Wholesome Business

The B Corporation movement is growing fast worldwide and we are proud to have achieved certification ourselves earlier this year. We talk to B Lab UK community manager Kate Sandle to discuss the B Corp movement and attempt to answer many common questions as well as share some personal experiences. If you are interested in finding out more about B Corps and whether it is right for your business, this episode is the perfect starting point.

Nature tourism makes up 20% of the global tourism industry and is closely linked to eco tourism when managed responsibly. Ed and Tom host this latest podcast and meet Max Sinclair and Joe Stevens from the website www.ecocompanion.com, which aims to make it easy for people to not only find amazing experiences in nature but also to accurately judge their eco credentials in terms of environment and social responsibility. We talk about what eco-tourism really means, how it ties in with global conservation and rewilding projects, the potential contradiction of eco tourism when flying to destinations, and how to get the most out of your experience.

The nature of work is on the cusp of big changes as new technology changes how we collaborate with our colleagues, breaks boundaries of when and where we can work. It also replaces the need for human labour in some tasks but opens new opportunities for innovation and improved quality of life. Meanwhile, our cultural expectations of work are changing, both in terms of the meaning that we derive from it and the way that it mix our work with other aspects of our lives. Hans and Tom went to the offices of eNova Partnership to talk about the future of work (and the future of everything) with eNova's co-founder Sophie Albizua and James Bidwell, former Selfridges director and the CEO of www.springwise.com, the world's biggest trend spotting community. Apologies for the poor sound quality in this episode.

Dennis started his career as an engineer officer in the Federal German Army, and during his spare time experimented with electric vehicles and batteries. Along with a group of friends Dennis founded V.E.R.A. in 1998, a club for electric vehicle enthusiasts based in the Aachen region of Germany. He went on to start the business REAP Systems, specialising in battery management systems for large lithium-ion batteries for vehicles on land and water. We talk about the combined challenges of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, including the disconnect between climate science and business, the impacts of tax structures, the inertia of existing industries and how to attract staff to ventures that are more meaningful but inherently less lucrative. Dennis also introduces Project Venice, his ground breaking new project to bring hybrid electric engine technology to the marine world, starting in Venice. The project aims to tackle the issues of air pollution, fuel efficiency, noise pollution and vibration damage within the iconic Italian city. Despite its obvious benefits, the marine industry will not invest in this new technology or adopt it until it is proven, posing a catch 22. REAP Systems are therefore investing a large sum of their own money and launching a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGogo to prove that the technology is viable and reliable and kickstart the transition to more sustainable boat transportation. Details of the crowdfunding campaign can be found at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hybrid-engine-to-clean-up-venice-lagoon-more--2#/

Wholegrain Digital founder and host of the Wholesome Business podcast recently gave a presentation at WordCamp London called How to Win Big Name Clients with LOVE. In this episode, Tom talks about his companies unique approach to sales that has been at the heart of the companies success and attracted many big name clients.

Founder and CEO of psychological technology company PSYT, Nick Begley, joins Tom and Ed in the Wholegrain Digital broom cupboard. We talk about his journey into to his current business via his time as one of the early team members at Headspace, the use of technology to study the science of happiness and productivity in the workplace, and the benefits that mindfulness can have to individuals and the companies that they work for.

Tom Greenwood and Ed Murfitt from Wholegrain Digital talk to Will Gardner, the CEO of popular millennial sustainability website Collectively.org about the origins of the project at the Davos World Economic Forum and the goal of bringing multinational corporations and young consumers together to create a more sustainable future. Will reveals that the ambitions and actions of Collectively run much deeper than the publication of information through the website and he gives us his thoughts about the future of work.

Tom Greenwood and Ed Murfitt talk to Richard Mardon, Chief Executive of Airvolution Energy about his 15 years experience in the wind power sector, recent changes in government policy and the future of renewable energy in the UK.

Wholegrain Digital founders Tom and Vineeta discuss the many inspiring examples of Wholesome Business that they found on their electric car journey through Belgium and Germany. The conversation includes electric car travel, renewable energy, eco-hotels, organic, veggie and vegan food, ethical fashion and more... Links to all of the businesses mentioned will be posted on the Wholegrain Digital website.

Andrea Darabos is a business design consultant and founder of the company Lean Advantage. In this episode, Wholegrain Digital's Tom Greenwood talks with Andrea about the concept that happiness is the new rich, how business values need to be redefined, the myth of work-life balance and ideas to create happiness at work.

Ameet Bhakta is a posture therapist who runs the business Health Through Posture. Wholegrain Digital's Tom Greenwood talks to Ameet about the role of posture in tackling the root causes of chronic pain, especially for those in an office environment, as well as his journey into business. The conversation touches on topics including the benefits of niching, how happy staff create happy customers, the importance of following your passion and the role of money in achieving positive goals.

Fabio Torlini is UK Managing Director for WordPress web hosting company WP Engine and has over a decade of experience in managing fast growing teams in the technology sector while retaining a positive team culture. We talk to Fabio about the challenges of growing teams, promoting strong company values, the benefits of collaboration, the environmental impact of web hosting and the challenges of work-life balance.