“The importance of the team around you, having focus and discipline and the awareness of facing setbacks… it’s been great to bring the things I’ve learned from sport into the business world.” From the 2012 Olympic poster girl to Founder of FemTech brand, Jennis… today’s 40 Minute Mentor Replay episode is with none other than Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill. In this episode we talked about the ins and outs of Jess’s phenomenal sporting career and her pivot into the business world with Jennis - a women’s hormonal health platform, with the goal to help women understand what’s happening hormonally.  Tune in to the full episode to explore:  ➡️ The realistic road to success [04:32] ➡️ Jess’ introduction to sport and falling into athletics [05:52] ➡️ Dealing with pressure and making sacrifices [07:52] ➡️ How to support children without being a pushy parent [09:39] ➡️ Reliving the ups and downs of Super Saturday [13:03] ➡️ Focusing on one event at a time and taking home Gold [15:04] ➡️ Exploring the other side of success [16:40] ➡️ Motherhood and Jess’s motivation to get back out there [17:23] ➡️ Coping with retirement and starting again [23:05] ➡️ From athlete to FemTech Founder, how Jennis began [26:56] ➡️ The Jennis mission - putting women first [29:11] ➡️ Closing the gender data gap in women’s health [30:55] ➡️ Transitioning from sport to Startup life [32:18] ➡️ Aligning personal values with company culture [34:09] ➡️ The emotional rollercoaster of fundraising [36:37] ➡️ Providing mentorship for the England Rugby team [39:13] ➡️ The humble insights into being a role model [43:20] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dame-jessica-ennis-hill-a84b5420b/ ➡️ Find out more about Jennis: https://www.jennis.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

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

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

“People often say to me, sport is different from business, it's not. Business is about delivering results through people.”   In our first episode of our 40 Minute Mentor Replay series, we’re re-visiting our episode with the brilliant Sir Clive Woodward, World Cup winning England Rugby coach and former Director of Sport for the London 2012 Olympics.  After spending his childhood with big dreams of becoming a professional footballer, it was playing rugby at his local club as a kid that started Sir Clive down the path to becoming the first England Coach to lift the Rugby World Cup in 2003. In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  ➡️ Sir Clive’s first ever job at Xerox [02:20] ➡️ The power of failures and setbacks [04:13] ➡️ The realities of being the first full time professional Rugby coach [05:34] ➡️ Delivering results through people, in business and in sport [07:03] ➡️ The moment that trumped England's World Cup win, at a pub in New Zealand [11:23] ➡️ Great teams are made of great individuals - the magic formula [14:29] ➡️ Managing a range of personalities when building team culture [16:51] ➡️ Ensuring people in your team feel safe to speak their mind [20:23] ➡️ CTUP - the framework needed for winning and handling pressure [22:29] ➡️ How Clive uses 3D learning to build high performing teams [26:29] ➡️ The simple but powerful habits to build a healthy lifestyle [29:32] ➡️ Staying hungry for learning and following what you love [33:15] ➡️ A leadership lesson: The best ideas come from the team [36:34] ➡️ The importance of creative abrasion [38:13] ➡️ Bringing successful people into a team, shining a light on mentorship [40:03] ➡️ Sir Clive’s legacy: Making it to the top, and being inclusive [43:16] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Sir Clive: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirclivewoodward/➡️ Find out more about his Apex2100 Ski Academy: https://www.apex2100.org/   ⭐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

That's a wrap on Series 10! And what a 12 weeks it has been.  We have been joined by some incredible Founders and leaders, who have been refreshingly vulnerable, sharing the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journeys, with lots of wisdom and mentorship shared along the way.  From building the Uber of volunteering, to changing the world with ethical AI, we have covered SO much in our tenth series and hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.  Thank you so much for all your support along the way - today your host, James Mitra, reflects on this latest series and what we have coming up next... ⭐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

“Every business that I’ve founded has been on the brink of disaster, and one of the big lessons is that the business you started is never the business you end up with.”And just like that, we have made it to the final episode of Series 10 of 40 Minute Mentor.For our series finale, we’re joined by multi-exit Founder, Investor, board advisor and author - the brilliant Debbie Wosskow OBE. We cover a range of topics with Debbie, including her whirlwind journey as an entrepreneur - building and exiting incredible businesses, including PR and marketing consultancy Mantra (sold in 2007), Love Home Swap (sold in 2017) and AllBright (exit in 2022).  All the way to today and her latest ventures - WJV LLP, a boutique investment and strategic innovation firm, championing diversity, wellness and economic empowerment, and The Better Menopause, empowering women’s performance at midlife through science-backed products.  Debbie shares some truly candid insights from her journey as a Founder, including:  ➡️ Growing up in an entrepreneurial family [04:20] ➡️ Early beginnings selling scrunchies [06:30]  ➡️ The power of being a “simple” entrepreneur and controlling margins [07:07] ➡️ Bringing business & entrepreneurship into schools [08:33] ➡️ A brief stint in management consulting & building her first business at 25 [11:36] ➡️ How a Christmas film inspired the start of Love Home Swap [13:37] ➡️ Serendipity and combining purpose with profit [15:35] ➡️ Reflections on having fun, making money and not working with ar$eholes [17:17] ➡️ Finding the resilience to keep getting back into the Founder seat [19:55] ➡️ Making the shift from operational CEO to board advisor [21:34] ➡️ Self-doubt, exhaustion, relationship strains: Founder realities [22:55] ➡️ Finding comfort in a routine when things are falling apart [26:39] ➡️ Building a network for women, by women - the early days and growth of AllBright [29:00] ➡️ Building WJV LLP and going beyond angel investing [33:20] ➡️ Putting women’s health top of the agenda & building The Better Menopause [36:54] ➡️ Driving awareness at pace and supporting women through the menopause [40:22] ➡️ Realities of building a business to exit & the conflicting emotions you’re left with as a Founder  [41:45] ➡️ Audience question: Being remembered for the future of female entrepreneurs [46:45]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Debbie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiewosskowobe/➡️ Find out more about WJV LLP: https://www.wjv-llp.com/about-us➡️ Find out more about The Better Menopause: https://thebettermenopause.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What the murder of George Floyd taught me is that if you don't spend time changing how the people within the system think, you'll never fundamentally change the system.” To recognise and celebrate this year’s Black History Month, we are kicking off a special three-part series, where we once again partner up with Samuel Tholley, Founder of Hidden Pages.  If you're a loyal 40 Minute Mentor listener, you will have come across Samuel already and there will be plenty more from him over the next three weeks.  Before his podcast takeover next week, we wanted to revisit one of the most inspiring episodes we have recorded to date, with the brilliant Baroness Oona King.  Oona was the second black woman elected into British Parliament, and is currently the VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Snap Inc.Following some highlight snippets from her 40 Minute Mentor episode, you’ll also hear some reflections on what Black History Month means, facilitated by Samuel - special thanks to Karine, Michael, Gafar, Matthew and Prisca for their contributions.Tune in today to discover: ➡️  The reality of being a black woman in parliament [02:03]  ➡️  Taking action and changing the status quo [05:29]  ➡️  Losing her seat in parliament [07:49]  ➡️  Death threats and thank you notes - the scary reality of life as an MP [09:45]  ➡️  What the murder of George Floyd taught her about changing the system [12:50]  ➡️  What you can do internally to spot equity and inequity [13:16]  ➡️  Shifting the burden of DE&I from minority to majority groups [14:48]  ➡️  Understanding and celebrating Black History Month [15:45]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Oona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oona-king-sheher-00ba8414/ ➡️ Snap Inc.’s Diversity Annual Report 2023: https://diversity.snap.com/ ➡️ Oona’s full 40 Minute Mentor episode: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/downing-street-death-threats-and-dei-with-baroness-oona-king/ ⭐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

“Immigrants start businesses that add to the local economy and we are very excited to be a growth engine for that.” Today's 40 Minute Mentor is the brilliant Nina Mohanty, Co-Founder of Bloom Money, a FinTech bringing familiar financial services to migrant communities.  Nina created Bloom Money based on her own lived experiences, as a child of immigrants and having relocated to multiple countries herself.  Today, we’ll discover what led her to entrepreneurship, riding the ups and downs of an early-stage startup and her very candid insights into her own fundraising experience:  ➡️ Her struggle with hustle porn and hustle culture [06:04]  ➡️ Growing up in Silicon Valley and starting her career in FinTech [08:37]  ➡️ Bloom Money’s origin story [15:50]  ➡️ Fixating on the losses and under-celebrating the wins [20:02]  ➡️ The recipe for burnout, a lesson in Founder wellbeing [22:00]  ➡️ The future of Bloom Money & reaching more communities [24:46]  ➡️ Fundraising stories and advice for fellow Founders [29:06]  ➡️ Advice for getting into FinTech & making the industry more inclusive [36:11]  ➡️ Why she has a difficult time with referrals [37:34]  ➡️ Audience question: Making financial literacy a priority for all [42:41]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Nina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninamohanty/ ➡️ Find out more about Bloom Money: https://bloommoney.co/⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm

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

“Becoming financially free but not being a Unicorn, is still success.” Today's 40 Minute Mentor is Nick Telson, exited Founder of DesignMyNight, Co-Founder of Trumpet, Angel Investor and Podcast Host of the popular Pitch Deck show.  With so many hats to wear, we loved diving into Nick’s story and career from starting at L’Oreal to scratching that entrepreneurial itch by building DesignMyNight to 100+ employees with minimal angel funding and finally returning to the Founder seat to disrupt B2B sales.  There is SO much to unpack from Nick's impressive story, from his views on failures to what it really feels like to exit and start again, and so much more:  ➡️ Having ‘failure moments’ and the glorification of entrepreneurship [02:37]  ➡️ Growing up with a creative brain and unconventional paths [03:50]  ➡️ The idea of DesignMyNight from the streets of NYC [06:46]  ➡️ From side hustle to exit [10:55]  ➡️ More about JBM [18:13]  ➡️ Round 2 of Founder life: Trumpet’s origin story [19:21]  ➡️ Being VC backed and hiring principles [22:17]  ➡️ Building in public and fundraising journey [23:52]  ➡️ Fundraising advice [34:35]  ➡️ Hiring advice for securing your initial team [37:09]  ➡️ Applying to and joining Trumpet [39:50]  ➡️ Audience question: Making the startup world more inclusive [42:25]    ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicktelson/ ➡️ Find out more about Trumpet: https://www.sendtrumpet.com/?ref=linkedin ➡️ Listen to Pitch Deck: https://www.nicktelson.com/podcast ⭐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

“Never underestimate the power of a rant, if you’re going to do something about it.” In today’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by fellow podcaster and good friend of JBM, Amardeep Parmar, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BAE HQ.  Amardeep has been on an incredible journey - from being a Tech consultant in 2020, to setting a New Year’s resolution which made him the second fastest writer to gain 50,000 followers on Medium.com.  Now, he’s inspiring, connecting and guiding British Asian Entrepreneurs with BAE HQ.  Today, Amardeep shared more about his journey and the crucial lessons he has learned along the way, including: ➡️ His traditional journey and accidental entrepreneurship [00:55]  ➡️ Questioning your identity as a Founder [04:51]  ➡️ A New Year’s resolution turned career [06:26]  ➡️ Advice for aspiring writers [08:32]  ➡️ How a rant with a friend paved the foundations for BAE HQ [10:05]  ➡️ Scaling a not-for-profit and navigating the corporate landscape [12:34]  ➡️ Connecting people for mutual success [15:26]  ➡️ The secret sauce of community building [16:28]  ➡️ A selection of stand out stories from BAE HQ [22:51]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Amardeep: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amardeepsparmar/ ➡️ Find out more about BAE HQ: https://www.thebaehq.com/ ➡️ Listen to the BAE HQ podcast: https://www.thebaehq.com/podcasts ➡️ James Mitra on BAE HQ: https://www.thebaehq.com/podcasts/episode-51-james ⭐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

"You can have the best idea in the world with a bad team and you get nowhere, and you can have a really good team with a bad idea and you’ll probably make it into a good idea.”  Doctor to Startup Founder... That’s not something we get to say a lot, so buckle in for today's episode!  This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is Dr Sonia Szamocki, Founder and CEO of 32Co, the HealthTech revolutionising access to specialised healthcare services, by connecting general clinicians with a network of specialists.  Sonia's very impressive journey has taken her from Oxford to a career as a clinician to jumping into the Founder seat, building the future of collaborative healthcare.  She has grown 32Co 5x since April last year, and has recently secured £2.36 million in seed funding, led by Balderton Capital. Tune in to today's chat, to find out:  ➡️ Podcast recommendation: Black Women Working [00:13]  ➡️ Why being a Founder isn’t all that glamorous [05:02] ➡️ Growing up in the Netherlands and becoming a Doctor [06:02] ➡️ 32Co’s origin story [13:10] ➡️ From an idea during Covid to growing a marketplace [22:50] ➡️ Navigating false starts & the importance of a great team [26:18] ➡️ Hiring advice & recruiting your first exec [29:00] ➡️ The importance of getting Co-Founder matching right [36:45] ➡️ Bootstrapping vs VC funding [38:05] ➡️ Healthcare & AI [41:00] ➡️ Audience Question: Why there shouldn’t be more Doctors moving into Founder seats [44:32]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Sonia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sonia-szamocki-a01790a9/ ➡️ Find out more about 32Co: https://www.32co.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

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

"There's some horrible sacrifices in the first few years to get it to a place where it's got to survive..." Today's 40 Minute Mentor epitomises what it means to be Tech for Good.  We’re joined by Sanjay Lobo MBE, the Founder & CEO of OnHand - the all-in-one tool to engage your team in volunteering and environmental action.  Dubbed the ‘Uber of volunteering’, OnHand lets employees learn and take action on the issues that matter. You may even recognise Sanjay from his recent appearance on BBC's Dragons’ Den, where he successfully secured investment from FOUR dragons.  Here’s what we talk about in today’s episode: ➡️ Finding his path to entrepreneurship [04:02]➡️ Moving from law into tech [06:58]➡️ How Parkinson's disease became Chapter 1 of the OnHand story [11:05]➡️ Engaging employees in volunteering and environmental action [13:45]➡️ The significance of a great team in a scaling business [15:08]➡️ Managing stress and pressures as a Founder [16:38]➡️ Business benefits of company-wide volunteering opportunities [22:08]➡️ Advert: More about JBM [25:36] ➡️ A Behind the Scenes look at Dragons’ Den [27:10]➡️ Working with the Dragons after the show [29:31]➡️ Advice for other Founders looking to get on Dragons’ Den [31:13] ➡️ Dealing with increased media attention [32:29] ➡️ Applying to OnHand [35:10] ➡️ Audience Question: Advice for anyone starting their volunteering journey [38:51] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Sanjay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaylobo/ ➡️ Find out more about OnHand: https://www.beonhand.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