Their business might be all about managing wealth, but their purpose is all about family. Mike Aitken established Magus Wealth over 25 years ago. An independent, boutique Financial Planning and Investment Management business, they are proud to be a chartered firm - a status that only the UK’s best financial planning firms qualify for. I love the story behind their logo. It’s the ‘Dara knot’, meaning ‘everything back to family’. It’s a sentiment close to their heart, and it runs through their business like a stick of rock. For the Magus team, helping their clients to grow, protect and pass on their wealth is about more than money, it’s about building personal, lifelong relationships. Connecting, listening and understanding is at the heart of their business. In this refreshing and warm interview, Mike Reflects on how Magus Wealth has changed in the four years since I last interviewed him, and why they transformed the business's philosophy. Describes the changes they made in the company’s board and leadership team, and sheds light on some of the impacts that these changes had, especially on the company’s culture. Gives an in-depth explanation into the purpose of Magus Wealth’s ‘Academy’. Talks about some learnings from this period of change, including the advantages of being brave, being open minded, and having conviction in yourself and your company. Shares an insight into how his business partnership with Dante Peters functions, and how their different skills and approaches complement each other. Contemplates the structure and position of Magus Wealth now, relating it to the metaphor of a family. Discusses the importance of company culture in shaping the future growth and longevity of a company. Manifests his hopes and his visions for the next one, three, and 10 years of the business. Passes on some key learnings for entrepreneurs in the early stages of starting up a business.

What is this refreshing alchemy that successfully blends environmental, social and financial goals? Meet Rebalance Earth, helping companies to meet their Net Zero and nature-positive targets more efficiently and transparently. Capitalism can be a force for good in its sustainable form. That’s Rob Gardner’s passionate belief. He’s determined to make a real difference in the face of climate change challenges and biodiversity loss, using his experience from a successful career in banking and investment to develop a platform for natural assets that creates a biodiversity net gain, captures carbon and creates new job opportunities. Rob has a pioneering spirit, and embodies the power of having clear non-financial goals. In this enlightening and energising interview, Rob Talks about two of his companies: Redington, a pension fund management company with a strong corporate social responsibility ethos; and Mallowstreet, an online community that helps companies achieve financial security. Both are Certified B Corporations. Describes how his undergraduate dissertation on a glacier in the alps, and engagement in subjects around loss of biodiversity at COP26, led him to co-found his new start up, Rebalance Earth. It’s a Community Interest Company ‘CIC’ and their intent as they grow is to become a B-Corp. Explains how Rebalance Earth takes a market mechanism approach to tackling climate crisis issues through ‘nature credits’ and functions as a data source for natural capital. Discusses the lack of financial education in British culture and how living in Argentina as a child informed his attitude to money and his career in finance. Recalls the difficulties and successes of his first business, explaining the process of learning from mistakes and how you can enhance decision making. Expresses his hopes for Rebalance Earth, expanding on the positive impacts he wants to make for the planet and for people through his business. Shares his mantra ‘being with the end in mind’ and the process he takes in achieving success through long-term thinking.

How do you manage your mental health? Are you in touch with your moods day to day and aware of your feelings? Gareth Dauncey found a brilliant, visual way to manage his own wellbeing, which he went on to develop in an app to improve many people’s lives. Mood helps people to better manage their mental wellbeing with one tap a day, and share how they feel without the need for words. In this personal and revealing interview, Gareth Explains what Mood does and how he came to develop the app after difficult experiences with his mental health. Talks about his positive experiences at Frazzled Café, a space set up by Ruby Wax for strangers to talk about their feelings, which led him to transform his mood tracker idea into an app. Gives an insight into the process of developing the Mood app, including how one particular partnership encouraged him and supported him in areas he was previously unfamiliar with. Highlights the positives of not overcomplicating things. Describes some activities he finds helpful for positive mental health. Shares some of the realisations he has come to in his struggle with his mental health. Expresses the hopes he has for his app in helping others, and his ideas for how the app can de-stigmatise conversations around mental health.

Imagine a living in a beautiful place that is affordable and inclusive, where people thrive and economies flourish alongside stunning landscapes. Sounds too good to be true? My guest on this show doesn't think so. Jonathan Smales is the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Human Nature, a new generation sustainable developments business. Jonathan believes passionately that it’s time to create a new generation of places, homes and shared spaces that regenerate where we can live well in ways that respond to the crises of climate and nature. Human Nature’s unapologetically ambitious vision is to create remarkable living spaces, growing strong communities with architecture and landscapes that surprise and delight. In this fascinating and visionary interview, Jonathan: Gives insight into his background and how the shift in attitude towards the environment in the 1980s influenced his goals. Describes some of the built environment projects he and other members of the Human Nature team have been involved in, both with and before Human Nature. Relates the process of co-production and collaboration in Human Nature to Alan’s description of Steve Jobs' approach to innovation. Talks through how the Phoenix project in Lewes, East Sussex, UK started; its scale, the development and planning process, how they plan to make the project carbon negative, and the solutions and the resources that will be available on the estate to create a sustainable neighbourhood and a ‘living landscape’. Outlines the financial side of the project, revealing some of the challenges they have faced and how they have overcome them through different streams of funding and investment. Discusses aligned values and how, in the case of the Phoenix, this also includes residents, business owners, and investors. Shares his opinion on what factors currently prevent equitable projects that create a vibrant community. Reveals his background of business training as a civil servant and working for Greenpeace, recalling mistakes he made along his career and the lessons he learnt working with a friend. Expounds on some of his learnings from both Greenpeace and Human Nature, including mentality, values, and the power of doing good and surrounding yourself with good people.

How exhilarating to learn and to be inspired whilst on the wild and beautiful St. David’s peninsula. That’s exactly what the TYF Group provides with their leading sustainability, adventure and education business that helps people reconnect to nature, to possibility and to each other. They have been on a mission for over 35 years to inspire customers of all ages with low-carbon, eco-friendly outfitted adventures, training and education programmes, all nestled in nature’s best surroundings. We discussed how Andy’s passions have combined with business over the years. In this energising and inspirational interview, Andy Middleton Outlines the activities and services that the business provides, and how he manages a wide variety of revenue streams. Describes some of the fundamental issues he’s seen repeatedly in businesses over his long career. Talks through the early days of the business and when he first knew he was ‘on to something’, including some of its early successes in terms of impact on individuals. Discusses the process and funding behind turning a hotel into an organic adventure lodge in his 20s. Stresses the importance of the public and private sectors working together towards common goals. Recalls how introducing the ‘ambition design framework’ steered the trajectory of the business, and how this focus allowed the business to drill down into its wider impact, instead of being motivated by money. Reiterates the importance of finding and developing leaders, and of focusing on creating positive impact by involving people from all backgrounds. Explains what a company needs to do to become a certified B Corp, and some of the positive experiences that he has had in meeting with other B Corp businesses. Shares key learnings from his time in business including harnessing potential, asking yourself what the world needs you to do, and that ideas are worth little if your team isn't infused with your vision.

Did you find your vocation later in life? Shaun Russell certainly did. His belief that a more Scandinavian approach to life is better for all - a proven model of societal and environmental better practice that the world can truly benefit from - led to him founding Skandinavisk in 2012 to spread the word. We discussed his motivation in starting the business ‘later in life’ and the many valuable learnings he’s picked up along the way, whilst building and adapting the business over the past 10 years. In this educational and insightful interview, Shaun Explains the origins of the brand, focusing on the history and importance of candles in Scandinavian culture, and why Skandinavisk moved away from producing a range of regular candles to concentrate on home fragrance and body care to reach a wider audience. Describes the many issues he faced when he launched his brand, such as trying to sell products that spanned a range of categories including textiles, ceramics and fragrances. Expands on two key mistakes he made: 1) assuming that the brand would sell poorly in Scandinavia and 2) planning to focus on selling direct to consumers rather than via wholesale. Discusses the importance of 'pivoting' or changing course in a business when current methods aren't successful. recalls how close the business came to failing because of issues presented by Covid-19, and the streams of revenue that kept the business going. Talks through the ethical reasons which led Skandinavisk to replace its entire product line. Gives a detailed overview of the experience and process of becoming B Corp certified, what it means, and what the ongoing responsibilities are. Outlines the scale and purpose of the B Corp Beauty Coalition, of which he Chairs the Supervisory Board. Recounts his earlier career history and why he was happy to walk away from corporate life aged 40, as well as explaining the skills he had to learn in his new business life and the importance of mental health and clarity helping you to ‘stay sane’ as you run a business.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pain? Nothing too positive, I’m guessing. Richmond Stace is a pioneer in his attitude to pain management. We talked about how he applies his extensive experience in nursing, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, coaching and neuroscience to help individuals manage and improve chronic pain, embracing people’s strengths and the potential to improve their lives. He runs his business from the heart, prioritising his clients’ wellbeing over his balance sheet. In this refreshing interview, Richmond Describes how he helps people with persistent pain issues, and subsequently looks at ways in which they can move forward. Explains why he has a holistic approach, applying his skills with elements of science, psychology and philosophy. Illustrates how broad ranging in background and lifestyle his client base is, as pain is indiscriminate. Highlights how he communicates his service to his clients who sometimes come with pre-existing perceptions. Stresses the importance of his clients understanding the relationship between their bodies and their external environment. Talks about his education and career path, how he got started in business, how he values his work-life balance highly, and is motivated by the reward of helping his clients. Reveals his lightbulb moment in his understanding of the pain field. Expounds on his future plans, including publishing his upcoming book, and his hope of doing more talks and tours, with the aim of helping as much of society as possible to understand pain, and change their attitudes towards pain, as well as issues with funding and social/gender biases. Shares his learnings from his experience in business, stressing the importance of putting yourself ‘out there’ to create the space for new opportunities, of continuous self-improvement and learning from your mistakes.

When your passion serves millions of people and the environment, through a successful and sustainable business, it’s a pretty powerful combination. Interviewing Nick Russill for the 2nd time, we focused on Snow-Forecast.com, a business he co-founded over 25 years ago. Now one of the internet’s most widely-used specialist weather websites, along with its sister websites it supports a global audience of over 50 million users each year. Nick is passionate about using his voice to help people become more aware of ways to reduce their environmental impact and to acknowledge climate change. In this insightful interview, Nick Summarises the purpose of his website, snow-forecast.com, with an insight of its scale of users and the site’s business model. Explains the website’s different revenue streams, and his preference for subscriptions and direct deals over advertising an income revenue. Details the turnover of the business and the vast increase in subscribers following the Covid-19 pandemic, recognising the impact of snow-forecast's 'sister websites' on the increase in users. Recounts how his education and personal life led him and his partners to create forecasts for specialist activities, and the decisions that led them to launch a public website. Enthuses about the community served by the website, and that community's impact on decisions they make in operating the website. Pinpoints the moment when he realised the business was sustainable and successful, as the website started to create revenue. Highlights the new challenges involved operating the five sister websites and shares his hopes for the growth of the websites, and some new innovations for future proofing. Stresses the importance of a strong company culture and how their own company culture allows them to turn issues into advantages. Reveals lessons he’s learned from the business, including not pursuing side streams that aren’t lucrative, and the importance of consulting other sources for innovation and technical input.

Financial freedom is an ‘end of the rainbow’ concept for many people. Alexlouise Thomas has made a successful career out of helping people find theirs. She began investing in property and in personal development courses, before retiring from catering at the ripe old age of 32. We discussed how she helps others to live their dreams of financial freedom and fulfilment, and how she loves seeing the transformation in people’s lives. We also discuss the joint ventures that make possible things that an individual couldn’t achieve alone. In this fascinating interview, Alexlouise Explains the purpose of her company, how she aids other businesses financially, and how she helps clients to recognise their goals. Expands on what the term 'joint venture' means with regards to the property market, and how it works to pool resources and get people on the property ladder. Shares a success story of one of her clients and the five-year process behind it. Recalls the factors and experiences that led her to start her company and then shift its business model. Talks about learning from mistakes and dealing with bumps in the road. Describes her goals of building a community, and to start farming within the next five year, as well as the positive and negative effects of giving yourself a timeline for goals. Delves into her learnings along the way, including the importance of patience, the huge value of having a business coach, and asking questions without the fear of looking stupid. Gives advice for people starting up a business, emphasising that it is very important to give success time to grow.

They did it! It was fantastic to interview new World Record holder, Guy Rigby, again, now he’s back on dry land! Guy and his fellow rower, David Murray, completed the challenging feat of rowing 3,000 miles from the Canaries to Antigua over 53 days, making them the oldest pair ever to row any ocean to date. In this ‘behind the challenge’ interview, Guy: Describes his training regime in preparation for the race, how he and his crewmate structured their rowing schedule, food and water logistics, the emergency procedures they had to be aware of and the tech issues they faced. Explains the challenges of adapting to various weather systems and conditions they encountered, and the impact they had on their progress. Reveals how he and his crewmate overcame disagreements, and the difficulties involved in managing a challenging sleep schedule. Gives an impression of the scale of the challenge, some of the reasons why other crews took part in the race, and how Guy and his crewmate gained sponsorship. Talks about the charity, UnLtd, which they are raising money for. It’s not too late to donate! Shares the low point of the race, and the absolute best moment of the experience. Discusses some of the physical problems he’s faced since being back on land, and his ambitions for the future.