Hyper Curious

Today's guest is naturally hyper curious - as a technology entrepreneur, angel investor and business advisor, Jess Butcher MBE has many strings to her bow. As the co-founder and CMO of Blippar from 2011-2015, Jess was at the helm during its ascent to become one of the global tech pioneers in the field of Augmented Reality. Today, as one of the four recently appointed equality and human rights commissioners in the UK, Jess focuses her time and energy mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, and public speaking and writing about subjects she's incredibly passionate about, such as women in tech, work-life balance, and polarisation within our culture and society. “The most successful entrepreneurs aren't motivated by money per se, but by impact and the scale of the impact that they can have. And that typically correlates with huge success and huge wealth.”In this episode of Hyper Curious, we discuss the dilemma that all entrepreneurs have to balance our drive for business impact, versus personal matters, why we women should stop apologising for our decisions, and the need for nuanced conversations in our highly polarised world.“It's incredibly simplistic and binary, how we talk about women in the workplace. And much of the broader narrative around feminism is very, very binary.”From building a big beautiful scrappy portfolio career, to co-founding Blippar, finding co-founders, to the self awareness needed to change roles within the organisation, and debunking unconscious gender bias:“The best way to challenge stereotypes is simply to live beyond them and demonstrate you're doing that - you are not that stereotype and bollocks to it, quite frankly.”On today's podcast: The superpower of a scrappy CV The Blippar journey Finding co-founders Why the broader narrative around feminism is binary Debunking unconscious bias Links: Twitter:  jessbutcher Instagram: jessbutchermbe LinkedIn: Jess Butcher Book - The Coddling of the American Mind Book - The Power Of Bad by John Tierney

When we spend over ⅓ of our week working, we need to be alive in what we do and do something that matters to us. Which is why Dominic Jackson founded Escape The City in 2010, with his former co-founder Rob Symington. “It's out there for everyone and it's never been more accessible. There's really not much excuse these days to work for a cause that you don't believe in. So find that cause and be excited about it every day.”In this latest episode, Dom talks about being lost in a large organisation and the process of leaving a corporate job to start your own business. Why our fear of failure increases as our business becomes more successful. And the very difficult moment when you have to break up with your co-founder and deal with all the emotions surrounding that. “When you start a business it's like a marriage and you don't ever envisage what it would be like when it ends.”Dom's initial purpose with Escape The City was to build a platform to enable 1 million people in the corporate world to transition into fulfilling work. He hasn't reached this goal yet, but his journey is well underway. “There are so many people out there who are working in jobs that they don't like or working for organisations that are really not making the world a better place.”From the motivation for founding Escape The City, to what drives Dom to get out of bed each morning, to how he sees the working world shifting, how he inspires his team, and going it alone. Don't miss this incredibly emotional conversation with a very hyper curious entrepreneur. On today's podcast: The genesis of Escape The City Chasing for impact, not money Why his biggest fear is failure Moving on from breaking up with a co-founder Inspiring his team Links:https://www.escapethecity.org/

Today's hyper curious guest is a British entrepreneur, investor in wellbeing products and philanthropist with an amazing track record of delivering accelerated growth: Lara Morgan. Lara is a self-described straight talking, no-nonsense entrepreneur.“I want to lead a full life, which means that ultimately, I'm curious about everything and I'm constantly learning and that provides endless entertainment and opportunity.”Lara started her first business, Pacific Direct, at the age of 23 and 17 years later, she sold 99% of her shares for £20 million. A mother of three girls, she's actively engaged with various global nonprofits as a board member or advisor. “You've got to enjoy the journey because the journey is relentless. It's brutal. There are some days you feel like crying, but that's okay, it always gets better the next day.”In this episode, Lara discusses why difficult decisions regarding team members are a must so that you can grow a world class business; the key practice she applies when it comes to hiring salespeople; and the importance of the power of the choices we all have everyday when waking up in the morning:“My dad gave me a huge gift, he used to say: which side of the bed did you get out of? And what he's saying there is - you've got a choice, right, get out of bed cheerful because who knows what the world is going to offer you.”On today's podcast: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard How she defines success The crossover between sport and business  Teach your kids to be tougher Use enthusiasm to overcome fear Set bigger goals Links: Twitter: @IamLaraMorgan LinkedIn: Lara Morgan Scentered Yogi Bare Global Amenities Direct KitBrix  Gate8 World Coppa Feel Book - More Balls Than Most Juggling Kit

“twitch.tv is twice the size of the biggest sports channel in the world, ESPN. There are about 2.4 billion people gaming on a regular basis.”If you are curious about eSports, then you don't want to miss this week's episode of Hyper Curious with Challengermode CEO and co-founder, Robel Efrem, a curious, determined, funny, kind guy, who's also very competitive and loves playing computer games. Over the last decade, Robel founded two companies, is a three-time nominee for ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year,' and after a successful exit from his first company co-founded Challengermode in 2014. Today, Challengermode is making waves in the future of sports, because they're on a mission to make esports truly accessible for all the key stakeholders in the industry - players, organisers and game developers. “We believe that [eSports are] going to be the biggest sport in the world. For it to reach its full potential, it needs to become much more accessible than it is right now.”In today's episode, Robel talks about why eSports is the next frontier of traditional spots, the experience of exiting a company when you're in your 20s in order to start a new business that's more connected to your passions, and the importance of trust, kindness and data when developing a partnership with your co founder.“One of the qualities that I value, besides being very confident at your work, is just being a kind human being. It's a very underrated quality, and it captures a lot of what's important for us here.”On today's podcast: Why eSports are the fastest growing sport in the world His passion for eSports His experience of selling his first company The need for role models in eSports Challenge of trying to become a unicorn Links: Robel Efrem @RobelEfrem Challengermode

“We got this idea of the ugly truth and built a brand around no fake marketing promises, no BS, no calories, no sugar, no sweeteners, you can just drink it ugly, have no guilt with it at all. It replaces that soda moment.”Hugh Thomas is the founder of Ugly Drinks, a challenger brand founded in 2015 in the UK, before launching in the US in 2018. Ugly is a hyper curious, super irreverent and rebellious new soda brand disrupting the market, taking on the sugary soda industry by making sparkling water accessible to all. “I felt that consumers often get blamed for being overweight. But really, it's the system and the food and drink products that have been shoved down our throats and marketed to us for 100 years that are really causing the problems.”In today's episode, Hugh chats about brand building, how to strike the right balance of rebelliousness and familiarity when you're building your challenger brand:“I think great branding is a balance of art and science. Ultimately, I think one of the reasons our brand stands out so much is because it's authentic and comes from the soul.”He also shares his biggest lessons learned from expanding Ugly in the US from the UK, and the importance of working on your mental health when you're creating a company that is looking to change global consumption of sugar. “We started selling in one shop [in the US], same as we did in the UK. And then we built from there. Now we're in 15,000. So it's like, just keep building.”On today's podcast: The systemic issues with sugar Ugly is about being authentic How to expand into US Why they've stayed lean Why you need to separate yourself as a founder from the brand Links: Eating The Big Fish Lights Out: Sleep Sugar And Survival

“I am a loving mother and grandmother. I've got 10 grandchildren. I'm an eco warrior. I'm a life adventurer.”Jo Wood is so full of life. It's hard to imagine she was once considered ‘just' the wife of one of the most iconic rock and roll figures in history, Rolling Stones frontman, Ronnie Wood. But today Jo is on a mission to be invisible no more. “You have to believe in yourself. I hadn't believed in myself, in my marriage, because it was all about my ex husband. My mother said to me once that as she got older, she became invisible. And I thought that was the saddest thing I'd ever heard.”A misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease set her on her current organic path, and now Jo is a massive advocate for environmental change, natural living and all things organic. After living the high life on the road with the Rolling Stones for over 25 years, Jo now lives happily off grid in the English countryside. “I became so obsessed with all things organic that Keith told me once: ‘the trouble with you, darling, is you are addicted to organic food'.”In today's wonderfully curious conversation, Jo shares how her biggest lows in life drove her to become an entrepreneur, bringing her amazing organic products to the world, what she learned about herself and her limitations from appearing on TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls and Celebrity Masterchef. And if you believe in aliens, stay tuned to the end when Jo shares a story about seeing UFOs in Brazil.On today's podcast: How a Crohn's misdiagnosis put her on the organic path The impact her divorce from Ronnie had on her business Finding the mental strength to do Strictly The importance of pushing yourself Curiosity around aliens and UFOs The organic legacy she wants to leave behind Links: Twitter:  JoWoodOfficial LinkedIn: Jo Wood Insta:  jowoodofficial Jowood.tv

Pip Jamieson is a disruptive, creative, dynamic entrepreneur who embodies curiosity and has not only put social purpose and values at the heart of her tech business, The Dots, the professional network of the future loved by creatives and dubbed by Forbes as the next LinkedIn, she’s also fascinated by what we can learn from trees. “There’s a web of fungi that exists in woodlands. It has been scientifically proven that trees transfer nutrients to trees that aren't doing so well. It’s an ecosystem balance that’s interlinked, and it’s everything I want the world to be.”Pip is an incredible human diversity advocate, who credits her neurodiversity as her superpower, and in this episode, we talk about how to create a platform that's optimised for kindness and happiness. Not vanity or likes. And yes, it is possible. “The big difference between us and LinkedIn is on LinkedIn you promote yourself via a CV and on The Dots you post projects, and then credit the full team around that project.”We also talk about the future of work when people embrace fluid careers and make money from their passions.“Our community, they are the slashie generation, they're the ones that are following their heart and purpose. And they're having to adapt to change, and to enjoy continuous learning, and sharing and skill swapping, and jumping from project to project and it just feels a much more fluid way.”On today’s podcast: Why LinkedIn is an individualistic experience The Dots algorithm is based on positivity and kindness Building a community that cares about each other The link between dyslexia and entrepreneurs What we can learn from nature Links:The Dots

The places our curiosity takes us are fascinating. Take today’s guest, the annoyingly positive (his words) and endlessly curious entrepreneur and adventurer, Sam Harris. “I have always been a relentlessly curious person that can't help seeing what's on the other side of things. And whether that's my fears, or something else, I can't not know.”Sam is the co-founder and CEO of Simplify, a social podcast app. He’s also climbed some of the world's most dangerous mountains, visited North Korea and nearly died a few times. “I have an alarm at 08:30 every day being, ‘Hey, you could climb a mountain and be home by now.’ And it's like, yeah, you can really do some insane things, if you ever put your mind to it.”He’s also a TEDx speaker, stand up comedian and podcaster. He's full of ideas, creativity and definitely one who follows his curiosity. “I'm always curious about optimising your life: the best pathway in terms of your relationships, success, happiness and [having] the freedom to do the things you want to do.”In today's episode, we talk about how Sam's near death experiences changed the way he goes about life, why studying biology made him a braver creative entrepreneur, and the importance of leaning into your fears and discomfort to gain a more lighthearted perspective in life.“I really enjoy doing stand up comedy, but I guess there was a bigger fear of it [than North Korea], which is weird, because you're just on a stage. And the worst that can happen is you say some jokes that aren't funny.”If you want to learn to be less afraid, don’t miss this entertaining episode. On today’s podcast: Why he’s proud to be annoyingly positive  Learning from his near death experience Enjoying tangents Learning to be less afraid Finding freedom from desiring things Links: Twitter:  @samjamharris Insta: @samjamharris LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/ Podcast - Growth Mindset Podcast - Psychology In Seattle Book - Why Buddhism Is True

If you’re curious about how to improve your workplace culture, don’t miss this fantastic masterclass in everything about people and culture as we talk today with Anouk Agussol, founder and CEO of Unleashed. “I'm a big believer in just going for it. You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”Unleashed is not your average consultancy. In the four years since its foundation, Anouk and her team have worked with over 80 high growth startups, scale ups, VCs and accelerators across a huge variety of sectors in the UK and Europe, supporting them on all things people, culture and leadership. “Our mission is we want to enable young successful startups to scale well, and to create amazing work lives for the individuals that work within those businesses.”In this episode, you'll learn how you can make your whole company vested in people matters as you scale up, why founders can't delegate culture to anyone else in the organisation, what the best leaders are doing to keep the magical impact of vulnerability on their team's motivation, why you should 10X your onboarding process, decrease asynchronous work and update your parental leave policies.“I think parental leave policies in the UK are inherently biassed. And they are part of problems that we see within society, around gender imbalance at home and in the workplace as well.”On today’s podcast: Why traditional HR is dead Founders can’t delegate culture How to hold culture together when WFH How leaders can motivate through vulnerability How to prevent a toxic culture Inclusivity before diversity Modernising parental leave policies  Links: Dr Rangan Chatterjee podcast - Auschwitz Survivor Dr Edith Eger on How to Discover Your Inner Power Friday Pulse The Happiness Index Culture Amp Twitter: @oz_anouk Insta: @anoukagussol LinkedIn: Anouk Agussol

“People have to learn how they can use their curiosity better for their own benefit, the benefit of their organisations, the benefit of their communities, or the benefit of the planet.”Today we’re going meta as we explore the topic of curiosity with the expert himself - Costas Andriopoulos. Costas is a curious innovation and entrepreneurship researcher, passionate about teaching and helping founders and leaders make decisions that can improve their lives and those of people around them.“For the last four or five years, I have been researching the topic of curiosity, most of my research is about how innovation is enhancing the workplace… I want to understand how people use curiosity to achieve interesting goals or find their purpose or to improve their lives.”He’s currently writing his second book, The Power Of Purposeful Curiosity: Imagining the Unimaginable, so you can see why he’s the perfect guest for Hyper Curious - he embodies curiosity!In today’s episode, Costas talks about how curiosity leads us to become better human beings, the commonalities of very curious people, the connection between resilience and curiosity, and why successful entrepreneurs are the ones who never stop searching. “A lot of entrepreneurs become obsessed with a product rather than with a problem. And I think the best entrepreneurs, the most successful ones are the ones who stay seduced by the new questions and the new problems, rather than their solution.”On today’s podcast: Unexpected patterns of curious people How curious people conquer their fears  Connection between resilience and curiosity Don’t look at today and miss the vision of tomorrow Balance innovation and profits Successful entrepreneurs never stop searching Links:Book - Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation

For all of us who are hyper curious, who are motivated to learn new things in our lives, today’s guest, Tom Vanderbilt, is an inspiration. “One of the greatest ways to kickstart a desire to stay curious, to stay intellectually humble, to admit that you don't know everything that's out there, is to take up a new skill in which you have no background.”Tom is a journalist and author of New York Times bestseller Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and Beginners: The Joy And Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. Tom writes on many subjects for many publications, including Wired, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone and the New York Time Magazine. In this episode, we talk about the beginner's mind and why adults stop learning, how absorbing completely new skills triggers your curiosity to look at the world around you with a fresh perspective, and why we should be inspired by kids when they playfully try and fail and learn, as opposed to having a big goal to get to.“Skill learning could help combat stress and build resilience because you no longer feel as if your life is dependent on a few things.”From the importance of openness to experience, to mastering what you’ve learned by repeating and practicing it, to why the disruptive pandemic has forced us to change and given us a good excuse to learn new things. “A lot of life is very habitual. We're not even aware of how much is habitual and one of the greatest ways to induce behaviour change is to have a disruption in one's life.”If you’re a founder, starting a company or changing career, this is a truly curious episode that will hopefully inspire you to be a lifelong learner.On today’s podcast: Why he wrote Beginners The main traits of hyper curious people The risk of being a generalist How the pandemic induced collective behaviour change Don’t rely on goals Links: Twitter: @tomvanderbilt LinkedIn: Tom Vanderbilt Tom Vanderbilt

If you’re a parent, you’ll know what a minefield childcare is, not to mention how inaccessible and unaffordable it can be. Which is why we’re super excited to talk to Rachel Carrell, an incredible and highly accomplished entrepreneur, who is on a mission to build the world's best childcare service. Rachel is the founder and CEO of Koru Kids, a fast growing tech company that raised over $15 million from the most respectable venture capital investors in the world. “I am a Kiwi, a mother, and an entrepreneur. And I'm interested in almost everything.”Rachel has received numerous awards including Inspirational Mother and Best Business Woman In Tech. Before she founded Koru Kids, she was the CEO of a multinational healthcare company where, when she had her first baby, she experienced firsthand how difficult and expensive it was to arrange childcare, and decided to found Koru Kids. In this episode, you learn the worst thing about being CEO, the importance of setting up a powerful vision for your business and communicating it widely, why she named the company Koru Kids, and why her fantastic protip to female founders who are fundraising is: do not have it in your head that you are a female founder, when you walk into the room.And finally she shares how she manages her day to day life as a high achiever through having her own nanny and sharing domestic responsibilities 50:50, with her husband, as well as how transcendental meditation works for her, and why she lies on a bed of nails before going to sleep. “When you first do it, it is excruciatingly painful for about one minute. And then what happens is all the blood rushes to that area of your body. And it starts feeling very warm, and all your muscles relax. You get this incredible rush. And it makes you feel really sleepy.”For all founders, female especially, this is a truly insightful episode, don’t miss out!On today’s podcast: The best and worst things about being CEO The magic of setting a powerful vision Advice to female founders who are fundraising The help she has at home Relaxing through transcendental meditation and a bed of nails Links: Koru Kids LinkedIn - Rachel Carrell Twitter: RachCarrell Insta: rach.of.koru.kids Clubhouse @rachcarrell

Dan Murray-Serter is a spiritually curious serial entrepreneur who loves animals. “I'm not afraid to try something and shut it down. I've had eight companies, I've had to shut down five of them. So I failed a bunch of times.”Dan’s also the host of the UK’s number one business podcast, Secret Leaders, co-founder of Founders, a private network of incredible founders, and writer at Forbes. His current venture - Heights, is a company he co-founded to tackle his own mental health and combat his chronic anxiety and six-month-long insomnia.“Someone recommended I see a dietitian, and the dietician diagnosed me in seconds, she prescribed me supplements, and I was like, Oh, no, supplements don't work. But the supplements worked really quickly, within a week, and I was sleeping like a baby and my anxiety had gone away.”In this latest episode of Hyper Curious, you'll learn about why you need to do more of the things that feed your soul and give you energy. You’ll get a better understanding of the concept of brain care and how much nutrition impacts our mental health. And finally, Dan explains the importance of being an outsider asking the most basic questions and following your curiosity to make great products.“In our genuine stupidity, our total lack of category understanding meant that we were like, well, let's just ask all the questions from the ground up and go from there. And what ended up is a totally different product to anyone else in the market.”This is a fantastic episode jam-packed full of brain care advice and startup advice. Don’t miss out, download and listen today. On today’s podcast: Link between nutrition and mental health Ask the dumb questions Time boxing to keep focused Embrace failure How to combat brain shrinkage Mental health care at work Links: Twitter - @danmurrayserter LinkedIn - Dan Murray-Serter www.yourheights.com Secret Leaders

We are super thrilled to have the incredible multi-hyphenate, Viv Groskop, on Hyper Curious. “I always think there's something in our culture that tells us we should be focused on one thing, and not to have a butterfly mind.”Viv Groskop is a writer, critic, broadcaster and standup comedian. She's the author of How To Own The Room, which is also a top 10 iTunes podcast with incredible guests like Hillary Clinton, Nigella Lawson and Julie Andrews. Her latest book is Lift As You Climb. In this episode, we learn why everything in life is a series of wrong turns and how it’s our failures that lead us to our eventual path - success isn’t linear. If you’ve ever wanted to take an idea and run with it, to see where it takes you, let Viv be your guide. We never know what will work, says Viv, the only common theme is that there is no common theme, experimentation is everything. “[Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg] tried loads and loads of things that didn't work, they took loads of wrong turns. And when you get to the top of something, when you become very successful, those things become written out of your story.”Viv also explains why we need to tell our own story, why we should stop putting other people on a pedestal, why we need to to leave the good girl behaviour behind, and why doing less is the best way to become your most authentic self. “You don't have to do more, you have to actually do less, be less. I don't mean be lesser than your greatness. Do less, you don't have to be all things to all people. Just dig really, really deep into who you are as a person, and let that shine.”On today’s podcast: Do what’s fun for you Life is a series of wrong turns Nothing matters on paper Take one small step, then another Tell a story from within Links: Twitter - @VivGroskop http://vivgroskop.com/ LinkedIn - Viv Groskop

Do you find yourself endlessly distracted? Do you struggle to get traction with things you need to prioritize? Welcome back to Season two of Hyper Curious. Kicking things off is Nir Eyal, the author of two best selling and the most impactful books every founder must read - Hooked and Indistractable. Key takeaways: Why we get distracted Hooked v Indistractable The concept of traction The four pillars of the model of Indistractable Distraction is a company culture issue Making timeboxing work for you

This is the final episode of Season One. We’ve had our curiosity piqued in myriad ways by inspiring guests as they’ve opened up and shared their curiosities. This final episode combines together all of the advice our fictional protagonist Olivia has been given. Perhaps in seeing her story as a whole, you may find answers to your own curious questions. Key takeaways: Beta’s a-ha moments in life and business The power of letting go Olivia ‘game’ reflections Success is never linear

What had you achieved by the age of 24? Today’s guest, Timo Armoo, founder and CEO of Fanbytes, is already onto his third company. Fanbytes helps companies reach Gen Z social media influencers. Key takeaways: Gen Z see the world through their phone When creators don’t understand the content on their platform Do people care that social media platforms are getting their data? Why we are obsessed with defining ourselves History doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes Top tips for building your personal brand

If you think it's too late in life to change vocation, Maria Sayans will show you it isn’t. Maria came to the world of gaming later in life and is now the CEO of ustwo games. She shares with listeners her journey and advice for anyone keen to follow in her footsteps. Key takeaways: How to find your path The mindset you need to work in the games industry Good questions lead you to good decisions The importance of education in order to build strategic thinking Why she’s curious about embodied cognition

DesignMyNight co-founder Nick Telson embodies what Hyper Curious is all about. Realising that a career trajectory at L’Oreal wasn’t for him, he was curious about following a different path and after a night out in NYC with co-founder Andrew Webster, he found his new direction. Key takeaways: The startups that Nick invests in Taking the leap from the corporate world to entrepreneur The best founders are the ones really in their industry How to handle the entrepreneurial roller coaster Trust your gut, trust your instinct Nick’s advice to anyone thinking about becoming an entrepreneur

What throws two fingers up at the establishment more than an LGBTQ, black, woman investor? Meet Arlan Hamilton, Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital. 5 years ago, Arlan started a VC fund while homeless. Today, her $10m fund has invested in over 130 startups led by underrepresented founders. Key takeaways: Her secret to bravery is a tolerance for risk How to filter knowledge and advice Why struggling is normal How to turn being weird into your power How to define the impact you want to make

If you’ve ever wondered how you can be happier with your lot in life, don’t miss this episode with Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google [X], serial entrepreneur and author of “Solve for Happy: Engineering Your Path to Joy”. Mo’s realised there is more to life to discover and he’s on a mission to make people happier. Key takeaways: The Supertramp song that triggered a change in his life The illusion of control Why life is a video game How to be present The happiness flowchart

Do you know what makes you happy? What makes you be the best you can be on a day to day basis? Meet Amy Landino, content creator, YouTuber, founder of multiple media companies and author. Amy is on a mission to help people go after the life they want. Key takeaways: How she started down the entrepreneurial road Why running made her uncomfortable Her biggest a-ha moment Defining your why and knowing when you’ve nailed it How to go after the life you want Calendar blocking and setting boundaries

Welcome to Hyper Curious, a place where we celebrate making change happen by following your curiosity. If you want to learn how leaders in multiple industries, including authors, founders and artists got to where they are, this is the podcast for you. In this inaugural episode we meet serial entrepreneur and founder of Beautystack, Sharmadean Reid MBE. Sharmadean is the perfect example of why you don’t have to be a specialist at something in order to be hugely successful. Key takeaways: From individual contributor to business leader to serial entrepreneur How to balance the needs of the business vs her own needs The undue pressures women put on themselves Embrace being a generalist and a collector of interests Why she’s decided to commit to Beautystack for 10 years Why educational resources should be more gender equal The importance of writing your own narrative and finding a game you can win

Introducing Hyper Curious, launching July 2020. For more information, visit: http://hypercurious.fm