Business and a Brew
Welcome to Business and a Brew – the podcast where real conversations about business happen over a good drink. Hosted by Danielle and Simon, this show brings together two friends with years of shared experiences, lessons learned, and plenty of stories to tell.
We’re here to explore the highs, lows, and in-betweens of business, from awkward challenges to unexpected victories. No topic is off the table – if it’s part of the entrepreneurial journey, we’re talking about it. Whether you’re looking for relatable advice, fresh perspectives, or just a laugh, you’ll find it here.
Think of us as your business buddies, chatting over coffee (or something stronger), keeping it real and keeping you entertained. So, grab your brew of choice, tune in, and let’s get talking. Cheers!
Episodes
39 episodes
Uber: It solved the whole problem that you had with standard taxi services
Remember when getting a cab meant waiting in the rain, fumbling for cash, and hoping the driver knew your route? Uber came along in 2009 and flipped the script, offering sleek, on-demand rides with a few taps on your phone. What started as a lu...
•
21:05
Is ChatGPT drinking all the water?
We’ve heard the headlines... AI is coming for your job, your art, and now… your water supply?We’re unpacking the growing concern around the environmental cost of AI tools like ChatGPT and the infrastructure that powers them. These system...
•
28:15
ADE 651 the bullshit detector!
It looked like a real solution. It was sold like a miracle. And it ended up costing lives.We’re talking about the ADE 651, a so-called bomb and substance detector that turned out to be nothing more than a glorified golf ball finder. Mark...
•
23:35
How Tropicana Threw $35 Billion Out of the Window
Rebrands are supposed to be fresh, exciting, and a little bit fancy. But sometimes, they’re just a really expensive way to upset literally everyone.First up, the orange juice disaster of 2009. Tropicana decided to ditch the classic orang...
•
18:56
Lord King Scamming Virgins
The Britsh Airways vs Virgin Atlantic showdown in the 90s wasn’t just business, it was pure soap opera in the skies. Forget friendly competition, British Airways went full villain mode with a plot straight out of a corporate spy thriller.
•
18:05
Babies Breathing Asbestos
Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder used to be a household staple, white, fluffy, and trusted since 1894. But behind the sweet-smelling clouds was a problem that definitely didn’t belong near babies (or anyone, really): asbestos.Despite ...
•
25:35
Ford, the Car Brand You Can Trust?
The Ford Pinto was meant to be the Beetle’s cooler, cheaper cousin, quick to market, easy on the wallet, and built in just two years. What could possibly go wrong? Well… quite a bit, actually.This little car had one big problem. If you g...
•
15:56
The Fall of an Empire
Toys R Us went from every kid’s dream destination to a cautionary tale of how not to run a retail empire. Founded in 1948 by Charles Lazarus, it started as a baby store before becoming the go-to big box toy retailer. For decades, it dominated t...
•
14:02
Is Organic What You Think It Is?
Organic labels might look all wholesome and earthy on the shelf, but behind the scenes, it’s a chaotic cocktail of red tape, sky-high fees, and some seriously eyebrow-raising rules.This one’s about two friends running a cracking little t...
•
30:38
McCafe, Karma That Burns
Stella Liebeck’s coffee burn case has been the butt of jokes for decades, but the real story? It’s anything but a punchline.Back in 1992, 79-year-old Stella spilled a cup of McDonald’s coffee in her lap. Sounds minor, right? Except the c...
•
14:25
A Bird's Eye View on Frozen Foods
Clarence Birdseye wasn’t just a guy with a name that sounds made-up; he was the biologist who turned frozen food from a sad soggy mess into a global game-changer. After dropping out of college and spending time ice fishing in Labrador (because ...
•
12:51
The death and resurrection of Kodak
Kodak’s story is the business version of “you had one job.” They gave the world the Box Brownie, the first colour film, and basically made photography a household thing. Founded in 1880 by George Eastman, they were the dogs bollocks of the came...
•
17:43
DePuy or Not DePuy: When Medical Devices Go Very, Very Wrong
Things took a darker turn with the story of DePuy’s ASR hip replacements, a medical device that promised mobility but ended up causing chaos inside the body.The ASR model used an all-metal design, which turned out to be a massive problem...
•
21:48
BrewDog: Excellent Beer, a Bit Shit at Forestry
Let’s talk about BrewDog! The punk of the beer world that’s built its brand on disruption, bold claims, and a whole lot of attitude.Founded in 2007, they went from a small start-up to striking major deals, including one with Tesco, all w...
•
17:47
How Different Is Your Genuine Dior Bag From a Chinese Knock Off?
We got into the glossy world of luxury brands and asked the question no one really wants to answer: how much of what we buy is about status, and how much is actually about ethics?Dior and Armani took centre stage after a 2024 report reve...
•
18:21
EDF: Energy That's Sexier Because It’s French?
We got chatting about EDF Energy, the power giant that’s got its fingers in sockets across more than 30 countries. Known for banging the sustainability drum and offering decent perks like job security, flexible working, and proper training, it’...
•
16:56
The Nazi Shoemaker: How Much Do You Know About Puma and Adidas
We got into the seriously dramatic sibling story behind two of the biggest sports brands on the planet: Puma and Adidas. What started as a shared passion for making top-notch running shoes turned into a full-blown family feud with global conseq...
•
15:16
Spilling Oil: It's Not a Slick Business Move
We dove into the chaos of the Torrey Canyon oil spill, one of the first major environmental disasters of its kind, and let’s just say, it was an absolute mess. Back in 1967, the SS Torrey Canyon, a huge oil tanker, hit Pollard’s Rock in the Sev...
•
28:32
Why Birthday Cards are Important
We got chatting about greeting cards... and trust us, it’s a juicier topic than you’d think. From ancient Egypt and China to the boom during the Industrial Revolution, we took a little stroll through history and realised just how iconic that fo...
•
17:27
Get Your Bridget Jones' on Girls - its Time to Talk Spanx!
Love them or loathe them, Spanx has become a wardrobe staple for millions of women looking for that smooth, sculpted silhouette. But where did it all start? We’re going back to 1998, when Sarah Blakely, armed with nothing but a pair of scissors...
•
13:14