All Things Business - The Podcast

Ben is joined by Nicholas Mann and Chris Langsford for the latest episode of All Things Business The Podcast.

Today’s guests on All Things Business – The Podcast are Sally Alexander, Chief Executive at Milton Keynes College, and Nick Mann, Chair of Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership. Nick is also an organiser of the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards. They are both here to discuss the links between business and education. One of Ben’s oft-repeated mantras is ‘business needs education, education needs business’. These two guests are emblematic of this.

Ben is back, this time with a panel of HR and employment law experts to discuss the Government’s new Employment Rights Bill, a new package of laws that grant new rights to employees and new obligations for employers. As owner of an SME, Ben has plenty of questions about this new bill. With 26 employees, that’s a lot of new rights to manage, so he’s assembled this amazing team to explain the key factors. Ben is joined by Naomi Butters, Chief Executive of Icena, an empowerment and social change training and consultancy business; Priya Magar, a Partner specialising in employment law at EMW Law; and Claire Butcher, Director at CE People, a HR consultancy.

This special episode of the podcast focusses on the challenges of mergers and acquisitions, using occupational health business Medigold Health as a case study. Ben interviews Alex Goldsmith, Medigold’s CEO and James Syrotiuk, their CFO. Medigold Health is a leader in the occupational health sector and recently acquired a competitor business, Health Management Limited, in early 2023. The move saw them double in size, becoming the largest occupational health business by head count in the UK, with over 1100 employees including 600 clinicians. Alex describes the acquisition as important to the business’s survival long term, with demand rising and resources becoming scarcer over the coming decade.

Ben is joined by Lorraine Lewis of the Lewis Foundation and Barry Tong of Sol Retail. The Lewis Foundation works to provide comfort and support to those going through cancer treatment by proving them with packs of supplies during their hospital stays. This includes support packs of toiletries and underwear, gifts such as books, and simply spending time with those going through an incredibly difficult period in their lives.

Dave Thompson is a serial entrepreneur and sales guru. He and Ben met over twenty years ago, both growing up in Wellingborough and have recently reconnected.

In this episode of All Things Business The Podcast, Ben travels to Memento Exclusives to talk to Barry Gough.

Ben is joined by the new owner of Kettering Town FC, Nadim Akhtar & Sporting Director Fabian Forde for the latest episode of All Things Business The Podcast.

Kacie Foskett and Joe Gilbert from Red Giraffe, a digital marketing agency based in Milton Keynes, join Ben for this discussion on one of the frontiers of flexible working: the four-day work week. Joe started Red Giraffe a decade ago and, in his role as Managing Director, has always been an advocate of practices that promote a healthier work-life balance. His thoughts around the four-day week began at home. His wife was struggling with her workload as a primary school teacher. After seeing how overwork affected her mental health, and how it improved dramatically after she reduced her hours and went part time, Joe began to see the value of personal time differently.

Ben is joined by James Geary and Hassan Shah, Managing Partner and Partner respectively at EMW Law. Hassan joined the firm as part of a merger, with his own firm SP Law becoming part of the EMW family. This deal expanded the range of services available to clients of both firms. SP’s specialties lay more in private law practices such as employment and property law, while EMW’s services are more focussed on commercial law, such as mergers and acquisitions and other business-related services.

Ben is joined by Ashley Riley, the Managing Director and namesake of Ashley Riley Communications, a PR, marketing, and communications agency. Ben and Ashley have an extensive and deep history together in business, with Ashley writing one of the first pieces of content for All Things Business Northamptonshire.

Ben welcomes Northampton-based singer-songwriter Billy Lockett to All Things Business – The Podcast. Billy is about to embark on a European tour in support of his album Abington Grove and is in the midst of writing his second full-length project. His love for music began at an early age, discovering a natural gift for playing the piano and committing himself to a music career, despite his Mum’s wish for him to continue in education.

Ben is joined by Andrew Jenkins, who recently rose to prominence on season 2 of The Traitors. The series was one of the most popular shows of the year, and Andrew has used his newfound platform to raise awareness around mental health.

As part of our continuing Mental Health Awareness Week series of podcasts, Ben welcomes Sherry Adams, CEO Of Kelly’s Heroes, a local charity that provides mental health awareness training and vital services for those suffering with poor mental health. The charity was started after Kelly, aged 24, ended her own life in December 2018. Her family, parents John and Rachel and sister Amy, began the charity in 2020 to create a legacy for her, to help those struggling with suicidal thoughts and poor mental health. Sherry became CEO of the charity in late 2020, using her decade of experience in the charity sector to help deliver services and develop them further.

Beginning the podcast’s Mental Health Awareness Week series, Ben is joined by Jon Manning from Arthur Ellis Mental Health Support. Jon has personal experience of NHS mental health services and started Arthur Ellis to help provide services to those who need them. After physical abuse early in his school life, Jon’s first interaction with mental health services was at age 5. After suicide attempts in his teens and early 20s, he went to his GP multiple times but was placed on a four-year waiting list. He saved up for a private appointment at the Priory and was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 25, which allowed his symptoms to begin to be managed.

Ben welcomes Joe Buckley, owner of The Tollymarche Arms in Harrington. The community he has cultivated around the pub has led to an interesting crowdfunding project, part of a wider trend in the hospitality industry.

Ben and Frazer are joined in the All Things Business studio by Leeds and Liverpool legend Dom Matteo, along with his wife: dancer and entrepreneur Jess Matteo.

Ben and Frazer are on the road again, finding themselves in the home dressing room at stadum:mk with Head Coach of MK Dons, Mike Williamson. He took over in October last year and has since lead the Dons to a comfortable top half position in League 2 and are likely to get a chance at promotion through the play offs if they maintain their current form.

A slightly unusual episode of All Things Business – The Podcast, with no guest this time. It’s Ben and Frazer, but this may be the last time we see them on screen together. Frazer will be leaving the All Things Business ‘conglomerate’. He’s still around till April, but this is his podcast send-off. Ben reflects on Frazer’s time with All Things Business, and the impact he has had across All Things Business’s channels.

Ben and Frazer are on the road again, just up the M1 in fact. They’re in Milton Keynes at the headquarters of Aiimi, a fast-growing data, AI and digital business, interviewing their CEO Steve Salvin.