A CARDIGAN businesswoman has appeared on the Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s podcast discussing the state of business in Britain today.

Shann Jones, from Brynhoffnant-based kefir produced Chuckling Goat, was invited onto an episode of the podcast, which also included an interview with Lord Blunkett.

Host Matthew O'Neill asked both guests a series of questions about leadership and the role it has played in their careers to date.

With no previous business experience or financial funding, farming couple Shann and Richard Jones sold Rich’s motorcycle to buy bottles for their goats milk kefir, when they started their family business at their Ceredigion farmhouse kitchen table in 2014.

Today they offer a range of natural gut-health products, including cutting-edge microbiome testing.

This unusual rags-to-riches success story has caught the attention of MPs, Secretaries of State, Ministers and business leaders as an example of best practice in a challenging political and economic environment.

The Jones’ attribute their business success to staying fully committed to their values.

“We never compromise,” said Shann, who has written three best-selling books on the topic of gut health and has a business book launching in the autumn.

“We stay in direct contact with our customers, we make everything by hand here on the farm, and we never cut corners. If you keep your quality high, even in a rural location like ours, the world will eventually find you and beat a path to your door.”

Chuckling Goat has always been committed to doing business differently and it’s this unconventional approach that has won the company this prestigious recognition.

Speaking about their involvement in the podcast, Shann said: “We feel incredibly passionate about our business practice principles, and it is an honour to be invited onto the podcast to discuss them.

“The post C-19 is proving very challenging for businesses of all sizes and we feel there is going to be an entrepreneurial renaissance of people starting up on their own as a result of redundancy or simply having some headspace during lockdown.

“If our learnings and tactics can go any way towards helping other UK enterprises grow, then we are delighted to have been able to share our story with the Leaders Council.”

Matthew O'Neill said, ‘Hosting a show like this, where you speak to genuine leaders who have been there and done it, either on a national stage or within a crucial industry sector, is an absolute honour.’

Lord Blunkett, chairman of The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, added: ‘I think the most informative element of each episode is the first part, where Matthew O'Neill is able to sit down with someone who really gets how their industry works and knows how to make their organisation tick.

“Someone who’s there day in, day out, working hard and inspiring others. That’s what leadership is all about.’

In September 2020, Hay House will publish Shann Jones’ upcoming fourth book: How to Start a Business on Your Kitchen Table.

You can listen to the podcast in full at http://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/members/shann-jones