CHARLES TYRWHITT FOUNDER: The uni bedroom business that now does £400 million in sales | Nick Wheeler

Charles Tyrwhitt founder, Nick Wheeler, started the business with just £99, a Morris Minor (with a hole rusted through the floor), and zero understanding of how you make a shirt. Today, it’s a £400m global empire – but his story is one not short of tragedy.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Nick to discuss his Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that he turns to in order to help survive a crisis – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice. We’d love to know yours, let us know in the reviews... POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:00:49 A Person – Learning from your children's fresh perspective 01:33 A Habit – 474 days of Duolingo (and still can't speak Italian) 02:32 A Comfort – Singing on a Brompton around London 03:12 A Piece of Advice – Stop stressing about what you can't change FOLLOW CHARLES TYRWHITT:‪@charlestyrwhitt‬ Instagram – www.instagram.com/charlestyrwhitt/YouTube – www.youtube.com/c/charlestyrwhittTikTok – www.tiktok.com/discover/charles-tyrwhittWebsite – https://www.charlestyrwhitt.com/uk/homeFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Nick Wheeler founded Charles Tyrwhitt with just £99 and a Morris Minor with a hole rusted through the floor (and zero understanding of how you make a shirt!). Today, it’s a £400m global empire – but his story is one not short of tragedy, with the loss of his mother aged just five years old, bankruptcy, and a catalogue of mistakes which meant he nearly lost everything.In this episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with the man who revolutionised British menswear. Nick Wheeler shares the raw, unfiltered reality of building a world-class brand.If you want to learn about entrepreneurial resilience, business scaling, and the power of dogged self belief, this masterclass is for you.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.SIX BUSINESS LESSONS: 1) Build to be loved. Nick's motivation has always been simple: to be loved. By his team. By his customers. It's made him £400 million.2) Never give away a share of your business. The minute you do, someone else has the right to tell you what to do.3) Be the best in the world at one thing. Not two things. One. Going bust taught him that.4) Cut early. If something isn't working, be brutally honest with yourself about why. Don't wait.5) The only real job of an entrepreneur is choosing the right person to run your business.6) Be a tortoise, not a hare. Grow 10% every year. It's boring for the first 20 years. Then it becomes extraordinary.CHAPTERS:01:19 – Introduction02:54 – The entrepreneurial gene15:29 – From failed shoes to Charles Tyrwhitt23:31 – Mistake one31:07 – Mistake two36:15 – The hardest lesson39:31 – The pandemic44:04 – Cracking America50:37 – Building a brand people loveFOLLOW CHARLES TYRWHITT:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/charlestyrwhitt/YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRD_t-tXUDpidmNKqg4kayQTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/discover/charles-tyrwhittWebsite – https://www.charlestyrwhitt.com/uk/homeFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

In this special tribute episode, we revisit my conversation with the legendary Dame Jenni Murray. Recorded in February 2021 in the early days of the podcast, Jenni joined me to discuss her remarkable 33-year tenure at BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, her harrowing battle with breast cancer, and the lifelong, deeply personal crisis of obesity that she detailed in her book, Fat Cow, Fat Chance.Jenni was a pioneer who proved that no topic was too difficult to discuss. In this incredibly frank and moving conversation, we explore the roots of resilience, the complexity of forgiveness, and why "getting on with it" was the only strategy she knew when the world seemed to be unravelling.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley; visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.LESSONS YOU’LL LEARN:Action Eases Anxiety: When the "shit hits the fan," shifting into a practical, task-oriented mode can prevent you from folding in on yourself.Vulnerability is Bravery: Resilience isn't just about being "tough"; it's about the courage to drop the mask and admit when the pressure is too much.Forgiveness is a Process: Moving past personal trauma requires acknowledging the full, complicated humanity of those who hurt us.Set Your Own Milestones: In times of health or personal crisis, creating small, achievable targets (like writing a eulogy or finishing a treatment) provides a vital sense of control.Words Matter: Shaming – whether of oneself or others – never leads to positive change; empathy and understanding are the only true paths to recovery.CHAPTERS:01:50 – "Fat Cow": The Reality of Public Shaming06:05 – Inherited Habits: A Childhood Defined by Food08:10 – The Black Bombers: Amphetamines and University Weight Loss18:20 – Reconciling with Her Mother22:30 – The Failure of Therapy vs. the Power of Friendship29:35 – The Phone Call to the Samaritans36:35 – December 2006: Cancer, Loss, and the Mastectomy43:00 – "Just Get On With It": The Instinctive Practicality of Crisis52:00 – A Vascular Necrosis: The Hidden Cost of Chemotherapy57:05 – The Turning Point: Metabolic Surgery and a Second Chance01:06:10 – Crisis Cures: Dogs, Crime Novels, and New Forest Ice CreamFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS? Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Ryan Holiday – bestselling author of The Daily Stoic, Ego is the Enemy, and The Obstacle is the Way – joins me on Crisis What Crisis to explore why intelligence doesn't protect you from stupidity, why modern life's frictionlessness is making us weaker, and what ancient Stoic philosophy can teach us about navigating today's world.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.IN THIS EPISODE:00:00 Intro – Ryan Holiday’s Crisis Compass00:18 Who Guides You in Crisis? (Marcus Aurelius)00:58 The Power of Role Models in Stoicism01:08 Daily Habit: Why Journaling Matters01:24 Finding Calm: The Simple Power of Walking01:46 One Rule to Live By (Epictetus’ Advice)02:03 What Stoicism Really Teaches About Control02:15 More Stoicism EpisodesBUY RYAN'S BOOK:Wisdom Takes Work – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wisdom-Takes-Work-Important-Journey/dp/1788166299FOLLOW RYAN:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanholiday/?hl=enX/Twitter: https://x.com/RyanHolidayTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryan_holidayYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYmBIKsrzIjdHRuqs2I8nHAFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Why do genius-level intellects fall for conspiracy theories? How does someone who taught himself rocket science from Soviet manuals end up believing nonsense on social media?Ryan Holiday – bestselling author of The Daily Stoic, Ego is the Enemy, and The Obstacle is the Way – joins me on Crisis What Crisis to explore why intelligence doesn't protect you from stupidity, why modern life's frictionlessness is making us weaker, and what ancient Stoic philosophy can teach us about navigating today's world.In this conversation, we discuss Elon Musk's descent into conspiracy theories, why judging young men from reading philosophy is dangerous, what Marcus Aurelius would make of AI, and why Victor Frankl warned in 1979 that our "too soft" world would lead to emptiness.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY: I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.WHAT YOU'LL HEAR:Why "making a massive contrarian bet that works" can be brain-destroyingThe Stoic POW who tapped Epictetus through prison walls in VietnamWhy young men desperately need philosophy (not less of it)How to guard against your own stupidity while pursuing wisdomWhat Marcus Aurelius would say about your Instagram habitsLESSONS YOU'LL LEARN:Intelligence DOES NOT EQUAL wisdom – being brilliant at one thing doesn't protect you from being an idiot about othersStay a student forever – Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-king, made a point of always staying a studentFriction builds resilience – a frictionless life leaves you vulnerable when reality intervenesYou don't control what happens, only how you respondWisdom takes work – it's not something you're born with; it's the result of hard work, experience, and timeCHAPTERS: 00:00 – Introduction: The Modern Day Philosopher King 02:37 – What is Stoicism? (Explained for people in crisis) 07:58 – Why Ryan turned to ancient philosophy at 19 10:11 – The marketing career he walked away from 13:25 – What if Ryan never discovered Stoicism? 15:02 – Does Stoicism have a "toxic masculinity" problem? 19:16 – Why choose Stoicism over Instagram wealth? 22:07 – What is wisdom and how do you get it? 24:53 – Elon Musk: A cautionary tale of genius + stupidity 27:42 – Will we ever have philosophical leaders again? 30:11 – Victor Frankl's 1979 warning: Life is too soft 33:05 – What would Marcus Aurelius make of AI? 36:22 – Where Ryan goes next?BUY RYAN'S BOOK: Wisdom Takes Work – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wisdom-Takes-Work-Important-Journey/dp/1788166299FOLLOW RYAN: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanholiday/?hl=enX/Twitter: https://x.com/RyanHolidayTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryan_holidayYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYmBIKsrzIjdHRuqs2I8nHAFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS? Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

After building MTV and rising to the very top of the global media industry, Tom Freston experienced dramatic setbacks that forced him to rebuild - not for the first time.In this Crisis Compass segment, the co-founder of MTV and former CEO of Viacom reveals the personal habits, relationships and mindset that helped him navigate the highs and lows of an extraordinary life.Tom shares the quiet routines and pieces of advice that keep him grounded today.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.IN THIS EPISODE:01:10 – The people Tom relies on for advice and perspective02:25 – The daily habit that keeps Tom grounded04:05 – The moment that changed how Tom sees business problems05:30 – Finding comfort in nature and musicTOM’S BOOK:Read Tom’s book: Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu Follow Tom Freston:https://www.amazon.com/Unplugged-Adventures-Timbuktu-Tom-Freston/dp/1668089793FOLLOW TOM: Instagram – www.instagram.com/tomfrestonunplugged/?hl=enFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS? Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

From building a multimillion-dollar clothing business in India only to be wiped out by a global trade embargo, to redefining pop culture for a generation at MTV and Nickelodeon, Tom Freston’s career is a masterclass for any aspiring entrepreneur.In this episode, Tom joins me to discuss the resilience required to reach the top and the sheer guts needed to start over when it's all taken away. He shares his "decidedly non-traditional" path to the C-suite and why humility, earnestness, and curiosity are the ultimate defining traits for success.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:Building the MTV empire: The legendary "I Want My MTV" campaign and the David Bowie sauna story.The reality of being fired as the boss at Viacom by Sumner Redstone and receiving a hero’s send-off from 1,000 employees.Returning to Afghanistan to help launch the country’s first television network.Why stepping off the "conveyor belt of conformity" is the best classroom for a young person today.LESSONS YOU’LL LEARNSkills are transferable: It’s never too late to change careers.Optimism is a competitive advantage: back yourself when no one else willThe most successful careers are rarely the most conventionalKnow when to disappear: recovery needs space, don't rush the next moveHire people smarter than you: it's your best protection against your worst instinctsTIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Intro04:44 - Stepping off the conveyor belt of conformity12:30 - Where does confidence come from?17:23 - Becoming a millionaire in your 20s22:11 - The sudden collapse of Hindu Kush31:06 - The ground floor of MTV36:44 - The "I Want My MTV" Hail Mary pass45:28 - Being fired as CEO of Viacom53:30 - Reassessing life and finding Phil Stutz56:28 - The "perfect circle" back to Afghanistan1:00:26 - The Tom Freston manual for young peopleTOM’S BOOK:Read Tom’s book: Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu Follow Tom Freston:https://www.amazon.com/Unplugged-Adventures-Timbuktu-Tom-Freston/dp/1668089793FOLLOW TOM: Instagram – www.instagram.com/tomfrestonunplugged/?hl=enFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS? Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

Following the loss of his daughter Sushila to anorexia, broadcaster Sir Trevor Phillips reveals the daily habits, personal anchors, and life advice that keep him grounded.In this "Crisis Compass" segment, we move away from the headlines to look at the personal resilience required to survive a 22-year battle with mental illness.THE COMPASS QUESTIONS:In this episode, Andy Coulson asks Trevor to reveal:The person who shaped his perspective during his darkest hours.The daily habit he refuses to give up (even in crisis).The piece of advice he returns to when uncertainty takes over.His ultimate source of comfort.WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:This is a bonus segment. Listen to the full, wide-ranging conversation with Sir Trevor Phillips here:https://player.captivate.fm/episode/8be66777-24c2-42ee-9d97-c59f4996be30/IN THIS EPISODE:00:00 – Sir Trevor Phillips: A life forged in crisis01:06 – The people he turns to for strength02:32 – The daily habit for mental clarity04:00 – Life-changing advice for hard times05:26 – Finding comfort after lossFOLLOW TREVOR:X – https://x.com/TrevorPTweetsFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod

After a 22-year battle with anorexia, Sir Trevor Phillips' daughter Sushila died aged 36 in April 2021. Now he's calling for a radical shift in how we talk about mental illness – and he's not holding back.The broadcaster, writer, and equality campaigner joins Crisis What Crisis? to explain why banning social media for under-16s is "preposterous," why celebrity "mental health struggles" make him furious, and what the "seventh circle of hell" really looks like in an eating disorder ward.Trevor also talks to us about his remarkable upbringing and career across media, business and politics - all of it etched with resilience.⚠️ Please note: This episode contains frank discussions of anorexia, eating disorders, mental illness, and grief that some listeners may find distressing.WHAT YOU’LL HEAR:The brutal reality of a 22-year battle with severe anorexiaWhy mental illness and sadness are NOT the same thingTrevor's message to celebrities who conflate difficulty with trauma: "F*** off"Why removing friction from children's lives destroys resilienceLESSONS YOU'LL LEARN:Separate mental illness from sadness: stop confusing clinical illness with being "a bit fed up"Teach resilience, don't remove pain: you can't take friction out of the human conditionThe good guys can win: but you have to fight for itKnow what you cannot do: in crisis, understand your limitationsLight a candle: don't curse the darknessIN THIS EPISODE:00:00 – Introduction: Sir Trevor Phillips' remarkable life21:23 – What Britain should learn from its racial progress27:10 – What real resilience looks like in a crisis31:26 – The Leadership Lesson: knowing what you can't do33:06 – Shushila: A 22-year battle with anorexia44:39 – How grief changed everything49:27 – Mental Illness vs. Feeling Sad: "stop conflating them"57:12 – Why banning under-16s from social media Is "preposterous"01:04:30 – What immigrants can teach Britain about resilienceSUPPORT & RESOURCES: If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder: Beat Eating Disorders - www.beateatingdisorders.org.ukFOLLOW TREVOR: X – https://x.com/TrevorPTweetsFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS? Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispodIF YOU FOUND THIS USEFUL... If you found this episode useful I recommend heading into our archive and listening to:Lisa Squire - whose daughter, Libby Squire, was rapped and murdered. Lisa's resilience and methods for managing unimaginable heartache left me beyond moved.Click here to listen now – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis/id1517015748?i=1000592846650

In 2021, the UK energy market collapsed. More than 30 of the big energy suppliers went under. But, the business Greg Jackson founded, Octopus Energy, didn't just survive, it grew. In this bonus Crisis Compass episode of Crisis What Crisis?, Greg shares with us the four anchors he relies on when pressure mounts and uncertainty takes over.In this segment, Andy asks Greg for:1) A person who shaped his perspective2) A piece of advice he returns to3) A source of comfort4) A daily habit he refuses to give upThis is Part Two of a longer conversation with Greg. If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full interview on our podcast homepage.Follow Octopus EnergyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/octopusenergy/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@octopusenergyFollow Crisis What Crisis?Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crisispod