognitive Diversity in the Workplace, with Gov Kandola from Venari Partners

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:00:12 +0000

Diversity and inclusion is accepted as something business leaders should be striving for in their teams. But what about cognitive diversity? What does that mean, and why should business leaders be thinking beyond ethnicity, age, gender and other demographic markers when hiring for their businesses?

Cofruition founder Sam Floy speaks with Gov Kandola, Senior Consultant at executive search firm Venari Partners about his recent article on cognitive diversity and the broader impact of diversity in the workplace.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to know more, visit https://www.venaripartners.com/ to discover their work. You'll also find links to their podcast.

Gov recommended loads of great resources for anyone interested in getting more insight into the value of and need for diversity and inclusion. These were:

Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed,

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez,

Transit Unplugged by Paul Comfort (there's a book and podcast),

Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall, and

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

Gov is inspired by Ben Almond for his tireless work in diversity and inclusion. Ben also has a podcast: From Where I sit.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"It's About Balance" | Why Scandinavian Values Make Better Businesses with Shaun Russell from Skandinavisk

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 07:00:15 +0000

Scandinavian countries regularly top global happiness charts, and Scandinavian businesses punch above their weight on the world stage. So what can business leaders learn from the Scandinavian approach to life? How can applying Scandinavian values make businesses more attractive to potential employees?

Host and Cofruition founder Sam Floy speaks to Shaun Russell, founder of sensory brand Skandinavisk and Chair of the B Corp Beauty Coalition.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more, visit www.skandinavisk.com or follow Shaun Russell on LinkedIn.

For anyone interested in the for-purpose business space, Shaun suggested watching Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth and reading Yvon Chouinard's Let My People Go Surfing, and How I Built This by Guy Raz. Shaun is inspired by Anthony Molet, CEO of Davines Group and a founding member of the B Corp Beauty Coalition that Shaun now chairs.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"Diversity Requires Hiring Beyond LinkedIn" | The Future of a More Diverse Working World with Holly Simmons from Niya

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 07:00:11 +0000

According to McKinsey, diverse companies are 35% more profitable than non-diverse companies. Yet many businesses are failing when it comes to diversity, equality and inclusion. At the same time, HR teams are struggling to overcome skills gaps and hire the talent they need. How is one company solving both of these problems? And what are the DE&I strategies that work? Host and Cofruition founder Sam Floy speaks to Holly Simmons, Co-Founder of the ambitious new social mobility network, Niya.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more about the work Holly is doing at Niya, visit their website niya.ai or connect with Holly on LinkedIn.

For more inspiration, Holly suggested following fellow female entrepreneur, Bumble founder Whitney Wolf Herd.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"Circularity Needs Tech + a System to Actually Happen" | Circular Solutions to Systemic Problems with Claire Rampen from Reath

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:00:15 +0000

The world needs businesses to be circular. Producing endless waste is no longer viable or desirable. But the problem is far from simple. Claire Rampen created Reath to solve a circularity problem through data. And her young startup already counts Google, Unilever and M&S as clients. How did she do it? And how can businesses embrace circularity?

Join host and Cofruition founder Sam Floy for a deep dive into the world of circular packaging and seed-stage success.

If you've listened to the episode and are keen to find out more about Reath, you can visit their website reath.id or connect with Claire on LinkedIn.

Claire's essential resource for anyone interested in circularity is Planet Reuse, a platform and network for reusable packaging.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up your show.

"Innovation is Like Sales" | How the Best Companies Innovate with Dawid Kotur from Curvestone

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:00:13 +0000

Innovation doesn't just happen. Large companies are pursuing success with innovation teams and labs, while many others seem to take an ad hoc approach. So what are the strategies and processes for innovation that business leaders should apply? How can treating innovation like sales lead to better business outcomes?

Join host and Cofruition Founder Sam Floy in conversation with innovation expert and CEO of Curvestone, Dawid Kotur.

If you've listened to the episode and would like to find out more about Dawid and his work, visit curvestone.io or connect with Dawid on LinkedIn.

If you are keen to learn more about innovation, Dawid's recommended resource is The Lean Startup by Eric Ries.

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Head to www.cofruition.com/bbr where you can learn more and get 10% off the set up of your show.

Trailer: Better Business Radar

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 15:50:56 +0000

Welcome to Better Business Radar! A brand new podcast about the smartest ways to grow a better business.

Join B2B entrepreneur Sam Floy, as he asks thinkers, doers, leaders and experts to share their experience and insights from the frontier of their domain expertise.

Each week he’ll be joined by interesting guests to find out what big ideas they think need to be on your radar.

Listen for inspiration, useful insights and a glimpse into the future of better business.

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This podcast is brought to you by Cofruition. We provide fully-managed company podcasts for businesses looking for a simple and effective way to demonstrate thought leadership, expand their network and have consistent high-quality content. Learn more via www.cofruition.com