Today I am joined by Helen Neal, Founder of multi-award-winning sustainability communications consultancy, HN Communications.

HN Communications works globally with corporates and NGO’s crafting comms to authentically and honestly talk about sustainable business practice and progress.

Sometimes, a particularly difficult arena to navigate with the fear of green washing, blue rinsing and social washing, communicating about progress and achievements is important not just for brand reputation and presence, but also to educate internal communities, the supply chain, industry leaders and consumers.

Helen and I talk about:

📑 how HN Communications came about & what Helen and the team look to deliver for their clients,

𝌉 what the biggest challenge is right now for larger businesses,

🤝 how corporate and NGO’s are being brought together for exponential positive impact,

☺️ 'Kind Capitalism' and perhaps why it’s not quite the contradiction that it sounds like,

🌍 and what it was like to speak at COP16 in Riyadh in 2024.

Let’s dive straight in.

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

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"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today it’s me in the hot seat!

I feel so proud of how this podcast has been received and wanted to thank you, my lovely listeners and YouTube watchers, for all your support, so I thought I’d complete Season 2 with a bit of a round up of why I started the podcast in the first place, what I hope it will give back, and some super easy tips to start your own organisation’s journey into becoming more responsible and how it can be used for truly impactful marketing.

Highlights (in my humble opinion) are:

⚓️ the story behind the podcast - I nearly ran off to join a ship...

💨 why being more responsible or embracing sustainability isn't just about carbon emissions,

🌟 accreditation - what's out there and why bother,

🤑 is talking financial gain contradictory in the sustainable practice space?

🧐 calling out investors and funders and asking if they know what they're looking for when they ask for sustainable business practices,

💡 and my top tips for any business getting started or wanting to progress on the sustainability road to responsibility.

Let’s get going then…

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

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"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This time I am joined by Richard Linsley, Head Teacher at Priors Mill C of E Primary School, based in Billingham in the north east of England.

Richard has been in education for over 25 years, moving from teaching to leadership roles, and just before this recording, I was lucky enough to take part in careers week at the school, talking with Year 4 pupils about their aspirations for their future as well as the pro’s and con’s of being employed versus self-employment and what to consider when setting up your own business.

The interest and enthusiasm of the children was a huge reflection on the school itself and what the staff, teachers, and Trust look to strive for every day.

Richard and I talk about

🏰 the fairytale story of how he embarked on his career in education,

🧑‍🧒‍🧒 how relationships, social values and community are vital in delivering and evolving to meet the needs of the children and their families,

💪🏼 ‘courageous advocacy’ and the ‘school of sanctuary’ pledge.

📚 pressures within the education sector and how the support, collaboration and alignment of all stakeholders is a huge advantage,

♻️ and how sustainable practices are becoming more day to day as a result of the children’s influence, as well as the business management side of school sites.

You can find information about Priors Mill C of E Primary School on their website or Facebook page.

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

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LinkedIn


"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

My guest on this episode is Tony Underwood, Co-founder of Believe Solutions Ltd. an organisation championing positive outcomes for all stakeholders through social action and impact.

You might know Tony from his previous careers as an England Rugby Union player turned pilot, but now is bridging the gap between communities and the private sector through a new enterprise, Believe Solutions alongside business partner Liz Byrne, reinforcing the importance and benefits of fierce care.

I can’t deny the reason this came about is because I stayed at an expo to hear Tony speak specifically because I was a total fan from when he played rugby, and I am so glad I did. Believe Solutions is a fantastic organisation that is already bringing true and measurable positive impact and disrupting how we, as businesses, look at Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Values and Social Impact going forward.

We discuss:

🫂 How Tony’s career and upbringing created an innate quality for caring

🧱 Why it’s important for organisations to foster a culture of care for their employees and communities,

📖 The impact of true information transfer between the sectors and how the bad stories are equally as important as the good,

💡 And of course Tony’s new venture, Believe Solutions.

You can find more about Believe Solutions on the website, or find Tony on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

Website

LinkedIn


"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Midway through Season 2, my guest for this episode is Mollie Nathan, Creative Lead & Art Direction for Creative Projects at redpill marketing agency.

redpill is a market leading and groundbreaking influencer marketing agency, setting the industry alight with a more conscious and impactful project creation and delivery.

Influencer marketing hasn't always had the best reputation but redpill's outlook and values are definitely turning that on its head.

We chat about:

🤝 how culture has become paramount in creating an environment that produces the best output for employees and clients alike,

✅ how being transparent and authentic in sharing culture, values, back stories and personality is what consumers want,

👍🏼 how redpill are changing the perceived negative face of the influencer marketing industry,

🏅 redpill's journey to B Corp status and why they decided to do it,

🎥 if short form video content is dead & why longer form is a growing requirement

🔮 and Mollie's top predictions for SME's and markets for 2025.

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

Website

LinkedIn


"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

And here we are already at episode 4 of Season 2!

In this episode, I talk with Simon Raybould, known as the Presentation Genius and total guru for effective communication.

We had such a lot of fun recording this episode, not least of all due to a little furry friend of the canine type who kept us on our toes. See if you can spot any references to her 🤣

We chat about:

🔬how Simon’s career in human science research led him into heightening communication,

📖 storytelling and how to use it more effectively to make a real difference,

🧠 insights into the human brain that can make communication more difficult as can the social impact of our own past experiences in business

🪄 plus tips and tricks on the science of presenting, and how it can positively impact human sustainability, productivity and the working culture.

Please note, there is a reference to grief and suicide in this episode.

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

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LinkedIn


"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, I chat with the always joyful Andy Read from Resilient Business Systems, a tech based solution provider based in the north east of England and servicing organisations across the UK.

Andy has been in his industry literally man and boy & it was fascinating to discover how he made the steps from starting out to where he is now, and what an incredible brain he has for learning tech.

Andy & I talk about:

🕵🏼‍♂️ how Resilient Business Systems looks to alleviate the pain out of continuous tech developments for their customers,

😌 how change and embracing tech can deliver an easier life and make everyday activities more accessible,

👍🏼👎🏼🙈 the good, the bad, and the ugly of tech and its speed of development,

♻️ and the fabulous work Andy and the team are doing to extend the lifecycle of tech and deliver on the important values within the business.

Whether it's hardware, software, business support or cyber security, Resilient Business Systems could be your perfect trusted partner. Find Andy and the team via their website, https://www.resilientsystems.co.uk/, on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, and you can catch the 'Tech A Break' podcast on Apple, Spotify and the Hubspoke Media YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

Website

LinkedIn


"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In the first episode of Season 2, I am joined by Chris and Issy, the dad & daughter super team from Howell Media, based in the northeast of England.

Howell Media are multi-award winning experts in film, content creation, animation and live event streamers, offering end-to-end solutions in creativity, project management, and delivering tangible results, as well as training courses in media.

Their energy is infectious and reflected throughout the team, which makes them an absolute joy to work with, as well as the one-liner cliches and life statements often peppered in with the conversation. See how many you can spot (no prizes, just for fun).

We talk about:

↻ how the business has changed since it began,

🫂 how working with multi-generational family members can bring a whole new dynamic, insights and skills to a business,

🎬 the challenges of the film industry and where a professional outfit works in an uprising of amateur filmmakers,

💎 the values within the business and how these are vital to Howell Media’s success,

💡 as well as some hot tips about how to make sure your content creation is really hitting the mark

You can contact Chris or Issy through the website, https://www.howellmedia.co.uk/, or find them on LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Thanks for listening!

You can find me here:

Website

LinkedIn


"Glitter Blast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/