40 Minute Mentor

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices