Cornflakes: the innocent breakfast staple… or the crunchy legacy of a bizarre 19th-century wellness cult?

We’re diving spoon-first into the truly wild origins of Kellogg’s, because this isn’t just a story about cereal. It’s a story about celibacy, enemas, and accidental entrepreneurship. Yes, really.

It all started in 1894 with Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a wellness-obsessed doctor running a sanitarium that promised to cleanse both body and soul. Picture it: strict diets, no caffeine, no meat, and definitely no… solo activities. He and his brother, Will Keith Kellogg, created Corn Flakes as part of this very pure, very bland lifestyle. But when Will suggested adding sugar to the flakes to make them actually taste nice, Dr. John lost it. Cue a dramatic brotherly bust-up, a new company, and the birth of the Kellogg’s we all know today.

Fast-forward to the 1950s, and the brand exploded with Special K, Frosties, and later Pop-Tarts, becoming a breakfast icon across the globe. But over the decades, the shine has worn off. Sales have been steadily dropping, 10% down in the 2010s and still sliding by 2–3% each year.

Now, Kellogg’s is trying to reinvent itself, leaning into snacks, global markets, and a rebrand that quietly avoids mentioning its culty past. But let’s be honest, once you know your morning cornflakes were invented to suppress desire, it kind of changes things, doesn’t it?

Grab a bowl, pour some tea (or milk, we’re not judging), and join us for a crunchy look at breakfast’s weirdest backstory.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

At first glance, it looked like the future of work. Open-plan spaces, kombucha on tap, and a promise to “elevate the world’s consciousness.” Founded in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, WeWork wasn’t just offering office space, it was selling a movement. By 2019, it had exploded into over 100 cities across 29 countries, racking up a jaw-dropping $47 billion valuation.

But underneath the glossy branding and community buzzwords, things were spiralling. Fast.

We dig into how WeWork’s entire business model was built on shaky foundations, leasing long-term real estate and subletting it short-term, inflating numbers, and at times leasing properties back to themselves. Add in Neumann’s erratic behaviour, outsized voting control, and eyebrow-raising personal enrichment, and you’ve got a business too caught up in the hype to see its own downfall coming.

We unpack how, post-collapse, WeWork has tried to rise from the ashes, this time with a focus on profitability, sustainability, and actually doing the work rather than just selling the vibe.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

For decades, Boeing was seen as the gold standard in commercial aviation. The 737, launched back in 1968, became the world’s best-selling jet, trusted by airlines and passengers across the globe. But the story took a dark turn with the arrival of the 737 Max, a model that would come to symbolise how corporate pressure, poor design choices, and regulatory gaps can turn deadly.

We’re diving into the tragic failures that led to the 2018 and 2019 crashes, both caused by the MCAS system, an automated “safety” feature that instead sent planes into fatal dives. These crashes grounded the entire 737 Max fleet from March 2019 to November 2020.

But this isn’t just about a faulty system. It’s about corporate culture, corners being cut, and the lack of pilot input during crucial design decisions. We’re asking: what happens when innovation is rushed, regulations get blurred, and shareholder value trumps safety?

If you've ever looked out of a plane window and wondered just how much you’re relying on systems you know nothing about... this one’s going to stay with you.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

Remember when getting a cab meant waiting in the rain, fumbling for cash, and hoping the driver knew your route? Uber came along in 2009 and flipped the script, offering sleek, on-demand rides with a few taps on your phone. What started as a luxury app has become a global giant, now holding over 75% of the US rideshare market and contributing a massive £5 billion to the UK economy by 2024.

But innovation always comes with consequences. As Uber rose, traditional taxi services declined, with London’s iconic black cabs falling in just a few years. The company faced intense legal battles around driver classification, workers’ rights, and safety concerns.

So, is Uber the hero of modern transport, or just another tech disruptor that broke the rules to dominate the market? We dig into its evolution, controversy, and impact, looking at how it reshaped urban mobility while forcing entire industries to play catch-up. We also talk about Uber’s pivot towards electric vehicles and whether its future is more sustainable, or just another layer of polished PR.

If you’ve ever hit “Book Ride” without thinking twice, this one’s for you. Let’s explore the convenience, the cost, and the complexity of the app that changed how we move through the world.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

We’ve heard the headlines... AI is coming for your job, your art, and now… your water supply?

We’re unpacking the growing concern around the environmental cost of AI tools like ChatGPT and the infrastructure that powers them. These systems aren’t floating in the cloud on fairy dust... they require massive data centres, relentless processing power, and yes, a hell of a lot of water to keep them cool. With growing pressure on natural resources and climate consciousness at an all-time high, we’re asking: what’s the real cost of convenience?

Beyond the clickbait, we’re breaking down what the data actually says, where the water’s going, and whether AI’s current trajectory is sustainable. Is this the next environmental crisis brewing behind the buzzwords? Or just another scapegoat in a world already addicted to energy-hungry tech?

Whether you’re a business owner, tech lover, or just someone wondering if your chatbot is literally draining the planet, this conversation goes beyond the algorithm to look at the bigger picture.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

It looked like a real solution. It was sold like a miracle. And it ended up costing lives.

We’re talking about the ADE 651, a so-called bomb and substance detector that turned out to be nothing more than a glorified golf ball finder. Marketed as a cutting-edge device capable of detecting explosives, drugs, and weapons from hundreds of metres away, it was nothing short of a complete scam.

This device made its way into the hands of militaries and police forces across various countries. Governments paid thousands per unit, trusting it would keep people safe. The reality? It did absolutely nothing. And worse, its failure led to security lapses, bombings, and loss of life.

We dig into how something this absurd ever made it through processes, why red flags were ignored, and how the British government and FBI finally stepped in to expose the fraud.

The devastating consequences when bullshit sells better than the truth. This one’s about more than a gadget, it’s about accountability, greed, and the very real cost of putting faith in systems that don’t demand proof.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

Rebrands are supposed to be fresh, exciting, and a little bit fancy. But sometimes, they’re just a really expensive way to upset literally everyone.

First up, the orange juice disaster of 2009. Tropicana decided to ditch the classic orange-with-a-straw design and go full minimalist. The result? A 20% sales drop, a $35 million packaging fail, and $30 billion in lost revenue before they sheepishly slapped the old design back on the shelf. Cheers to that.

Then there’s Gap, who in 2010 thought they’d outgrown their iconic blue box. The internet disagreed... loudly. Within days, there were 20,000 angry comments and 14,000 parody logos doing the rounds. Safe to say, the new logo didn’t last the week.

And let’s not forget MasterCard’s bold $10 million move… to add a third circle. That’s it. Just one more circle. Riveting stuff.

It’s a tale of brand loyalty, design disasters, and the kind of feedback no marketing team wants.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

The Britsh Airways vs Virgin Atlantic showdown in the 90s wasn’t just business, it was pure soap opera in the skies. Forget friendly competition, British Airways went full villain mode with a plot straight out of a corporate spy thriller.

We’re talking BA staff pretending to be Virgin employees, digging through Virgin’s systems, planting fake news stories, and handing out cheeky upgrades. It was all part of a full-on campaign to crush Virgin Atlantic before it really took off. But Richard Branson wasn’t about to sit quietly in economy... he sued for libel, and BA hit back with a counter-suit. The drama finally landed in 1993 with a $945,000 payout and a public apology from Lord King that probably tasted like lemon in a paper cut.

Thing is, the whole plan backfired. Virgin Atlantic kept climbing, and while BA still brings in more money overall, VA’s $3.1 billion turnover shows they’ve held their own with a little flair and a lot of grit.

It’s got it all, petty moves, sky-high egos, and corporate chaos at cruising altitude. Tray tables up, brews in hand, we’re cleared for takeoff.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.