40 Minute Mentor

“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

“If you feel that you can be your vulnerable self, and you can bring your true self to work, you’re going to push yourself outside your comfort zone and achieve more.” In addition to our usual 40 Minute Mentor episode on Wednesdays, we’re launching a brand new bite-sized mentorship format. Starting today, every Monday, you can tune in and spend 4 minutes with JBM Founder and 40 Minute Mentor host, James Mitra. We’ll be covering some of the most popular topics we get asked about, share first-hand experiences and mentorship; and you’ll get a chance to submit your questions at the end of every episode. Today’s episode is all about resilience. James shares his own experience of building resilience, within himself and the JBM team, why he almost threw in the towel 5 years ago and what 3 things helped him stick with it and turn JBM into what it is today. ⭐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 [email protected] 💙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

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

“Every single problem that you’re experiencing in your business today, there’s somebody out there that has solved it.” To round off our 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founders’ Feature Series, we’re joined by Nathan Chan, Founder and CEO of global media and education company, Foundr. Foundr provide training from the world’s greatest entrepreneurs through magazines, podcasts, videos, articles and online courses, to inspire their worldwide community of entrepreneurs. As a seasoned 40 Minute Mentor listener, you’ll see the obvious synergy between Foundr and our podcast, so we were really excited to include Nathan in this feature series, sharing his own ups and downs of being a Founder and the lessons he has learnt from interviewing some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Some of these lessons include: How becoming a Founder sparked his ambition and drive [05:15] What helped him through the early stage knock-backs [07:25] How he’s pivoted Foundr from a magazine to an education and media business [11:47] The lessons he’s learned from hiring mistakes and an early doors lawsuit [16:50] What he’s learned from interviewing some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs [18:49] How he landed those big names to begin with and his advice for landing big name clients [24:06] How he measures impact from the community Foundr is building [26:43] Why Justin Bieber’s Manager has left the biggest impression on him [28:27] The traits that most successful Founders have in common [31:31] Plus, the biggest advice he can give to any aspiring Founders [33:44] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/➡️ More about Foundr: https://foundr.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

“This is an industry where 78% of products that are targeted to black women contain horrible toxic ingredients. There was a paper that came out that linked parabens in black hair care products to breast cancer growth in black women. Nothing you use to groom yourself should be making you sick.” In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founder’ feature series episode, we’re joined by Rachael Twumasi-Corson, the Founder and CEO of black-owned haircare business, Afrocenchix. Afrocenchix are on a mission to put health first in haircare, and people and planet before profit. They do this by using environmentally friendly preservatives, ethically sourced, organic and vegan certified ingredients. Their brilliant work has been recognised by multiple awards, a thriving community of loyal customers in more than 54 countries and world-class investors backing their mission, including Google’s Black Founders Fund. However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Rachael and in today’s episode we hear very candid stories, including the successes and the setbacks that led to them, including: Why interviews don’t always give you the full picture of a potential hire [03:03] How having children has changed her as a Founder and business leader [06:01] How her upbringing fuelled her entrepreneurial spirit [11:07] What her University experience was like and how a kitchen lab in her student house saw the beginnings of Afrocenchix [16:49] Why touching someone’s hair is an invasion of space and a microaggression which needs to stop [25:45] What makes Afrocenchix such a special D2C business [31:01] How D2C Founders can prepare for the recession [33:45] The do’s and don’ts of building a community [39:17] Rachael’s experience of fundraising and her advice for any Founders embarking on that journey [43:56] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Rachael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeltwumasi/➡️ More about Afrocenchix: https://afrocenchix.com/ ➡️Rachael’s Medium article on fundraising: https://rachaeltwumasicorson.medium.com/10-tips-for-raising-investment-how-afrocenchix-secured-google-funding-in-1-2m-seed-round-ae29f18ed3a2 ⭐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

“What matters to me about the people in our cap table is that they’re people who really care about what we’re trying to achieve and our values, and fundamentally believe and support me as the Founder.” To kick off our brand new 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founders’ feature series, we’re joined by the brilliant Freddie Fforde, Founder of Patch. Patch creates dynamic work clubs and community venues for local highstreets. Open and available to everyone, Patch are looking to redefine what the future of work looks like and create spaces designed to celebrate businesses and talent close to home. In today’s episode, we learn more about Patch’s journey so far, their aspirations for the future and Freddie shares some candid insights into his journey as a Founder, including: The biggest challenges and failures he faced as a Founder [03:14] The importance of the people around him and how they’ve helped him become the Founder he is today [07:32] Why he became a Founder in the first place [10:24] Where the inspiration for Patch came from and why it all started during Covid [17:06] What the future of work will look like and how employers can embrace it [22:58] Freddie’s approach to raising investment for Patch and why it’s so important to base your cap table on skillset [26:33] His first-hand advice for any aspiring Founders listening [29:57] Some of the most common Founder life myths and what the reality of being a Founder actually looks like [39:42] The valuable experience he got from being a fractional leader ahead of starting Patch [41:52] And why balancing all aspect of his life has become one of Patch’s company values [45:41] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Freddie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddiefforde/ ➡️ More about Patch: https://www.patch.work/ ⭐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

“VC should be a great career for people from diverse backgrounds, because it’s really a role where you’re judged on your output. At the end of a fund cycle, it’s pretty clear to see whether you’re a good investor or not.” In our final 40 Minute Mentor VC Feature series episode, we’re joined by Hannah Seal, Partner at one of the most prestigious VCs in the world and one of JBM’s favourite clients, Index Ventures. Index Ventures is an international multi-stage venture capital firm, investing in technology-enabled industry disrupters. Their portfolio includes multiple 40 Minute Mentors, such as Unicorns Ankorstore and Multiverse and category defining companies like Bloom & Wild and Sourceful. As well as household names such as Deliveroo, Revolut, Glossier, and many others. In today’s episode, Hannah shares some brilliant insights into how Index work and what they look for when assessing Founders, as well as some great mentorship for anyone looking to get into VC, including: Why she decided to pivot from Operator to VC [06:23] What skills Hannah relied on when making the transition [07:22] Hannah’s advice for any Operators thinking of moving into VC [10:02] What differentiates Index Ventures from other VCs [11:22] How Index Ventures works with Founders [13:10] What Hannah looks for when assessing companies and their Founders [14:52] The trends Index Ventures are seeing at the moment and some of the sectors Hannah’s getting excited about [16:28] How the economic downturn doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom for Founders [18:58] What changes Hannah has seen in the European VC landscape, compared to the US [20:22] And why VC is actually a great career option for diverse talent [22:17] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-seal-78938a22/ ➡️ 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

“One of the biggest misconceptions in VC is that it’s an easy way to be successful, or a quick shortcut to something - that’s absolutely wrong. It’s a really long journey.” In today’s 40 Minute Mentor VC Feature series episode, we’re joined by Antoine Nussenbaum, the Co-Founder of Felix Capital. Felix is a venture capital firm for the creative class, at the intersection of technology and creativity, focusing on opportunities in digital lifestyle. They’re on a mission to support ambitious Founders with big ideas, capturing new behaviours and cultural shifts. Their portfolio includes the likes of Farfetch, Deliveroo, Unmind, Papier, amongst many other high-growth brands. In this episode, Antoine shares some incredible insights into the market and buckets of brilliant mentorship for Founders and aspiring VCs, including: What led Antoine to start Felix Capital [06:36] Why he chose the digital lifestyle niche and what makes Felix so different from other VCs [08:50] The potential opportunities the economic downturn can present to Founders, no matter whether they’re in B2B or B2C [11:27] What common traits some of the most successful Founders share and how you can stand out when fundraising [17:02] The difficulties of separating work and life as a Founder and how it can sometimes be beneficial to let the two intertwine [21:55] What makes Felix’s culture so special and how Antoine tests for high conviction in interviews [25:01] What Antoine looks for when he assesses Founders and their businesses [29:12] The most common mistakes he sees Founders make during pitches [31:09] Why working in VC isn’t about finding a shortcut to success [32:51] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Antoine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinenussenbaum/ ➡️ More about Felix Capital: https://www.felixcap.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

“Create an anxiety balance sheet with the things you have control over and the things you don’t have control over. Put the things that give you anxiety into these credits and debits and you’ll realise that actually there’s a lot more that’s in your control than you think.” Kicking off our VC feature series, we’re joined by Leila Zegna, the Founding General Partner of Kindred Capital. Kindred are building a new model for Venture Capital where every Founder they back becomes a co-owner of the fund. Launched in 2015, Leila and her Co-Founders are on a mission to create the venture firm they would have wanted to work with when they were running Startups themselves. Leila tells us more about their Equitable Venture model in today’s episode, along with some candid mentorship, including: How she made the transition from Operator to VC [10:55] Why more Operators should work in VC [19:18] What European VCs can learn from their US counterparts [22:22] How Kindred’s Equitable Venture model works [25:27] What advice Founders should keep in mind as they face the economic downturn [29:00] What Leila and the Kindred team are looking for when assessing businesses and their Founders [32:25] How Leila does everything she does all while having three kids under the age of 6 [37:21] And why she wants Kindred to be the best of its kind and not the biggest [41:36] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ More about Leila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilazegna/ ➡️ More about Kindred Capital: https://kindredcapital.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 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

“If we were to see truly representative investment committees and truly diverse representation amongst the gatekeepers of power and capital, then we would solve this problem pretty much overnight.” In today’s 40 Minute Mentor instalment of our ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by Tessa Clarke, Co-Founder and CEO of OLIO. OLIO is the number one sharing app, connecting neighbours with each other and local businesses, so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. Over 6 million people have joined OLIO so far and they’re on an incredible mission to help create a world in which nothing of value goes to waste, and every single person has enough to eat - all without destroying our planet in the process. In today’s episode, Tessa shares some behind the scenes insights into OLIO’s scaling journey and some brilliant mentorship for any fellow Founders, including: Why OLIO exists [01:51] Tessa’s biggest learnings from scaling the business [03:54] What makes OLIO’s culture so special and what Tessa looks for when hiring [06:19] Why it’s so important to take a step back from the day to day as a Founder [10:43] Tessa’s advice for any diverse Founders looking for investment [12:54] What she looks for when assessing businesses and their Founders [17:41] And what the rest of 2022 holds for her and the OLIO team [19:43] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Tessa Clarke: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/tackling-the-food-waste-crisis-with-tessa-clarke/ ➡️ More about Tessa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tecook/ ➡️ More about Olio: https://olioex.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

“When you’re 60 and you look back on your career, you’re never going to look back and think - I wish I worked for the two months more, I didn’t spend with my daughter.” In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ feature, we welcome back one of our very first guests on the podcast and JBM Board Advisor, the incredible Fred Jones, VP and Regional Manager of Northern Europe at TIER Mobility. TIER is Europe’s leading shared micro-mobility provider. Their international team of serial entrepreneurs and highly skilled operators from around the world are all united by one shared mission - to change mobility for good. Founded in 2018, TIER operates in 200+ cities across 21 countries in Europe and the Middle East, with a focus on providing the safest, most equitable and most sustainable mobility solution. Fred shares so many insights into the mobility sector with us in today’s episode, including: Why Fred decided to move from Uber to TIER Mobility [02:43] What the day to day as TIER’s VP and Regional Manager for Northern Europe looks like [06:29] The most challenging part of his scaleup journey so far [08:31] Why TIER is such an amazing place to work at and why now is a really exciting time to join [10:21] What the future of mobility looks like [14:09] Why Fred decided to take 2 months of parental leave and why he urges everyone to do the same [16:26] And what the rest of 2022 holds for him and TIER [21:45] ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Fred Jones: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/leadership-lessons-from-building-uber-in-the-uk-with-fred-jones/ ➡️ More about Fred: https://www.linkedin.com/in/f-jones/ ➡️ More about TIER Mobility: https://www.tier.app/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

“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

“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

“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

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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“A healthier brain leads to a happier life. If you have more healthy habits than bad ones, you will ultimately be healthier and happier. But having healthy habits is hard….” For our final episode of our Mental Health mini-series, we look back on our conversation with the brilliant Dan Murray-Serter, serial entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Heights and host of the popular Secret Leaders podcast. In today’s episode, Dan shares some candid insights into Heights, including: How struggling with Insomnia led him down the path to start Heights [00:52] Why supplements are such an important part of a healthy body and mind [03:50] Why Heights can help build healthier habits [07:49] If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure you check out the full 40 minutes at: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/the-ups-and-downs-in-the-life-of-an-entrepreneur-with-dan-murray-serter/ ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ Find out more about Dan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmurrayserter/ ➡️ Check out Heights - https://www.yourheights.com/ ➡️ Listen to Secret Leaders - https://www.secretleaders.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 ⭐️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 really think now is the time for business leaders to step up, act boldly and put in some of the changes that have been needed for a while.” In today’s Mental Health feature episode, we look back on our episode with Reeva Misra, the Founder and CEO of Walking on Earth - a holistic health platform on a mission to elevate human happiness. Reeva shares her candid insights from blending technology and holistic health, including: How she’s scaling Walking on Earth while still prioritising her own wellbeing and mental health [01:33] Why the pandemic has forced her to re-evaluate her priorities and what we can all learn from this time of uncertainty [06:09] Reeva’s advice for any leaders looking to support their team’s wellbeing more [08:20] If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure you check out the full 40 minutes at: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/revolutionising-holistic-health-with-reeva-misra/ ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ Find out more about Reeva - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reeva-misra/ ➡️ Check out Walking on Earth - https://www.walkingonearth.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 ⭐️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

“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

“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

“If you imagine that life is just about now, then the purpose of cleaning the dishes is to do it as best as you can and enjoy yourself. You can find micro purpose and joy in everything you do.” To continue shining the light on the importance of mental health, we’re launching a special feature mini-series this week. Every day of this week we’ll be taking a look back on some of our mental health conversations from our 40 Minute Mentor archives. To kick off the series, we take a look back on some of our favourite moments from our conversation with the brilliant Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google X, author of Solve for Happy and Founder of One Billion Happy. In today’s episode snippets, you’ll discover: How the tragic loss of his son, completely changed Mo’s career path [01:23] Why he sees life like a video game [4:00] Mo’s advice on finding your purpose and why we need to shift our focus to micro purposes [09:26] If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure you check out Mo’s full 40 Minute Mentor episode at https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/cultivating-happiness-in-your-career-with-mo-gawdat/ ⛳️ Helpful links: ➡️ Find out more about Mo and his career - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mogawdat/ ➡️ Check out his book ‘Solve for Happy’ - https://www.solveforhappy.com/ ➡️ Learn more about One Billion Happy - https://www.onebillionhappy.org 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

“When I lost my seat in parliament, as devastating as it was, I genuinely felt relieved that I got out with my life.” We’ve officially reached our final episode of Series 7, but we’re definitely finishing on a high with today’s 40 Minute Mentor - it’s none other than Baroness Oona King. Oona has worn many hats throughout her career - from becoming the second black woman elected into British Parliament, becoming a Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister on Equalities, to ultimately pivoting into tech working within Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Channel 4, YouTube, Google and currently Snap Inc. Based on our own commitment to help build more diverse and inclusive companies, we couldn’t think of a better person to finish off this Series of 40 Minute Mentor with. In this episode, Oona shares some incredibly candid mentorship and advice, including: What her path to the House of Commons looked like and how her mum ultimately inspired her to go into politics [07:15] What it was like for a black woman in British Politics and the lessons she learned from that environment [10:10] How she lost her seat in front of millions of people watching and why there’s a part of her that’s really glad it happened when it did [16:32] Why she pivoted into Tech and her advice for anyone else looking to pivot careers [21:54] What a typical day in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion looks like [27:51] Oona’s advice for any business leaders looking to improve their DE&I efforts and how you can measure impact [31:55] What the murder of Georg Floyd has taught her [36:18] 💙 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: ➡ ️The ACT Report - https://newsroom.snap.com/en-GB/introducing-catalyze-tech/ ➡ ️More about DE&I at Snap Inc - https://citizen.snap.com/diversity ➡ More about Baroness Oona King - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oona-king-sheher-00ba8414/ ➡ Find out more about our sponsors and their rocket ship journey - 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

“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

“Before you scale, you need to make sure you are solving big pains with a great value proposition.” It’s not every day you get to speak to someone who turned their Startup into a Double-Unicorn with over 500 employees in just 3 years. Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Nicolas d'Audiffret, one of the Co-Founders of Ankorstore - the marketplace taking on e-Commerce giants like Amazon. Ankorstore was founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and is a partner to more than 200,000 retailers, florists, coffee shops and other concept-stores across 23 countries in Europe. Ankorstore have been on an incredible journey and reached their $2 billion valuation after just two years of launching their wholesale marketplace, and are backed by world-class VCs like Bond, Tiger Global and Index Ventures, to name a few. JBM have had a front row seat to their incredible Scaleup journey over the last years and we’re so excited to have Nicolas on the podcast to share some candid Founder insights and mentorship, including: How Nicolas pivoted from being a consultant to an entrepreneur [06:15] The story behind his first Startup, A Little Market, and how he ended up selling it to Etsy [10:08] Why, even though the sale to Etsy looked like a huge success, Nicolas didn’t only see it as such [11:45] How Ankorstore was born and more about their brilliant mission [13:23] What the dynamic between the four Co-Founders looks like and Nicolas’s advice for any fellow Co-Founders listening [17:10] Why the pandemic was such a great opportunity of growth for Ankorstore and how they got to their $2 Billion evaluation in such a short amount of time [18:38] The crucial attributes Ankorstore look for when interviewing talent [22:40] His advice on building a truly authentic community [26:05] What the future of retail will look like and Nicolas’s advice for anyone looking to break into the industry [28:32] 💙 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 Ankorstore, head to: https://www.ankorstore.com/ ➡ ️To learn more about Nicolas, check out his LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasdaudiffret/ ➡ ️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

“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

“There’s a general recognition that doing good is good for business - and that applies at all levels of business.” This week we have the pleasure of welcoming not one, but two amazing mentors to 40 Minute Mentor - Natalie Graeme, Co-Founder of Uncommon Creative and Orr Vinegold, Co-Founder of Unrest. Uncommon Creative is an award-winning creative studio building brands that matter, make a difference and brands that people in the real world actually wish existed. And Unrest is an accelerator programme fuelling the fire of entrepreneurs challenging the status quo. With decades of marketing and brand building experience, Orr and Natalie share some great advice and mentorship in this episode, including: The key lessons they learned when starting out in their career, including working with both big corporates and Startups [12:07] Why Natalie decided to leave big agency names to start Uncommon with her Co-Founders [16:06] Why Orr and his Co-Founder, Pan, started Unrest and how it’s different to other Startup accelerators out there [21:46] How Unrest and Uncommon are working together to build purpose-led brands of the future [27:18] How brands have evolved over the last years [31:13] What fundamentals you need to embed early on to help you build a purpose-led brand [35:53] What we can all learn from industry leaders, like Patagonia [39:37] How you can embed purpose in your culture from day one [45:31] And why it’s so important that you, as a Founder, prioritise your mental health and Orr and Natalie’s top advice for doing so [50:50] 💙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 Uncommon Creative, head to: https://uncommon.london/➡ ️To find out more about Unrest, head to: https://www.unrest.world➡ ️To learn more about Natalie, check out her LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-graeme-93608b4/ ➡ ️To learn more about Orr, check out his LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orr-vinegold/ ➡ ️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

“I thought burnout was just the equivalent of meaning you hadn’t got it - you couldn’t keep going. Then one day at work, I came out of a meeting and collapsed in the streets.” In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by industry-disrupter Dan Garrett, Co-Founder and CEO of Farewill - the multi-award-winning wills, probate and funerals company on a mission to change the way the world deals with death. In today’s episode, Dan shares thought-provoking mentorship, including: His candid take on burnout and how collapsing after a meeting has changed his outlook and the way he deals with stress [07:53] How his upbringing and engineering and design background have turned him into the entrepreneur he is today [11:22] What inspired him to take on the biggest untouched consumer industry with Farewill [14:15] How him and the Farewill team are changing the attitudes towards death [19:53] The mistakes he made while building Farewill to a team of over 90 and raising their 30 million Series B funding [22:43] Exclusive outtakes from some of the most heart-warming messages people have left in their will [32:10] How Farewill have embedded their customer-centric approach in everything they do - from hiring to day to day customer care [36:07] And Farewill’s brilliant approach to hiring and why they’re looking for ‘BLOBs’ [41:37] 💙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 Farewill, head over to: https://farewill.com/ ➡ ️To learn more about Dan, check out his LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangarrett-ceo-farewill/ ➡ ️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

“When people say that you can’t do something, it’s really because they can’t do it. Don’t stop doing what you want to do because someone told you you can’t, because you can.” To ring in the halfway point of Series 7, we had the pleasure of interviewing an absolute icon in personal branding: Amelia Sordell, the Founder of Klowt. Klowt is THE personal branding agency on a mission to build entirely authentic personal brands that drive real results - something we’ve had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand here at JBM. In today’s episode, Amelia shares some brilliant mentorship, including: The lessons she learned from her first business failing [08:40] How she dealt with the heartbreak and feelings of grief after her first business and how she decided the time was right to start another business [17:30] Her mission with Klowt and what inspired Amelia to start Klowt in the first place [21:36] Why personal branding is such a critical aspect of any successful business [28:10] Amelia’s step by step advice on how you can get started with your own personal branding [34:30] Her advice on how to deal with negative comments - online as well as offline [40:45] How you can tackle imposter syndrome and why it’s okay to doubt yourself [46:00] 💙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 Klowt, head over to: https://klowt.io ➡ ️To learn more about Amelia, check out her LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliasordell/ ➡ ️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

In this episode we’re joined by sisters, Margot and Alexia de Broglie, Co-Founders of Your Juno - an app widely referred to as ‘the Duolingo of Finance’ and on a mission to empower women and non-binary people through financial education. The de Broglie sisters give us an exclusive insight into Your Juno’s amazing journey from conception to over 10k downloads and raising £1.6 million. 💙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 Margot, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/margot-de-broglie/ ➡️ To find out more about Alexia, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexia-de-broglie/ ➡️ To learn more about Your Juno, check out https://www.yourjuno.co/ ➡️ 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

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

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

In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we chat to the inspiring Marta Krupinska, serial entrepreneur and Head of Google for Startups UK - a programme run to support thriving, diverse and inclusive Startup communities around the world. Marta shares some brilliant mentorship in this episode, including the lessons learned from her first Startup, her candid take on the progress made in DE&I in the Tech sector and the crucial skills Founders should really be focusing on. 💙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 Google for Startups, head to: https://startup.google.com/➡️ Tune into Marta’s ‘Scale ups & downs’ podcast here: https://www.scaleupsanddowns.com/ ➡️ And to find out more about Marta, check out her LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/martakrupinska ➡️ 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/ ➡️ And for charitable organisations to get involved with to help Ukraine, take a look at: The Ukrainian Red Cross, United Help Ukraine, Doctors Without Borders, Nova Ukraine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To kick off Series 7, we had the pleasure of welcoming a real rising star in the UK Tech scene, Christian Facey, the Co-Founder and CEO of AudioMob. AudioMob allows brands to connect with gamers without interrupting their gaming experience, using in-game audio ads. In today’s episode, Christian gives us an exclusive insight into AudioMob’s fascinating journey to date and shares some great mentorship for any fellow Founders and aspiring entrepreneurs - including his advice following their impressive $14 million Series A funding round. 💙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 AudioMob, head over to: https://audiomob.com/ ➡️ To learn more about Christian, check out his LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-facey/ ➡️And for our episode with Chipper Cash’s Founder & CEO, Ham Serunjogi, head to: 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

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

Today’s ‘Where Are They Now’ episode is our last one before we launch Series 7 - and we’re definitely finishing on a high, as we catch up with the amazing Ezechi Britton MBE, Co-Founder of Code Untapped and Founding Member and Principal at Impact X. 2 years after his appearance on our 40 Minute Mentor social mobility special, Ez tells us about what it felt like to find out he received an MBE at the start of 2022 and we talk about the progress he’s seen in social mobility in Tech and VC, and what else needs to happen to level the playing field. Helpful links: For Ezechi’s feature in our Social Mobility feature episode, head to - https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/levelling-the-playing-field-a-social-mobility-special/ To find out more about Ezechi, check out his profile on - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezechi-britton-mbe-452a893/ And for more info on Code Untapped and Impact X, head to - https://codeuntapped.com/ and https://www.impactxcapital.com/ 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

In this ‘Where Are They Now’ feature mini episode, we catch up with the brilliant Sophie Adelman, Co-Founder and CEO of The Garden and Co-Founder and former President of Multiverse. 2 years after coming onto 40 Minute Mentor, we chat to Sophie about her decision to leave hypergrowth EdTech Scaleup, Multiverse and we find out more about her exciting new venture, The Garden. Plus, Sophie shares some brilliant advice for anyone looking to make a career pivot or start their own business. Helpful links: For Sophie's full 40 Minute Mentor episode on her journey with Multiverse, head to - https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/creating-access-to-opportunities-for-everyone-with-sophie-adelman/ To find out more about Sophie, check out - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sophie-adelman1 And to sign up to The Garden, head to-https://onegarden.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special ‘Where Are They Now’ feature mini episode, we catch up with one of our very first 40 Minute Mentors we welcomed onto the podcast, the brilliant Kresse Wesling CBE. We talk about her journey with Kresse & Elvis since 2019, why they’re building a one-of-a-kind regenerative farm in Kent, and why now is the time for all of us to be environmentally focused and help reduce waste. Helpful links: For Kresse’s full 40 Minute Mentor episode on building an award-winning business from waste, head to https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-an-award-winning-business-from-waste-with-kresse-wesling/ To find out more about Kresse & Elvis, check out https://www.elvisandkresse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Series 6 of 40 Minute Mentor might have come to a close earlier this month, but with another Series filled to the brim with advice and Scaleup insights, we thought we’d add a little something to your pre-Holiday playlist. In this special roundup episode, we focus on a topic we often get asked about here at JBM - VC and Fundraising. Whether you’re wondering how to get into the industry or you’re a fellow Founder about to embark on your next fundraising journey, this episode features some of the movers and shakers in VC as well as first-hand insights from industry leaders and their fundraising journeys, including: • Cleo Sham, a JBM SOS Board Advisor and Partner at Stride.VC • Dominic McGregor, Founder and Former COO of Social Chain and Founding Partner of Fearless Adventures • Daisy Onubogu, widely regarded as the Queen of Community, Head of Network & Community at BACKED VC and COO of Diversity VC • Tom Foster-Carter, Former COO of Monzo and Founder and CEO of Lollipop • Ben Stephenson, Founder and CEO of travel platform Impala • And Ham Serunjogi, the Co-Founder and CEO of Chipper Cash, our brilliant sponsors of Series 6. We can’t thank all of our guests and listeners enough for another amazing Series. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure you check out the full 40 minutes with each of today’s featured guests, as well as our remaining amazing guests across Series 6 and beyond. Enjoyed this episode? We are always keen to hear your thought and ideas for 40 Minute Mentor, so whether you have feedback on any of the existing episodes or ideas for our next Series, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final 40 Minute Mentor episode of Series 6, we’re joined by the Founder and former COO of Social Chain, and now a Founding Partner of Fearless Adventures, the brilliant Dominic McGregor. A lot of you will be familiar with the incredible journey Social Chain and their team have been on. At a very young age, both Dominic and his Co-Founder Steven Bartlett, have built a unique company culture, based on the drive to make it work for their team, even if that meant ripping up the corporate rule book and setting new standards within the industry. Although not an easy journey, they saw some great success over the years having grown Social Chain to over 750 employees across 24 offices worldwide, and ultimately taking it to IPO. We loved having Dominic on the podcast – he spoke with such humility and honesty, and we managed to dig deeper into some really interesting topics, including: Social Chain’s journey to IPO including some of the hardest challenges they had to overcome alongside their growth journey. Dominic’s candid advice for any fellow COOs and his personal insights into making the relationship between Co-Founders work. And his personal struggles along the way, including his battle with his alcohol addiction. Whether you’re a Founder or an aspiring COO looking to join a high-performing business, we know you’ll take so much great advice from this episode with Dominic. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Dominic, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpjmcgregor/ If you want to find out more about Fearless Adventures, head over to - https://fearlessadventures.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by former COO of Monzo and Founder and CEO of Lollipop, Tom Foster-Carter. Tom started his career in consulting before embarking on his Operations journey - first as Founder of both Osper and Curve, and then as Monzo’s COO where he scaled the business to 4 million customers and the team from 30 to 1,000, in just 2 years. In May 2020, Tom decided to take yet another entrepreneurial leap and launched his latest venture Lollipop – a grocery Startup widely known as “the Monzo of supermarkets”. With his wealth of experience in launching and scaling rocketships, Tom was a great 40 Minute Mentor, and shares some really interesting insights in this episode, including: The highs and lows from his journey as a three-time Founder and how he’s applying the lessons learned to his latest venture, Lollipop. -How he scaled the Monzo team from 30 to 1,000 and his advice for any aspiring COOs wanting to embark on a similar journey. -And the importance of not defaulting to always putting work first and his own experience of learning to strike a better balance. Whether you’re a Founder yourself, an aspiring COO or a seasoned COO about to make the switch to CEO – Tom shares some incredible useful advice for your next chapter ahead. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Tom, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomfostercarter/ And to find out more about Lollipop and sign up, simply head to - https://www.lollipopai.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Team GB hockey legends and Olympic Gold Medallists Kate & Helen Richardson-Walsh. Kate and Helen have been on an incredible journey, playing Hockey when it wasn’t really a viable career choice and continuing to represent Team GB at the Olympics, resulting in winning Gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016. While being teammates, Kate and Helen’s win on the Olympic podium also represented a big step in sporting history, as they became the first same sex married couple to share the Olympic podium. In the years since, they’ve become inspirational ambassadors and speakers, and have published their book, Winning Together: An Olympic-Winning Approach to Building Better Teams. In today’s episode, Kate and Helen share some really invaluable insights, including: The highs and lows of their road to the Olympics – discussing the setbacks they faced and how they continued pushing forward to succeed. How to deal with the often scary emptiness after a big win, such as the Olympics, and how to figure out what to do next. And what needs to happen for sport to really break down barriers and become accessible for all, no matter your gender, race, sexuality, or ability. We absolutely loved having Helen and Kate on our podcast and we know you’ll take so much great advice from this episode. Whether you’re a big sport fan, you’re about to make a big career change or you’re building a high-performing team, you won’t want to miss this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Kate and Helen, take a look at their LinkedIn profiles – Kate - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katewalsh11 Helen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenrichardson-walsh And make sure you buy their book “Winning Together: An Olympic-Winning Approach to Building Better Teams” in your local bookstore or over at - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winning-Together-Olympic-Lessons-Difference/dp/1529316146/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by our very own JBM SOS Board Advisor, Partner at Stride.VC and former Director of Operations at Uber, Cleo Sham. Cleo has had an incredible career, spanning from building Uber’s Guangzhou city business and team from the ground up to becoming Uber’s largest city business globally and the first city to reach 1 million weekly trips, to leading the sales, operations, strategy and marketing functions as Spotahome’s COO, and transitioning into VC as a Partner at Stride.VC. Speaking to Cleo was an absolute joy and she shares so much great advice in this episode, including: The importance of not focusing on having the right or wrong answers as a COO but being decisive, and other crucial skills, any aspiring COOs should be adding to their toolbelt. How you can make the transition from being an Operator to VC – and how the skills gained in a high-growth Ops career can be very useful when assessing businesses to invest in. And what needs to be done, specifically in VC, including efforts from investors and Founders alike, to level the DE&I playing field. Whether you’re an Operator looking to become an Investor, an aspiring COO, or a Founder looking for your next round of investment – you won’t want to miss the crucial advice Cleo shares in this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] And if you want to find out more about Cleo, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleosham/ If you want to find out more about Stride.VC, head over to – https://stride.vc/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Co-Founder and CEO of Amazing If, Co-Author of best-seller ‘The Squiggly Career’, and Co-Host of the popular Squiggly Careers podcast (a JBM favourite!), Helen Tupper. Helen has enjoyed a hugely successful career at some of the biggest companies in the world – Virgin, Microsoft, BP and Capital One, to name a few – but decided to take the leap into the world of entrepreneurship together with her friend Sarah Ellis and start Amazing If – an award-winning training consultancy. At a time when so many of us are reassessing our post-pandemic careers, finding happiness and fulfilment at work has never felt more important. And that’s where Helen and Sarah come in with their incredible coaching skills and resources. Speaking to Helen in today’s episode was an absolute joy. She shares so many great insights and speaks with so much passion and enthusiasm about making work better for everyone. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, covering topics including: Why the traditional linear career ladder isn’t a realistic “one size fits all” career development strategy anymore and what companies need to do to support their teams’ development better. What a squiggly career actually looks like and how it will help with employee retention, when supported in the right way. And what it’s really like to build a successful business with a friend, without compromising your friendship. No matter what stage you’re at in your career and whether you’re in a big corporate or a Founder yourself, we know you’ll take so much great advice from this episode with Helen. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Helen, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/helentupper/ If you want to find out more about Amazing If, head over to – https://www.amazingif.com/ For the Squiggly Career podcast, simply head to - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/squiggly-careers/id1202842065 And to pre-order their new book ‘You Coach You’, ask in your local bookshop or head over to - https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Coach-Overcome-Challenges-Control/dp/024150273X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Ben Stephenson, the Founder and CEO of the ground-breaking travel platform Impala. Ben has raised millions in funding for Impala over the last five years from some of the best VCs out there, including Lakestar which previously invested in Airbnb. He’s seen his staff mushroom to over 100 people, and he made the company remote-first way back in 2017, when having remote teams wasn’t something people looked too favourably upon. A true problem-solver in every way - whether the problem is how to rebuild travel-booking infrastructure from the ground up, to how to create exactly the right culture at work – Ben has made it his mission to improve the industry. Speaking to Ben was truly inspiring and we cover some really interesting topics, including: How Impala has grown to a team of over 100 people and raised millions in funding in just five years. The secrets behind Impala’s outstanding culture DNA, including Ben’s advice for anyone looking to build a remote-first team. And why the best Founders are the ones who don’t try to do everything themselves but hire talent that compliments their skills. If you’re a Founder yourself looking to support your remote or hybrid teams, or you’re looking to get into the travel industry – this episode is packed with great advice and honest anecdotes from Impala’s inspiring growth journey. A special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Ben, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-stephenson-13032b33/ If you want to find out more about Impala, head over to - https://impala.travel/en-gb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by journalist, broadcaster, TV presenter, Podcast host of ‘The Solo Collective’ and author, Rebecca Seal. Rebecca’s had a hugely varied career so far, including working as a journalist at The Observer, featuring as a Food and Drink expert on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, writing and publishing multiple books, including her latest best seller: “Solo: How to Work Alone(and Not Lose Your Mind)” and working as a Freelance journalist and author for over 10 years. We absolutely loved having Rebecca as a 40 Minute Mentor and know you’ll learn so much from her advice in this episode, including: What it takes to have a successful career in broadcasting and what to expect from your initial years in the industry. What solo working actually does to the human mind and how you can combat loneliness with a simple change in environment. And Rebecca’s approach to juggling many competing priorities, without falling into the traps of over-working. So, whether you’re a Freelancer yourself or you’re navigating a hybrid or fully remote work model, we know you’ll find this episode hugely valuable. A special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Start up. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratehthispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Rebecca, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaseal/ If you want to buy a copy of her book Solo: How to Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind), head over to – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Solo-Work-Alone-Lose-Your/dp/1788164857 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by a real-life child prodigy, Co-Founder and CEO of Stemettes, and Host of the Evening Standard’s Women Tech Charge podcast, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE. Anne-Marie was one of the youngest to pass two GCEs in two different subjects while in primary school and completed her master’s degree from the University of Oxford by the age of 20. Since those days, she’s been knocking down walls and inspiring the next generation of women in STEM, through her work with Stemettes – a social enterprise promoting women in STEM careers. And if you haven’t heard of Stemettes or listened to the Women Tech Charge podcast, you might have seen Anne-Marie on Channel 4’s Countdown ‘Black To Front’ initiative earlier this year, where she filled in for no other than the queen of numbers, Rachel Riley. Anne-Marie speaks with such humility and honesty – we could have talked for hours. In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about: -How Stemettes has developed from a side-hustle to the success it is today, opening doors to careers in STEM for girls all over the UK -What businesses in the Tech sector need to do to attract and retain more diverse talent -And how listening to understand, rather than to answer questions is an often neglected skill by leaders. Whether you work in Tech or are simply looking for some mid-week inspiration, we know you’ll learn so much from Anne-Marie in this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series - Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa's most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Anne-Marie, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimafidon/ If you want to find out more about Stemettes, head over to – https://stemettes.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Founder and CEO of Walking on Earth, Reeva Misra. Reeva has made it her mission to tackle the epidemic of stress in the modern world – with Walking on Earth taking a holistic approach to health, focusing on the interaction between mind, body, and the environment to elevate happiness, particularly at work. It’s certainly been a fascinating journey for the business so far, not least because it was launched just two months before the global pandemic. Reeva quickly pivoted the business, launching a series of Zoom sessions with practitioners at a time when stress levels nationwide were going through the roof. We absolutely loved having Reeva as our 40 Minute Mentor for this episode and cover some fascinating topics, including: How Reeva and her team navigated the global pandemic and secured high calibre angel investors along the way. Why it’s so important for business leaders to model mindful behaviour and counter-act the perceived understanding that stress and burnout are unavoidable by-products of success. And how we can all leverage hybrid work models without falling into the “living at work vs working from home” trap. Reeva shares so many great insights in this episode, so if you’re a Founder or someone building high-performing teams, you won’t want to miss this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series - Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa's most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Reeva, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/reeva-misra/ If you want to find out more about Walking on Earth, head over to – https://www.walkingonearth.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Co-founder and CEO of Chipper Cash, Ham Serunjogi. Chipper Cash aren’t just our Sponsors for this 40 Minute Mentor Series but are also widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far, with many more coming soon. Ham’s success is testament to the power of taking the road less travelled and despite the amazing success of Chipper Cash, he remains incredibly humble and focused on their ultimate mission to unlock global opportunities and connect Africa – one transaction at a time. We loved having Ham on the podcast and discuss some fascinating topics with him, including: The tricky side of scaling a mission-driven Rocketship, from making the right hires, to learning how to delegate effectively. A behind the scenes look on the successful fundraising journey Chipper Cash have been on and how they secured backing from Amazon's Jeff Bezos. And why perseverance is the real key to success. If you’re a Founder looking to scale your business, you’ll get priceless insights from Ham in this episode. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at [email protected] If you want to find out more about Ham, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamserunjogi/ And if you want to find out more about Chipper Cash, head over to – https://chippercash.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices