Rephonic
Artwork for Business Leader

Business Leader

Business Leader
Entrepreneurship
Leadership
Covid-19
Artificial Intelligence
UK Economy
Venture Capital
Marks & Spencer
London
Exeter Chiefs
IKEA
Fintech
Greggs
Film Industry
Business Growth
Business Culture
Retail
The AA
Linkedin
Productivity
Customer Experience

Richard Harpin grew his business HomeServe from a single idea to a £4.1bn sale. On the Business Leader Podcast, he speaks to entrepreneurs and business leaders about the moments that shaped their success and failure, unlocking original advice and practical insights for anyone building or leading a business.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes208Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessManagement

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Business Leader

Latest Episodes

If something isn’t working in your business – at what point do you say – let’s adapt and change course? Sir Richard Harpin talks to Kai Feller, the co-founder of Bark.com, the online marketplace that connects you to a local gardener or event planner.... more

BT's chief executive, Allison Kirkby, talks to Sir Richard Harpin about how her working class upbringing and training at Procter & Gamble set her up for becoming CEO. Kirkby built her reputation as a straight-talking turnaround leader and since takin... more

Omaze's co-founder and CEO Matt Pohlson learnt the art of storytelling in Hollywood and used it to build a £200m revenue, for-profit, prize-draw business. He tells Sir Richard Harpin how two near-death experiences made him more determined to grow the... more

Mitie may not be a household name, but its services are woven into the fabric of British life. It outsources key government services, including everything from facilities management of hospitals and data centers to security services for events. Its C... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Kai Feller
Co-founder of bart.com, entrepreneur
bart.com
Episode: The art of the possible: Scaling to £240M
Allison Kirkby
CEO of BT
BT
Episode: Can BT beat the odds?
Matt Pohlson
Founder and CEO of Omaze
Omaze
Episode: How the UK was Omazed
Phil Bentley
Chief Executive of Mitie Group for almost a decade
Mitie Group
Episode: 'Value people - especially those closest to the customer'
Harry Stebbings
Founder of 20VC, venture capitalist, podcaster
20VC
Episode: From £500 To Millions: The Mindset That Changed Everything
Olivia Jenkins
Founder of D. Louise jewellery
D. Louise
Episode: "I can't quit" - Olivia Jenkins built a jewellery brand in honour of her mum
Stuart Machin
CEO of Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Episode: "I don't like being switched off" - Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, on work-life balance
Gary Lubner
Former Group Chief Executive of Belron (Autoglass/Carglass)
Belron (Autoglass, Carglass)
Episode: 'From €200m to €24bn - How I built a global glass empire'
Alex Wright
Co-founder and CEO of Dash Water Drinks
Dash Water Drinks
Episode: Dash Drinks: The challenger brand scaling patiently

Hosts

Richard Harpin
Host of Business Leader Podcast
Dougal Shaw
Host of the Business Leader Podcast

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 54 ratings
  • World class

    A really good podcast with amazing, world class guests. Very detailed business discussions. No fluff. Just pure business strategy all the way.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NeekyUK
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Great podcast - business studies an apt name!

    This is a terrific podcast. It’s a great historical look at some of the biggest stories from enterprise and commerce over the years.

    Anyone who is studying for an MBA or business studies will benefit from listening as real life case studies are unpacked with all the benefit of hindsight!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jimmys Jobs
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Fascinating debut

    A great debut podcast. Looking forward to the next episode

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    richardhfletcher
    United Kingdom4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fascinating debut with strong potential for future episodes and guests.
World class podcast with world-class guests and no fluff about strategy and execution.
Great show for MBA-style case studies; useful for studying real-world business history.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The art of the possible: Scaling to £240M
Q: What led you to pursue a sale, and how did you choose the partner?
We attracted inbound interest during league-table recognition, ran a structured process with several advisors, and ultimately sold to EMK Capital because they offered a realistic valuation and aligned with our long-term vision.
The art of the possible: Scaling to £240M
Q: How did bootstrapping influence your approach to growth and onboarding on the platform?
Bootstrapping forced us to automate and optimize with limited funds, focusing on onboarding suppliers and customers through technology rather than expensive campaigns.
The art of the possible: Scaling to £240M
Q: What was the moment you decided to pivot your business model, and how did you know it was the right move?
We discussed it over dinner as a team, decided the next day, and implemented it immediately. It felt like a gutsy move in the moment, but it turned out to be the right direction for scalability.
How the UK was Omazed
Q: How did you approach hiring to sustain growth?
Focus on hiring a few extraordinary people, trust intuition, and build a culture where laughter, humility, and resilience are valued; guard against overloading the team with too many roles.
How the UK was Omazed
Q: What role did storytelling play in your growth and fundraising?
Storytelling is central to the business model and branding; it helps define value propositions, attract investors, and connect with customers by illustrating real transformations and social impact.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Business Leader

What is Business Leader about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A leadership-focused interview show that centers on high-profile founders, CEOs, and senior executives as they recount pivotal moments, transformation stories, and practical playbooks. Episodes emphasize turning around established brands, scaling via omnichannel strategy, leveraging technology, and building durable culture while navigating crises. Noteworthy traits include a penchant for concrete leadership lessons, candid reflections on failure and resilience, and a track record of recruiting guests from retail, beverages, tech, and financial services to illuminate scalable business growth for real-world application.

Where can I find podcast stats for Business Leader?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Business Leader. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Business Leader and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Business Leader get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Business Leader, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Business Leader?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Business Leader, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Business Leader have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Business Leader has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Business Leader?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Business Leader:

1. James Sinclair's Business Broadcast
2. The Room Where It Happened
3. The High Performance Podcast
4. The Business
5. The Rest Is Money

How many episodes of Business Leader are there?

Business Leader launched 4 years ago and published 208 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Business Leader?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Business Leader?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Business Leader from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Business Leader?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Business Leader. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Business Leader?

Recent guests on Business Leader include:

1. Kai Feller
2. Allison Kirkby
3. Matt Pohlson
4. Phil Bentley
5. Harry Stebbings
6. Olivia Jenkins
7. Stuart Machin
8. Gary Lubner

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days