Emirates, Gourmet Coffee and Broadband

Last week I mentioned there would be a story coming up about making lentils exciting.

And here it is. One of many features I've been working on as senior correspondent for Business Leader .

Richard Peake of Merchant Gourmet explains why he is attraced to boring products - and why you shouldn't disturb him if you find him lost in thought wandering down a supermarket aisle.

It's all about packaging and presentation. If you get it right you hit the business jackpot, because boring products are very often big-sellers. That's why we consider them boring in fact, we take it for granted that we need them.

The video with Richard got huge engagement on LinkedIn, so it must have resonated.

Panda time

The next video is also about a boring product, come to think of it. Is there anything less glamorous than toilet paper? But we all buy it.

However, entrepreneur Julie Chen of The Cheeky Panda | Certified B Corp has done several things to make her toilet tissue and related products stand out. Firstly, she makes them from sustainable bamboo. Second she uses "cheeky" panda-themed marketing. And she's not afraid to get involved herself in that (as you will see in the video).

Another remarkable thing about the company she created in 2016 is that with only around 35 employees, she serves 25 countries and has a turnover of more than £12m. And all her capital has been raised through crowdfunding. And the whole thing started as a side-hustle in her spare room.

Lots more about her fascinating story to come in other formats, but you can get a flavour of her personality and business from this video.

First class shop

I paid a visit this week to a strange shop. I love unique shops that stand out. I even devised a series for BBC News when I worked there called My Shop, which did nothing but profile them. The index page for it has gone, but here is one of the 20-odd episodes I did, about a cafe that sold every single item for £1.

So when I learned that Emirates airline was opening a concept store in London, similar to the Apple store idea, I really wanted to check it out.

I went to the launch event. Arsenal legend Tony Adams was in attendance (I'm guessing he has an Emirates connection, since the Arsenal stadium is named after the airline). I got to sample some First Class food and experience a luxury long-haul pod. That's the whole point of the store, as well as being a travel agency (for Emirates flights only), it also lets you experience the brand. I'll be publishing a video on this soon.

This week I also caught up with David Abrahamovitch , the founder and CEO of coffee maestros Grind | Certified B Corp and Joanna Carman of BT Group and Plusnet. So more videos and podcasts to come from them too.

Business Leader changes

There are changes coming up at Business Leader. The Off To Lunch daily newsletter that Graham Ruddick set up three years ago has been a huge success and built up a loyal following. But it's now changing so there will be three issues per week. You'll get inspiration on Monday with our Masterclass email and a round-up with food for thought on Friday with our Business Leader Weekend email. Subscribers will carry on receiving these two as normal.

Tuesday's newsletter will be called Under the Bonnet and will offer a deep dive into the story behind our latest podcast episode and the lessons that can be learned from it. This is for Business Leader members only. You can find out more about our membership and apply here.

And lastly here is a picture I managed to take of the Northern Lights in London on my iPhone 15, using long exposure and a short tripod!

Thanks for reading, Dougal