How can a major museum be run with the same entrepreneurial mindset as a high-growth business?

In today's episode, James Reed speaks with Elizabeth McKay, Director and CEO of the London Transport Museum. While many perceive museums as static archives, Elizabeth explains how she applies commercial strategy to ensure one of London’s most iconic cultural landmarks remains financially sustainable and relevant in a modern economy.

Elizabeth shares insights from her unconventional career journey and explains why the museum identifies as the best in the world for urban transport. They explore the evolution of work through the lens of London’s history, from the original "chairmen" who carried sedan chairs to the "navvies" who hand-dug the first underground network.

Together they discuss the balance between preserving heritage and driving innovation, including the story of Harry Beck’s revolutionary Tube map and how it was initially rejected for being too radical. Elizabeth also outlines the realities of leading a cultural institution that functions as both a charity and a successful commercial entity.

Timestamps

01:48 Transport history highlights

09:50 Young entrepreneurs message

20:04 Design DNA of TFL

24:26 Running the museum business

33:27 Leading through uncertainty

40:21 Funding model explained

45:10 Youth skills pipeline

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Elizabeth McCay on LinkedIn:

Find out more about TFL Museum and their exhibitions here:

Submit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HERE

All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE

This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

Why are millions of jobs going unfilled in one of the UK’s biggest industries, while so many young people are struggling to find work?

In this episode of all about business, James Reed speaks with Sarah Bradbury, CEO of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, about the future of the UK food industry, the growing challenge of attracting young talent, and why the sector may offer far more opportunities than people realise.

Sarah shares insights from her 25-year career across major retailers, before stepping into one of the most influential leadership roles in the UK food sector. She explains how IGD works across the entire food system and how they help competitors collaborate on the biggest long-term challenges facing the industry.

They explore the pressures reshaping food and retail, including changing consumer habits, climate change, AI, automation, workforce shortages, and the potential impact of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, on the future of food consumption.

Together they also discuss leadership, collaboration between rival businesses, and why the UK food industry remains one of the country’s most important, and underestimated, economic forces.

Timestamps

02:00 What IGD does

08:43 Retail tech and AI trends

12:27 UK food system challenges

18:36 Land use and solar farms

23:47 Hidden food careers

31:29 Youth unemployment urgency

43:27 Closing reflections and CEO Forum

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Sarah Bradbury on LinkedIn

Find out more about IGD and their impact HERE

All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE

This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

Running a business is hard, but what is it like when your work sits at the centre of people’s most emotional moments?

In this episode of all about business, James Reed sits down with Damian Melville, Managing Director of Melville & Daughter Funeral Directors. Together they explore leadership in one of the most emotionally demanding industries there is.

Damian shares his journey into the family business, reflecting on the responsibilities that come when helping people in their most vulnerable time, and how that shapes both leadership-style and company-culture. He shares what balancing tradition with modernisation means, the realities of running a business where empathy is as important as efficiency, and the discipline required to maintain high standards in sensitive circumstances.

The conversation explores what it means to lead with care while still making clear commercial decisions, how to build trust within communities, and why consistency and professionalism matter more than ever, in a service built on reputation. Damian also discusses the challenges of succession in a family-run business and the importance of supporting both clients and staff through emotionally complex work.

A thoughtful, grounded conversation about leadership, responsibility, and building a business where purpose and performance have to coexist every step of the way.

Timestamps

01:04 Finding a niche market

06:36 Going solo challenges

12:50 Winning trust locally

23:18 COVID shock to the system

36:27 Hiring costs and NI

43:25 A Funeral director day

01:00:26 Memorial innovations and burials

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn

Follow Damian Melville on LinkedIn

Find out more about Melville & Daughters Funeral Directors here

All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE

This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk