This week's episode, Steve chats with Oliver Towner all about what it's been like taking on a 150-year-old family-run business, the ins and outs of the funeral industry & its biggest misconceptions. Plus, Oliver shares what it was really like working his first funeral, navigating Covid & why sustainability is a growing factor in all funerals.

00:00 Intro

01:58 Growing up in a family business

03:12 What Oliver did before joining the business

05:30 First day working on a funeral & the day to day jobs

08:38 Biggest misconceptions about funerals & funeral directors

10:30 Furniture side of funerals

13:00 Oliver taking on the role as Managing Director & the transition from taking over from his dad

19:50 What covid was like in the funeral industry

23:35 Hardest point of Olivers time so far

25:31 Olivers release from the pressures

28:50 Olivers ‘Baptism of fire’

30:27 Olivers plans for the business

34:10 Biggest changes Oliver has made

35:20 Sustainability in the industry

38:52 Why Towners dont do any specific marketing

42:30 How data works in the funeral industry

44:54 Biggest risks going forward in the industry

47:00 Grief & Death - why dont we talk about it

53:00 Quickfire Questions

59:40 Outro

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This week on An Unorthodox CEO we are joined by Sarah Southerden Lee's wife and friend of Steve & Paula! Listen as Steve & Sarah chat all about how she found her way into finance & how she worked her way up. Plus, find out how Sarah met Lee & how many pairs of shoes she owns...

00:00 Intro

01:40 Sarahs life growing up

03:15 How she found her way into finance

08:15 Best part of Sarahs job

10:40 Working from home & productivity

13:40 Becoming a Team Leader

17:20 Anxiety & overcoming it

20:21 How Sarah met Lee

22:54 Sarah, Lee, Steve, Paula & their friendship

23:51 Sarahs thoughts on Lee joining the business

26:00 Looking in on the challenges of Sussex Beds

28:20 Quickfire Questions

34:30 Outro

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On this week's episode of An Unorthodox CEO, Steve chats with his friend Colin and original member of Sussex Beds all about what the business was like in the 80's and how its change to now. Plus, they chat about Colin's job in Windows, some contentious quickfire questions and how Steve & Colin work together on the Gangshow!

00:00 Intro

02:20 How Steve & Colin met

04:50 Why Colin ended up working at Sussex Beds

07:10 Colins jobs at Sussex Beds

08:10 What is was like moving from general furnishings to beds

10:20 Funny memories from the opening days

11:47 Opening ‘Little Bexhill’

13:10 How the opening of Haywards Heath changed the business

16:22 Colin became Steves manager

18:50 Hiding in wardrobes…

20:00 The opening of Eastbourne Shop & the sport shop

21:30 Colins jobs in the Window industry

22:50 Watching Sussex Beds evolve & what that was like & why good team is so important

24:10 Stage Managing Gangshow

27:19 Performing in Gangshow & other shows

28:54 Quickfire Questions

36:31 Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.