Words: Gentleman's Journal
Every fortnight, Gentleman’s Journal reaches into the upper echelons of business, design and publishing, and plucks out a worthy interviewee. From Editors-in-Chief to entrepreneurs, our fortnightly discussion show is filled with exclusive interviews with the country’s most acclaimed businessmen and raconteurs, who dispense their invaluable insights and candid stories from the front line of modern enterprise.
A little like eavesdropping on the world’s most interesting power lunches – only you don’t have to get a reservation and there’s no bill at the end – if you’ve missed any of these podcasts, tune in now…
Will Dean, The Mark Zuckerberg of Extreme Sports
Will Dean is the founder and CEO of Tough Mudder, the world’s most successful endurance event. Will first came up with the idea for the race while studying for an MBA at Harvard, and despite the protestations of his professors, he decided to put his dream to the test. He’d hoped to get 500 participants to his first ever event — in the end, he got more than 5000.
In just the seven short years since, Tough Mudder has gone from strength to strength, and today has put more than 2 million people through their paces at 150 events worldwide.
In this episode, Will tells us how close he came to tear gassing his participants, why he imported mud into the desert, and how his flash of inspiration came at the hands of an ill-fitting wetsuit.
Paul Smith, The unstoppable Paul Smith
Paul Smith is one of the most successful mens’ fashion designers in the world, and a titan of British industry. After a bike crash as a teenager, Paul’s rise in the world of fashion was slow and steady but ultimately unstoppable. From a tiny shop in Nottingham, Paul now operates over 300 stores worldwide, and still oversees every single area of the business himself.
In this episode, Paul tells us about his Bespoke by Appointment service; why the most dangerous thing you can do is follow trends; and what to do if you ever receive a live pigeon in the post.
Ross Bailey, The 25-Year-Old CEO
Ross left school at 16, and soon found that his infectious enthusiasm lent itself perfectly to the world of business. His first true entrepreneurial venture, founded when he was just 19, is the one that he still heads up today. Appear Here is now the world’s largest online marketplace for short-term retail spaces – a kind of Air BnB for commercial property. A major driving force in the pop-up sector, the company works with thousands of established brands and fledgling businesses every year, and has just overseen a very successful expansion to Paris and the US.
In this episode, Ross tells us how a Jubilee-themed party accidentally kicked off the entire business, what it’s like to be a CEO of a multinational company at the age of 25, and why he never wants to hear about another clean-eating start up ever again.
Nicholas Coleridge, Print is dead, long live print
Our guest this afternoon is Nicholas Coleridge, the Chairman of both Condé Nast and the Victoria & Albert Museum. For many years, Nicholas has been the figurehead of the international magazine industry, acting as both an adoring cheerleader and a hardnosed innnovator.
As a former editor of several high-profile titles, and the departing managing director of one of the world’s most influential publishers, Nicholas knows the industry from cover to cover – and might just be able to predict the next installment in its turbulent modern history.
In this episode, Nicholas discusses his greatest journalistic scoops and stunts; what not to do if you want a job at Condé Nast; and why magazines are best enjoyed in the bath
David Gandy and Terry Betts, Vogue Traders
David Gandy is the most successful British model of his generation, a fashion entrepreneur in his own right, and an investor in several menswear start ups. He’s joined today on the show by Terry Betts, the former Buying Director at Selfridges and now the head of business development at Thread, the revolutionary online stylist.
In this episode, these kingpins of the fashion industry tell us why menswear has exploded in the past decade, how the rise of influencers could be a dangerous thing, and why we may all soon be getting our clothes delivered from a blimp.
Check out our full list of Gentleman’s Journal podcasts here
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