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Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors

Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors

By: Jeff Dewing
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Welcome to Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors.

CEO of Cloudfm Group Jeff Dewing talks to entrepreneurs, business leaders and outliers about times they have "Done the opposite" by rejecting commonly held beliefs in their business or profession. They discuss the birth of the idea, the push back and revolutions that ensued.

© 2026 Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors
Career Success Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Profit vs Purpose: Redefining Success
    Apr 1 2026

    In Season Six of Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors we’re turning the spotlight onto host of the podcast Jeff Dewing. Jeff is Founder and CEO of Cloudfm Group, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and a leader who rebuilt his life and company by doing the one thing most people fear: the opposite.

    What happens when you stop chasing numbers and start solving problems? Jeff and Sam explore why purpose-driven leadership isn’t just a feel-good philosophy but a practical strategy that changed everything at Cloudfm. Drawing on his years in corporate environments where financial targets trumped client outcomes, Jeff explains the moment he decided no one would ever be fired for missing their numbers—and how that single shift unlocked a culture built on honesty and accountability. Using the Carillion collapse as a cautionary tale of what happens when reported performance drifts from reality, he shows why truth has to be baked into the operating system, not bolted on afterwards.

    They dig into the hard work behind defining a company purpose, including a gruelling three-day offsite that produced one sentence the entire team could carry: restore trust in a failing industry by changing the rules. Jeff walks through how values—humility, integrity, empathy, and freedom—were given plain-language definitions so they could be lived rather than laminated, and why saying no to misaligned clients protects the system that creates real value. Day to day, it comes down to a single rule on the wall: do the right thing, whatever it costs.

    Culture becomes the engine for growth. Jeff shares how listening to detractors instead of removing them lifted employee engagement from around forty percent to eighty-five percent, and why the most engaged company on the planet makes oil in a can. They unpack why engagement must be measured at the manager level, how coaching replaces command-and-control, and what it means to invert the traditional pyramid so frontline teams can act fast for customers. Profit and purpose are not in competition here—profit emerges as the byproduct of solving meaningful problems with integrity and speed.

    In 2026 Cloudfm Group celebrates its 15th anniversary.

    Find out more about Cloudfm here.

    Hosted by Sam Walker

    Watch the podcast on YouTube

    Discover Cloudfm Group:

    Website | LinkedIn

    Find the best-selling book Doing The Opposite by Jeff Dewing HERE

    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Trust, Transparency & Technology
    Mar 18 2026

    In Season Six of Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors we’re turning the spotlight onto host of the podcast Jeff Dewing. Jeff is Founder and CEO of Cloudfm Group, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and a leader who rebuilt his life and company by doing the one thing most people fear: the opposite.

    What if telling a client “we won’t hit that date” could make them trust you more? Jeff and Sam sit down to pull apart the myth that leaders must project certainty, and show how truth, humility, and well-designed systems can change outcomes. From childhood lessons to boardroom moments, Jeff shows why owning mistakes turns confrontation into collaboration. They dig into the messy middle of transparency: how to be open without creating panic, and how to time information so it helps rather than harms.

    They also flip a common narrative about technology. Instead of using software to polish the story, Jeff built systems that cannot edit, hide, or delete operational data. Raw field notes reach clients untouched, forcing real behaviour change and signalling that nothing is swept under the rug. It’s uncomfortable and powerful, and it turns a platform into a trust engine.

    Jeff also offers practical steps you can use to embed this culture: align your team, practice public ownership of small misses, and design tools that preserve reality.

    In 2026 Cloudfm Group celebrates its 15th anniversary.

    Find out more about Cloudfm here.

    Hosted by Sam Walker

    Watch the podcast on YouTube

    Discover Cloudfm Group:

    Website | LinkedIn

    Find the best-selling book Doing The Opposite by Jeff Dewing HERE

    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • How Culture becomes a Competitive Advantage
    Mar 4 2026

    In Season Six of Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors we’re turning the spotlight onto host of the podcast Jeff Dewing. Jeff is Founder and CEO of Cloudfm Group, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and a leader who rebuilt his life and company by doing the one thing most people fear: the opposite.

    “There's no such thing as work-life balance, there's only life”. This episode explores how culture is the strongest competitive advantage a business has, but also how leaders must model the behaviour they expect.

    We also discover the power of output over presenteeism and the clarity that makes autonomy work: no meetings before 10 or after three, school runs protected, and explicit trust to decide when work fits around family. Jeff walks through the moment productivity surged when teams stopped performing hours and started delivering outcomes. He shares why hiring for behaviours and values opens the door to more diverse thinking, stronger collaboration, and genuine equity.

    Jeff also shares the tear-jerking story of how his company stepped up and helped a member of staff when it felt like their life was falling apart.

    How do you really motivate your workforce? By providing fulfilment - the personal north star that keeps teams accountable, creative, and resilient.

    In 2026 Cloudfm Group celebrates its 15th anniversary.

    Find out more about Cloudfm here.

    Hosted by Sam Walker

    Watch the podcast on YouTube

    Discover Cloudfm Group:

    Website | LinkedIn

    Find the best-selling book Doing The Opposite by Jeff Dewing HERE

    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
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