Does innovation always start with a question?

Does innovation always start with a question?

What if the biggest breakthroughs in business don't begin with answers, but with curiosity? In this episode of The Great Business Podcast, Jennifer O'Donnell is joined by entrepreneur and Green Space Innovations CEO Nicky Rifat to explore what really drives innovation. From growing up on a North London council estate to building a business that is helping commercial buildings become cleaner, greener and more sustainable through smarter waste and environmental solutions, Nicky shares the mindset that has shaped his journey. Together, they discuss why curiosity is often the starting point for innovation, how seeing problems differently creates opportunity, and why some businesses embrace change while others resist it. The conversation also explores the relationship between innovation and governance. Far from holding businesses back, the right structure can give people the confidence to experiment, challenge assumptions and turn ideas into lasting change. This is a conversation about curiosity, resilience, leadership and the courage to ask better questions. Because great businesses are not built simply by doing things well. They are built by never losing the curiosity to imagine how things could be even better. Thanks for listening to The Great Business Podcast. If you enjoyed it, please follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode. And if you’ve got a minute, a quick rating or review really helps other people find us. You can find more about The Great Business Company here: Website: www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com [http://www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/]

Never Give In! How Great Leaders Inspire Great Teams

What makes people keep going when the pressure is relentless, the stakes are high and there is no room to hide behind titles or hierarchy? In this episode of The Great Business Podcast, Jennifer O’Donnell is joined by Major Scotty Mills, the highest ranking Black officer in the history of the Royal Marines. After more than three decades serving in some of the world’s most demanding environments, Scotty has gone on to work with elite sports teams, senior leaders, and organisations looking to understand what truly drives performance, trust, and resilience. Together, they explore the realities of leadership when conditions are uncertain and pressure is constant. Not leadership as theory or management language, but leadership as culture, responsibility, and human connection. From the mindset of the Royal Marines to the environments businesses create every day, this conversation looks at what happens when people feel part of something bigger than themselves. The role of belonging. The importance of standards. The difference between authority and trust. And why the strongest teams are often built long before the toughest moments arrive. This is a conversation about resilience, identity, culture, and what it really takes to bring people together around a shared mission. Because whether in the military, sport or business, great performance rarely comes from individuals alone. It comes from the strength of the team around them. Thanks for listening to The Great Business Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show so you do not miss the next one. A quick rating or review also really helps other people discover the podcast. You can find more about The Great Business Company here:  Website: www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com [http://www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/]       Thanks for listening to The Great Business Podcast. If you enjoyed it, please follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode. And if you’ve got a minute, a quick rating or review really helps other people find us. You can find more about The Great Business Company here: Website: www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com [http://www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/]

Doing Business with Purpose: Turning Intent into Meaningful Action

What does it really mean to be a purpose led business and what happens when that purpose starts to shape the decisions you make? In this episode of The Great Business Podcast, we move beyond the idea of purpose as a statement or a strapline, and into the reality of what it looks like in practice. Because when purpose shifts from intention to action, it often brings tension. Between doing what is right and doing what is easy. Between commercial pressures and long term impact. Jennifer O’Donnell is joined by Gemma Parsons, founder of Black Flamingo Homes, a business creating eco conscious co living spaces for key workers. Alongside her role as a police officer in child protection, Gemma is tackling a problem many of us do not see, but one that has far reaching consequences for individuals, communities, and essential services. Together, they explore the reality of building a business with purpose. From recognising the problem, to navigating systems that were never designed to support change, to making difficult decisions about what good enough looks like along the way. This is a conversation about purpose under pressure. What it costs, where it challenges you, and whether it is enough on its own to define what makes a business truly great. And ultimately, it asks a bigger question. If the people we rely on most cannot afford stability in their own lives, what does that mean for the future of our society?  Thanks for listening to The Great Business Podcast. If you enjoyed it, please follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode. And if you’ve got a minute, a quick rating or review really helps other people find us. You can find more about The Great Business Company here: Website: www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com [http://www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/]

Stop Being the Best-Kept Secret: Why Thought Leadership Matters

In Episode 3 of The Great Business Podcast, I’m joined by Antoinette Chappell to explore what thought leadership really means and why it matters more than ever. The built environment is full of experts who are brilliant in a room but almost invisible online. Antoinette works with C-suite leaders and founders to change that, helping them turn their experience into clear, credible content that attracts the right opportunities. In this conversation, we break down what thought leadership actually is (and what it isn’t), why it’s not about self-promotion, and how sharing what you know can genuinely help others. We also discuss the practical side,what to do, what to avoid, and how to get started without overcomplicating it. At its core, this episode is about one simple idea; your experience has value and sharing it is how you create impact. Thanks for listening to The Great Business Podcast. If you enjoyed it, please follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode. And if you’ve got a minute, a quick rating or review really helps other people find us. You can find more about The Great Business Company here: Website: www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com [http://www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/]

Designing Success on Your Own Terms

In Episode 1, we spoke to Doug Richardson about 50 years in business and how leadership has evolved over decades. In Episode 2, we shift the lens completely. This time, I’m joined by Mollie Huckerby — a founder in her twenties who built an app, raised £1M in investment… and then made the brave decision to walk away and start again. Not because she failed. But because she realised success, on paper, wasn’t aligned with the life she wanted to live.   We talk about: • Choosing a degree and the pressure to pick the “right” path • The reality of high-performance corporate environments • Burnout and health as wake-up calls • Raising investment in your twenties • Redesigning life and career with more intention • Freedom, ambition and what they really mean   If you’re at university… If you’re in your first job wondering whether this is “it”… If you’re building something and questioning what success should feel like…   This conversation is for you.   Because perhaps a truly great business isn’t just about scale or valuation. Perhaps it’s about alignment. Courage. And building something that supports your life — not the other way around.   Thanks for listening to The Great Business Podcast. If you enjoyed it, please follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode. And if you’ve got a minute, a quick rating or review really helps other people find us. You can find more about The Great Business Company here: Website: www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com [http://www.thegreatbusinesscompany.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-great-business-company/]