The Gentleman‘s Journal Podcast

Lord John Bird, Founder of The Big Issue: ”The only way you can get out of the sticky stuff is by devoting yourself”

"I never felt sorry for a homeless person in my life. You've got to use that energy trying to sort them out..."

Lord John Bird is the founder of The Big Issue — the revolutionary street magazine which turned 30 last year. Lord Bird’s story is fascinating. He grew up in one of the roughest slums in London, was homeless at the age five, and found himself in and out of prison several times before the age of 18. (It was here, in fact, that  he first encountered a printing press.) Today, the Big Issue is the world’s most distributed street paper — a project that has given millions of homeless people not just a solid income, but also a way back into society — and Bird himself is a hugely respected member of the House of Lords. In a brilliant episode of the podcast, he takes us on a journey from the slums of Notting Hill to the highest chambers in the land — via the tumultuous and sometimes raucous early days of the Big Issue, the new pressures of the pandemic, and an inside view on the political climate of the moment. 

Shooting Francis Bourgeois, with Photographer Isaac Marley Morgan

Francis Bourgeois is the trainspotter turned TikTokker turned overnight national treasure, and our February 2022 cover star. Here, photographer Isaac Marley Morgan tells us what it was like to shoot him. Choo choo!

Overheard at the Clubhouse is our new series where we tell the stories behind the stories in Gentleman's Journal magazine and beyond. 

Tom Molnar, co-founder of Gail’s: ”Every time we open a shop, I still have that fear: what if no-one shows up?”

Tom Molnar is the co-founder and CEO of Gail's — and thus, indirectly, the man behind the finest cheese and ham croissant in the history of the world. In a start up culture that values innovation and disruption at almost any cost, it is heartening to learn about the incredible success of Gail's — a bakery that has always made the quality and taste of its food the number one priority, from first shop to 79th. In a brilliant episode, Tom tells us why he almost pursued a career in fish instead of bread; how the company’s 30-year-old sourdough starter is it’s most sacred and protected IP; and reveals — for the first time and in perhaps the biggest scoop in Gentleman’s Journal history — his five all time favourite items on the Gail’s menu.

Inside the World of Billionaire Estate Managers — Overheard at the Clubhouse

Harry Shukman, our writer on the dubious 'billionaire beat' of late, takes us inside the world of luxury estate managers — the string pullers who choreography the lives of the 0.0001%. Expect Shamans on private jets, £100,000 scented candles, an FBI-grade screening process, and 27-hour work days. 

'Overheard at the Clubhouse' is our brand new podcast series at Gentleman's Journal, where we delve into the stories behind the stories from our magazine and beyond. Do let us know what you think.

 

 

How to invest in contemporary art — with John Russo, CEO of Maddox Gallery

John Russo, the CEO of Maddox Gallery and an expert in street art, takes us inside the sometimes discombobulating contemporary art market.

In a fascinating conversation, John tells us what we should look for in our first art acquisitions; how Instagram is dramatically changing the way art is discovered; why smart TVs could be the future of art displays; and what the atmosphere was like in the room at Sotheby’s as Banksy enacted his famous shredder stunt. 

Ruth Rogers, founder of the River Cafe: ”Never hire someone without going to a restaurant with them first...”

Ruth Rogers is the founder of the River Cafe — London's last true power restaurant, and a bastion of brilliant Italian comfort cooking. But the only thing harder than getting a reservation here, perhaps, is getting a seat on her new podcast, 'Table 4.' The brilliant new interview show, helmed by Rogers herself, uses food as the jumping off point for a series of candid, strikingly honest interview with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Iger, David Beckham, Edward Enninful and Pete Davidson. We were lucky enough to sit down with Ruth for half an hour just before lunch service down at the River Cafe. Here — as the knives are sharpened, the onions cut, and the seabass  filleted — she tells us how the restaurant originally came about almost by chance; her first memories of coming to England; what her ultimate comfort food is; and why you should always have a meal with someone before you hire them.

Ben Francis, CEO of Gymshark: “We made more money in half an hour than we had done in the entire history of the business…”

Ben Francis is the founder and CEO of GymShark, a fitness company he started with some school friends back in 2012, drop-shipping supplements to their pals in the bodybuilding community. The first thing Ben sold was a £52 pound tub of USN Hyperbolic Mass protein powder — an order that earned ben a whopping £2 profit, but which left him, in his own words, dancing around his bedroom. A few years later, a single event caused one of Gymshark's tracksuits to go viral, and the young company went from selling £300 of clothes a day, to making £30,000 of revenue in just half a single hour. But it wasn’t until last year, perhaps, that the company became a true household name, and the 29-year-old Ben became a poster boy for modern British entrepreneurship — after General Atlantic invested more than $260 million in the business, valuing it at over a billion pounds. 

In a highly enjoyable episode of the podcast, we sat down with Ben up at company's  Solihull campus to discuss why humility is the best trait of all; the time Ben suffered a total ‘ego death,’ and how we should always feel like we’re winging it, all of the time. Enjoy. 

”Naivety is our greatest weapon” — Jamie Laing, founder of Candy Kittens

Our guest today is Jamie Laing, the founder of Candy Kittens, former star of Strictly Come Dancing and Made in Chelsea, and now author of a new memoir: I Can Explain. Jamie is one of the most open and honest and energetic guests we’ve ever had on the show. A natural entrepreneur with infectious enthusiasm, in his early twenties he walked into a meeting with Harvey Nichols to pitch his new business Candy Kittens — and walked away with a £150,000 purchase order, despite never having produced a single sweet. When he was a kid, Jamie’s friends used to joke that everything he touched came with L.A.T: Laing Added Tax. But more than that, he’s a true entertainer — and a thoughtful commentator on topics of mental health, popular culture, and the perils of social media. 

In a wonderful episode of the Gentleman’s Journal podcast, Jamie tells us why he originally thought Made in Chelsea might be the biggest mistake of his life; the problem with the label ‘posh’; how he always used to worry that a swarm of wasps might turn up and ruin the party; and why we should all tell our parents we love them as much as possible. 

Scooter Braun, music mogul: "There is no retreat. We’re going to figure this out, or we’re going to die here"

Scooter Braun is a media proprietor, record executive, investor and manager, best known, perhaps, as the mastermind behind the careers of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and many others. He started his career selling Fake IDs at Emory University, before becoming one of the most successful club promoters in Atlanta. After dropping out of college, Scooter jumped headfirst into the music industry — where he discovered an angelic young street busker called Justin Bieber while scrolling through YouTube one evening. The rest, as they say, is history — but that leaves out all the wild highs and lows of the years that followed: the way that the music industry bigwigs described the pair as “that internet kid and his crazy manager”; the trials and tribulations of fame and success; and the succession of canny deals that turned Scooter Braun into one of the most formidable forces in his field today.  

In a fascinating and candid interview, Scooter talks to us how he slept with a gun by his bedside for years; why he loves founders with a ‘burn the ships’ mentality; and how he’s finally re-claiming his real name, Scott, once and for all. 

Charlie Bigham: "If everyone's doing one thing, perhaps you should do the opposite..."

Charlie Bigham is the man behind the gourmet food brand that bears his name — and the saviour of many a weekday dinner time. Known for his wholesome takes on British classics, Charlie’s eponymous company — which celebrates its quarter century this year — sells 80,000 meals every single week, and will likely hit £100 million pounds in sales this year alone.

But for Charlie, you sense that the finances are much less important than the food — and in a fascinating episode of the podcast, the founder tells us how a night on the Iran-Pakistan border provided his lightbulb moment; how the financial crisis of 2007 nearly scuppered the business; why he resents his food being called ‘posh’; and what happened when a noted food critic tasted his lasagne.