What if the future of food isn’t bigger, faster, and more centralised, but smaller, local, and radically decentralised?

In this episode of All About Business, James talks with Pete Russell, Founder of Ooooby, and Co-Founder of DECENT, to explore how technology, purpose-led business, and optimism can reshape the global food system.

Pete shares his journey from running a highly profitable, industrial food business to building one of the UK’s leading platforms connecting local farmers directly with their communities. Together James and Pete dive into the realities of entrepreneurship, and Pete also unpacks steward ownership, explaining how separating profit from control protects purpose and prevents mission drift.

Pete Russell offers a bold perspective on the future of commerce, arguing that AI will move us from an attention economy to an intention economy, where traditional marketing and advertising may become obsolete.

This episode is a powerful exploration of how values, technology, and long-term thinking can drive meaningful change.

Timestamps

02:03 Meet Pete Russell: The Visionary Behind Oooby’s Food Revolution

03:06 What Is Oooby? Decentralizing the Global Food Supply Chain

06:25 Farm-to-Table Logistics: How Oooby Empowers Local Farmers

10:12 The 1.9% Disruptor: Why Low-Margin Tech is Saving Small Farms

14:45 Debunking the Myth: Why Local Food Costs Less Than Supermarkets

19:30 The Awareness Gap: Why Traditional Food Systems Still Dominate

27:05 17 Years of Resilience: Pivoting Through Near-Death Business Challenges

33:40 The Software Pivot: Solving the Logistics Nightmare of Local Food

40:00 Future of Food: AI, Agentic Commerce, and Decentralized Platforms

56:15 What wakes you up on a Monday?

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Find out more about Oooooby and how to sell local food online

All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE

This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

Building a billion-pound business is one thing, but what does it take to scale globally, exit successfully, and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs?

In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe, the home emergency repairs and improvements launched in 1993. Richard talks about his journey from early failures to growing a FTSE 100 multinational across the UK, France, Spain, the US, Canada, and Japan that sold for £4.1 billion in 2022.

Richard shares how a plumbing insurance model sparked the subscription-based affinity partnerships, the challenges of international expansion, and why copying successful ideas while focusing on execution was key to cracking markets and achieving organic growth.

Together they discuss Richard’s post-exit ventures including Growth Partner, Business Leader magazine, and his bestselling book "How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps". The conversation also explores Richard's passion for inspiring breakthroughs, the role of optimism in navigating setbacks, and why doubling the UK's large companies through community-driven support, matters more than ever in a challenging economic landscape.

Timestamps

01:00 The early struggles and pivots

06:42 The breakthrough: Plumbing insurance model

17:40 The power of copying and mentorship

28:53 Challenges and opportunities for mid-size businesses

37:55 Introducing growth partner: investment in retail

48:10 The not-to-do list for entrepreneurs

01:02:29 Recruitment: Hiring your replacement

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Buy Richard’s book “How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps”

All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE

This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

Winning Olympic gold is one of the highest achievements in sport, but what are the skills that you can apply to build an elite team in your business?

In this episode of All About Business, James meets Adrian Moorhouse MBE, three-time Olympian and gold medalist. Adrian talks about his journey from the pool to the boardroom, exploring big hairy audacious goals (BHAGs), the power of curiosity, and heart-driven leadership in challenging times, and why mindset, meaning, and community matter more than ever for sustained success in sport and business.

Adrian discusses his entrepreneurial transition, launching Lane Four in 1995, growing it through high-performance culture and client impact, and navigating its sale to EY in 2021, while confronting common entrepreneur pitfalls. He also shares how escaping school bullying through swimming ignited his drive and why choices over sacrifices defined his path.

Timestamps

01:20 Transition to business

04:44 Challenges and learnings

07:58 Creating a winning team

12:41 Resilience and focus techniques

17:16 From athlete to entrepreneur

32:30 Navigating the 2008 financial crisis

36:46 Mentoring and leadership insights

48:53 The intersection of sports and business

57:09 The importance of curiosity in leadership

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Find out more about The Tom Dean Swim School

All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE

This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk