Dragons, Biscuits and Glasses...

Start-ups can help big companies come up with breakthrough ideas, when it comes to developing green technologies.

That was one of the key messages Deborah Meaden conveyed at the Bupa eco-Disruptive Live event in London in July. It's a competition for start-ups with ideas to save the planet.

I caught up with her there to record a CEO Secrets contribution, after she had given a keynote.

Her advice was all about the need for companies to take their green credentials seriously, because customers are increasingly forcing the issue through their spending power.

You can watch her video here, which ran online and on BBC News TV. I also wrote a feature which found nearly 400,000 readers, in which I explained a bit more about her views and the event itself.

As usual I shot this video contribution on my iPhone 12.

While I was at the competition, one business in particular caught my eye. I saw the team demo-ing its product there and decided on the spot to film it to make a short video. The firm was called Cassava Bags Australia and they make what looks like a plastic carrier bag that you would find in a supermarket - but it dissolves in hot water in one minute! This was obviously a very visual business idea, which leant itself to a short film. This is one thing I look for in my business videos - things which demand to be seen to be believed.

The video has been a big hit here on LinkedIn, getting more than 400,000 video views.

I took a long break in August in California. But the CEO Secrets show goes on, thanks to my talented colleagues like Samantha Everett and Charlotte McDonald ! Sam visited a biscuit factory to interview Harriet Hastings , the co-founder of Biscuiteers | B Corp , a retailer specialising in hand-iced biscuits. She explains why marketing is all important, as much as product.

Sam also interviewed, with Charlotte, Mark de Lange , founder of Ace & Tate . He sells glasses and his candid advice was that it's important to be transparent when you make a mistake. Watch the video to find out what kind of mistakes he means, and also to find out why people always think he is flirting with them!

For most Wednesdays in September we are running a separate series, similar to CEO Secrets, called Paths to Succcess. This is made in collaboration with BBC Studios. These focus on international CEOs based outside the UK, including the companies 咨科和信 and Avanade , for example.

I'm all set to record two fresh CEO Secrets episodes this month, which should run in October.

There are no particular themes we are on the lookout for at the moment, but of course we are always interested in speaking to the leaders of household-name companies, and founders of start-ups with interesting personal backstories.

Or perhaps you feel you have some surprising advice to share, that would benefit other people? This Twitter thread I did a while back also explains what we are looking for in general.

Finally, my usual reminder that I turned CEO Secrets into a book at the end of last year. You can buy it in these places. If you get it from the Bloomsbury website and use promo code 'CEO25' you should get 25% off. I'll be speaking about it at the launch event of the Chiswick Book Festival next week.

Dougal