40 Minute Mentor (JBM, James Mitra)

Anouk Agussol, Founder of Unleashed, an Amplified People Group business, joins us on today’s 40 Minute Mentor Where Are They Now series.  Following her initial appearance on the show, in Season 9, Anouk joins us today to share how Unleashed has evolved since almost going into administration and being acquired by Amplified People Group.  Plus, she shares actionable advice on building high-performing teams in 2025, and beyond.  📚 Episode Chapters:  ➡️ The Evolution of Unleashed - [01:50]  ➡️ Joining Amplified People Group - [05:10]  ➡️ Growing as a Leader - [15:20]  ➡️ Building high-performing teams - [22:10]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Listen back to Anouk’s original episode: 40 Minute Mentor ➡️ Learn more about Unleashed & the upcoming open cohort: Unleashed ➡️ Learn more about Amplified People Group: Amplified People Group ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The most impactful piece of advice I got early on in my career was - You need to grow where you're planted.”  In today’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we take a deep dive into a core component of any successful startup - the Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy. To guide us through the essential components of building and executing a GTM strategy, we’re joined by Tarun Gidoomal.  Tarun has led some of Europe’s most notable tech Scaleups, including Next Jump, where he led its international expansion to reach £3bn GMV, and more recently, at Ankorstore, where as UK GM he established its footprint in the UK as it became one of Europe’s fastest growing tech unicorns.   Today, Tarun shares more about:  ➡️ His upbringing and career to date [01:30]  ➡️ The fundamentals of a GTM Strategy [03:40]  ➡️ Examples of successful GTM Strategies and mistakes made [06:38]  ➡️ Getting buy-in across the team [10:31]  ➡️ Questions to ask to assess your team culture [12:53]  ➡️ The most impactful career advice he’s received [14:37]  ➡️ Startup life and dealing with burnout [17:11]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Tarun: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarungidoomal/     🤫 P.S - It’s your FINAL chance to vote for us in this year’s Great British Podcast People’s Choice Awards. 🏆1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting 2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙 ENTRIES CLOSE 5th SEPTEMBER   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this ‘Where Are They Now’ feature mini episode, we catch up with the brilliant Juliet Davenport OBE, Founder and former CEO of Good Energy Group.  A year after coming onto 40 Minute Mentor, Juliet chats to us about her decision to step down as CEO of Good Energy, what she wishes she had known before her switch to a portfolio career, and she tells us what she’s been up to since. Plus, Juliet shares some candid insights into the changing energy market and how we can all play our part in moving to net-zero emissions.  Helpful links: For Juliet’s full 40 Minute Mentor episode on building the UK’s first 100% renewable electricity company, head over to - https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-the-uks-first-100-renewable-electricity-company-with-juliet-davenport/ And to find out more about Juliet, check out her LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-davenport-643564/ Plus, listen to her ‘Great Green Questions’ podcast over on https://great-green-questions.simplecast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“A lot of people expected me and Joe to go off the rails. We almost had permission because of our childhood. Because of that, there was always a part of me that wanted to prove people wrong.”  In this inaugural episode of 40 Minute Mentor’s 9th Series, we’re joined by Nikki Wicks, the CEO of the legendary global fitness brand, The Body Coach.  There won’t be a lot of you who haven’t heard of Joe Wicks and The Body Coach, but today, we get a real inside scoop into how the brand grew to what it is today and the often unspoken challenges they faced along the way.  We find out:  ➡️ Why Nikki doesn’t consider himself to be entrepreneurial [05:09]  ➡️ The difficult balancing act of running a business and raising children [06:33]  ➡️ Joe and Nikki’s turbulent childhood and upbringing [09:06]  ➡️ How their upbringing has shaped Joe and Nikki’s relationship with each other [10:56]  ➡️ Nikki’s publishing career and why he became CEO [17:00]  ➡️ The realities of being a first-time CEO [22:15]  ➡️ More about our sponsor’s Alchemist [23:51]  ➡️ How The Body Coach went from 15 second Instagram videos to a book deal and a global brand [25:49]  ➡️ Building and scaling a team and why TBC had to restructure earlier this year [32:03]  ➡️ Keeping the purpose at the core of the brand [39:17]  ➡️ How Nikki and Joe work with each other [43:04]  ➡️ How to stick to your new year’s resolutions and form healthy habits [45:43]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Nikki Wicks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-wicks-15065661/ ➡️ Check out The Body Coach: https://www.thebodycoach.com/ ➡️ Listen back to our Sifted Summit episode: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/live-at-sifted-summit-purpose-v-profit-with-nikki-wicks-the-body-coach-emma-steele-ascension-amali-de-alwis-subak/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   🤝 Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“When people say that money doesn't make you happy, they've often not experienced both extremes." For our final 40 Minute Mentor episode of this Series, we’re joined by Ellie McKay, property entrepreneur and host of the popular ‘On A Mission’ Podcast.  Not long ago, Ellie’s life was barely recognisable - raising three children under the age of five, battling postnatal depression and facing redundancy.  Fast forward to today, Ellie is a serial entrepreneur, building a multi-million-pound property portfolio.  How she got here and the main lessons learned throughout her journey, she shares with us in today’s episode.  We talk about:  ➡️ Watching her parent’s business and marriage dissolve [05:56]  ➡️ How those childhood experiences shaped her [08:50]  ➡️ The failure of her first property investment [11:50]  ➡️ Becoming a career advisors in prisons [13:00]  ➡️ Advice for those looking for work after having been to prison [16:47]  ➡️ Facing redundancy with three children under the age of five [20:31]  ➡️ The moment when she knew she had to turn her life around [23:04] ➡️ Advice for anyone facing redundancy [25:35]  ➡️ James’ podcast recommendation [28:34]  ➡️ Getting back into the property business [29:57]  ➡️ Advice for other wanting to get into property [32:53]  ➡️ Building a business with her husband and navigating conflict [35:15]  ➡️ More about her ‘On A Mission’ Podcast [40:16]  ➡️ Her most memorable interviews [43:08]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Ellie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-mckay/ ➡️ Listen to On A Mission: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/on-a-mission-podcast/id1547571458 💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🤝Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hiring market has seen some major shifts over the past few years, and as businesses continue to navigate economic changes, evolving workplace trends, and shifting candidate expectations, staying ahead of these trends has never been more important, than in 2025.  In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re diving deep into the key hiring and talent trends for the year ahead.  You’ll hear from some of the JBM and the wider Amplified People Group teams who share their insights on how the Hiring and Talent market is shaping up for the year.  We’ll be answering questions like:  ➡️ How is the hiring market shaping up compared to 2024?  ➡️ What new trends are we seeing, and what are candidates and clients asking more about?  ➡️ What are our top predictions for hiring in 2025? Whether you're a Founder planning your next big hire, a talent leader navigating an evolving workforce, or a job seeker looking to understand the market, this episode is packed with insights to help you stay ahead. ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  🎧 You may also enjoy:  How to successfully build a fractional career with Ben Sanders From layoffs to lemonade with Abadesi Osunsade The future of flexible work with Molly Johnson-Jones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Plastic has its use cases. In the medical industry, it saves lives every day. But for takeaway uses, where it’s used for a short amount of time, that’s where it’s a real issue.”  For today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Pierre Paslier, the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Notpla, a sustainable packaging startup.  To this day, Notpla have partnered with the likes of Lucozade, to replace single use plastic cups and bottles at the London Marathon, and JustEat, to launch a  food container coated with seaweed - a revolutionary move for the takeaway industry.  Following this huge progress in the industry, to help ease the damage made to the environment, the Notpla team have recently been awarded with Prince William’s prestigious, 1 million pound Earthshot prize.  Today, Pierre shares tons of insights with us, including:  ➡️ How he became a Founder, following years at L’Oreal [03:57]  ➡️ The experiences at L’Oreal that led to the creation of Notpla [05:23]  ➡️ Notpla’s mission and how their packaging works [07:33]  ➡️ Seeing Notpla’s packaging being used at the Women’s Euros [11:16]  ➡️ Winning the Earthshot Prize [13:16] ➡️ Meeting Prince William at the Earthshot retreat [15:53]  ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [18:11]  ➡️ Dealing with increasing media attention and keeping an eye on your mission  [19:28]  ➡️ Building the Notpla team [22:03]  ➡️ Advice for moving into sustainability [28:28]  ➡️ The part we can all play in reducing plastic packaging [31:03]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Pierre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierrepaslier/   ➡️ Check out Notpla: https://www.notpla.com/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   🤝 Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You need to recognise that your mental health is a muscle and it’s not a case of doing a 30 day cleanse and mediations and you’re all good. That’s not how it works.”  What started off as a new way to eliminate the daily stresses of life in the city, turned into the UK’s favourite soft drinks brand.  This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is Olivia Ferdi, the Co-Founder of popular CBD brand, TRIP.  Coming from a law background, there were plenty of early stage challenges Olivia and her Co-Founder and husband, Dan, faced together and we loved learning more about their journey in today’s episode.  Olivia shares with us:  ➡️ The glamorisation of startup life [03:37]  ➡️ Resilience and building a Founder mindset [05:23]  ➡️ Her law career and transitioning to a startup [08:54]  ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [16:30]  ➡️ The inspiration behind TRIP [17:27]  ➡️ Her stand-out milestones from her journey with TRIP [26:07]  ➡️ How her law background has helped and sometimes hindered along the way [29:25]  ➡️ Building a wellbeing routine that lasts [36:30]  ➡️ TRIP’s exciting plans for the year ahead [40:40]  ➡️ Why a “no” is never a “no” [43:37]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Olivia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-ferdi/ ➡️ Check out TRIP: https://drink-trip.com/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Globally, a third of all the food we produce each year gets thrown away. Meanwhile, 800 million people go to bed hungry, who could be fed with a quarter of the food we waste in the Western world.”  Did you know that roughly one third of the world's food is wasted? Meanwhile, 1 in 9 people on our planet are either starving or malnourished... This is something today’s 40 Minute Mentor is on a mission to change.  In today’s replay episode, we’re joined by Tessa Clarke, the Co-Founder and CEO of the popular sharing app Olio. Tessa’s career has taken her down many paths, including consulting and publishing to MD of eCommerce at Dyson.  We first shared this episode three years ago, and the message is as important as ever, if not more so.  Tune in to explore: ➡️ Pivoting from consulting to Startup Founder [02:30] ➡️ Creating your path in consulting [05:06] ➡️ Transitioning from consulting to industry [06:40] ➡️ The excitement of feeling the fear in new roles [08:15] ➡️ Taking Dyson on a digital journey [09:14] ➡️ Leadership lessons from James Dyson [12:53] ➡️ The importance of surrounding yourself with people who will challenge you [14:06] ➡️ Building a mission-driven career plan, Tessa’s journey to entrepreneurship [15:20] ➡️ The lightbulb moment that started Olio’s journey [17:08] ➡️ Tackling the food waste pandemic [18:19] ➡️ Ambassadors helping you scale your mission-driven business [19:45] ➡️ We are ‘theoretically more connected’ but more lonely - a focus on community [23:21] ➡️ Championing diversity and prioritising at the board level [24:34] ➡️ Advice for diverse Founders tackling biassed questions in fundraising [27:28] ➡️ Recruiting from your community to tackle the hiring challenge [30:05] ➡️ Top tips: How we can all contribute to combat the global food waste problem [32:54] ➡️ Finding mentorship organically and learning from your peers [35:55]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Tessa Clarke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tecook/➡️ Find out more about Olio: https://olioapp.com/en/ ➡️ Check out Tessa’s ‘Where Are They Now’ episode: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/tessa-clarke-scaling-olio/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The key is to be niche on an audience, but fairly liberal in what’s the best way for you to interact with them. And particularly with how to monetise that audience.”  In this week’s ‘Where Are They Now’ feature episode, we’re joined by James McClure - experienced C-level Tech Exec, Angel Investor, Advisor and Executive Coach.  James has grown big names, like Airbnb and Google, internationally and scaled up VC-backed businesses, like SeatGeek and Adzuna, running the commercial operations in regional and global roles.  Since the last time he’s come on 40 Minute Mentor, James has made the move down under, officially turned his coaching, investing and advisory side hustle into a business and launched x2 online courses for busy tech execs.  In today’s episode, we find out:  ➡️ Why James decided to move to Australia [02:03]  ➡️ The importance of being active on social media, especially as a Solopreneur [05:22]  ➡️ Defining where you get your energy from and finding your audience [08:03] ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [10:59]  ➡️ What to expect from James’s online courses [12:06]  ➡️ The biggest lessons he’s learned as an angel investor [15:52]  ➡️ How Founders benefit from angel investors [19:02]  ➡️ More about his plans for 2023 [21:23]  ➡️ How you can partner with JBM/40 Minute Mentor [22:42]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmcclure/ ➡️ Sign up to “How To Angel Invest For Busy Tech Execs”: https://maven.com/reload-ventures/how-to-angel-invest ➡️ Sign up to “Scale Your Impact Beyond Your Authority”: https://coleap.cc/s4m 💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🤝Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The recession period felt awful, but actually during that time, even as a small business, we got to be the UK market leader, and all that with only five people working for us, at the time.”  To kick off 2023, we’re looking back on the latest Series of 40 Minute Mentor and hand pick some of the great advice our mentors shared with us, this time focused on the economic downturn and fundraising.  There’s still a lot of uncertainty and instability in the world and it’s hard to predict what 2023 will look like for most Tech Founders.  However, this isn’t the first recession for many Startup Founders out there, so we thought we’d share some of the brilliant advice from our latest Series, including:  ➡️ How Photobox became the UK market leader during a recession [01:55]  ➡️ Why you can still fundraise in this climate [03:41] ➡️ The metrics to focus on when fundraising as a mission-driven Startup [04:37]  ➡️ Why cold emails work in fundraising [06:12]  ➡️ How money alone won’t help you through the recession [07:09]  ➡️ Fundraising do’s and don’ts in this climate [07:28]  ➡️ Who to listen to when it comes to advice [09:56]  For the full 40 Minute Mentor episodes mentioned in this episode, head over to:  🎧 Graham Hobson: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-graham-hobson-photobox/ 🎧 Sho Sugihara: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-sho-sugihara-pave/ 🎧 Amali de Alwis: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-amali-de-alwis-subak/ 🎧 Ian Hogarth: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-ian-hogarth-plural-platform/ 🎧 James Lo: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-james-lo-mana/ 🎧 Molly Johnson-Jones: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-molly-johnson-jones-flexa/ 🤝Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Dinika Mahtani, Partner at Cherry Ventures, the early-stage VC firm led by a team of entrepreneurs with experience building fast-scaling companies, such as Zalando and Spotify.  Prior to her move into VC, Dinika was an Operator, working across Banking, UberEats EMEA and Uber’s JUMP e-bike product in the UK. She also served as Director of Finance and Operations at ClimateTech startup, Kaluza.  Today, we take a trip back down memory lane, discussing those fundamental years as an Operator and how she made the move into VC.  It’s a conversation filled with mentorship for Founders and anyone considering the VC route as their next career step.  📚 Episode Chapters:  ➡️ From Banking to Uber [06:30] ➡️ Key lessons from her time at Uber [11:30]  ➡️ Moving into VC [15:30]  ➡️ More about today’s sponsor [23:30]  ➡️ Looking for raw ambition [24:30]  ➡️ Going from Principal to Partner [27:30]  ➡️ Promoting and hiring more diverse talent [30:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Dinika here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinika-mahtani-0a2494158/ ➡️ Learn more about Cherry Ventures: https://cherry.vc/  📣 Learn more about today’s sponsor:  Today’s episode is sponsored by ECAP Financial, your trusted partner for fractional CFO services for companies looking to fundraise or go through an M&A process.  Whether you’re a Founder looking to raise investment, planning for an exit, or navigating financial challenges, ECAP Financial, led by the brilliant Corinne Thompson, helps scaleups secure the right funding at the right time.  💡 Check out their latest fundraising course here: https://fundraising-academy2.teachable.com/p/fundraising-academy  💡 Don’t forget to follow them on YouTube for even more advice: https://www.youtube.com/@ecapfinancial/videos  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  🎧 You may also enjoy:  Masha Bucher: Harnessing the power of storytelling in VC with Day One Ventures From Operator To VC – Busting Industry Myths with Rosie Barnett, Principal at Delin Ventures VC & Fundraising Advice – Series 6 Best Bits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Founders want to work with investors who can understand what they are going through.” Welcome back to week two of our popular VC feature, where we’re joined by the biggest movers and shakers in the industry, with stellar mentorship for anyone looking to get into VC and guidance for any Founders currently fundraising. We’re back today with another bite-sized episode with Rosie Barnett, Principal at Delin Ventures.  In today’s episode, we’re focusing on practical advice for Operators transitioning into VC. Not only does Rosie share the benefits of making the move, but she also shares the skillset needed to make it work and tons of resources that will help along the way - some of which we've linked to in the section below.  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Rosie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-barnett-672329134/ ➡️ Check out Delin Ventures: https://www.delinventures.com/ ➡️ Acquired podcast: https://www.acquired.fm/ ➡️ Big Picture Medicine podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5707RPmWOJkVZyUHNRSUfS ➡️ Invest Like The Best podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/22fi0RqfoBACCuQDv97wFO ➡️ This Week In Startups podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-week-in-startups/id315114957 ➡️ Pietro Invernizzi’s blog: https://pinver.medium.com/ ➡️ Out-Of-Pocket newsletter: https://www.outofpocket.health/ ➡️ Exec Sum newsletter: https://www.execsum.co/ ➡️ Wall Street Prep: https://www.wallstreetprep.com/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm   🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Had I continued along my path, I could have a very successful private and NHS GP practice. I could be earning multiples of what I’m allowing myself to earn right now. The stability that I can provide for my family is, quite frankly, limited.”  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Dr Rupy Aujla, Founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen and best selling cookbook author.  Rupy is a trained medical doctor turned startup Founder - a path that was never really part of his plan.  If you haven’t come across The Doctor’s Kitchen yet, you might recognise Rupy from his cookbooks, his popular podcast, or seen him featured on TV shows across the BBC, ITV or Channel 4.  It was a huge honour to have him join us on 40 Minute Mentor and candidly talk to us about his experience as a doctor, what led to The Doctor’s Kitchen, the startup lessons he had to learn quickly and lots of easy to follow advice for all of us to eat healthier and better.  Episode chapters:  ➡️ Rupy’s upbringing and his parents wanting him to go into business [04:05]    ➡️ Finding his love for medicine [07:25]  ➡️ The accidental business that became The Doctor’s Kitchen [10:10]  ➡️ Dealing with imposter syndrome [12:43]  ➡️ Transferable skills from medicine to business [15:10]  ➡️ The Doctor’s Kitchen App [17:55]  ➡️ Podcast recommendation: Strategy & Tragedy [20:13]  ➡️ The Doctor’s Kitchen impact to date [21:50]  ➡️ Pivots & bootstrapping everything [25:20]  ➡️ Why entrepreneurship should be simple [29:00]  ➡️ What a truly well-balanced diet looks like [34:35]  ➡️ Audience question: Learning about food in schools [41:50]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Rupy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupy-aujla?originalSubdomain=uk  ➡️ Check out The Doctor’s Kitchen: https://thedoctorskitchen.com/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The moment you start seeing yourself as a black Founder, you end up almost acting with all the facts that impact black Founders. So, you end up going into conversations with investors expecting not to raise money, or you don’t even approach VCs because you think they won’t give you money, etc.”  In this final episode of our 40 Minute Mentor ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by the brilliant Timothy Armoo, Forbes 30 Under 30, Co-Founder and exited CEO of the recently acquired influencer marketing agency, Fanbytes.  Fanbytes have been on an incredible journey, going from strength to strength over the years, working with leading global brands, including Nike, Samsung, Deliveroo and even the UK Government.  The pinnacle of their incredible journey, however, was reached earlier in 2022, when they were acquired by global digital media agency, Brainlabs.  That’s why we thought a catch up with Timothy was well overdue. He shared endless insights and candid mentorship with us in today’s episode, including:  The story behind Fanbytes and how it came to exist [02:04] How they landed such big name clients, even in the early days of Fanbytes [03:19] The behind the scenes of their deal with Brainlabs and what this means for Fanbytes and Timothy personally [05:54] How influencer marketing has changed and the opportunities for brands today [10:26] Why Timothy sees himself as a Founder first and as a black Founder second [14:04] Plus, he shares some of his upcoming plans and what he’s looking forward to the most following his exit [18:12]   ⛳️  Helpful links:  ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Timothy Armoo: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-a-multi-million-pound-agency-for-gen-z-with-timothy-armoo/ ➡️ More about Timothy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyarmoo/ ➡️ More about Fanbytes: https://fanbytes.co.uk/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Sometimes entrepreneurship is about bending the odds of success and being willing to take on the risk even though it doesn’t make much sense. It’s about going ahead anyway and changing the odds yourself.”  In our first episode of Series 11 of 40 Minute Mentor, we’re joined by Richard Robinson, Founder and CEO of Robin AI.  Robin AI is a leader in legal AI and empowers legal teams and lawyers all over the world to make contract processes effortless.  In today’s episode you’ll find out how Richard has built Robin AI from ideation to 100+ employees, 72+ global customers and $32 million raised to date.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ From growing up in Birmingham to starting Robin AI [4:51] ➡️ Becoming a debate champion [6:51] ➡️ From lawyer to Founder [9:06] ➡️ Building an AI legal assistant: Robin AI’s origin story [14:20] ➡️ Building one of the most diverse companies in Europe [17:58] ➡️ The changes in the legal sector [21:40]  ➡️ The future of AI in 2024 and beyond [25:14] ➡️ Securing $32 million in fundraising [27:40] ➡️ Why you shouldn’t have to convince investors [29:29] ➡️ The impact of picking the right investors [30:52] ➡️ Hiring advice: Why you shouldn’t add that additional interview round [35:06]  ➡️ Audience Question: What do you want the law industry to look like in ten years from now? [39:57]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardgrobinson/  ➡️ Find out more about RobinAI: https://www.robinai.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you don't work well with other teams, everyone else's problem will become a product problem.” In today's episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the world of Product…  To do so, we’re joined by Product legend, James Routledge, VP of Product at Converge.  James has tons of experience, including helping a NASDAQ business go from 100 million to $250 million revenues and working with 400 person Series B businesses.  The role of the CPO has evolved significantly over the last few years, so we loved getting a first-hand account of the past, present and future of Product roles, including:  ➡️ His own impressive career in Product [01:08]  ➡️ The top 3 skills great Product people need [02:59]  ➡️ Scope and responsibilities in your product journey [05:42]  ➡️ The power of mentorship in Product roles [08:54]  ➡️ The evolution of the CPO and putting customers first [12:28]  ➡️ Working cross-functionally as a CPO [17:18]  ➡️ UK vs USA Product roles [25:49]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesroutledge/ ➡️ Find out more about Converge: https://www.converge.io/   🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting 2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙 ENTRIES CLOSE 5th SEPTEMBER.    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by George Robson, Partner at Sequoia, the fund helping daring Founders build legendary companies from idea to IPO and beyond.  From Investment Banking to Revolut and becoming a Partner at Sequoia at the age of 25, George’s CV is nothing but impressive and minutes into today’s episode, you’ll understand where his incredible drive and entrepreneurialism comes from.  📚 Episode Chapters:  ➡️ The impact of education  [03:30] ➡️ Foundations in Investment Banking [08:30]  ➡️ Joining Revolut & lessons learned [16:00]  ➡️ Navigating cultural fit [18:00]  ➡️ More about our sponsors [20:20]  ➡️ Joining Sequoia & investment approach [21:45]  ➡️ What makes a great Founder [28:30]  ➡️ Common mistakes during pitches [31:30]  ➡️ Sequoia’s Arc Program [33:45]  ➡️ The future of VC & the European ecosystem [36:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with George here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgerobson/ ➡️ Learn more about Sequoia: https://www.sequoiacap.com/  📣Learn more about today’s sponsor:  Today’s episode is sponsored by ECAP Financial, your trusted partner for fractional CFO services for companies looking to fundraise or go through an M&A process.  Whether you’re a Founder looking to raise investment, planning for an exit, or navigating financial challenges, ECAP Financial, led by the brilliant Corinne Thompson, helps scaleups secure the right funding at the right time.  💡 Check out their latest fundraising course here: https://fundraising-academy2.teachable.com/p/fundraising-academy  💡 Don’t forget to follow them on YouTube for even more advice: https://www.youtube.com/@ecapfinancial/videos  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  🎧 You may also enjoy:  Molly Alter: Starting early in VC & building a transatlantic focus in vertical AI with Northzone Dinika Mahtani: From Operator at Uber to backing early-stage startups at Cherry Ventures Corinne Thompson: Preparing for your fundraise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Founders are made to look like superheroes. They get up at 4am, meditate, take ice baths, work 100 hours a week… I think it's a super unhealthy culture." Today's 40 Minute Mentor shines a light on the realities of Founder life, and his passion for reframing how the world sees and perceives credit. We are excited to welcome Tim Chong, Co-Founder and CEO of Yonder, to the podcast.  Yonder is on a mission to build a credit experience that empowers young people to live their best lives and build responsible spending habits, at the same time.  Tune in to today’s episode to discover:  ➡️ The unhealthy culture surrounding Founder life [03:53]  ➡️ Growing up around computers and the influence on his tech journey [05:25]  ➡️ Exploring the world and creating high impact as a consultant [07:33]  ➡️ Pivoting from consultant to Founder [10:17]  ➡️ How a revolutionised economy in Kenya started the story of Yonder [15:02]  ➡️ How Yonder is supporting young people and their social lives via credit spend [21:35]  ➡️ Tuning in to Founder interviews to scope out early stage challenges [26:50]  ➡️ How to keep going during an economic downturn [29:57]  ➡️ Selling the long-term thesis to win over investors [35:40]  ➡️ The significant impact of early hires and Yonder’s culture [39:58]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-chong/ ➡️ Find out more about Yonder: https://www.yondercard.com/  🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙(VOTES CLOSE 5th SEPT)   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Silence is the oxygen [this illness] needs, it thrives on it. So the more insular that we become, the more we don’t talk, the more illogical and irrational our belief system gets.”  In episode 2 of our Mental Health Spotlight mini-series, we cover segments from our roundtable discussion featuring Psychotherapist and Wellness Expert, Sophie Scott, HR Director and Mind Ambassador, Rohan Kallicharan and mental health campaigner and author, Carrie Carlisle.  This inspiring panel of guests brings many different perspectives and personal experiences to the topic of mental health, including:  Stories about suicide and suicidal thoughts [01:49]  What signs to look out for when it comes to deteriorating mental health [06:08]  And why it’s okay to have a bad day [08:10] If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure you check out the full roundtable episode at https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/encouraging-conversations-about-mental-health/   ⛳️  Helpful links:  ➡️ Find out more about Sophie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-scott/ ➡️ Find out more about Rohan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakallicharan/ ➡️ Find out more about Carrie - https://www.clarkeandcarrie.com/   And for helpful mental health resources, head to:  ➡️ Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk ➡️ The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123  ➡️ And for local help and support, call the Mind Infoline at 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Fundraising can be exhausting, so it’s really important to spend time with the right people who just won’t waste your time [...], pay attention and ask the right questions.”  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Avion Gray, Co-Founder and CEO of Belong, a new wealth-building platform.  Avion started her career in investment banking, before working as Head of Product & Commercialisation at industry-leading POS systems and merchant service provider Clover, where she oversaw the launch and expansion of the business in the US and across Europe.  Following her deep drive to do something that she could bring every aspect of her being to, Avion is now building Belong, together with Co-Founder and behavioural economist, Samantha Rosenberg.  Having only recently come out of stealth, Avion and Samantha have already built incredible traction in the market, including having raised the largest pre-seed round ever raised by female Founders in Europe.  We unpack all that and much more in today’s episode.  Episode chapters:  ➡️ Avion’s upbringing & education being the biggest equaliser [03:57]  ➡️ Finding her entrepreneurial spirit [07:00]  ➡️ Career foundations [09:00]  ➡️ Clover’s expansion to the US and Europe [11:30]  ➡️ Taking the leap into entrepreneurship [14:20]  ➡️ The paradox of wealth [16:40]  ➡️ More about Belong [18:32]  ➡️ Nick Hungerford’s mentorship [24:18]  ➡️ The sacrifice for entrepreneurship [29:07]  ➡️ Raising the biggest pre-seed round in Europe [32:23]  ➡️ Practical advice for wealth building [37:40]  ➡️ Audience Question: How would you describe Belong’s culture? [41:42]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Avion: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aviongray/?originalSubdomain=uk  ➡️ Find our more about Belong: https://www.be-long.co/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The best way of treating people is not as if they're a resource, but by working with them to create something amazing.”  In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Anouk Agussol, the Founder and CEO of Unleashed.  Unleashed are on a mission to gear up early stage and scaling companies for speedy and sustainable success, through people and culture. They help create thriving businesses and great places to work, through leadership programmes, coaching, bespoke people projects and embedded partnerships.  JBM have loved collaborating with Anouk and the wider Unleashed team over the years and we loved finding out more about Anouk’s journey and her advice for any Founders and leaders, in today’s episode.    We chat about:  ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [00:16]  ➡️ Overcoming imposter syndrome [3:19]  ➡️ The juggling act of being a parent and a Founder [04:37]  ➡️ Anouk’s career journey and why she chose the People function [09:08]  ➡️ Why the People function is becoming increasingly more popular [11:13]  ➡️ Her transition from Chief People Officer to starting her own business [14:17]  ➡️ More about Unleashed [18:28]  ➡️ Why HR is dead [21:55]  ➡️ A podcast recommendation from us [23:16]  ➡️ What a difference Unleashed has made to teams over the years [24:31]  ➡️ Why your culture won’t evolve organically [28:00]  ➡️ When is the right time to hire a People person for your startup [32:01]  ➡️ The key steps to evolving your culture [34:51]  ➡️ How to attract and retain great talent [39:04]  ➡️ The evolution of the People function in 2023 and beyond [42:05]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Anouk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoukagussol/ ➡️ Check out Unleashed: https://www.unleashed.company/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   🤝 Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I want to create my own space. I don't want to have to fit into someone else's whitewashed marketing… I want to create fashion that shows people like me.”  In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor takeover, Samuel Tholley. Founder of Hidden Pages, is joined by Rosette Ale, Founder of Revival - a sustainable fashion label redesigning discarded clothes into contemporary designs for a cleaner and cooler planet. Samuel and Rosette know each other from university and have a really insightful and refreshing conversation in today’s episode, covering the following topics:  ➡️ The start of Revival and the mind of a young entrepreneur  [01:31] ➡️ Challenges of entering the fashion world [04:49] ➡️ Mentorship, crowdfunding and being bold [07:34] ➡️ Fostering a good mentor mentee relationship [12:06] ➡️ The importance of representation and breaking down barriers [15:02] ➡️ Diversifying the fashion industry [17:59]➡️ Shifting diversity from a tick box exercise [19:52] ➡️ Accessibility to sustainability & mentality shifts [21:42] ➡️ Doing your part towards living more sustainably and saving the planet [25:46] ➡️ Where to follow Revival & Rosette’s journey [31:38]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-tholley-758135105/ ➡️ Connect with Rosette: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosette-ale/ ➡️ Find out more about Hidden Pages: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-pages/ and  https://www.instagram.com/_hiddenpages/?hl=en ➡️ Find out more about Revival: https://www.revivalldn.com/   PLUS! If you want to hear more from Samuel and Hidden Pages, listen to his episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along?  Research shows that most of us drop our New Year’s resolutions by the second Friday in January.  As we’re approaching the end of January, we’re resharing some of the best wellbeing and healthy habits advice we’ve received on the podcast from subject matter experts:  Dr Rupy Aujla, Founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen  Rhiannon Lambert, leading Nutritionist and best-selling author  Nikki Wicks, CEO of global fitness brand, The Body Coach  Lottie Whyte, Founder of Myomaster, a pioneer in recovery and wellness solutions.  📚 Episode Chapters:  ➡️ Building better habits through nutrition [02:00]  ➡️ What a well-balanced diet actually looks like [10:40]  ➡️ Balancing a busy lifestyle & exercising [16:30]  ➡️ Building simple habits first [19:15]  ➡️ Nurturing a healthy relationship with food [22:15]  ➡️ The truth behind diets [24:30] ➡️ Costs of eating healthier [34:45]   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  🎧 You may also enjoy:  The accidental business that helps millions of people eat healthier every day From the kitchen table to £100k investment on Dragons Den with MyoMaster The Truth About Diets & Nutrition Advice For Busy Execs Building An Accidental Global Fitness Brand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“One of the biggest challenges that we’re facing is that we have a category defining product and nothing like it has existed before, so we have to do a lot of consumer education.” To celebrate the completion of 40 Minute Mentor Series 7, we’ve put together a fascinating roundup episode spotlighting industry disrupting business leaders.  We hear from category defining businesses, including Dan Garrett from Farewill, Margot & Alexia de Broglie from Your Juno, Nicolas d’Audiffret from Ankorstore and Wing Chan from Sourceful.  These Founders share some brilliant mentorship with us, including:  How Farewill came to exist and what mistakes Dan has learned from over the years [2:16] The fine line Your Juno have to balance while educating their consumers on what and why they’re building [17:02]  What it takes to scale Ankorstore, the fastest growing Unicorn in Europe, all while taking on big retail players like Amazon [23:30] And how Sourceful are helping businesses make more sustainable choices when it comes to sourcing [32:19]    ⛳️  Helpful links:  ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Dan Garrett: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/destigmatising-death-with-farewills-dan-garrett/  ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Margow & Alexia de Broglie: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/closing-the-financial-literacy-gap-with-your-juno-founders-margot-alexia-de-broglie/  ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Nicolas d’Audiffret: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/how-to-build-a-2-billion-unicorn-in-under-3-years-with-ankorstores-nicolas-daudiffret/   ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Wing Chan: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/making-business-more-sustainable-and-developing-talent-with-wing-chan-co-founder-ceo-of-sourceful/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“So many people are suffering from a lack of knowing who they are and what their worth is, so they downplay and restrict it to a job role.” Welcome back to 40 Minute Mentor, and a brand new series…  Kicking off Series 10, we’re joined by one of the most requested guests on the podcast - the brilliant Andy Ayim, MBE.  You may have come across Andy through his DE&I work in tech, or his angel investing training programs at the Angel Investing School, which empowered over 350 new angels.  Andy has also invested in over 17 Startups himself, including some of which have been featured on this podcast, such as Patch and Unplugged.  In today’s episode, we unpack his own journey to entrepreneurship and demystify angel investing once and for all:  ➡️ Shaking off imposter syndrome and backing yourself [04:09]  ➡️ How growing up in a multicultural melting pot shaped his path [06:34]  ➡️ His path to starting the Angel Investing School [10:24]  ➡️ Making angel investing more accessible [14:09] ➡️ Who the Angel Investing School is for [16:37] ➡️ The biggest driver of wealth creation and beginning your journey in investing [20:02] ➡️ Andy’s biggest investment mistake [21:39]  ➡️ Angel syndicates and investing with as little as 1k [24:30] ➡️ Assessing pitches and controlling your risk [28:31] ➡️ Choosing between Angel or VC investment as a Founder [33:24] ➡️ Receiving an MBE and driving DE&I in the industry [38:07] ➡️ Fundraising advice and common Founder mistakes [41:41] ➡️ Audience Questions: Untapped opportunities and emerging trends [44:06]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyayim/ ➡️ Sign up to the Angel Investing School: https://angelinvestingschool.com/     🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙(You have until 5th Sept!)   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

40 Minute Mentor is back with a brand new series, filled with mentorship from Founders of some of the world’s fastest growing businesses and future unicorns as well as a number of world class leaders from other industries. To get a little preview of what's coming your way, hit play on our trailer. And if you've enjoyed the past 6 series, please leave us a review over on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm - we absolutely love hearing your feedback and really appreciate all the support we get from our listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“This is not necessarily a one-way transaction. Look at fundraising like it’s dating. The VC you’re going to choose, you’ll be stuck with for quite some time, so don’t play games and be honest, the whole way through…”  This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is the brilliant Abhishek Lahoti, Head of Platform at Highland Europe, a growth stage Venture Capital firm based in Geneva and London.  Within his role at Highland Europe, Abhishek’s focus is to build a strong network of advisors and experts to help the portfolio scale at pace.  In today’s episode, we won’t just take a deep dive into the role of Head of Platform, but also discuss Abhishek’s earlier career at Dropbox, how and why he made the move into VC and his advice for Founders navigating this current market.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ The most challenging part of being a VC [1:56] ➡️ Reflections on his years at Dropbox [5:30] ➡️ Moving into VC [8:16] ➡️ Transitioning from Operator to VC [11:17] ➡️ Advice for breaking into the world of VC [12:50] ➡️ A deep dive into the role of Head of Platform [17:45] ➡️ Highland Europe’s investment thesis & portfolio [20:04] ➡️ Treating your investors like dating [21:03] ➡️ Team culture & hiring at Highland Europe [24:21] ➡️ The US vs UK Tech markets [27:07] ➡️ Founder advice for expanding into Europe [31:36] ➡️ The biggest mistakes in fundraising pitches [32:53] ➡️ Waterfall resolutions and the power of networking [34:12] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Abhishek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alahoti/  ➡️ Find out more about Highland Europe: https://www.highlandeurope.com/ ➡️ Read the European Expansion Playbook: https://sapphireventures.com/blog/a-startups-guide-for-opening-european-operations/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“This is a long partnership. We’re here to return money to our investors, but we are also here to experience a very unique journey together. So, trust is very important, on both sides.”  We’ve been so lucky to have some of the best VCs in the industry, come on 40 Minute Mentor over the years.  For today’s episode, we thought we’d collate some of the best VC advice we received on the podcast to date.  You’ll hear from:  🌟 Leila Rastegar-Zegna, Founding General Partner of Kindred Capital  🌟 Hannah Seal, Partner at Index Ventures 🌟 Pippa Lamb, Partner at Sweet Capital  🌟 Ian Hogarth, Partner at Plural  🌟 Antoine Nussenbaum, Co-Founder of Felix Capital  🌟 Cleo Sham, ex-Partner at Stride.VC  🌟 Check Warner, Co-Founder of Ada Ventures  Episode chapters:  ➡️ Hardest part of being a VC [01:30]  ➡️ Investing at Seed stage [04:09]  ➡️ Mission first VCs [04:40]  ➡️ Backing exceptional Founders [08:30]  ➡️ Being strategic in choosing your fund [16:20]  ➡️ DE&I in VC [22:45]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Find all of the full episodes used in today’s roundup in the 40 Minute Mentor archives, or by searching ‘Name + 40 Minute Mentor’ on Google: https://jbmc.co.uk/40-minute-mentor/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If we’re trying to say that the only way to find answers and the only way to fund climate issues is through equity based investment, it’s just not going to work. It doesn’t suit every type of business.”  In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Amali de Alwis, CEO of Subak, the world’s first not-for-profit accelerator that scales climate impact through data, policy and behaviour change.  Prior to joining the team at Subak, Amali was Managing Director of Microsoft for Startups UK and CEO of Code First: Girls. Amali is a woman of many talents who wears many hats, including being a Board member at Ada National College for Digital Skills and the Raspberry Pi Foundation.  It was a great honour to have Amali join us on the podcast and she shares some really insightful mentorship, including:  ➡️ What her nonlinear career has taught her and why changing careers frequently can have positive effects on your trajectory [05:46]  ➡️ How she landed her first CEO role [12:39]  ➡️ Amali’s journey with Code First: Girls and the milestones she’s most proud of [16:22]  ➡️ What the tech industry needs to do to level the playing field and make it more accessible for women and especially women from underrepresented backgrounds [20:41]  ➡️ Why you just need to get started if you’re looking to get into tech [26:06]  ➡️ Subak’s incredible mission and why Amali got involved [28:19]  ➡️ What Founders can expect from the accelerator [32:16] ➡️ Why equity based investment can simply not be the only solution to tackle climate challenges [34:42] ➡️ Why we all need to start understanding the data behind climate change [36:32]  ➡️ The importance of having a strong board of advisors [39:17]  ➡️ How Amali juggles her many responsibilities and why being a board advisor makes her a better CEO [41:51]    💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/ to find out more.    📅 Join us at the Sifted Summit!  We’ll be recording a 40 Minute Mentor panel discussion at this year’s Sifted Summit in London, on Thursday, October 6th.  To join us at the event and a chance to ask your questions during our live recording, claim one of our 40 FREE tickets, by redeeming the code: 40MMFREE for your Startup ticket on www.summit.sifted.eu   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“People think VC is about chasing the next big thing…but actually, it’s not about making quick money. It’s about the long game and deep relationships.”  We often talk to Investors on 40 Minute Mentor, but today we’re taking a deep dive into an increasingly important role within VC, the Platform role.  To help us explore what a Platform role can look like, why it’s so important and how you can get into the role, we’re joined by Leah Sutton, Chief Portfolio Talent Officer at Balderton and Charlotte Van Reyk, VP of Platform at Lightspeed.  On top of taking a deep dive into Platform, we also discuss Charlotte and Leah’s incredible careers before VC and their predictions for 2025.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ From Google to VC [08:30]  ➡️ Act like an owner and think like an entrepreneur [12:00]  ➡️ Building businesses through People roles [13:20]  ➡️ Lessons from scaling high-growth businesses & navigating Covid [18:40]  ➡️ More about today’s sponsors [21:45]  ➡️ Learning resilience from parenthood [23:30]  ➡️ Squiggly routes into VC [26:30]  ➡️ Biggest misconceptions about VC [31:30]   ➡️ Relationships vs Networks [34:30]  ➡️ Day-to-Day of a Platform Leader [36:40]  ➡️ Advice for moving into VC and Platform roles [41:20]  ➡️ Trends & predictions for 2025 [51:00]  ➡️ A podcast recommendation [56:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Charlotte: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-van-reyk-8a4481b5  ➡️ Connect with Leah: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/leahsutton  ➡️ Find out more about Lightspeed: https://lsvp.com/  ➡️ Find out more about Balderton Capital: https://www.balderton.com/  🔔Find out more about today’s sponsors  Today’s episode is sponsored by Foundation Partners, an Amplified People Group business.  Growing technology companies don’t have the financial resources, capacity or experience to tackle the challenges of scaling a business and driving performance.  A world-class People, Culture & HR operation is instrumental for this. Foundation Partners have built a blended service, so companies get the experience and support - both strategically and day-to-day - they need to build an exceptional business.  Find out more: https://www.foundationpartners.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It doesn't matter where you come from or what school you went to, or whether you went to university. There are  Founders out there, building incredible businesses, no matter what their backgrounds.” In celebration of International Podcast Day, (and our 200th podcast episode!) JBM Founder , James Mitra, and Head of Marketing and 40 Minute Mentor Producer, Hannah Urbanek, chat all things 40 Minute Mentor…  From the early days of building the podcast, to shining a light on the biggest lessons along the way and how podcasting has become a fundamental part of our business.  Tune in to unravel the ins and outs of business podcasting, including: ➡️ Breaking the traditional industry rules, why 40 Minute Mentor was born [00:52]  ➡️ Providing an ‘access all areas’ to mentorship from incredible Entrepreneurs [03:06] ➡️ Reflecting on our podcast growth [04:15] ➡️ From ad-hoc to a smooth running machine, BTS moments [06:07] ➡️ Shining a light on gender equality, diversity & underrepresented Founders [07:31] ➡️ Hannah’s biggest learnings from 200 episodes [10:28] ➡️ Podcasting as a fun, unique form of business development [13:10] ➡️ When James met his footballing hero and things didn’t go to plan… [16:51] ➡️ Milestone moments: Inspiring Founders and huge download growth [19:04] ➡️ Building the ultimate brand awareness tool, a marketing plan essential [21:53] ➡️ The challenge of capturing listeners in a saturated market & advice for aspiring podcasters [28:18] ➡️ Fancy being a podcast guest? Here’s how to stand out [31:42]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmitra-jbm/ ➡️ Connect with Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahurbanek/ ➡️ Follow JBM: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/?viewAsMember=true   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We scaled way too fast…and the result was that we mis-hired quite a lot. It was not a sustainable way to scale.” This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is Peter Specht, General Partner at Creandum, one of the leading early stage VCs that have invested in over 120 companies, of which 20 are unicorns today.  Following career chapters at Rocket Internet Group, Google and Bain, Peter joined the firm as Investment Manager in 2017, as one of the firm’s first hires in the DACH region, building out its Berlin hub.  Now based in London, Peter primarily focuses on investing into SaaS and B2B marketplaces, with notable investments led for Factorial, CarOnSale, cargo.one, Timberhub, to name a few.   With such a wealth of experience across markets, there’s lots for us to discuss in this final VC feature episode…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ The deal he is most proud of: A Unicorn story [2:03] ➡️ Explore in the early days, specialise later on [6:06] ➡️ Scaling lessons from Lazada [9:01] ➡️ Moving into VC [10:40] ➡️ Creandum’s origin story [12:17] ➡️ Multi-local presence and adapting to global markets [15:52] ➡️ The growing Tech scene in Spain [18:35] ➡️ A Deep dive into the London ecosystem [21:34] ➡️ Rising through the ranks & becoming General Partner [25:18] ➡️ Advice for Founders perfecting their pitch [30:04] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pspecht/  ➡️ Find out more about Creandum: https://creandum.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I realised that for the first time in my career, I reported to a board and investors, but the decisions were on me. It was all on me.”  In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Stuart Packham, CEO of our Series Sponsor’s Alchemist, JBM board advisor and longtime mentor and friend of team JBM.  Our host, James Mitra, and Stu have known each other for years, dating back to their days at Michael Page, so it was extra special to have Alchemist as our Series sponsor and Stu joining us on the podcast today.  We chat about:  ➡️ Stu’s journey through recruitment and into learning and development [02:05] ➡️ Why recruitment is such a great foundation to your career [04:36]  ➡️ His transition from recruitment to learning and development [07:58]  ➡️ Why becoming a CEO was a much bigger shift than expected [10:47]  ➡️ How he puts being people-centric first [14:00]  ➡️ The imposter syndrome that comes with being CEO [15:42]  ➡️ Realities of merging two businesses into one [18:43]  ➡️ How Alchemist approaches L&D differently [22:51]  ➡️ Transitioning from 98% face to face L&D sessions to digital and virtual sessions [25:56]  ➡️ The benefits of bringing on external partners to help with hiring [29:42]  ➡️ Why now is the time to put together a risk plan and not ignore the downturn [33:47]  ➡️ What the future holds for Alchemist [35:59]  ➡️ The advantages of being a board advisor [38:02]  ➡️ Why Alchemist partnered with JBM and the results they’ve seen so far [40:06]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Stu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartpackham/ ➡️ More about Alchemist: https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/     🤝Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we had the pleasure of welcoming Wing Chan, the Co-Founder and CEO of Sourceful - the Index Ventures backed all-in-one platform bringing together tools, data and products companies need to make their supply chains more sustainable.  In today’s episode, Wing recounts his experiences of quickly climbing the ranks at The Hut Group to become CMO at 25 and CTO at 28, what has led him to start Sourceful and he shares some excellent mentorship on the importance of seeing the potential in emerging talent and how executives need to lead by example.  💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:  Chipper Cash - an African cross-border payments company trusted by over 4 million users. The team has been on an incredible expansion journey and is hiring for some exciting roles. If you want to be part of their mission to unlock global opportunities and connect Africa, one transaction at a time, head over to https://bit.ly/40mmsponsor to find out more. ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ To find out more about Wing, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/wingyungchan/➡️ To learn more about Sourceful, check out https://www.sourceful.com/ ➡️ Our episode with Chipper Cash’s Founder & CEO, Ham Serunjogi - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/unlocking-global-opportunities-with-chipper-cashs-ham/id1459665761?i=1000536950880 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You’ll make mistakes but that doesn’t matter - it’s all about speed and growth, but at some point you’ll have to go and clean up the room.”  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Nicolas Brusson, Co-Founder & CEO of BlaBlaCar - the world’s leading community-based travel app enabling 26 million active members a year to share a ride in 21 countries. BlaBlaCar’s environmentally and human-friendly mobility network saves 1.6M tons of CO2 and enables 120M human connections every year. On top of leading BlaBlaCar, Nicolas is also an investor in many mission-driven brands, such as Ankorstore, Home Exchange and Dust, to name a few, so there is plenty to unpack in today's episode, including:  ➡️ Becoming a father and closing a $10 million fundraising round [4:41] ➡️ Missed opportunities and keeping up with competition [06:42] ➡️ Bringing entrepreneurship into schools [09:55] ➡️ From Physics to VC and Entrepreneurship [12:32] ➡️ Rebuilding after mass layoffs [14:55] ➡️ The main lesson from the ups and downs of startup life [17:03]➡️ Advert: More about Kitt [25:29] ➡️ The origin and evolution of BlaBlaCar [26:39] ➡️ The shift in the sharing economy and building the ‘Airbnb for cars’ [29:00] ➡️ Recognising and surviving different phases of the business [32:35] ➡️ The danger in doing too many things, a turning point for BlaBlaCar [34:47] ➡️ Becoming a multi-model platform, expanding the carpool idea [36:46] ➡️ Navigating Covid without layoffs [37:39] ➡️ Reshaping and evolving your company culture [40:30] ➡️ ️Questioning company values and when they’re more than just a word on a wall [42:26] ➡️ Creating a culture of mentorship [43:50] ➡️ Audience question: The future of BlaBlaCar [46:54] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Nicolas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasbrusson/ ➡️ Find out more about BlaBlaCar: https://www.blablacar.co.uk/ ➡️ More about our sponsors, Kitt: https://www.kittoffices.com/en/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Hiring the wrong people teaches you more about your culture than hiring the right people...” Did you know a third of women in the UK do not have easy access to contraception? And 80% of those who are using contraception have reported side effects… Following her own experience of having devastating side effects of being put on the wrong contraception, today’s 40 Minute Mentor, Alice Pelton, decided to take matters  into her own hands.  That’s why she started The Lowdown - the UK’s leading sexual and reproductive health platform, used by over 2 million women. Featured in the likes of Grazia and The Times, The Lowdown is a contraception review, advice and prescriptions platform, on a mission to change women’s health.  In today’s episode, Alice shares candid insights into her own contraception journey and being a female Founder, including:  ➡️ Her 10-year journey to find the right contraception [05:00]  ➡️ The historical ‘un-sexy’ part of medicine and building the Lowdown [08:59]  ➡️ Challenges of being a solo female Founder [10:30]  ➡️ What nobody teaches you about fundraising [11:48]  ➡️ Working with Angels vs VCs [16:18]  ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [18:10]  ➡️ Misconceptions about investors [19:20]  ➡️ Building communities [22:11]  ➡️ Learnings from hiring mistakes [25:23]  ➡️ What she looks for when hiring for The Lowdown [27:53]  ➡️ Navigating the ‘chat’ around contraception with children [32:33]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Alice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-pelton/ ➡️ Check out The Lowdown: https://thelowdown.com/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We had one month to refinance the business, or lose our home….” Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Dimple Patel, exited Founder, Advisor and CEO of Trouva - the leading global marketplace for independent boutiques.  With roots at Goldman Sachs, Dimple’s story is one of endless resilience, having navigated recessions, a major re-brand that almost cost her her home, a global pandemic and multiple acquisitions, including Made.com’s collapse.  In today’s episode, we dive into all of the above, plus:  ➡️ Growing up on a Council Estate [05:00]  ➡️ Joining Goldman Sachs during a recession and amid mass layoffs [07:12]  ➡️ Exploring entrepreneurship as a first-time Founder in a recession [09:38]  ➡️ Going from side hustle to full-time Founder [11:47]  ➡️ Spotting burnout and the importance of routine rest [14:01]  ➡️ Freedom vs Security as a first-time Founder [15:00]  ➡️ The decision that almost led to the loss of her house [17:19]  ➡️ Exiting her business and navigating what’s next [20:00]  ➡️ Making the shift from COO to CEO of Trouva [27:48]  ➡️ The collapse of Made.com and leading with kindness [30:24]  ➡️ Roulette question: Working as a Venture Partner and the Founders she backs [40:13]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Dimple: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimple-patel-uk/ ➡️ Find out more about Trouva: https://www.trouva.com/  🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙(You have until 5th Sept!)   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The great differentiator of that England team was our ability to never allow ourselves to be consigned to fate. We always believed it was in our hands.”  Over the years, we’ve had some absolute legends of the sporting world on 40 Minute Mentor.  One of them is England Rugby legend, Broadcaster and Journalist, Will Greenwood MBE.  Will is one of the greatest English Rugby players of all time, playing 55 times for his country, representing the British and Irish Lions on multiple tours and including playing a fundamental role in England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning team.  Not only do we unpack Will’s impressive Rugby career in this episode, but you’ll also hear about…  Episode chapters: ➡️ Will’s upbringing and his parents influence [02:00]  ➡️ The route to professional Rugby [04:30]  ➡️ Making big sacrifices [13:40]  ➡️ Winning the World Cup [16:30]  ➡️ Removing luck to succeed [18:50]  ➡️ What made this team so special [19:55]  ➡️ From Rugby to Broadcasting [26:50]  ➡️ Facing failure and taking risks [32:00]  ➡️ Why we should all be paying it forward [35:30]  ➡️ Making Rugby more diverse and inclusive [37:50]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willgreenwood/?originalSubdomain=uk  ➡️ Check out Will’s book ‘World Class’: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443223/world-class-by-greenwood-ben-fennell-and-will/9780753558782  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“[Debating] teaches you to listen, to challenge well, and it teaches you all the skills that you need to be able to be in any room at any time, with anyone.”  The world seems more divided than ever before.  But is it actually or are we simply shying away from debating and leaning into disagreeing with each other?  This is exactly what we’ll explore in today’s episode - the power of debating and the benefits of disagreeing, in business and beyond.  To help us unpack this important topic, we’re joined by Scarlett McCabe, Co-Founder and CEO of Debate Mate and Lewis Iwu, debate champion, author of ‘Words that Win’ and Co-Founder and CEO of Purpose Union.  Episode chapters:  ➡️ 60 second CVs [04:55]  ➡️ Finding the right people [13:05]  ➡️ Writing your own playbook [16:50]  ➡️ Introduction to debating [18:30]  ➡️ What debating teaches you [22:25]  ➡️ Skills needed to be good at debating [27:50]  ➡️ Benefits of debating in business [30:30]  ➡️ Getting into debating now [35:00]  ➡️ Communicating better [37:50]  ➡️ The power of disagreeing [41:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Scarlett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarlettmccabe/  ➡️ Follow Lewis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-iwu-b3125024/  ➡️ Find out more about Debate Mate: https://debatemate.com/  ➡️ Find out more about Purpose Union: https://www.purposeunion.com/    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I think we are scared of AI in the same way that we’ve been scared of many technological inventions when we’ve been on the forefront of something big.”  Today's 40 Minute Mentor is the incredibly inspiring Raj Kaur Khaira, Co-Founder and COO of AutogenAI, a business that is leveraging large language models and text generating AI to combat the expensive business problem of writing and answering bids, tenders and proposals. Raj is also an acclaimed author, lawyer and campaigner and Founder of the world’s first global directory of South Asian therapists. Over her career so far, she has worked for over 20 Startups, so there is loads to unpack in today’s very refreshing and candid conversation. Tune in to discover:  ➡️ Being an overachiever and reframing failure [05:12]  ➡️ Why fundraising is not a success signal [07:16]  ➡️ Dealing with rejections and building resilience [12:31]  ➡️ Leaving Accenture to pursue law and operations [20:27]  ➡️ The golden email template, getting CEO’s to notice you [21:54]  ➡️ The origin of AutogenAI [26:33]  ➡️ Why you shouldn’t be sceptical of the power of (ethical) AI [29:41]  ➡️ The importance of building a low ego environment in your team [33:51] ➡️ Advice for anyone wanting to join AutogenAI [37:06]  ➡️ Eradicating sexist tradition in South Asian cultures through the Pink Ladoo Project [40:21]  ➡️ Finding the balance between action and change, avoiding activist burnout [41:57] ➡️ Audience question: Ruthless prioritisation and juggling many roles [44:18] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Raj: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-khaira/ ➡️ Find out more about Autogen AI: https://autogenai.com/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“[Having bootstrapped] we get to control our destiny, we can move as quickly as we want and we can go where we want and don’t have to be accountable.”  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Gurinder Dhillon, Founder of Otto Car, London’s largest community of PCO drivers and Europe’s largest provider of electric vehicles to private-hire drivers.   Having recently partnered with Gurinder and Otto Car to deliver a very exciting search for them, it was extra special to sit down with Gurinder and find out more about his incredible journey with Otto Car - from one Toyota Prius in a West London garage to one of the fastest growing startups in Europe…all completely bootstrapped.  In amongst the shared ups and downs of scaling a bootstrapped business, Gurinder shares invaluable advice for anyone thinking of starting their own entrepreneurial journey.  Episode chapters:  ➡️ The cost of entrepreneurship [04:18]  ➡️ Gurinder’s upbringing and route into entrepreneurship [07:16]  ➡️ Early startup experience [09:40]  ➡️ Eternal optimism & navigating failure [13:06]  ➡️ Otto Car’s origin story [14:32]  ➡️ Losing 75% of revenue in one day - Otto Car’s pivot [17:44]  ➡️ Advice on pivoting [19:14]  ➡️ Building a business around love [23:22]  ➡️ Gurinder’s vision for the future [26:00]  ➡️ The benefits & reality behind bootstrapping [28:12]  ➡️ Hiring advice [30:30]  ➡️ Audience question: What would you do if you wouldn’t have followed the entrepreneurial route? [37:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Gurinder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurinder-dhillon/  ➡️ Find our more about Otto Car: https://ottocar.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

40 Minute Mentor, your pocket-sized career mentor, is back with a brand new series! From purpose-led Founders to Olympic champions; learn first-hand from today’s successful leaders on what it takes to be brilliant, all in just 40 minutes. To get a little preview of what's coming your way over the coming months, hit play on our Series 8 trailer.    ⭐Enjoying 40 Minute Mentor?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.  To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you have the passion to solve a problem, you will find a way to solve it, no matter what comes in your way.”Next up in our VC feature series, we’re joined by Zeynep Yavuz, Partner at General Catalyst.  General Catalyst is a top-tier VC that invests from early stage through to growth equity stages, having backed some of the world's biggest tech companies, including Airbnb, Warby Parker and Stripe.  Having grown up in Turkey with entrepreneur parents, Zeynep saw first-hand that a more mature VC ecosystem in the country could have been really transformational for Founders in the area.  To be a part of that change, she now focuses on FinTech and Crypto investments on a global scale, and particularly with a focus on emerging markets.  In today’s episode, we dive more into Zeynep’s journey, her advice for Founders and the future of VC, including:  ➡️ VCs unlocking ambitious risks [04:41]  ➡️ Building products from 0-1 as an Operator [07:52]  ➡️ The importance of diversity of thought in VC [09:26]  ➡️ Why venture should be recession proof [11:30]  ➡️ Advice on getting into VC [13:42]  ➡️ How to stand out when interviewing with General Catalyst [16:03]  ➡️ Why emerging markets [17:18]  ➡️ Why Founders need to know and convey their ‘Why’ in pitches [19:59]   ➡️ Investment process at GC [21:15]  ➡️ Changes in the market [22:24]  ➡️ Common mistakes Founders are making [24:49]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Zeynep: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeynep-yavuz-72362379/ ➡️ More about General Catalyst: https://www.generalcatalyst.com/ ➡️ The Finstack Newsletter: https://finstack.substack.com/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm   🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Elvidge, Co-Founder of UK-focused solar energy company, Synth Solar, joins us for today’s 40 Minute Mentor, Where Are They Now feature.  In today’s episode, Tom shares the ins and outs of his transition from being an Operator to founding Synth Solar, and all the key lessons he’s learned on that journey. Plus, Tom gives us an exclusive sneak peek into what’s to come and why now is a great time to get into the energy sector.  📚 Episode Chapters:  ➡️ Transitioning from Operator to Founder [01:25]  ➡️ Advice for Operators making the transition [07:50]  ➡️ Aspirations for the future [11:00]  ➡️ Hiring plans & why solar energy [15:15]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Listen back to Tom’s original episode: 40 Minute Mentor  ➡️ Connect with Tom here: LinkedIn ➡️ Learn more about Synth Solar: Synth Solar ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  🎧 You may also enjoy:  Cleo Sham: From Operator to VC Where Are They Now: Anouk Agussol Marta Krupinska: Saving the planet through carbon removal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The beauty of a portfolio career is that it gives you lots of flexibility and variety. And that’s been the number one reason a lot of people are choosing this path.”  In this bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we discuss a topic which has increasingly become more popular amongst our candidates - portfolio careers.  You’ll find out:  ➡️ Why this has become such an interesting option for high-performing talent and an attractive solution for clients alike  ➡️ The factors to keep in mind before you start building your portfolio career  ➡️ Why it might not be the right career for you  ➡️ How JBM SOS is connecting fractional talent with more flexible opportunities  Plus, we talk about our exciting new partnership with Career Paths, a mentorship platform, on a mission to make mentorship more accessible and provide an easy way for industry leaders to pay it forward.  Find out more about Career Paths here: https://careerpaths.io/   ⭐ Enjoyed this episode? ⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at hannah@jbmc.co.uk   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There’s a competitive drive and edge that you see in sport that is really important in business. And Teamwork. Dealing with individuals, knowing what helps make an individual tick is really important.”  For the final episode in this season of our VC feature, we’re joined by Ruari Bell, Founding Partner at The Players Fund, the UK’s first athlete-led firm, founded to empower the athlete community as investors.  The Players Fund brings together a collective of renowned athlete investors, including Ben Stokes, former 40 Minute Mentor guest Jessica Ennis-Hill, Jos Butler, Allyson Felix, Serge Gnabry and many more top athletes.  Ruari has had a fantastic career in entrepreneurship and investing and we’ll dig into every part of it and his journey with The Players Fund in detail, in today’s episode.  In these 40 minutes, you’ll hear about... Episode chapters:  ➡️ Increasing diversity and inclusion in VC [03:00]  ➡️ Growing up in the Northeast of England [03:50]  ➡️ A love for sport [05:45]  ➡️ Transitioning out of professional sport [07:55]  ➡️ An entrepreneurial journey [10:50]  ➡️ Transferable skills from sport to business [17:40]  ➡️ The origin story of The Players Fund [20:15]  ➡️ What makes Founders stand out to him [28:00]  ➡️ Openness to feedback [29:30]  ➡️ Vision for the future [35:15]  ➡️ Building a business with family [38:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Ruari on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruaribell/  ➡️ Find out more about The Players fund: https://www.playersfund.vc/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re taking a look back on some of our most popular 40 Minute Mentor author episodes. Just in time for World Book Day, later this week, we’re going to hear about the journeys our 40 Minute Mentor authors have been on and how they’ve taken their best-selling books from ideation to launch, and all the ups and downs in between. Whether you’re thinking about writing your own book yourself, or you’re simply looking for some new books packed with mentorship, to add to you ‘to be read’ list, you won’t want to miss this episode.   📚 All books mentioned in this episode: ➡️ The Green Startup by Juliet Davenport ➡️ How to be a Founder by Alice Bentinck ➡️ World Class by Will Greenwood ➡️ How to Win by Sir Clive Woodward ➡️ Squiggly Careers by Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis ➡️ Slay In Your Lane by Elizabeth Uviebinene ➡️ She’s In CTRL by Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon ➡️ Solve For Happy by Mo Gawdat ➡️ Solo: How to work alone by Rebecca Seal   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.   🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Don’t be trapped by your job title. You can do more things. And by doing more things, by exploring all the sides of your identity and hidden talents, you’ll discover a completely different future than you can see right now.”  Up next in our 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by the Co-Founder of BAFTA-winning gaming studio, Bossa Studios, and multi-creative entrepreneur,  the incredible Roberta Lucca.  Having transitioned from Co-Founder and CMO to Non-Executive Director at Bossa Studios, Roberta shares some brilliant insights into building her portfolio career and exclusive mentorship for any multi-entrepreneurs out there, including:  Why Bossa Studios was founded and how Roberta’s embracing being a multi-entrepreneur herself [02:20]   How she transitioned from being a Founder to a portfolio career and her advice for anyone looking to do the same [05:29]  What the future of work will look like and why business leaders need to nurture their intrapreneurs [11:17]   Roberta’s experience of being a judge on the BBC hit show, The Apprentice [13:56]  And what she looks for when assessing Founders and their businesses as an angel investor [16:49]    ⛳️  Helpful links:  ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Roberta Lucca: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-a-multimillion-dollar-games-empire-with-roberta-lucca/   ➡️ More about Roberta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertalucca/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I have more than 70% of equity in the business. Unfortunately, female Founders are actually encouraged to give up more equity in the early stages, which I would have never agreed with…”  The fashion industry is the third most polluting industry in the world.  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is on a mission to change that.  We are joined by Eshita Kabra, Forbes 30 Under 30 and Founder and CEO of By Rotation.  Often dubbed as the Instagram for fashion rental, By Rotation has achieved amazing milestones to date, including building a community of over half a million like-minded Rotators, saving over 100k meters of textile waste from going to landfill in 2023, and raising £2.55 million in seed funding.  We cover all the highs and lows along the way and Eshita’s exciting plans for the future.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Growing up as a third culture kid [03:40]  ➡️ Why the leap into entrepreneurship [09:00]  ➡️ Finding the right people & navigating Covid [12:45]  ➡️ More about how By Rotation works [18:00]  ➡️ Learn more about today’s sponsor [20:00]  ➡️ Purpose vs Profit & By Rotation’s environmental impact [21:30]  ➡️ Prioritising equity over huge fundraises [22:55]  ➡️ Fundraising advice [28:00]  ➡️ Landing big partnerships & famous ambassadors [33:00]  ➡️ Hiring traps to avoid [35:45]  ➡️ Expanding into the US market [38:20]  ➡️ A podcast recommendation [41:45]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Eshita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshitakabra  ➡️ Find out more about By Rotation: https://byrotation.com/  🔔Find out more about today’s sponsors  Today’s episode is sponsored by Foundation Partners, an Amplified People Group business.  Growing technology companies don’t have the financial resources, capacity or experience to tackle the challenges of scaling a business and driving performance.  A world-class People, Culture & HR operation is instrumental for this. Foundation Partners have built a blended service, so companies get the experience and support - both strategically and day-to-day - they need to build an exceptional business.  Find out more: https://www.foundationpartners.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2022 is coming to an end, we take the chance to look back and reflect on the last 12 months of 40 Minute Mentor.  We did this, by asking some of the JBM team, our series sponsors and 40 Minute Mentor ambassadors for their favourite episodes of the year.  To listen back to the episodes mentioned in today’s episode, click through the list below:  🎧 Amali de Alwis: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-amali-de-alwis-subak/ 🎧 Dan Garrett: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/destigmatising-death-with-farewills-dan-garrett/ 🎧 Molly Johnson-Jones: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-molly-johnson-jones-flexa/ 🎧 Rachael Twumasi-Corson: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/feature-series-rachael-twumasi-corson-afrocenchix/ 🎧 James Lo: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-james-lo-mana/ 🎧 Sifted Summit Live Recording: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/live-at-sifted-summit-purpose-v-profit-with-nikki-wicks-the-body-coach-emma-steele-ascension-amali-de-alwis-subak/ 🎧 Job van der Voort: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-job-van-der-voort-remote/ 🎧 Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-baroness-tanni-grey-thompson/ 🎧 Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/from-olympic-gold-to-femtech-founder-with-dame-jessica-ennis-hill/   Thank you so much for all your support over this year and we can’t wait to see you again in the new year!  🤝Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you’re not learning something new every day, even if it’s the smallest thing, you can start to almost become stationary. Find ways to push yourself out of the limits of what you feel comfortable with.”  In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Dr Dupe Burgess, Founder & CEO of Bloomful.  Launched in 2021, Bloomful is a HealthTech on a mission to close the gender health gap and improve access to gynae care for women, globally.  Dupe and her team have been on an incredibly successful journey so far, having reached over 4,000 women with their first triage tool in just a few weeks and receiving equity-free funding from both, Google and KPMG.  With a background in medicine, working at some of the busiest NHS hospitals in the UK and strategy consulting at BCG, Dupe brings a wealth of first-hand knowledge and experience to tackle the problem Bloomful is solving today.  Find out more in today’s episode…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Upbringing and landing in a medical career [04:15]  ➡️ Spending eight years in the NHS [08:15]  ➡️ Transitioning from being a Doctor to a Big 4 strategy consultant [12:15]  ➡️ Bloomful’s origin story [18:20]   ➡️ More about Leadership Unleashed [21:30]  ➡️ Closing the gender health gap [23:00]  ➡️ Securing investment early on [28:00]  ➡️ The importance of storytelling in fundraising [31:15]  ➡️ Hiring for the sake of hiring & other lessons learned [33:50]  ➡️ Advice for growing your personal brand on LinkedIn [38:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Dupe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dupeburgess/  ➡️ Find out more about Bloomful: https://www.bloomful.io/  🔔Find out more about today’s sponsors  Today’s episode is brought to you by the Leadership Unleashed Open Cohorts.  Leadership Unleashed Open Cohort is your chance to join a diverse cohort of leaders from different organisations, industries, and parts of the world to build the most critical behaviours and transform into a high performer.  Split into seven remote workshops, the Open Cohort follows a coaching-led approach where you’ll be actively involved and turn your learnings into habits in your day-to-day.  To find out more about the programme and how you can sign up for the next cohort starting in January, get in touch with Logan and Anouk at sayhello@unleashed.company  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That’s a wrap on Season 11 of 40 Minute Mentor and 12 weeks of non-stop pocket-sized mentorship.  Our guests over the last 12 weeks have candidly shared the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and shared the advice they wish they would have received when they started out.  We also celebrated some 40 Minute Mentor firsts this season, including hitting 1 million+ downloads and welcoming our very first Hollywood actor to the podcast.  Although we had such a diverse spread of 40 Minute Mentors joining us this season, there were 4 consistent themes we explored with all of them: Resilience, Fundraising, Hiring and Pivoting.  No matter whether you’ve religiously tuned in every Wednesday for the last 12 weeks or you have dipped in and out, we’ve selected the best advice from this season to solidify the mentorship from our guests.  Episode chapters:  ➡️ Pivoting sectors and careers - the transferable skills for entrepreneurs [01:56]  ➡️ Building resilience & navigating failure [08:58]  ➡️ Hiring & building the best teams [16:03]  ➡️ Bootstrapping & fundraising advice [25:32]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Catch up on all episodes from Season 11: https://jbmc.co.uk/40-minute-mentor/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the biggest trends we’ve seen in hiring over the last year has been the rise of fractional careers.  It doesn’t just give talent more flexibility and freedom, but also gives Founders the opportunity to hire highly experienced operators at a fraction of the cost, and even try before they buy.  To discuss how you actually build a fractional career, the benefits to both talent and employers, plus the downfalls you might want to consider before pursuing a portfolio career, we’ve invited JBM board advisor and Fractional Managing Director, Ben Sanders to share his own experience with us.    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-sanders-b280716/ ➡️ More about JBM SOS: https://jbmc.co.uk/sos-candidates/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Spend some time with the team to shadow and see what they actually do day to day, before you join. It’s invaluable because it gives you an opportunity to try before you buy.”  In part 3 of our bite-sized ‘Operator to VC’ feature, Rosie Barnett, Principal at Delin Ventures, talks to us about making the transition to VC.  We hear the criteria Rosie looked at when deciding which VC to join and the crucial steps she took to adapt to the new industry.  She also shares some of the great communities she’s a part of and why immersing herself ahead of becoming a VC has been so helpful.  For even more resources to check out, make sure you tune into episode 2, which has a full list of podcasts, newsletters and reading materials for you to check out: https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/11fd722f-4096-45f5-bd6e-62327f8088ce/shows/6ef8fc38-9e69-482e-bf6c-3c1489829886/episodes/62416790-27dd-4dee-a7d3-b4ad50f74f70/   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Rosie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-barnett-672329134/ ➡️ Check out Delin Ventures: https://www.delinventures.com/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm 🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene?  Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we’re nearing the end of the year, your 40 Minute Mentor Host, James Mitra, takes a moment to reflect on the last 12 months of podcasting and what the year ahead may have in store.  A huge thank you for all your support over the last 12 months - we wouldn’t be where we are without you!  If you have any feedback, topic or guest ideas for 2024, please get in touch on hannah@jbmc.co.uk - we always love hearing from you!  For now, all that’s left to say is - Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas (if you’re celebrating!) and see you next Wednesday for more pocket-sized mentorship!  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow JBM on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/?viewAsMember=true ➡️ Find out more about JBM: https://jbmc.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Lo, one of our most popular 40 Minute Mentors and Co-Founder of Ethos, joins us for today’s 40 Minute Mentor, Where Are They Now feature.  A lot has happened since the last time James came on the podcast.  In today’s episode, we dive into every twist and turn in his journey since building and eventually exiting education platform, Mana, all the way through his latest venture - Ethos, the opportunity engine for humanity, currently in stealth.  📚 Episode Chapters:  ➡️ Pivoting & exiting Mana [02:00]  ➡️ Digging deep for resilience during challenging times [06:00]  ➡️ Jumping back into the Founder seat & building Ethos [10:00]  ➡️ Learning from previous mistakes [18:00]  ➡️ Fundraising advice [23:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Listen back to James’ original episode: 40 Minute Mentor  ➡️ Connect with James here: LinkedIn ➡️ Learn more about Ethos: Ethos ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  🎧 You may also enjoy:  Catherine Lenson: From Being The First Female Managing Partner at SoftBank to Building a Portfolio Career Zeynep Yavuz: Investing In Fintech, Crypto & Emerging Markets Gary Izunwa: Driving Social Mobility through Referrals with Tangent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Founders often don’t have someone outside of the business that they can be really vulnerable with…that’s where an advisor can help.” For our final episode in our career spotlight feature series, we’re taking a deep dive into an increasingly popular, yet often unspoken about role - the advisory role.  To help us cover the ins and outs of the role, how you can land your first gig and the benefits to Founders, we’re joined by JBM Principal, Marina Maxwell and Chris Seigal, Advisor to D2C brands.  So, whether you’re already an advisor, you’re starting to think about making the move into advisory work or you’re a Founder thinking about making this hire - this episode will cover some of the most frequent questions we get asked.  Episode chapters: ➡️ What is a Startup advisor? [3:42] ➡️ The rise and power of advisory roles [6:02] ➡️ From side-hustle to full-time advisor [8:44] ➡️ The rewards and benefits [9:39] ➡️ What to expect from the day-to-day [11:57] ➡️ How Founders benefit [14:28] ➡️ Positioning yourself when starting out [17:26] ➡️ Being transparent and navigating pricing [18:43] ➡️ Working with headhunters [22:00] ➡️ The value of high-quality advisors [25:24] ➡️ Ready to hire? Advice for Founders [29:44] ➡️ Building a curious culture [31:18] ➡️ Hone the pitch, build momentum, gain confidence [33:28] ➡️ Navigating imposter syndrome [35:24] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ For more career mentorship, follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/?viewAsMember=true ➡️ Find out more about our team and mission here: https://jbmc.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There are a lot of cases where I think raising capital can actually ruin a perfectly good business model.”  In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor 'Early Stage Founders' Feature Series episode, we’re joined by Hannah Russell, the Co-Founder of multi-award-winning podcasting company, Mags Creative.  Mags Creative aren’t just the brilliant team behind our 40 Minute Mentor podcast, but are also the brains and creative power behind some of the best podcasts in the industry. The team helps brands and individuals tell their stories from concepts and planning to production and promotion.  In today’s episode, we hear about the incredible journey Hannah and her sister, Faith have been on with Mags Creative and learn more about what got them to where they are today, including:  The importance of celebrating success as a Founder [04:37] What led Hannah to entrepreneurship and what her first business was all about [09:27]  Why the tumbleweed was the biggest surprise for her as a first-time Founder [13:32]  The biggest lessons she learnt from building Layer Home [16:01] How she ended up selling the business to one of her competitors [18:37]   Why she decided to jump back in the Founders seat and why podcasting [23:47]  How what she’s building at Mags Creative is so different to her first business [27:26] Why Mags is a bootstrapped business and her advice for anyone trying to decide whether to raise capital [29:50] Why you should start a podcast and what to keep in mind before you do it [36:17] Why comparison is so dangerous for Founders [42:00] How becoming a mother has changed her as a leader [44:33]    ⛳️  Helpful links:  ➡️ More about Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahruss/➡️ More about Mags Creative: https://www.magscreative.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Paying people well and giving them lunches when they come to the office can be really good… but the best people are motivated by their growth and development.” For the final Monday episode of Series 10, we're joined by Steve Coulson, Founder and CEO of Kitt - the business that creates and manages custom HQs for the world’s most vibrant brands. Before Kitt, Steve built B2B parking platform and B2C app, JustPark, to 50,000+ locations and 5m+ drivers.  Today, we discuss Steve’s entrepreneurial journey and the lessons learned along the way, including: ➡️  From investment banking to Startup life [1:12] ➡️  Entrepreneurial environment & his upside down career [04:35] ➡️  Leaving JustPark and Kitt’s origin story [07:50] ➡️  The deafening silence of entrepreneurship [11:12] ➡️  From serving startups to the biggest brands in the world [13:49]  ➡️  Building momentum & early lessons learned [14:55]  ➡️  Navigating the pandemic and finding silver linings [18:44] ➡️  The post-pandemic rush and revisiting fundraising [22:52] ➡️  Unpacking the future of the office [25:30] ➡️  Creating an amazing space for your team & culture [28:52]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-coulson-1521a743/ ➡️ Find out more about Kitt: https://www.kittoffices.com/en/ ➡️ Hear more from Kitt’s Co-Founder & COO, Lucy: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/coo-secrets/coo-secrets-with-lucy-minton-co-founder-coo-at-kitt/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the end of Series 7, we have a special roundup episode in store for you, in which our Host James Mitra sits down with 40 Minute Mentor Producer and JBM Head of Marketing & Partnerships, Hannah Urbanek.  Together, they reflect on their favourite moments of Series 7 and tell us a bit more about the upcoming episodes, including the comeback of a very popular mini series.  ➡️ If you’re not all caught up on Series 7 yet, make sure you have a look through the episode archives at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/40-minute-mentor/id1459665761?uo=4&ct=ratethispodcast&mt=2&ls=1 ⭐ If you enjoyed Series 7 and can’t wait for more, please do make sure you hit the subscribe button and leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm 💌 For any ideas and recommendations for the next Series, please get in touch at info@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I’ve been rejected by every ideal university I imagined I wanted to go to, at least 50 jobs I interviewed for and by 130 VC funds in fundraising so far.” In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by James Lo, Co-Founder and CEO of Mana - the app designed to help everyone make a living by sharing their passion.  James started his entrepreneurial journey early, founding an educational social enterprise at the age of 16, before following a more traditional Founder path of consulting at McKinsey and time at the VC SoftBank Vision Fund.  His latest venture, Mana, have been on an incredible journey, including an impressive £1.5 million pre-seed funding round, led by Flash Ventures and Global Founders Capital.  Today, we find out more about James’s journey with Mana and beyond, including:  ➡️ His upbringing in Hong Kong and the inspiration for his first social enterprise [05:09]  ➡️ The importance of a sustainable business model [09:07]  ➡️ Why he turned down his university offers and went protesting instead [12:49] ➡️ The crucial skills he learned at McKinsey [17:46]  ➡️ His window into WeWork through his time at SoftBank Vision Found [21:44] ➡️ The story behind Mana [25:17]  ➡️ Why the initial concept of Mana failed and what he learned from it [30:33]  ➡️ The key components for getting a pivot right [35:42]  ➡️ How to responsibly let people go [40:20] ➡️ Mana’s culture and what James looks for when hiring [44:53]  ➡️ His funding experience [48:44] ➡️ Why VC is in need of some fundamental changes [51:38] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yfjameslo/ ➡️ More about Mana: https://mana.live/qr?shortlink=1asclcd4&is_retargeting=true&pid=QR_code   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/ to find out more.  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We live on an ocean planet, and we have this strange relationship where we assume it’s all been discovered, but it actually hasn’t…”  For the penultimate week of this Series of 40 Minute Mentor, we’re joined by Steve Etherton, President EMEA of DEEP - an international research and development organisation who aim to become the NASA of the ocean.  Having placed Steve Etherton with DEEP, when they were still in stealth mode, we’re so excited to finally be able to welcome him to the podcast and find out about DEEP’s mission to radically advance how humankind access, explore and inhabit underwater environments. Before joining DEEP, Steve spent 12 years in the British Army and a decade growing one of Africa’s fastest growing FinTechs.  Tune in to discover: ➡️  Finding the balance between entrepreneurship and the rest of life [03:35]  ➡️  Starting his career in the Military & leadership lessons [06:51]  ➡️  Transitioning out of the Army [08:02]  ➡️  How Africa’s rocketship FinTech began and went on to raise $90 million [09:25]  ➡️  Figuring out what type of COO you want to be [10:59]  ➡️  DEEP’s mission to make humans aquatic [13:24]  ➡️  Coming out of stealth mode & learnings from early build [18:04]  ➡️  Tackling the climate crisis [21:10]  ➡️  Developing underwater habitats [24:46]  ➡️  Being driven, fearless and curious: an insight into DEEP’s culture & hiring practices [26:49]  ➡️  Evolution of leadership styles [30:24]  ➡️  Audience question: Understanding the oceans, a note for underwater living sceptics [32:48]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-etherton-91190a24/ ➡️ Find out more about DEEP: https://www.deep.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You want someone who's lived that same experience, and hopefully they can pass on what worked for them, but also what didn't work for them.” The golden mentorship moments keep on coming as we head into episode two of our new mentorship feature series.  This week, James and Hannah are joined by Ashleigh Tennent, Founder of the coaching platform, More Happi and Lisa Rodwell, the CEO of Daye, the company bridging the gender gap in medical research and innovation.  Together, the four discuss how to find your perfect match in a mentor and a coach and how to nurture those relationships, including:   ➡️  Blossoming from colleagues to mentorship and friendship [04:54]  ➡️  The value of trust in building a mentor relationship [07:17]  ➡️  The art of not wasting time [09:11]  ➡️  Balancing a range of roles, as a mentor [10:38]  ➡️  Finding common ground to rocket your relationship [13:47]  ➡️  Paying it forward and the benefits of ‘reverse’ mentorship [15:26]  ➡️  Respecting busy lifestyles and managing expectations [19:00]  ➡️  Navigating conflict and misunderstanding [22:11]  ➡️  Using missions or problems to hook in a prospective mentor [27:48]  ➡️  Mentor vs Coach, what’s the difference? [29:27]  ➡️  Reflections and advice for aspiring mentees and mentors [33:23]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Ashleigh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleightennent/ ➡️ Connect with Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisarodwell/ ➡️ More about More Happi: https://morehappi.com/ ➡️ More about Daye: https://www.yourdaye.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm   🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"When you’re aligned on vision, values and strategic direction, you can achieve anything…” In this week’s bite-sized startup mentorship episode, we’re joined by Charlene Chen, JBM Board Advisor, COO of AZA Finance and Co-Founder of Operations Nation.  Charlene is not only a brilliant COO, but also happens to be our very first 40 Minute Mentor guest, back when we started the podcast in 2019.  In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about:  ➡️ Charlene’s squiggly career to COO [01:06]  ➡️ A full overview of the COO role [03:27]  ➡️ The evolution and expansion of the COO role [07:05]  ➡️ The essential skills any COO needs [09:26] ➡️ Making the leap from Head of Ops to COO [14:04]  ➡️ Common challenges COOs face [16:16]  ➡️ Building effective relationships across the C-Suite [22:13]  ➡️ Resources any aspiring COO should check out [26:20]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Charlene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlenechen/ ➡️ Find out more about Operations Nation: https://operationsnation.com/ ➡️ Check out this year’s Ops Fest: https://operationsnation.com/events/international-ops-fest ➡️ Secure your seat at the annual cONference: https://lu.ma/cONference2023   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Where it does become an issue for you, the people around you, your team and your family, is when you are burning out, getting stressed and ill, because you’re not finding any balance at all.”  In this second part of our new 40 Minute Mentor mini-series, we learn more about the lessons our Founder, CEO and host of this podcast, James Mitra, learned over the last 10 years of building and scaling JBM.  If you haven’t caught up with the first part of the series, yet, make sure you check it out here:  https://40-minute-mentor.simplecast.com/episodes/part-1-10-lessons-from-10-years-of-scaling-jbm-with-james-mitra-founder-ceo-of-jb-VKWGjvCD  Today, we learn about:  ➡️ The importance of long-term partnerships [01:08]  ➡️ The impossible task of finding balance as a Founder [05:16]  ➡️ Why you need to listen to your gut more [10:18]  ➡️ Learn more about our Series Sponsors, Alchemist [14:52]  ➡️ Why hiring is incredibly difficult, even when recruitment is your day job [15:34]  ➡️ The importance of letting your hires leave on good terms, when it doesn’t work out [19:23]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about James Mitra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmitra-jbm/ ➡️ More about JBM: https://jbmc.co.uk/ 💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🤝Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following on from our pledge last year to continue shining a light on History’s influential black voices, beyond Black History Month, we welcome back Samuel Tholley, the Founder of Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  Today, and in continuation of celebrating International Women’s Day, beyond March 8th, Samuel shares two stories of female trailblazers with us, who have significantly shaped the world we live in today.  First we’ll be learning more about Baroness Doreen Lawrence and her battle to reform the police service, following the murder of her son, Stephen Lawrence in 1993.  Then, Samuel will catapult as further back in history and share the incredible story of Mary Jane Seacole, the British-Jamaican nurse and business woman who set up the “British Hotel” behind the lines during the Crimean War.     🤝 To learn more about Hidden Pages and the importance of normalising black history, check out our previous 40 Minute Mentor episode with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It’s okay not to know. It’s not okay not to learn.”  The Metaverse often makes headlines, but what does it really mean?  In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Joe Robinson, the CEO of Improbable Defence. Improbable is a British Metaverse technology Scaleup and Unicorn, that partners with video game developers, entertainment companies and defence institutions to help them bring to life rich, powerful, virtual worlds of unprecedented size, scale, ambition and usefulness.  We’ve had the huge pleasure of working with Joe and the Improbable team, and we’re so excited to share a bit more about their incredible journey and Joe’s impressive career journey to date.  In today’s episode, we chat about:  ➡️ Why leadership doesn’t have to have all the answers [04:38]  ➡️ The importance of mental resilience and resetting priorities [05:44]  ➡️ Joe’s 10 years at the Ministry of Defence [07:06]  ➡️ What the military has taught him about team dynamic [08:34]  ➡️ How you build resilience and why empathy is the key to it [11:43]  ➡️ What Improbable does and how it works in Defence [15:27]  ➡️ Why the CEO role is the worst defined job of all [20:12]  ➡️ Lack of sleep, accountability and making decisions as CEO [23:20]  ➡️ Joe’s definition of the Metaverse [25:37]  ➡️ How you put company values into day to day practice [30:59]  ➡️ Making your values part of your company’s DNA [35:28]  ➡️ Why you can’t lose track of the ultimate value you’re building [39:42]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-robinson-20b2664b/ ➡️ More about Improbable: https://www.improbable.io/ 💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/ to find out more.  🤝Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"She comes to the table with no judgement and all curiosity and allows me to explore in a way that I do my best thinking because I feel safe to do it.” This week is the final episode in our mentorship feature series, and what a four weeks it has been! In this series finale, James and Hannah are joined by the dynamic duo of Tess Cosad and Chloé HC. Tess is the Co-Founder and CEO of Béa Fertility, the ambitious FertilityTech startup, focused on democratising access to safe, affordable fertility treatment. Chloé is an accomplished product leader and coach with over 10 years experience working directly with CEOs and founding teams to shape vision, drive strategy and deliver day to day execution from Seed to Series B. Tess and Chloé have been friends for many years after meeting at University, and although their careers went in different directions, they stay connected with their friendship ultimately evolving into one of mentorship.  We can’t wait for you to hear all about their highs and lows, and feel their energy throughout, where we discover: ➡️  From uni friendship to tackling loneliness as a Startup Founder [04:07] ➡️  Hopping between the friend zone and mentor zone [05:36] ➡️  Setting topic boundaries for a smoother mentorship process [08:08] ➡️  The beauty of working in different backgrounds and having different perspectives [10:39] ➡️  Unlocking business decisions as a mentor, from a bench in New York [14:11] ➡️  Putting your ego aside to navigate disagreements [18:15] ➡️  A no-judgement, all-curiosity approach to mentorship [22:11] ➡️  Finding a connection and being challenged in a safe space [29:56] ➡️  How to positively un-couple and move on [34:36] ➡️  Helping you find your voice, without being over-mentored as a female Founder [35:51] ➡️  Assessing the power dynamic and nature of relationship with a prospective mentor [39:20]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Tess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-isabelle-cosad/ ➡️ Connect with Chloe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlo%C3%A9-hajnal-corob-97a3407b/ ➡️ More about Béa Fertility: https://beafertility.com/ ➡️ More about Resonate coaching: https://resonatecoaching.co/about 🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting  2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙 ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We don’t just recruit for mission alignment, but for mission obsession. You can spot a mission obsessed person from a mile away - they almost can’t contain it within them.”  In this week’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we talk about all things hiring - the importance of getting hiring right and how hiring for values can help with that.  In almost every conversation we have with Founders, hiring is referenced as a real pain point and something that’s difficult to get right but can be detrimental for a Startup when you get it wrong.  Throughout today’s episode we’ll hear the best hiring advice from some of our previous 40 Minute Mentors, including:  ➡️ Wing Chan, Co-Founder & CEO of Sourceful ➡️ Tessa Clarke, Co-Founder & CEO of OLIO  ➡️ Margot de Broglie, Co-Founder of Your Juno ➡️ Rachael Twumasi-Corson, the Founder & CEO of Afrocenchix  ➡️ Dan Garrett, Co-Founder & CEO of Farewill    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at hannah@jbmc.co.uk   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There won’t be many Founders out there who weren’t affected by the roller coaster weekend of the SVB collapse. Even if you weren’t banking with SVB yourself, the chances are high that your clients, investors or suppliers were. Although we all got to breathe a sigh of relief with HSBC acquiring SVB, many questions remain: Why did SVB collapse? How did we get to this outcome and who was behind it all? What happened behind the scenes during this weekend?   To answer all of this and more, we’re joined by the person who was front and centre, Dom Hallas, the Executive Director of UK tech lobby group, The Coalition for a Digital Economy - Coadec.   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Dom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dom-hallas/ ➡️ Find out more about Coadec: https://coadec.com/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.   🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re officially DAYS away from launching Season 12 of our 40 Minute Mentor podcast.  And this might be one of our best seasons yet.  We have an amazing line-up of 40 Minute Mentors sharing the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journey - all the way from that initial idea to launching and breaking world records along the way.  For a preview of some of the amazing pocket-sized mentorship that will land in a set of headphones near you starting this Wednesday, check out our season trailer.  If you like what you’re hearing, make sure you hit subscribe or set a reminder to check back this Wednesday morning for a fresh dose of pocket-sized mentorship.  🤔 Know someone who will enjoy this? Share the trailer with them today!  💡Ideas on how we can make the trailer even better? Leave us a review or drop us a note on hannah@jbmc.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It very often feels uncomfortable for Founders to put themselves out there in that way. But the more you do it, the easier it will get.”  In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re covering a topic critical for every early-stage Founder - the power of Public Relations.  To help us discover the do’s and don’ts and share some of the biggest advice for Founders and Communication teams, we’re joined by Rhiannon Evans-Young, Founder & Director of Crest, Isabella Cookson, Director at Milltown Partners and Hannah Urbanek, Fractional Head of Marketing and 40 Minute Mentor Producer.  Episode chapters:  ➡️ The Do’s & Dont’s of PR [01:10]  ➡️ Building your Founder brand [05:00]  ➡️ Common PR mistakes [10:30]  ➡️ Navigating a communications crisis [15:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Rhiannon on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rhiannon-evans-young-0179885b  ➡️ Follow Isabella on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/isabella-cookson-03218280  ➡️ Follow Hannah on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/hannahurbanek  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You need to figure out what you really need. Not just the role now, but looking at the future and at the competencies you need in your organisation. Figure out how you build a very complementary team, rather than having people who are all the same.”  This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is Sandra Schwarzer, VP C-Suite/Board & EU Talent/Community & Insights Team leader at Index Ventures.  Sandra works with Founders and executive teams on people related issues, including talent strategy, culture and DE&I, and advises Index’ portfolio on their most senior hires.  Before joining Index, Sandra has had a really varied career, including being a headhunter, leading the Global HR, Security & Facilities functions at Open Society Foundations, George Soros’s $23bn private philanthropy, and led INSEAD’s Career Services.  In today’s episode, we unpack the realities of transitioning careers, the complex relationship between recruitment, culture and organisational strategy, and we bust some VC myths along the way. Episode Chapters: ➡️ Why VC is far from transactional [2:01] ➡️ Growing up in East Berlin [3:20] ➡️ Stand out moments from her earlier career [10:56] ➡️ A passion for people [14:25] ➡️ Lessons from being a headhunter [16:19] ➡️ Her perception of VC & why she joined Index [18:54] ➡️ The power of relationship building in VC [20:13] ➡️ How to transition from headhunting to VC [22:54] ➡️ A deep dive into the Index structure [26:01] ➡️ Working with Founders who own their story [29:36] ➡️ Hiring top talent: secrets to success [34:04] ➡️ Getting to know candidates outside of work [39:22] ➡️ Retaining talent in uncertain times [41:19] ➡️ Working with headhunters - the recipe for success [44:54] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Sandra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwarzer/  ➡️ Find out more about Index Ventures: https://www.indexventures.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you’re not ready to commit to VC for at least 10 years, it’s just not worth trying…”  This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is Masha Bucher, Founder & General Partner at Day One Ventures.  The firm backs Founders from AI and Climate, to future of work and Deeptech, helping customer obsessed and mission-driven Founders win, by harnessing the power of storytelling.  With a background in communications and PR, Masha is pioneering a new model in VC by spearheading public relations in Day One Ventures portfolio, which is one of the many topics we dive into in today’s episode…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Busting a big VC myth [2:52] ➡️ Growing up with a winning mentality [5:24] ➡️ The outcome of going viral on Twitter, now X [7:37] ➡️ Life as Head of Comms in VC [9:22] ➡️ Scaling her PR Consultancy [11:19] ➡️ Finding and owning her niche [13:13] ➡️ The investment thesis of Day One Ventures [14:29] ➡️ The power of patience and listening to yourself [16:51] ➡️ A deep dive into assessing culture [19:47] ➡️ Tips for early stage Founders [21:11] ➡️ What turns a good pitch into a great one [24:15] ➡️ A culture built on love, freedom and truth [27:35] ➡️ The value of working with Day One Ventures [31:49] ➡️ Making a habit of building your personal brand [38:03] ➡️ Trusting your intuition [41:37] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Masha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mashadrokova/  ➡️ Find out more about Day One Ventures: https://dayoneventures.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Everything I have done has centred around teams and individuals, and how do you get the most out of them…”  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is the brilliant Catherine Lenson, Angel Investor, Founder, Venture Partner at LocalGlobe and CEO of Andante Advisory.  Catherine has had a hugely successful career, having spent her formative years at UBS and becoming the first female Managing Partner at SoftBank.  Today, Catherine is the Founder and CEO of Andante Advisory, a boutique consultancy firm which operates as a trusted partner to senior executives and leading organisations on Culture, People and Purpose.  She is also a Venture Partner at LocalGlobe, an angel investor in early-stage tech companies across the UK, US and Israel, and is the UK’s first Fair Play facilitator.  Tune in to today’s episode to discover:  ➡️ Reliving her days when a rogue trader almost brought down UBS [03:32]  ➡️ The privilege of entrepreneurship [05:29]  ➡️ From her love for music to Cambridge and ending up in London [06:39]  ➡️ Scaling from 20 to 500 people in four years [10:04]  ➡️ Becoming the first female Managing Partner at SoftBank [13:34]  ➡️ Building a portfolio career [16:49]  ➡️ Angel Investing and joining LocalGlobe [24:39]  ➡️ Common culture mistakes [32:32]  ➡️ Fair Play and creating more equality in the household [36:47]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Catherine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-lenson/ ➡️ Find out more about her work: https://www.catherinelenson.com/ ➡️ Find out more about LocalGlobe: https://localglobe.vc/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The biggest shift in the candidate market is that people care just as much about how they work as what they do.”  In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Molly Johnson-Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Flexa.  Flexa is a global directory of verified flexible companies that lists companies by vacancies and flexibility percentage scores, benchmarked against thousands of data points.  We’re proud partners of Flexa and were ‘flexified’ earlier in 2022. That’s why we were so excited to catch up with Molly on the podcast, share her story and the incredible journey Flexa have been on.  Molly shares some truly candid insights into her own journey and the future of flexible working, including:  ➡️Her unfair dismissal from investment banking and how she bounced back after [06:43] ➡️Why she started Flexa and how it works for candidates and employers [14:36]  ➡️ The hardest parts of being a first-time Founder [18:33]   ➡️ Why investing in your mental health is so important [20:00]  ➡️ Her advice for any aspiring Founders [22:23]   ➡️ What it’s like to found a business with your partner and why it held them back when raising funding [24:31]   ➡️ Why flexibility means choice and how employers can embrace flexible working [31:33]  ➡️ The cases in which stripping back flexibility can be beneficial [33:48]   ➡️ How employers can attract more talent in a very competitive market [36:31]   ➡️ What do the next 5 to 10 years of flexible working look like [40:53]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Molly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-johnson-jones/ ➡️ More about Flexa: https://flexa.careers/ ➡️ JBM on Flexa: https://flexa.careers/companies/jbm   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    📅 Join us at the Sifted Summit!  We’ll be recording a 40 Minute Mentor panel discussion at this year’s Sifted Summit in London, on Thursday, October 6th.  To join us at the event and a chance to ask your questions during our live recording, claim one of our 40 FREE tickets, by redeeming the code: 40MMFREE for a Startup ticket on on www.summit.sifted.eu   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We are not expected to all develop in the same direction. Success isn’t the same for all of us and we can’t plan our way to some kind of predictable future.”  40 Minute Mentor is fast approaching its 12th season.  With over 250 episodes published, we know that not every single one of our listeners will have been around from the beginning.  To share some of our earlier mentorship with you, we’re running another one of our Replay feature seasons.  In today’s Replay episode, we’re revisiting our 40 minutes of pocket-sized mentorship with the brilliant Helen Tupper.  Helen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Amazing If, a bestselling Author and Co-Host of the popular Squiggly Careers podcast.  In these 40 minutes, you’ll find out…  Episode chapters: ➡️ Joining for the company, not the job [03:25]   ➡️ Working for big brands [04:30]  ➡️ Defining your career values [08:30]  ➡️ Taking the plunge into entrepreneurship [10:20]  ➡️ Building a business with your friend [15:15]  ➡️ Defining a Squiggly Career [20:45]  ➡️ Building your confidence [26:45]  ➡️ Starting the Squiggly Careers podcast [30:35]  ➡️ The secret to community building [35:20]  ➡️ Advice on career pivots [35:45]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Helen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helentupper?originalSubdomain=uk  ➡️ Find out more about Amazing If: https://www.amazingif.com/  ➡️ Listen to the Squiggly Careers podcast: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Entrepreneurship is a process of natural selection. You can't ever guarantee that the playbook you're going to follow is going to guarantee success.”  In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Graham Hobson, the Founder of Photobox, a photo printing company that acquired Moonpig and was later sold for a reported £400 million. Today, Graham is an angel investor, mentor and advisor, working to support climate change initiatives, fairer tax and social impact.  In this episode, Graham shares candid insights into the brilliant journey he’s taken Photobox on and the chapter that followed, including:  ➡️ How Graham’s upbringing and natural inclination to not follow a traditional path has brought him to entrepreneurship [07:54]  ➡️ Why social mobility played a huge part into the leader he is today [09:37]  ➡️ How Photobox was created on Graham’s commute to and from work and what the early years were like [11:58]  ➡️ How Graham and his Co-Founder Mark navigated the bumpy growth journey Photobox was on  [18:38]  ➡️ Graham’s candid advice for anyone looking to merge businesses [23:37]  ➡️ How he transitioned from CEO to CTO and the challenges that came with that [26:56]  ➡️ Why Photobox acquired Moonpig and what exiting the business was like for him [30:11]  ➡️ Why it didn’t take a long time for Graham to get back into work after exiting Photobox and his advice for any Founders preparing for their exit [34:12] ➡️ Graham’s involvement in driving for higher taxes for the Wealthy and why this is a topic so close to his heart [40:58]  ➡️ What Founders should keep in mind as they navigate the economic downturn and impending recession [47:52]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Graham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamhobson ➡️ More about Photobox: https://www.photobox.co.uk/   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    Pacaso - a co-ownership platform for luxury homes. Picasso curates stunning holiday homes in top vacation destinations around the world. Find out more over on https://www.pacaso.com/   📅 Join us at the Sifted Summit!  We’ll be recording a 40 Minute Mentor panel discussion at this year’s Sifted Summit in London, on Thursday, October 6th.  To join us at the event and a chance to ask your questions during our live recording, claim one of our 40 FREE tickets, by redeeming the code: 40MMFREEE on on www.summit.sifted.eu   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“In the whole of my career, I lost more races than I won. I think people like to look at the medals, but don’t necessarily look at the other side of it.”  40 Minute Mentor is officially back for Series 8!  We’re kicking off this new series with the amazing Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain’s greatest Paralympic athlete, who has won 11 Gold medals and broke 30 world records throughout her career.  Following her competing years, Tanni was created a life peer and is a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords.  In today’s episode, we get a really candid insight into Tanni’s life and career, including:  ➡️ Why setbacks have been so important to her success as a Paralympian [03:10] ➡️ Her upbringing and why her parents fought to keep her in a mainstream school [04:09] ➡️ What made her fall in love with wheelchair racing and what it was like to make the British squad at age 17 [07:27] ➡️ Her experience of her first Paralympics and the journey to Seoul [09:39]  ➡️ How you consistently push yourself and build the resilience to keep going [13:52]  ➡️ Why she never saw anything as a sacrifice [15:57] ➡️ Why breaking the 400 meter world record stands out from all her successes [20:50]  ➡️ How she decided to retire and her advice for anyone transitioning careers [22:30]  ➡️ How she transitioned to a career in Politics and the issues closest to her heart [27:41] ➡️ Why getting into sports is such a great opportunity and how people can get motivated [31:32] ➡️ And why it’s so important to open up and talk to people when the going gets tough [33:04]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Tanni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanni-grey-thompson-9a6b84a6/ ➡️ For mental health support, we recommend:  Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk The Samaritans can be reached on 116 12 And for local help and support, call the Mind Infoline at 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Dyslexia is a learning difference. There’s nothing difficult about it. You have challenges, but you’re not a difficult individual.”  In our final episode in this specialist advice series, we’re joined by Onyinye Udokporo, one of the UK’s youngest education experts, entrepreneur, dyslexic author, neurodiversity consultant and content creator.  Onyinye’s entrepreneurial journey started when she was only 12 years old, when she began tutoring children and young people from her local community in her parent’s living room.  Following her own diagnosis with Dyslexia, she became an author of ‘Dyslexia and Me: How to survive and thrive if you’re neurodivergent’ and started her own Neurodiversity Consulting firm in 2022, where she delivers training and workshops as well as consulting services to businesses including Google and the BBC.  Today we’ll dive into her entrepreneurial journey, from day one in her parent’s living room to using AI for good, and everything in between.  Episode Chapters:  ➡️ Learning from setbacks [02:15]  ➡️ Upbringing & starting a business at the age of 12 [04:10]  ➡️ Quitting big 4 consulting on Day 1 [09:10]  ➡️ Early entrepreneurial inspirations [18:30]  ➡️ Being diagnosed with dyslexia [21:15]  ➡️ Making businesses more neuro inclusive [27:50]  ➡️ Advice for neurodivergent Founders [30:40]  ➡️ Hiring & retaining neurodiverse talent [36:30]  ➡️ Education & AI [41:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Onyinye on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onyinyeudokporo?originalSubdomain=uk  ➡️ Find out more about her work: https://www.onyinyeudokporo.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If the product is good enough, ultimately the business will succeed.”  In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Nick Jenkins, Founder of Moonpig, former Dragon on BBC hit show Dragons' Den and angel investor.  Due to its incredible success story, greeting card business Moonpig probably doesn’t need much of an introduction, but we don’t often hear about the challenges it took to overcome to eventually sell Moonpig for £120 million to Photobox Group in 2011.  In today’s episode, Nick shares buckets of candid insights and mentorship, including:  Nick’s career before Moonpig and why he received a death threat [06:23] What inspired him to start Moonpig and how he turned the business around before it went bust [08:35] The story behind the iconic Moonpig jingle [15:10] What made Moonpig so successful and Nick’s biggest learnings from scaling the business [20:01] His advice on hiring for the right fit and how to nurture a great team culture [23:17] How he approached figuring out what to do after he sold Moonpig and how he landed in the charity sector [29:11] What it was like to become CEO of someone else’s business after selling his own [31:12] His involvement with the charity sector today and advice for anyone looking to give back [33:06] What it was really like on Dragons' Den and some of the scenes you might have not seen on TV [38:31] His advice for any Founders looking to raise angel investment [43:01]   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Chipper Cash - an African cross-border payments company trusted by over 4 million users. The team have been on an incredible expansion journey and is hiring for some exciting roles. If you want to be part of their mission to unlock global opportunities and connect Africa, one transaction at a time, head over to https://bit.ly/40mmsponsor to find out more.   ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡ ️To order your next Moonpig card, head to: https://www.moonpig.com/uk/ ➡ Find out more about our sponsors and their rocketship journey at - https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/unlocking-global-opportunities-with-chipper-cashs-ham-serunjogi/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TW: This episode includes conversations around eating disorders and extreme quick fixes that are not recommended or endorsed. If you are struggling with the topics covered, please seek professional help.  "A Mediterranean style diet can be more effective than anti-depressants." The nation's health is arguably the worst it's been in generations, and that predominantly comes down to our relationship with food…. What if everyone knew the truth about fad diets? Are calories actually to blame? Is plant-based the way to go? In today's final episode of our wellbeing feature, we're joined by Rhiannon Lambert, one of the UK’s leading nutritionists, a Sunday Times bestselling author and chart-topping podcast host. We chat about Rhiannon's career defining pivot and realistic, tangible nutrition advice for the busiest Execs, including:  ➡️ Pursuing a Music career at the age of 17  [03:04]  ➡️ The toxicity of body image in the limelight [07:08]  ➡️ Her pivot into nutrition and becoming a Founder  [11:16]  ➡️ Opening her Harley Street clinic [14:45]  ➡️ The making of her 'Food For Thought' podcast [22:48]  ➡️ Tangible nutrition advice for the busiest professionals [28:57]  ➡️ How parents can help tackle childhood obesity [32:57] ➡️ Making healthy and affordable choices in a cost of living crisis [35:30] AND spoiler alert, you CAN have chocolate after breakfast....  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Rhiannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhitrition/ ➡️ Check out Rhitrition: https://www.rhitrition.com/   🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I'm not surrendering to the peaks and troughs of social ways, acceptance and rejection. I'm standing firm in my core principles.” Today's podcast episode is a special one - it's a Hidden Pages' takeover.  In this episode, Samuel Tholley, Founder of Hidden Pages is joined by Faith Locken, Founder and CEO of We Rise In - an award-winning business network with the mission to inspire, elevate and develop the careers of black professionals. Tune in to discover: ➡️  We Rise In: on a mission to improve diversity at senior levels [2:46] ➡️  How frustration led to Faith’s first startup [6:09] ➡️  George Floyd and the resurgence of Black Lives Matter  [From 7:35] ➡️  Finding mentorship in different forms [9:11] ➡️  Building resilience on the lonely Founder journey [12:39] ➡️  Mental barriers and supporting families in the black community [14:47] ➡️  Backing yourself to work on your side hustle [19:20] ➡️  Being passionate and discovering your why [26:19] ➡️  Accountability and shining a light on reverse mentorship [27:11] ➡️  Scaling We Rise In [29:44]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-tholley-758135105/➡️ Connect with Faith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-locken-710b2263/➡️ Find out more about We Rise In: https://www.werisein.co.uk/➡️ Find out more about Hidden Pages: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-pages/ and https://www.instagram.com/_hiddenpages/?hl=en🎧PLUS! If you want to hear more from Samuel and Hidden Pages, listen to his episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It’s a really great time if you want to learn how to be a disciplined Investor and to really be able to hunt down the best Founders and best opportunities.”  In the final part of our bite-sized VC feature series, Rosie Barnett, Principal at Delin Ventures, talks to us about navigating the current landscape and shares tangible advice for any Founders, looking to fundraise.  This episode is jam packed with advice - no matter, if you’re a Founder looking for investment or an aspiring VC, looking to get a foot in the door.  Have your notebooks ready and if you haven’t already, make sure you catch up on the previous 3 parts of this feature series.    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Rosie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-barnett-672329134/ ➡️ Check out Delin Ventures: https://www.delinventures.com/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm 🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene?  Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains topics of mental health and suicide attempts, that may be harmful or traumatising to some audiences. If you’re affected by any of the topics discussed, please make sure you reach out to the helplines listed below. ⚠️   Suicide is a major public health problem, with far-reaching social, emotional and economic consequences. According to the World Health Organisation, there are currently more than 700,000 suicides per year worldwide.  Following yesterday’s World Suicide Prevention Day and to play our part in breaking the perceived taboo of speaking about suicide, we’re releasing this special episode with clips from our conversation with Clarke Carlisle.  Clarke is a former professional footballer, mental health advocate and ambassador for the mental health charity Mind.  He has had an illustrious football career, having played for a number of top clubs, including Leeds United, Watford and Burnley, and winning three caps for England under 21s.  Alongside all of this success, however, Clarke also had to deal with plenty of hardship, including serious injuries, his battle with depression and attempted suicide.   In today’s episode, Clarke shares more about his own experience with depression and suicide and his advice for anyone struggling with their mental health.    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Tune into the full episode with Clarke here: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/from-the-premier-league-to-mental-health-advocate-with-clarke-carlisle/ ➡️ More about the work Clarke and Carrie are doing: https://www.clarkeandcarrie.com/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"What I try to do is listen to the problem, understand how it fits stuff I've seen before, then relate how I think it'll play out…” In this week's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by a mentorship duo connected by their love and passion for the startup world.  Peter Nixey - serial entrepreneur and OG of the UK Startup scene, joins us together with his mentee, AJ, who has been the CEO of the invite-only community, Foundrs. Peter founded Clcikpass.com which raised investment from YC and several angels, before selling the company to Yola.com. His most recent ventures include Copyin, a platform for progressional communities built entirely in email and Intentional.io - a day planner that focuses you on managing your time, rather than your tasks.  AJ has been the CEO of Foundrs for the past two years and is soon moving on to start his own company that will support others looking to build communities like Foundrs.  From structuring sessions with pre-set agendas, to open conversations around personal life challenges, this episode explores the real ins and outs of a solid mentorship relationship, including: ➡️  Evolving from community check-ins to full-scale mentorship [04:25]  ➡️  The importance of agendas and time management [06:13]  ➡️  The power of pushing back AND being open to feedback, as a mentee [09:06]  ➡️  Using previous problems to tackle current challenges [12:50]  ➡️  Overlapping topics and progression to propel the mentor relationship [14:39] ➡️  Allowing space for emotionally charged conversations [20:48] ➡️  Opinions vs shared experiences from a serial entrepreneur [23:54]  ➡️  From PhD dropout to a mentorship awakening [28:57] ➡️  The significance of community in the Startup world [32:02] ➡️  Providing value from both sides of the mentor relationship [35:09] ➡️  Being a cheerleader and staying inquisitive on your mentorship journey [36:38]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with AJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-foundrs/ ➡️ Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peternixey/ ➡️ More about Foundrs: https://www.foundrs.co/ ➡️ More about Intentional.io: https://intentional.io/   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm   🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting 2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach 1 million downloads and wrap up Series 9 of our 40 Minute Mentor podcast, we wanted to reflect on the brilliant career mentorship we received over the last 12 weeks.  From building a bootstrapped global fitness brand, to the end of HR, a CBD drink phenomenon to mental health and football, we really covered a spectrum of golden nuggets in the world of startups and scaleups. Not to mention some candid life lessons along the way. In today’s episode, we hear the very best moments from this series, with some spectacular insights into all things Founder life and beyond, including: ➡️ Why you should stop searching for happiness [03:47]  ➡️ How playing poker is like being a Founder [04:21] ➡️ Diversity & privilege in politics [05:10] ➡️ Layoffs are not personal, don’t be ashamed [07:15] ➡️ Overdose & mental health stigma [08:10] ➡️ Get a tech career on your own terms [09:14]   But that’s not goodbye for now, as we are back next week with our special series, on all things mental health and wellbeing.   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ More about JBM on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/ ➡️ Check us out online: https://jbmc.co.uk/   🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I was most unhappy at work when I was making the most money and the biggest amount of success.”  From a successful career at Google, to the journey of making 1 billion people happy.That is the story of Mo Gawdat, the former Chief Business Officer of Google X, author of Solve for Happy and Founder of One Billion Happy.  It’s an episode full of wisdom, honesty and candid reflections.  In today’s 40 Minute Mentor Replay, Mo shares his incredible story, including spending 25 years in tech and the devastating experience of losing his son in 2014 which set him on a completely new path.  Today’s episode topics:  ➡️  Heartbreak and loss, finding a new purpose in pain [04:31] ➡️  The beginning of his happiness journey [06:34] ➡️  Going viral with 1 Billion Happy [07:44] ➡️  Committed acceptance in the face of grief [09:29] ➡️  Anger lessons from Gandhi’s grandson [13:26] ➡️  Mo’s work as a happiness engineer [15:27] ➡️  The three ingredients for success [20:14] ➡️  Finding your purpose by knowing what doesn’t resonate [23:12] ➡️  The infinite game called life [25:08] ➡️  Finding micro-purposes in the everyday [27:40] ➡️  The power of making happiness a choice [33:05] ➡️  Definition of happiness is and the golden age of compassion [34:32] ➡️  Allowing yourself to be a mentee, using your circle of support [37:31]  ➡️  The problem with being remembered… [39:34] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Mo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mogawdat/➡️ Find out more about One Billion Happy: http://onebillionhappy.org/➡️ Listen to Mo’s podcast, Slow Mo: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slo-mo-a-podcast-with-mo-gawdat/id1508914142   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The traditional definition (of a Generalist) has been a ‘Jack of all trades’, which often comes with a negative connotation.” In today’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Milly Tamati to explore the rise of the Generalist.  Milly is not only a Generalist, but a Community builder and Founder of Generalist World.  Before leaning into all things Generalist, Milly built businesses all over the world, including co-owning a hostel in Thailand, a wine tour in Australia and an illustration agency in the UK.  Today, we explore:  ➡️ The making of her Generalist skill set  [01:33]  ➡️ Defining what a Generalist really is [03:53]  ➡️ Specialists vs Generalists [05:34]  ➡️ Ending the “Jack of all trades” narrative [08:15]  ➡️ Framing your Generalist career to employers [09:47]  ➡️ The Generalist World community [13:05]  ➡️ Quality over quantity in community building [15:43]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Milly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milly-tamati/ ➡️ Check out Generalist World: https://www.generalist.world/   🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting 2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙 ENTRIES CLOSE 5th SEPTEMBER.    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you eventually want to do investing, become an Operator or Founder, don’t go into banking.”  We are back with another season of our popular VC Feature series, where we hear from some of the best Investors in the space.  Today, we’re joined by Ash Arora, the youngest Partner at LocalGlobe.  Before joining LocalGlobe in 2022, Ash was the Investment Lead for Crypto Unicorn, Polygon’s venture arm, with LPs such as Sequoia, Lightspeed, Softbank, Tiger, etc.  In this episode, we discuss Ash’s career journey, her transition from banking to VC and her focus on Blockchain and AI investments.   Episode Chapters:  ➡️ Upbringing & early career aspirations [03:10]  ➡️ Career foundations in banking [05:00]  ➡️ Reflections on her time at Polygon [07:30]  ➡️ The value of an Ops background as a VC [10:30]  ➡️ Joining LocalGlobe [13:20]  ➡️ Why Blockchain & Web3 [16:00]  ➡️ What makes Founders stand out to Ash [18:15]  ➡️ What to avoid when pitching to VCs [22:25]  ➡️ Raising in a challenging climate [26:50]  ➡️ Embracing Failure [29:00]  ➡️ The importance of mentorship & becoming a mentor [32:20]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Ash on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aashima-arora?originalSubdomain=uk  ➡️ Find out more about LocalGlobe: https://localglobe.vc/  ➡️ Read about Ash’s parameters for finding your next role: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aashima-arora_how-do-you-find-your-next-job-half-the-activity-7136378080742318081-E6PV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re looking back on two 40 Minute Mentor episodes with two absolute trailblazers - Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon and Amali de Alwis.  Anne-Marie is the Co-Founder and CEO of Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise working to inspire and support girls, young women and non-binary people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths careers. You may also know Anne-Marie from the popular Channel 4 show Countdown, or have come across her new book, ‘She’s In CTRL’.  Amali is the CEO of Subak, the world’s first not-for-profit accelerator that scales climate impact through data policy and behaviour change. Prior to joining Subak, she was CEO of Code First: Girls - the largest provider of free coding courses for women in the UK.  Anne-Marie and Amali shared so much great mentorship in their 40 Minute Mentor episodes. In today’s STEM career feature, we’ll focus on:  ➡️ Why a societal change is needed to make Tech more inclusive [01:54]  ➡️ How the industry itself is a barrier [04:21]  ➡️ The importance of just getting started and finding a community [08:01]  ➡️ Advice for more inclusive hiring practices [10:30]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Anne-Marie’s full 40 Minute Mentor episode: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/changing-the-face-of-stem-with-dr-anne-marie-imafidon-mbe/ ➡️ Amali’s full 40 Minute Mentor episode:  https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/series-8-amali-de-alwis-subak/ ➡️ More about ‘She’s In CTRL’: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/444767/shes-in-ctrl-by-imafidon-anne-marie/9781787635029 ➡️ More about Stemettes: https://stemettes.org/ ➡️ More about Subak: https://subak.org/ ➡️ More about Code First: Girls: https://codefirstgirls.com/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.    🏆 Want to partner with us?  Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk   🤝 Explore Hidden Pages:  For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience.  We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from. This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“[We’re] actually using TikTok in a positive way. The whole reason we exist is to combat misinformation, which there is a lot of on TikTok, but it can be used positively.”  In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Jas Schembri-Stothart, Co-Founder of luna, the world’s first digital health companion for teenage girls.  Working with leading health and education institutions, Jas and her Co-Founder Jo Goodall are building a digital companion enabling teenage girls to have a healthier and happier teenhood.  To date, the app has over 100k members in over 100+ countries, was featured as app of the day across app stores and has seen them raise £1.2 million from Octopus Ventures, Syndicate Room and prolific Angel Investors.  In today’s episode, we uncover all the highs and lows along the way so far…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Foundation in consulting [05:50]  ➡️ Deciding whether to get your MBA [08:30]  ➡️ The Origin story behind luna [11:30]  ➡️ Growing through community [19:30]  ➡️ More about Leadership Unleashed [21:20]  ➡️ Spending to grow & hiring mistakes [23:00]  ➡️ VC vs Angel Investment [27:20]  ➡️ Getting to know Gen Z & Generation Alpha [33:20]  ➡️ Embracing Founder Communities [41:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Jas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasschembri/  ➡️ Find out more about luna: https://weareluna.app/  🔔Find out more about today’s sponsors  Today’s episode is brought to you by the Leadership Unleashed Open Cohorts.  Leadership Unleashed Open Cohort is your chance to join a diverse cohort of leaders from different organisations, industries, and parts of the world to build the most critical behaviours and transform into a high performer.  Split into seven remote workshops, the Open Cohort follows a coaching-led approach where you’ll be actively involved and turn your learnings into habits in your day-to-day.  To find out more about the programme and how you can sign up for the next cohort starting in January, get in touch with Logan and Anouk at sayhello@unleashed.company  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Even if we electrify everything and switch to renewables and decarbonise - we still need to remove billions of tonnes of carbon from the sky because we have polluted so much.”  Ahead of World Earth Day this week, we’re really excited to welcome Michelle You, Co-Founder of Songkick and Co-Founder and CEO of Supercritical, to 40 Minute Mentor.  You might have heard of the popular concert ticket app Songkick before, which Michelle and her Co-Founders built to one of the most popular apps on the market. After a turbulent time navigating a lawsuit including winning an antitrust settlement from Ticketmaster, Michelle exited to Warner Music and reassessed her purpose and identity outside of Songkick.  This journey led her to starting Supercritical - a software enabling businesses to measure, reduce and offset their climate impact in weeks, without the need for a sustainability team.  We absolutely loved having Michelle on the podcast and can’t wait for you to listen to the incredible mentorship she shares in today’s episode, including:  How she transitioned from studying Humanities to working in Tech [05:40] Why she started Songkick and how working in the industry has affected her relationship with music [07:56] The key lessons she learned from growing Songkick and the challenges she faced throughout [12:17] How she dealt with the grief and emotional exit from Songkick and how she found her passion to go again with Supercritical [15:17] The mission behind Supercritical and how Michelle and her team work with businesses to tackle the climate crisis [20:06] Michelle’s advice on what we can all do to offset our climate impact [31:28] What Supercritical are looking for when hiring talent [33:42] How Michelle managed to build a 50/50 cap table and her advice for anyone looking for more diverse investors [35:07]   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Chipper Cash - an African cross-border payments company trusted by over 4 million users. The team have been on an incredible expansion journey and is hiring for some exciting roles. If you want to be part of their mission to unlock global opportunities and connect Africa, one transaction at a time, head over to https://bit.ly/40mmsponsor to find out more.   ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡ ️To find out more about Supercritical, head to: https://gosupercritical.com/ ➡ ️To learn more about Michelle, check out her LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleyou/ ➡ ️Our episode with Chipper Cash’s Founder & CEO, Ham Serunjogi - https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/unlocking-global-opportunities-with-chipper-cashs-ham-serunjogi/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Within 24 hours, we said goodbye to all our corporate partners and set off on a new path.”  In this week’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we chat more about the pivot that turned JBM into the search firm it is today.  James Mitra, Founder of JBM and Host of 40 Minute Mentor, talks us through why he decided to pivot the business, the drastic decision he had to make and why transparency, empathy and mentorship were so crucial to the success of the pivot.    ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at hannah@jbmc.co.uk   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors: Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance. To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Getting out of bed was hard. Every day felt like a chore - it felt like the grind. And one night in bed, I just thought to myself, if I feel the same way again tomorrow morning, I honestly don’t want to wake up…”  Continuing our Mental Health mini-series, we look back on our discussion with James Routledge, Founder and former CEO of Sanctus - a purpose-driven mental health organisation focused on providing support in the workplace.  In today’s episode we hear about James’s mental health journey and how it led to starting Sanctus, including:  Why none of the existing mental health services felt like the right choice for James [00:54]  The most difficult steps he had to take in his own mental health journey [07:49]  James’s advice on how you can find balance as a Founder [10:59] If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure you check out the full episode at https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/putting-the-first-mental-health-gym-on-the-high-street-with-james-routledge/   ⛳️  Helpful links:  ➡️ Find out more about James - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdroutledge1/?originalSubdomain=uk ➡️ Check out Sanctus - https://sanctus.io/   And for helpful mental health resources, head to:  ➡️ Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk ➡️ The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123  ➡️ And for local help and support, call the Mind Infoline at 0300 123 3393 or text 86463   ⭐️Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If we’re not seeing outcomes, we need more visibility. Does visibility mean someone being physically in front of you? Probably not.”  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Natasha Ratanshi-Stein, the Founder of Surfboard - the next generation planning tools for customer service teams.  Before building Surfboard, Natasha spent several years as an Operator and Investor, including her roles as Principal at Piton Capital and Chief of Staff at Bulb.  We had a fascinating chat with Natasha, exploring her unique career journey and her mission to make work more human with Surfboard.  Episode chapters:  ➡️ Her upbringing in Canada [03:56]  ➡️ Moving into VC [05:34]  ➡️ Why she wishes she had Operator experience before moving into VC [11:02]  ➡️ Becoming Chief of Staff at Bulb [12:45]  ➡️ Advice for aspiring Chiefs of Staff [16:33]  ➡️ When to hire a Chief of Staff [20:02]  ➡️ More about Surfboard [22:15]  ➡️ Getting customer traction early [30:00]  ➡️ Flexible working [34:16]  ➡️ Audience question: What are your future aspirations with Surfboard? [39:50]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Natasha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-ratanshi-stein-%F0%9F%8F%84%F0%9F%8F%BC%E2%80%8D%E2%99%80%EF%B8%8F-69333723/  ➡️ Check out Surfboard: https://teamsurfboard.com/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Just a single conversation can actually change the direction of someone’s life.”  To kick off Series 2 of our popular 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ mini-series, we’re joined by Alex Stephany, Co-Founder and CEO of Beam - the world’s first crowdfunding platform for homeless people.  When Alex last joined us in Series 2 of 40 Minute Mentor, we talked about the early days of Beam, the inspiring story behind why the business exists and some brilliant actionable mentorship on providing a long-term solution to the homelessness problem, and how we can all play our part in it.  In today’s episode, we hear how Beam has scaled since and Alex shares some more incredible mentorship, including:  Why Beam exists and why they’ve only just scratched the surface of social problems they're solving. [02:21]   How the pandemic has helped Beam scale from an in-person service to an online platform. [07:05]   Why now is such an exciting time to join Beam and what the future holds for the team. [09:55]   Alex’s candid advice on how candidates can prepare for an interview at Beam and examples of how you can go the extra mile. [12:42] ⛳️  Helpful links:  ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Alex Stephany: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/long-term-solutions-for-homelessness-with-alex-stephany/  ➡️ More about Alex Stephany: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexstephany/➡️ More about Beam and their incredible mission: https://beam.org/➡️ Current roles at Beam: https://beam.org/careers   ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we speak to one of Britain’s most decorated Olympians and Founder of FemTech Startup, Jennis, the incredible Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill.   Jess shares the ups and downs of her athletics career, including how setbacks early on in her sporting career turned her into the successful athlete she became and how she dealt with the pressures of Super Saturday. We also hear more about her FemTech business, Jennis, which is on a mission to change women’s lives by helping them gain a better understanding of their bodies.   💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:   Chipper Cash - an African cross-border payments company trusted by over 4 million users. The team have been on an incredible expansion journey and is hiring for some exciting roles. If you want to be part of their mission to unlock global opportunities and connect Africa, one transaction at a time, head over to https://bit.ly/40mmsponsor to find out more. ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ To find out more about Jess’s incredible career, head to https://www.jessicaennis.net/   ➡️ To learn more about Jennis and download the app, head over to https://www.jennis.com/   ➡️ Our episode with Chipper Cash’s Founder & CEO, Ham Serunjogi - https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/unlocking-global-opportunities-with-chipper-cashs-ham-serunjogi/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Founders deserve Investors that have relevant operating experience, time to help them and can be impartial and objective in the advice they give.”  Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Gideon Valkin, former Monzo and ClearScore Commercial Leader, Investor and Entrepreneur.  Following 15 years as a Founder, Operator and Investor, Gideon is now combining being a Founder and Investor in the launch of Andrena Ventures - a $12m solo GP fund.  Andrena is investing $100k-$400k tickets at pre-seed and seed into teams coming from the UK and European ecosystem, focusing on backing the most talented FinTech alumni. In these 40 minutes, you’ll find out…  Episode chapters:  ➡️ The Investors Founders deserve [03:00]  ➡️ Upbringing & values that shape Gideon today [04:00]  ➡️ Learning fundamental lessons from Tennis [10:30]   ➡️ From Founder to Operator [14:15]  ➡️ Overcoming the most challenging times [17:45]   ➡️ Working alongside Tom Blomfield and Justin Basini [20:50]  ➡️ Raising a solo GP fund [27:30]   ➡️ A solo GP approach to working with Founders [29:00]  ➡️ Important qualities in a Founder [32:15]  ➡️ A look into the future [39:30]        ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Gideon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gideon-valkin-05a44823?originalSubdomain=uk  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices