James Reed, the Chairman and CEO of Reed Group, has long been a name synonymous with visionary leadership, philanthropy and business acumen. Known for his innovative approach to talent acquisition and his passion for workplace culture, James has spent years shaping and reshaping the landscape of employment and recruitment. Now, he’s bringing his expertise to a new platform - a podcast dedicated to exploring the intricacies of business and leadership.
In his podcast, ‘all about business’, James goes beyond the typical boardroom discussions, offering listeners an insider’s view of the strategies, challenges, and successes that define today’s business world. From insights on building resilient teams to navigating the complexities of a global economy, each episode promises to be a masterclass in business knowledge. Designed for aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and seasoned professionals alike, the podcast is poised to become a go-to resource for anyone looking to gain a competitive edge in the world of business.
Watch or read our interview with James:
Q: What inspired you to start this podcast?
A: I started this podcast because I'm obsessed - obsessed with business. It's been my life. I love it, and I think there might be some other people out there who have the same affliction.
What I love about business is you can always learn from other business people, and I've been visiting customers, visiting clients, for decades now. I just love visiting companies and learning from the people who work in them.
I'm hoping, by doing this podcast, to capture little nuggets of gold from each of my interviewees, all of whom will be real practicing business people.
Q: Who is the podcast designed for and why should business leaders tune in?
A: Well, I've been told that I should get involved in the world of infotainment. And, the podcast is for anyone who wants to learn about business and come up with ideas to improve their business, to start a business, or to just have more fun at work, frankly.
The podcast is for anyone who's at work or thinking about work. As well as anyone who wants to start a business, is running a business, or thinking of applying for a management job.
Q: What topics and themes will you be covering that resonate with today's business climate?
A: Well, in the first series of all about business, we've got some amazing interviewees. The topics and themes we cover are really rich and varied. So, we start off with inclusion and belonging in the workplace. We move on to being digital first, talk to people about purpose in business - and how to put purpose into business. We speak to people about marketing and advertising, and about philanthropy and engaging with the community.
These are all hot topics at the moment for people in business. We're all struggling to find new ideas and new ways to do things better.
Q: What kind of guests do you plan to feature and how will their perspectives be relevant to the business world?
A: Each guest I invite, I ask, “Can you suggest a guest?”
So, what I'm hoping is that we'll create this wonderful network effect where we get more and more interesting people who will come and talk about their own experiences.
But the one thing I'm looking for in a guest, is real experience. I'm looking for guests who are in the front line, in the thick of it, who run companies, who deliver, who take action. They're not opinion formers, they're not celebrities, they're real business people who work in business day in, day out and have real learned experience.
Q: What trends or shifts in the business world are you seeing, and how does your podcast address them?
A: Everything in the business world is up in the air in many ways at the moment, because there's been a huge generational change that we've seen as Gen B, for Boomer, changes to Gen Z, for Zoomer, and we've seen one generation leave stage right and another one enter the fray.
I think that's going to bring huge changes. So, we've got generational change, and we have a huge change in the technological landscape as well, with machine learning and AI. That's affecting many, many people and many companies - all at the same time. There's a huge amount of change coming in that way and there's always change in markets.
Whether the economy is going up or down, whether there's a recession coming, whether we're going to see new opportunities and new emerging spaces - these are all themes that I'll be focusing on.
Q: What sets your podcast apart from other business-related podcasts?
A: Well, me, obviously - because I run a business and have been doing so as CEO at Reed for nearly 30 years now.
I’m fascinated and, you could say, obsessed with business, and because I run a business, I think I might be asking different questions. I listen to the interviewee, and I'm always curious about how I can apply what they're saying to what I do and to our business. I think that's what many people listening will be looking for too.
Q: How can listeners accelerate those insights and make tangible improvements in their own businesses?
A: Every listener has a different set of circumstances - in a different job, different situation. Therefore, each person listening will take, I imagine, different things from these podcasts.
But I can tell you now, all the people I've spoken to have offered me something I didn't know - something I've taken away and really considered, and many things that I will now apply in my business.
You will get actionable, useful ideas and advice from the people we speak to.
Q: Are there any standout moments you’re looking forward to us seeing?
A: Yeah, there are lots, but I'm not going to tell you what they are now.
You can listen to James’ ‘all about business’ podcast where you usually get your podcasts from or visit the dedicated podcast page here.
