40 Minute Mentor

In this 40 Minute Mentor bonus episode, you'll hear directly from your Host, James Mitra, as he recaps another brilliant 10 weeks of mentorship. James shares some of his own highlights from this season and shares more about our upcoming plans. If you haven't caught up on this season yet, make sure you scroll back through Season 13...and our 250+ episodes in the archives.

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Adriana Restrepo, Co-Founder of crypto FinTech, Deblock.  Before building Deblock, Adriana spent 3 years at Revolut, overseeing People Operations and holding the COO role.  While she never expected to step into a Founder role, today, Adriana is building the world's safest account for seamless management and exchange of crypto and cash, ensuring users truly own their money.  In this episode, you'll hear more about the significant lessons she learned during her time at Revolut, the secret sauce that's helping her build and scale Deblock, their impressive funding to date and what the future holds for Deblock and the Web3 space.  Episode Chapters:  ➡️ From Corporate life to fast-paced Revolut [04:30]  ➡️ Fundamental lessons from Revolut [11:30]  ➡️ Taking the leap into entrepreneurship [14:00]  ➡️ Building Deblock [17:00]  ➡️ More about today's sponsor [20:00]  ➡️ Co-Founder dynamics & building a team [22:00]  ➡️ Celebrating wins [23:30]  ➡️ Fundraising & growing a diverse team [26:20]  ➡️ The impact of a great COO [35:00]  ➡️ The future of Deblock & Crypto [40:30] 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by the leadership team of Amplified People Group - Dr Andy Meikle, Anouk Agussol and Andrew Richardson.  Together, they answer some of the burning questions leaders ask them: from navigating the messy world of people, talent and culture to early-stage blind spots, the UK's employment landscape and practical tips on embedding AI in your teams. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Tamara Lohan MBE, Co-Founder and CEO of boutique hotel travel specialists Mr & Mrs Smith.  Tamara founded Mr & Mrs Smith together with her husband James in 2002.  Since then, the pair have been on an incredible journey, including scaling the business to over 1.5 million members worldwide, growing their distributed team, being awarded with an MBE for their services to the British travel industry, getting B Corp certified and being acquired by Hyatt in 2023.  In today's episode, you'll find out what it takes to build such an iconic brand and lots of actionable mentorship on how Tamara transitioned from CTO to COO and CEO. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Simon Franks, multi-exited entrepreneur, Managing Partner of early-stage firm, Redbus Ventures and the Founder of Franks Family Foundation, the UK-based charitable organisation.  Simon's career has been filled with building and scaling some of the most successful businesses in Europe, including as a Founder and now Investor.  Today, he doesn't just back brilliant businesses like Perkbox and Cleo, but his main focus has been his philanthropic pursuits, through Franks Family Foundation, initiating and developing projects in South East Asia.  Tune in to today's episode to hear Simon's first-hand experience of building and scaling high-performing teams and hugely successful businesses, plus hear tons of advice on what sets great Founders apart. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Nicky Goulimis and Nico Barawid, the Founders of early-stage FinTech Tunic Pay, the only fraud vendor designed specifically for scams. Prior to building Tunic Pay, Nicky scaled Nova Credit, the credit infrastructure and analytics company that enables businesses to grow responsibly by harnessing alternative credit data. And Nico built Casai, which was Latin America's largest short-term rental operator.  With so much experience in building successful FinTech ventures, this episode is a great listen for anyone thinking about starting a FinTech, or for anyone currently in the thick of scaling. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Dr Ben Maruthappu, Founder and CEO of Cera - the UK's largest HealthTech and one of the fastest-growing startups in Europe.  We've all come across the headline of increasing pressures on the NHS and especially hospitals.  Cera is revolutionising Healthcare, using technology and AI to shift care from hospitalisation to patients' homes, creating a more sustainable model for an ageing population.  In today's episode, you'll hear all about Cera's origin story, how they have implemented AI so early on and why they're still just scratching the surface of what's possible within Healthcare. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by James Collier, a registered Nutritionist, Co-Founder of Huel and author of his brand new book, ‘Well Fed: How modern diets are failing us (and what we can do about it)''. In today's episode, you'll hear about Huel's growth journey, James' new book and plenty of simple nutrition advice for you to implement in your day-to-day, no matter how busy you are. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor bonus episode, we're introducing our brand new partnership with Ethos, the next-generation expert network using AI to match industry leaders with earning opportunities.  Tune in to find out why we decided to partner with Ethos and more about what James Lo is building, who it is for and why this is such an exciting opportunity for experts.  Plus, there's a special offer up for grabs for you, so you really don't want to miss it! 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Vivien Wong, Co-Founder of Little Moons, the popular mochi ice cream brand.  Vivien started her career in banking before spotting an opportunity in 2010 to bring mochi ice cream to Europe with her brother Howard.  Fast-forward to today: Little Moons is a viral brand which launched in big retail brands in the UK and internationally, and has a team of over 200.  Tune into this episode to learn about Vivien's journey from the early days of building Little Moons at the family kitchen table to the global brand it has become today. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Rafel Jorda Siquier, Founder and CEO of Open Cosmos, the UK-based satellite company on a mission to monitor and combat climate change.  Founded in 2015, Open Cosmos delivered its first satellite in record time with a team of just five people. Since then, the business has scaled to over €100 million in satellite contracts, a team of over 130 employees in Spain, Portugal, Greece and the UK, and $50 million in Series B funding from leading Investors.  In today's episode, you'll find out more about Rafel's journey into entrepreneurship, lessons from scaling such a successful business and the important role of satellites in combatting climate change. 

To kick off 40 Minute Mentor's Season 13, we're joined by Adrienne Adhami, leading wellbeing coach, podcast host and author.  Listed as one of the ‘Top 25 Black Entrepreneurs to watch' by HSBC and UKBBS, Adrienne is a trailblazer inspiring individuals and organisations to reach their full potential.  In today's episode, we won't just explore Adrienne's incredible career to date but also discuss her latest book ‘Decision That Matter' in detail. 

Ahead of launching Season 13 of 40 Minute Mentor next week, we thought we'd give you a preview of some of the pocket-sized mentorship you have to look forward to. Haven't subscribed yet? Make sure you do so now to be the first to hear about our next episode launching! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, our final episode of our VC feature series, we're joined by Pooja Sikka, General Partner at KHP Ventures.  KHP Ventures is a collaboration between King's College London, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The fund offers equity investments with Healthcare expertise for groundbreaking MedTech and digital startups.  In today's episode, you'll find out more about Pooja's squiggly career into Venture, and KHP's brand new mental health immersion programme. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Vegard Medbø, Co-Founder and COO at Antler, the global early-stage fund helping entrepreneurs go from zero to one.  Before founding Antler, Vegard spent his early career in the Coastal Ranger Command of the Norwegian Armed Forces and at McKinsey, where he worked with the world's top energy companies, helping them apply machine learning to renewable and non-renewable energy. Since founding Antler, the team have invested in over 1,000 companies addressing meaningful challenges and opportunities across six continents.

In this final 40 Minute Mentor VC bonus episode, we're joined by Corinne Thompson, Founder of Ecap Financial.  Today's episode follows a slightly different format, with Corinne sharing a quick-fire checklist for you next fundraise.  From the key metrics and data points investors really care about, to the biggest red flags and crucial questions Founders should ask their potential investor - this episode will equip you with everything you need to keep in mind as you're raising your next round. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by George Robson, Partner at Sequoia, the fund helping daring Founders build legendary companies from idea to IPO and beyond.  From Investment Banking to Revolut and becoming a Partner at Sequoia at the age of 25, George's CV is nothing but impressive and minutes into today's episode, you'll understand where his incredible drive and entrepreneurialism comes from. 

This 40 Minute Mentor VC feature season, we're bringing you a special three-part bonus feature, brought to you by Ecap Financial and their Founder, Corinne Thompson.  In today's episode, Corinne shares helpful advice for setting up your company and team for an exit.  We'll discuss:  ✅ What it actually means to “set up for an exit” as a Founder ✅ When you should start thinking about preparing for an exit  ✅ The do's and don'ts of navigating the transition 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Molly Alter, Partner at Northzone, the multi-stage fund partnering with Founders from Seed to Growth, across Europe and the US.  Molly started her career in VC in 2016, straight out of Harvard University. Since then, Molly has worked with some of the biggest funds in the industry, including Insight Partners and Index Ventures.  Now, at Northzone and back in New York, Molly focuses on vertical SaaS and AI, across early and growth stages.  In today's episode, we dive into her career in VC and her transatlantic focus. 

This 40 Minute Mentor VC feature season, we're bringing you a special 3-part bonus feature, brought to you by Ecap Financial and their Founder, Corinne Thompson.  In today's episode, Corinne helps us take it all the way back to the beginning of the fundraising journey.  We'll discuss:  ✅ The key steps you need to follow before your investor meeting  ✅ Figuring out when the time is right to start fundraising  ✅ What to keep in mind when choosing between VCs, angels or alternative funding routes  ✅ How to mentally prepare for the fundraising journey ahead 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Dinika Mahtani, Partner at Cherry Ventures, the early-stage VC firm led by a team of entrepreneurs with experience building fast-scaling companies, such as Zalando and Spotify.  Prior to her move into VC, Dinika was an Operator, working across Banking, UberEats EMEA and Uber's JUMP e-bike product in the UK. She also served as Director of Finance and Operations at ClimateTech startup, Kaluza.  Today, we take a trip back down memory lane, discussing those fundamental years as an Operator and how she made the move into VC.  It's a conversation filled with mentorship for Founders and anyone considering the VC route as their next career step. 

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're revisiting our popular episode with Ian Hogarth, Co-Founder and former CEO of Songkick, Partner at Plural Platform and Chair of the UK AI Safety Institute.  In this episode, we talk about his rollercoaster ride with Songkick and how mentorship got him through the worst days, and what led him to building Plural, an early-stage platform dedicated to investing in Europe's next-generation of tech companies with global ambitions.

In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're revisiting our popular episode with the brilliant Alice Bentinck MBE, Co-Founder of Entrepreneur First and author of “How to be a Founder”.  Frustrated by a business landscape that found latent talent shackled by predetermined career paths, Alice set out to challenge cultural norms when she co-founded Entrepreneur First in 2011 – an accelerator that celebrates and invests in talented, ambitious individuals and looks to match-make Co-Founders to launch successful businesses. In this episode, Alice shares everything from her early career to challenging the norms of entrepreneurship and backing diverse talent. 

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

How are your New Year's resolutions coming along?  Research shows that most of us drop our New Year's resolutions by the second Friday in January.  As we're approaching the end of January, we're resharing some of the best wellbeing and healthy habits advice we've received on the podcast from subject matter experts:  Dr Rupy Aujla, Founder of The Doctor's Kitchen  Rhiannon Lambert, leading Nutritionist and best-selling author  Nikki Wicks, CEO of global fitness brand, The Body Coach  Lottie Whyte, Founder of Myomaster, a pioneer in recovery and wellness solutions. 

James Lo, one of our most popular 40 Minute Mentors and Co-Founder of Ethos, joins us for today's 40 Minute Mentor, Where Are They Now feature.  A lot has happened since the last time James came on the podcast.  In today's episode, we dive into every twist and turn in his journey since building and eventually exiting education platform, Mana, all the way through his latest venture - Ethos, the opportunity engine for humanity, currently in stealth. 

Tom Elvidge, Co-Founder of UK-focused solar energy company, Synth Solar, joins us for today's 40 Minute Mentor, Where Are They Now feature.  In today's episode, Tom shares the ins and outs of his transition from being an Operator to founding Synth Solar, and all the key lessons he's learned on that journey. Plus, Tom gives us an exclusive sneak peek into what's to come and why now is a great time to get into the energy sector. 

Anouk Agussol, Founder of Unleashed, an Amplified People Group business, joins us on today's 40 Minute Mentor Where Are They Now series.  Following her initial appearance on the show, in Season 9, Anouk joins us today to share how Unleashed has evolved since almost going into administration and being acquired by Amplified People Group.  Plus, she shares actionable advice on building high-performing teams in 2025, and beyond. 

Happy New Year and welcome back to 40 Minute Mentor! For our first episode of 2025 we're taking one last chance to look back on the fantastic year of pocket-sized mentorship we've had. At the end of last year, we asked YOU to vote for your favourite 40 Minute Mentor of 2024.

Before the 40 Minute Mentor team heads into hibernation until 2025, your Host, James Mitra shares a short festive message with you.  Tune in to hear some of James's favourite moments on the podcast this year and some of the biggest milestones the JBM team have achieved this year. 

For the final episode of Season 12 of 40 Minute Mentor, we are looking back on the last 10 weeks of pocket-sized mentorship and revisiting some of James's favourite moments.  If you haven't fully caught up on this season yet, or you're a brand new listener, make sure you check out each of the episodes after this roundup episode and our 40 Minute Mentor archives of 260+ episodes.  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Listen back to all of Season 12: https://jbmc.co.uk/40-minute-mentor/  ➡️ Follow JBM on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/ 

“[We're] actually using TikTok in a positive way. The whole reason we exist is to combat misinformation, which there is a lot of on TikTok, but it can be used positively.”  In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Jas Schembri-Stothart, Co-Founder of luna, the world's first digital health companion for teenage girls.  Working with leading health and education institutions, Jas and her Co-Founder Jo Goodall are building a digital companion enabling teenage girls to have a healthier and happier teenhood.  To date, the app has over 100k members in over 100+ countries, was featured as app of the day across app stores and has seen them raise £1.2 million from Octopus Ventures, Syndicate Room and prolific Angel Investors.  In today's episode, we uncover all the highs and lows along the way so far…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Foundation in consulting [05:50]  ➡️ Deciding whether to get your MBA [08:30]  ➡️ The Origin story behind luna [11:30]  ➡️ Growing through community [19:30]  ➡️ More about Leadership Unleashed [21:20]  ➡️ Spending to grow & hiring mistakes [23:00]  ➡️ VC vs Angel Investment [27:20]  ➡️ Getting to know Gen Z & Generation Alpha [33:20]  ➡️ Embracing Founder Communities [41:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Jas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasschembri/  ➡️ Find out more about luna: https://weareluna.app/ 

“If you're not learning something new every day, even if it's the smallest thing, you can start to almost become stationary. Find ways to push yourself out of the limits of what you feel comfortable with.”  In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Dr Dupe Burgess, Founder & CEO of Bloomful.  Launched in 2021, Bloomful is a HealthTech on a mission to close the gender health gap and improve access to gynae care for women, globally.  Dupe and her team have been on an incredibly successful journey so far, having reached over 4,000 women with their first triage tool in just a few weeks and receiving equity-free funding from both, Google and KPMG.  With a background in medicine, working at some of the busiest NHS hospitals in the UK and strategy consulting at BCG, Dupe brings a wealth of first-hand knowledge and experience to tackle the problem Bloomful is solving today.  Find out more in today's episode…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Upbringing and landing in a medical career [04:15]  ➡️ Spending eight years in the NHS [08:15]  ➡️ Transitioning from being a Doctor to a Big 4 strategy consultant [12:15]  ➡️ Bloomful's origin story [18:20]   ➡️ More about Leadership Unleashed [21:30]  ➡️ Closing the gender health gap [23:00]  ➡️ Securing investment early on [28:00]  ➡️ The importance of storytelling in fundraising [31:15]  ➡️ Hiring for the sake of hiring & other lessons learned [33:50]  ➡️ Advice for growing your personal brand on LinkedIn [38:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Dupe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dupeburgess/  ➡️ Find out more about Bloomful: https://www.bloomful.io/ 

“It's really important to sell your business when there's still a lot of growth left. You really shouldn't be looking to sell it at its absolute peak.”  In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Mary Bonsor, Founder of Flex Legal, a bespoke online platform created to connect law students with law firms and in-house legal teams on a flexible on-demand basis.  Mary has been on an incredible journey from Lawyer to LegalTech Entrepreneur, driving diversity and social mobility with Flex Legal.  Alongside her successful build of Flex Legal to exit, Mary has been named Management Today's 35 under 35, won Entrepreneur of the Year at the Women in Law Awards and was also an Entrepreneurship category winner at the European Women of Legal Tech Awards.  In today's episode, we'll dive into her journey of building Flex Legal, all the lessons she learned along the way and her step away from the CEO role through her exit, 7 years into the journey.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Becoming a lawyer & the initial idea for Flex Legal [07:00]  ➡️ Entrepreneurship - a behaviour or a skill you can learn? [09:00]  ➡️ From concept to business - the evolution of Flex Legal [14:00]  ➡️ Find out more about Leadership Unleashed [15:00]  ➡️ Transitioning from Lawyer to Tech Founder [17:15]  ➡️ Finding Product-Market-Fit & navigating pivots [20:15]  ➡️ Hiring lessons [28:15]  ➡️ Navigating Covid & the route to exit [33:00]  ➡️ Transitioning out of the CEO role [35:30]  ➡️ Social Mobility in the Legal space [38:15]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Mary on LinkedIn ➡️ Find out more about Flex Legal

“Feedback is the only way you will develop as a Leader. It is the only way people develop, full stop.”  If you've been following JBM's journey or been listening to 40 Minute Mentor for a while now, you will know that we've recently joined forces with Amplified People Group - the people services supergroup, supporting tech companies from inception to IPO.  That's what makes today's 40 Minute Mentor episode so special.  In this episode, we are joined by Andrew Richardson, Amplified People Group's Co-Founder and Director.  Not only will you find out the ins and outs of JBM's acquisition and what the future holds for the Group, but we also cover Andrew's impressive career journey, why VC simply wasn't for him and where his passion and love for Sales really comes from.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Upbringing in an entrepreneurial environment [04:00]  ➡️ Foundation in recruitment & joining La Fosse [10:30]  ➡️ The power of mentorship in Andrew's early career [12:20]  ➡️ Growing a passion for Sales & why it's such a good grounding for anyone's career [15:20]  ➡️ More about today's sponsor [20:00]  ➡️ Moving from Recruitment into VC [21:00]  ➡️ The challenges of building a new fund [23:15]  ➡️ The beginning of Foundation Partners & the evolution to Amplified Group[28:00]  ➡️ Fractional support for early-stage Founders [33:50]  ➡️ The hallmark of success [38:00]  ➡️ Building a high-performance business & attracting the right talent [40:50]  ➡️ Why feedback is so important [46:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-richardson-34404b33  ➡️ Find out more about Amplified People Group: https://www.amplifiedgroup.com/ 

“People think VC is about chasing the next big thing…but actually, it's not about making quick money. It's about the long game and deep relationships.”  We often talk to Investors on 40 Minute Mentor, but today we're taking a deep dive into an increasingly important role within VC, the Platform role.  To help us explore what a Platform role can look like, why it's so important and how you can get into the role, we're joined by Leah Sutton, Chief Portfolio Talent Officer at Balderton and Charlotte Van Reyk, VP of Platform at Lightspeed.  On top of taking a deep dive into Platform, we also discuss Charlotte and Leah's incredible careers before VC and their predictions for 2025.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ From Google to VC [08:30]  ➡️ Act like an owner and think like an entrepreneur [12:00]  ➡️ Building businesses through People roles [13:20]  ➡️ Lessons from scaling high-growth businesses & navigating Covid [18:40]  ➡️ More about today's sponsors [21:45]  ➡️ Learning resilience from parenthood [23:30]  ➡️ Squiggly routes into VC [26:30]  ➡️ Biggest misconceptions about VC [31:30]   ➡️ Relationships vs Networks [34:30]  ➡️ Day-to-Day of a Platform Leader [36:40]  ➡️ Advice for moving into VC and Platform roles [41:20]  ➡️ Trends & predictions for 2025 [51:00]  ➡️ A podcast recommendation [56:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Charlotte: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-van-reyk-8a4481b5  ➡️ Connect with Leah: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/leahsutton  ➡️ Find out more about Lightspeed: https://lsvp.com/  ➡️ Find out more about Balderton Capital: https://www.balderton.com/ 

“I have more than 70% of equity in the business. Unfortunately, female Founders are actually encouraged to give up more equity in the early stages, which I would have never agreed with…”  The fashion industry is the third most polluting industry in the world.  Today's 40 Minute Mentor is on a mission to change that.  We are joined by Eshita Kabra, Forbes 30 Under 30 and Founder and CEO of By Rotation.  Often dubbed as the Instagram for fashion rental, By Rotation has achieved amazing milestones to date, including building a community of over half a million like-minded Rotators, saving over 100k meters of textile waste from going to landfill in 2023, and raising £2.55 million in seed funding.  We cover all the highs and lows along the way and Eshita's exciting plans for the future.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Growing up as a third culture kid [03:40]  ➡️ Why the leap into entrepreneurship [09:00]  ➡️ Finding the right people & navigating Covid [12:45]  ➡️ More about how By Rotation works [18:00]  ➡️ Learn more about today's sponsor [20:00]  ➡️ Purpose vs Profit & By Rotation's environmental impact [21:30]  ➡️ Prioritising equity over huge fundraises [22:55]  ➡️ Fundraising advice [28:00]  ➡️ Landing big partnerships & famous ambassadors [33:00]  ➡️ Hiring traps to avoid [35:45]  ➡️ Expanding into the US market [38:20]  ➡️ A podcast recommendation [41:45]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Eshita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshitakabra  ➡️ Find out more about By Rotation: https://byrotation.com/ 

“Something that's often quite misunderstood in mission-driven companies is that you don't change the world between 9 and 5.”  Today's 40-Minute Mentor is Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, a Sunday Times Best-Selling Author, the first Nordic woman named a Forbes 30 Under 30, and Co-Founder of Female Invest.  Female Invest is a global edTech platform on a mission to close the financial gender gap and smash glass ceilings.  To date, Female Invest has raised $23m in funding and is serving over 450,000 paying members in over 120 countries.  The Co-Founders also acquired Nordic FinTech company Gaia Investments and have written a global bestseller in ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Funds'.  We dive into all of these milestones in today's episode, plus so much more…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Failing to prioritise health [03:00]  ➡️ Growing up in Denmark and developing an interest in finance [04:20]  ➡️ From a social group at University to Female Invest [06:30]  ➡️ Scrappy beginnings & facing bankruptcy [11:15]  ➡️ Facing doubters and negative comments online [15:50]  ➡️ More about today's sponsors, Unleashed [19:00]  ➡️ Anna's hiring approach [20:15]  ➡️ Plans for the future [23:15]  ➡️ Fundraising experience & advice for Founders [24:45]  ➡️ VC vs crowdfunding [29:15]  ➡️ The financial gender gap & Anna's Call To Action [31:30]  ➡️ Getting started with investing [35:45]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-sophie-hartvigsen-46352611a/  ➡️ Find out more about Female Invest: https://www.femaleinvest.com/ 

“There are so many limitations put on women in this industry and you have to adopt a mindset where you're going to challenge that as you move forward.”  Today's 40 Minute Mentor is the brilliant Mary Bekhait, Group CEO of YMU.  YMU is a global talent agency representing some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry and beyond, including Fearne Cotton, Clare Balding, Davina McCall, Graham Norton and Simon Cowell, to name a few.  Mary has had an amazing career and has risen through the ranks at YMU, since joining in 2012.  Since taking over as Group CEO in January 2021, Mary has overseen a radical rebrand of YMU, transforming the agency into a progressive business, spearheaded by women.  In this episode, we dig into Mary's career to date, what it's been like to rise through the ranks in a male-dominated industry and what it's really like to work with some of the biggest names in entertainment.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Growing up in central London and nurturing a creative mind [06:00]  ➡️ Learnings from her first jobs [07:30]  ➡️ Why talent management & how to get into the industry [09:40]  ➡️ Being the only woman in the room & not becoming complacent [11:50]   ➡️ Leadership inspiration [16:40]  ➡️ More about today's sponsor [20:50] ➡️ Rising through the ranks in talent management [22:00]  ➡️ Focusing on Diversity in Hiring [27:00]  ➡️ What it's like to work with the most famous names in the industry [33:00]  ➡️ Mary's vision of the future of the industry [38:30]  ➡️ A podcast recommendation from James [43:25]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-bekhait-35524512/  ➡️ Find out more about YMU: https://www.ymugroup.com/ 

“It's easy to look from the outside in and think ‘wow, what an adventure' and it is an adventure, but if you're thinking about going on a startup joinery you need to ask yourself: am I okay if this fails?”  For episode 1 in our brand new 40 Minute Mentor season, we're joined by Clare Jones, ex CCO of what3words and CEO of Polarsteps.  Clare has had an impressive career so far, including joining what3words in its very early days as a startup and helping them scale to post-Series C in 8 years.  Earlier in the summer, Clare joined Polarsteps, a rapidly growing team building the essential tool for modern day explorers - before, during and after their trips.  In today's episode we discuss the leadership skills that helped her through her tenure as CCO and now CEO, what makes a successful CCO and what it's been like to join as the first CEO hire, as a succession hire from the Founders.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Her upbringing in an activist household [04:30]  ➡️ Early NGO experiences & transferable skills [06:15]  ➡️ Joining what3words as a scrappy startup [09:50]  ➡️ Lessons from scaling the what3words team [13:45]  ➡️ More about today's sponsors [20:55]  ➡️ Becoming comfortable with failure [22:00]  ➡️ Deep dive into the CCO role [26:15]  ➡️ Why the move to Polarsteps & the origin story [28:30]  ➡️ When it's time for Founders to step back [31:55]  ➡️ Making Founder succession work [43:00]  ➡️ Learning to be patient [47:25]   ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Clare: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-jones-/  ➡️ Find out more about Polarsteps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ 

We're officially DAYS away from launching Season 12 of our 40 Minute Mentor podcast.  And this might be one of our best seasons yet.  We have an amazing line-up of 40 Minute Mentors sharing the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journey - all the way from that initial idea to launching and breaking world records along the way.  For a preview of some of the amazing pocket-sized mentorship that will land in a set of headphones near you starting this Wednesday, check out our season trailer.  If you like what you're hearing, make sure you hit subscribe or set a reminder to check back this Wednesday morning for a fresh dose of pocket-sized mentorship. 

“Everyone needs different things, but if we're going to spend so much time going to work, at least do something where you feel that you matter and that you make a difference here.”  As we're approaching this year's Sifted Summit in London, we thought we'd use our final Replay episode as a throwback to our live podcast recording at the Summit two years ago.  In this episode, we're joined by Nikki Wicks (The Body Coach), Emma Steele (Ascension) and Amali De Alwis (ex Subak), to discuss putting purpose over profit and accelerating impact.  Gone are the days in which top talent are looking to go into Banking, Consulting or Investing.  Now the best of the best are on a mission to find companies and Founders with a strong purpose, to really make a difference in the world…  Episode chapters: ➡️ What is purpose and why does it matter [03:00]  ➡️ Measuring impact [08:40]  ➡️ Accidentally building a purpose driven business [10:45]  ➡️ When you should and shouldn't raise from VCs [16:50]  ➡️ Profit vs Purpose - defining what matters [22:00]  ➡️ Turning down million pound partnerships [24:55]  ➡️ Purpose & Talent attraction [31:20]  ➡️ Sacrificing big salaries for purpose [33:20]  ➡️ Hiring challenges [37:30]  ➡️ Purpose driven investment thesis & fundraising advice [40:00]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Watch the full recording at Sifted Summit: https://jbmc.co.uk/podcasts/live-at-sifted-summit-purpose-v-profit-with-nikki-wicks-the-body-coach-emma-steele-ascension-amali-de-alwis-subak/  ➡️ Connect with Nikki Wicks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-wicks-15065661/  ➡️ Connect with Emma Steele: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-steele-b7a98832/  ➡️ Connect with Amali De Alwis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amali/  ⭐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

“Being a mum is my superpower. If a company doesn't want my superpower, then I don't want to be in that company.”  Whether you're an aspiring GM, leader in Tech or are navigating the workplace after becoming a parent - you won't want to miss today's 40 Minute Mentor.  In today's Replay episode, we're revisiting our conversation with the brilliant Claire Valoti, prolific angel investor and Founding Partner of Haylo Ventures.  When we had Claire on the podcast, she was VP at Snapchat, where she grew Snap's EMEA region to over 1 billion in revenue with 20x headcount growth and a 5x productivity boost.  In today's episode, you'll hear more about…  Episode chapters: ➡️ Claire's brilliant career from media and advertising into Tech [01:25]  ➡️ The lessons she learned from her parents owning a Hotel [03:50]  ➡️ The importance of public speaking in any career [08:55]  ➡️ What an early career in agency land taught her [11:00]  ➡️ Progression does not mean leaving the company you're with [15:40]  ➡️ Highlights from working at Facebook [18:00]  ➡️ Moving to Snapchat & being hired while pregnant [19:50]  ➡️ Advice for aspiring GM's [22:00]  ➡️ A typical day at Snapchat [25:50]  ➡️ Challenges of scaling a team [28:15]  ➡️ Collaborating across different countries and timezones [31:25]  ➡️ Driving DE&I from the top down [35:15]  ➡️ What Claire looks for when assessing talent [39:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Claire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevaloti/?originalSubdomain=uk  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Ability is equally distributed but opportunity isn't. It's about giving people the freedom to fail and the right and opportunity to fully participate in all levels of the society we live in today.”  Social Mobility has always been an important topic for us on 40 Minute Mentor.  Not just as a topic to openly discuss on the podcast, but as a production team to continue to find underrepresented stories to share with you every week.  Although a lot of progress has been made across industries in the last 4 years since we initially recorded this roundtable episode, a lot of what our guests have shared is (sadly) still relevant.  In this Roundtable episode, you'll hear from:  ✨ Mandy Nyarko MBE, Co-Founder of Startup Discovery School ✨ Lucy McCarthy-Christofides, Fractional Commercial Product Marketing, ex Tails.com ✨ Ezechi Britton MBE, Co-Founder & CEO of Code Untapped, Founding Member of Impact X and CEO of Centre of Finance, Innovation and Technology ✨ Euan Blair, Co-Founder and CEO of Multiverse ✨ Ruth Penfold, Founder & Creator of Bloom, ex Launchpad and Onfido  Together, they discuss….  Episode chapters: ➡️ Why social mobility is important [02:15]  ➡️ The role of education [09:50]  ➡️ Continuous learning and reskilling [15:10]  ➡️ Improving social mobility as an employer  [25:20]  ➡️ Social Mobility in hiring [30:00]  ➡️ Building a truly diverse and inclusive team [42:20]  ➡️ Social Mobility in VC [52:50]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Follow Mandy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-nyarko  ➡️ Follow Ezechi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezechi-britton-452a893/  ➡️ Follow Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarthytails  ➡️ Follow Ruth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthpenfold/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

“When a VC gives you a low valuation, it isn't the fact that your company is worth that much, it might just be because you didn't pitch it in the right way.”  Fundraising can be a lonely process at times. And an endless emotional rollercoaster throughout.  In today's episode, we collated some of the best fundraising advice from Founders who have been in your position and raised some impressive rounds over the years.  You'll hear from: 

“This is a long partnership. We're here to return money to our investors, but we are also here to experience a very unique journey together. So, trust is very important, on both sides.”  We've been so lucky to have some of the best VCs in the industry, come on 40 Minute Mentor over the years.  For today's episode, we thought we'd collate some of the best VC advice we received on the podcast to date.  You'll hear from: 

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

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