Squiggly Careers CEO Shell-Shedding Moments: Purpose, Perspective and Learning from Mistakes with Nick Bent
Feb 5, 2026
Nick Bent, CEO of UpReach, leads a UK social mobility charity helping disadvantaged undergraduates into graduate jobs. He recounts shell‑shedding moments like culture resets and a memorable tech glitch. Conversations cover purpose and perspective after mistakes. He stresses building peer networks and human relationships as technology evolves.
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Zoom Call Technology Breakdown
- Nick describes a humiliating tech failure on an important Zoom handover call that left him feeling like an idiot.
- He rescued the situation with follow-up emails but felt he'd let the team and organisation down.
Use Purpose To Regain Perspective
- When things go wrong, bring the problem back to your organisation's purpose to restore perspective.
- Talk to someone to get a second opinion because others will often see the issue as smaller and offer practical help.
Social Capital Determines Resilience
- Your ability to weather setbacks depends heavily on your social capital and network quality.
- Intentionally build peer CEO relationships and keep contacts you might need years later.
