This week, Tom meets Ryan Dean, founder of RD Studios and the creative force behind Treehouse, a beautiful new live-action TV series for preschoolers that’s redefining what children’s content can look like.

As a father of teens, Tom reflects on the nostalgia of early kids’ shows – and how Treehouse feels both fresh and familiar (much like the sweeping beauty of David Attenborough’s new film Ocean, which he also reviews at the top of this episode).

Ryan talks about his journey from journalist to studio founder, why controlling your own IP matters more than ever, and how he’s building sustainability into every part of the creative process – without sacrificing magic. From climate-conscious productions to the importance of wonder, this one’s for anyone passionate about the future of storytelling.

Learn more:

→ Explore RD Studios: www.rdcontent.com

Stay in the loop:

→ Got feedback or a guest idea? Drop us a line at tomidle@narrativematters.co.uk

🎧 Don’t forget to follow and leave a review, and help others find the show

What does it really take to hit net zero – and stay there? For global carpet tile manufacturer Interface, the answer lies in a deep-rooted culture of innovation.

In this episode, Tom sits down with Luca Achilli, Global Innovation & Sustainability Projects Director at Interface, to explore how the company is using design, R&D, and circular thinking to lead the charge toward carbon-negative products.

They discuss:

• Why innovation is essential to achieving real emissions reductions
• The future of carbon as a raw material
• How Interface is embedding sustainability into product development
• What it takes to shift from offsetting to genuine impact
• How to build a culture where breakthrough ideas can thrive

If you’re interested in product design, sustainability, or innovation – or just curious about how legacy businesses can still act like disruptors – this one’s for you.

💬 “Carbon is a resource. We’re learning how to work with it, not just fight against it.” – Luca Achilli

Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share if you enjoy the show.

What does it really take to build a transparent supply chain?

In this episode of The Better Business Show, host Tom Idle dives deep into one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing brands today: how to create truly traceable, accountable, and credible supply chains – from the farm to the factory to the finished product.

With global regulations tightening and consumer expectations rising, transparency is no longer a box-ticking exercise; it’s a business necessity. But building that visibility, especially in commodities like cotton, is far from simple. It takes technology, policy understanding, and human collaboration on the ground.

To unpack all of this, Tom is joined by two leading voices:

• ​Prakash Philip, Global Director, Strategy and Impact, CottonConnect, who shares real-world experience from working with 800,000+ farmers across South Asia to implement digital traceability tools and regenerative practices that brands can trust.
• ​Baptiste Carrière-Pradal, Founder of 2B Policy, who explains the shifting global regulatory landscape, including Europe’s evolving sustainability rules – and why legislation, more than ever, is driving the corporate race toward transparency.

Together, they explore:

• ​How brands are meeting rising demands for traceability and ethical sourcing
• ​What new regulations (like CSRD and anti-forced labor laws) mean for your business
• ​The realities of tracking cotton and other commodities from field to product
• ​Why traceability must go hand-in-hand with sustainability and impact
• ​What tools, technologies, and partnerships are making it all possible
• ​The role of data, verification, and storytelling in building consumer trust

Whether you're a sustainability lead, a sourcing manager, a policymaker – or simply curious about what transparency looks like in practice – this episode breaks down the challenge and opportunity ahead.

💡 Get ready to rethink what it means to truly know your supply chain.

This episode is supported by CottonConnect. To find out more visit, www.CottonConnect.org

Cider doesn’t often make headlines in the world of drinks innovation. It’s a category that’s long been dominated by heritage brands, murky labels, and – let’s be honest – a fair amount of concentrate and sugar masquerading as nature’s bounty.

But this week, we meet someone who’s rewriting the rules.

Laura Clacey is the co-founder of Sxollie, a bold, no-nonsense cider brand born in South Africa and on a mission to shake up the status quo. From using single varietal eating apples (not juice concentrate), to pioneering transparency and sustainability in a sleepy drinks aisle, Sxollie is doing everything the big players won’t.

In this episode, Laura shares how she’s taken on an entire category with swagger and purpose, and what it really takes to build a brand that people trust, love, and want more of.

This is cider like you’ve never tasted – and business with serious bite.

🔔 Hit follow, leave us a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear how good business gets done.

Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest, least understood risks facing our food system – and businesses are waking up to it. But measuring nature has never been easy. This time, we meet Conrad Young, founder of Chirrup, a startup using birdsong and bioacoustics to track biodiversity across farmland.

Conrad shares how a quiet moment during the COVID lockdown inspired him to build a technology that helps retailers and suppliers, like Tesco and Diageo, get a clearer picture of ecological health in their supply chains. We explore why biodiversity matters to business, what birds can tell us about ecosystem resilience, and how smart tech is helping brands move from good intentions to real impact.

In this episode:

• Why biodiversity loss is a major business risk
• The science behind bioacoustics and birds as indicators of ecosystem health
• How Chirrup’s tech works – and who’s using it
• What farmers really think about biodiversity monitoring
• Why nature is finally becoming part of the brand story

Whether you’re in sustainability, sourcing, or just care about the future of food, this one’s for you.

#biodiversity #supplychains #sustainability #betterbusiness #chirrup #regenerativeagriculture

AI is no longer just a buzzword – it’s fast becoming a core part of how businesses operate, innovate, and grow. But with so much hype, where do the real opportunities lie? And how do you separate practical value from overpromise?

In this episode, Tom sits down with Oday Abbosh, Senior Partner at IBM, to unpack how artificial intelligence is being used to genuinely transform business – from product development and customer service to complex challenges like supply chain resilience and material discovery.

We hear how IBM’s partnership with L’Oréal is helping the beauty giant rethink how it formulates new products using generative AI – and what that says about the future of research and innovation. We also dig into how businesses can adopt AI responsibly: with the right data, the right use case, and the right mindset.

Oday offers candid insights into:

• The biggest misconceptions about AI in business

• How to get started if you’re a small or mid-sized company

• Why AI’s environmental footprint matters – and what can be done about it

• The role of governance, ethics, and transparency in building trust

Whether you’re just exploring AI or already running pilots, this conversation is packed with practical advice and honest reflections on what it takes to make AI work for good.

🎧 Tune in, share it with your team, and don’t forget to subscribe.

#ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessInnovation #AIForGood #BetterBusiness #Leadership #TechForImpact #GenerativeAI #SustainableBusiness #ResponsibleTech #IBM #LOréal #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation

What happens when businesses forget that their employees are human?

In this episode, we’re talking about workplace culture, parental rights, and why companies are quietly rolling back their commitments to inclusivity and employee well-being.

My guest, Glen Wood, knows firsthand what happens when a company gets it wrong – after being fired for taking paternity leave, he took on the system and became a symbol for workplace reform in Japan where is still known to this day as ‘The Father of Japan’.

Today, he’s sharing what he’s learned about how companies can actually build cultures that work – for their people and their bottom line.

We get into:

• The real reason companies are retreating from DEI initiatives
• Why treating employees fairly is good business, not just good PR
• How leaders can create workplaces where people want to stay and succeed

If you’ve ever felt like work is demanding too much and giving too little, or if you’re a leader looking for ways to do things better – this one’s for you.

Sustainability communication has never been more important – or more challenging. Say too much, and you risk greenwashing accusations. Say too little, and you’re guilty of green-hushing.

So, how should companies talk about ESG, climate action, and social impact in a way that actually resonates?

In this episode, sustainability comms expertHelen Neal joins me to break down the new rules of ESG communication. She's worked with global brands, NGOs, and businesses of all sizes, helping them navigate the tricky balance between transparency, credibility, and engagement.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why companies are either saying too much or not enough—and how to fix it.

• The shift in ESG, CSR, and why the word ‘climate’ is becoming politically charged.

• What makes great sustainability storytelling—and what makes people switch off.

• The biggest mistakes brands make when talking about their impact.

If you’re in sustainability, communications, or leadership, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you get your messaging right.

💡 Listen now and make sure to subscribe for more episodes.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🔗 Follow us @betterbusinessshow

Here’s the link to Joel Makower’s speech from this week: https://trellis.net/article/sustainability-leaders-advance-holding-back-the-darkness/

#Sustainability #ESG #Greenwashing #GreenHushing #BetterBusiness #SustainabilityComms