Crisis What Crisis?

John Roberts is one of Britain's most successful and energetic businessmen, a lad from Bolton who turned a one pound bet with a friend into a billion pound success story. In this special Business episode, John joins Andy to share the invaluable lessons behind building one of Britain’s most trusted brands. From selling deformed gingerbread men in school to pioneering e-commerce out of Bolton, John reveals how cheek, grit and imagination shaped AO, but the journey to success has not been a straight road. He talks openly about the crushing lows — including losing a £160 million gamble in Germany, navigating the chaos of early online retail, and how singing Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now on loop helped him show up for his team during the darkest moments.Here is John's Crisis Compass - his points of navigation for when trouble comes.X: @johnrobertsAOHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

John Roberts is one of Britain's most successful and energetic businessmen, a lad from Bolton who turned a one pound bet with a friend into a billion pound success story. In this special Business episode, John joins Andy to share the invaluable lessons behind building one of Britain’s most trusted brands. From selling deformed gingerbread men in school to pioneering e-commerce out of Bolton, John reveals how cheek, grit and imagination shaped AO, but the journey to success has not been a straight road. He talks openly about the crushing lows — including losing a £160 million gamble in Germany, navigating the chaos of early online retail, and how singing Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now on loop helped him show up for his team during the darkest moments.He shares the thinking behind AO’s legendary customer service and the power (and perils) of leading from the front. Plus we hear about his work to level the playing field for young people in our poorest communities, and what government and businesses can learn from a green teddy bear and a humble kitchen salesman to build a better future.X: @johnrobertsAOHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Bestselling author Kit de Waal has built a career writing stories that capture the reality of life on the margins, but her own story is just as compelling. Growing up in 1970s Birmingham with an Irish Catholic-turned-Jehovah's Witness mother and a Caribbean father, Kit learned early on that survival meant adaptation. Kit's mother’s dire warnings of an impending apocalypse pushed her into rebellion, leading to a breakdown that ultimately brought her home and set her on a new path in social care, advocating for children in the care system before becoming a bestselling author.Here is Kit's Crisis Compass - her points of navigation for when trouble comes.Listen to Kit's full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis/id1517015748?i=1000701649537Pre-order Kit’s new book The Best Of Everything: https://linktr.ee/TheBestofEverythingKitdeWaalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-de-waal-ba953455/X: @KitDeWaalWebsite: https://www.kitdewaal.com/contactHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Bestselling author Kit de Waal has built a career writing stories that capture the reality of life on the margins, but her own story is just as compelling. Growing up in 1970s Birmingham with an Irish Catholic-turned-Jehovah's Witness mother and a Caribbean father, Kit learned early on that survival meant adaptation. Kit's mother’s dire warnings of an impending apocalypse pushed her into rebellion, leading to a breakdown that ultimately set her on a new path advocating for children in the care system before becoming a bestselling novelist.In this episode, Kit shares how she transformed personal crisis into epic creative success, the complexities of growing up between cultures, and why she rejects the term ‘resilience.’ With novels like My Name is Leon and her memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes, Kit has turned life’s challenges into powerful storytelling. Kit has also fought for greater diversity in the UK’s publishing industry. Using her advance, she set up a Creative Writing scholarship at Birbeck, University of London, Kit is breaking down industry barriers by helping writers from marginalised backgrounds find their own passion for writing.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Pre-order Kit’s new book The Best Of Everything: https://linktr.ee/TheBestofEverythingKitdeWaalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-de-waal-ba953455/X: @KitDeWaalWebsite: https://www.kitdewaal.com/contactHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Rupert Soames has forged a brilliant career leading businesses through some of the most daunting challenges. His professional journey has been defined by his unflinching resolve to ‘run towards gunfire.’ As CEO of commercial giants Aggreko and Serco through periods of crisis and now as Chair of the CBI as it continues to recover from a reputational shock. Rupert also talks for the first time about appalling abuse he endured at prep school and how those terrible experiences ultimately helped shape his wholly positive approach to confronting challenge. Here is Rupert’s Crisis Compass – his points of navigation for when trouble comes. This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Rupert Soames has forged a brilliant career leading businesses through some of the most daunting challenges. But behind the decades of success, there’s another story that Rupert has chosen to share here for the first time … an experience which, against the odds, forged his resilience. His professional journey has been defined by his unflinching resolve to ‘run towards gunfire.’ … as CEO of commercial giants Aggreko and Serco through periods of crisis and now as Chair of the CBI as it continues to recover from a reputational shock.Given Rupert is also Winston Churchill’s grandson, it would be easy to assume that his courage is more biology than biography … but that would not tell the full story.In this episode, Rupert talks for the first time about appalling abuse he endured at prep school and how those terrible experiences ultimately helped shape his wholly positive approach to confronting challenge. He shares his valuable lessons in resilience, decision-making under pressure, and the importance of learning from past struggles. But more than all of this, Rupert powerfully explains and demonstrates how trauma, instead of defining us, can drive us towards a more positive life.My thanks to Rupert for this conversation.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Christina Perri is best known for her hits A Thousand Years and Jar of Hearts, but behind her music lies a deeply personal story of resilience. From battling lifelong mental health challenges to navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth, Christina has endured unthinkable loss—including the tragic passing of her daughter Rosie in 2020. But through it all, she has transformed her grief into action, advocating for maternal healthcare reform and using her platform to inspire others. Here are Christina’s Crisis Comforts  This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/christina-perri-on-fame-grief-and-turning-pain-into-purpose/id1517015748?i=1000697514142   Website: https://www.christinaperri.com/ X: https://x.com/christinaperri Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaPerriMusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaperri/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinaperri YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/christinaperri%20  Host: Andy Coulson  CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill Griffin, Louise Difford, and Mabel Pickering  With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global   For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Christina Perri is best known for her hits A Thousand Years and Jar of Hearts, but behind her music lies a deeply personal story of resilience.From battling lifelong mental health challenges to navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth, Christina has endured unthinkable loss—including the tragic passing of her daughter Rosie in 2020. But through it all, she has transformed her grief into action, advocating for maternal healthcare reform and using her platform to inspire others.In this episode, Christina opens up about her struggles with addiction, the pressures of fame, and the lessons she’s learned as a mother. She shares how she found the strength to keep moving forward, why she’s fighting to change medical protocols for pregnancy loss, and how music continues to be her guiding force.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Website: https://www.christinaperri.com/X: https://x.com/christinaperriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaPerriMusic/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaperri/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinaperriYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/christinaperri%20Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill Griffin, Louise Difford, and Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Simon Woodroffe has lived many lives - he started as a stage designer for music legends like Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder, then took a leap of faith and built YO! Sushi into a global brand. But before his success, Simon faced struggles that could have derailed him entirely: a turbulent youth, including time in a young offender’s institution, and a personal crisis that left him at rock bottom. Here are Simon Woodroffe’s three Crisis Comforts.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosimonwoodroffe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yosimonwoodroffeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosimonwoodroffeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yosimonwoodroffeThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, and Bill Griffin With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact - podcast@coulsonpartners.com

What does it take to turn adversity into opportunity?Simon Woodroffe has lived many lives - he started as a stage designer for music legends like Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder, then took a leap of faith and built YO! Sushi into a global brand. But before his success, Simon faced struggles that could have derailed him entirely: a turbulent youth, including time in a young offender’s institution, and a personal crisis that left him at rock bottom.In this episode, Simon opens up about his journey from hardship to entrepreneurial success. From pioneering conveyor belt sushi in the UK to launching the innovative Japanese hotel brand YOTEL, Simon has never shied away from reinvention. As one of the original Dragons on Dragon’s Den, he knows what it takes to take risks.Simon shares how resilience, creativity, and an unstoppable drive helped him build a multi-million-pound empire and why he believes anyone can turn struggle into success.We hope you find this episode inspiring and useful.  Links    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosimonwoodroffe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yosimonwoodroffeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosimonwoodroffeTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@yosimonwoodroffeThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson  CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, and Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global   For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com