40 Minute Mentor

“Most people listening need to understand that the government is not coming to save us. There is not going to be a huge pension when we retire. What you have is what you will have.”With interest rates on the rise, and the cost of living higher than ever, all of us are feeling the strain of financial stress… To help us get money smart and enhance our financial wellbeing, we’re joined by Vivi Friedgut, the Founder of Blackbullion - a financial wellbeing platform that equips young people with financial skills for life and improves access to funds.Blackbullion is currently available to over 1 million students at almost 50 partner universities and colleges across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The platform includes resources covering spending habits, loan calculators and shines a light on schemes, such as buy now pay later.At a time where the world has never needed to be more money smart, Vivi brings her infectious energy to this week's episode, where we dive into:➡️ Being raised financially savvy and the idea behind Blackbullion [03:46] ➡️ What to expect from the Blackbullion platform [07:40]  ➡️ Navigating a slow sector in a fast moving world [13:23] ➡️ The relentless early days as a Founder [16:03] ➡️ The hurdles and advantages of female Founders [22:48] ➡️ Making your money work for you & other actions to take [25:14] ➡️ Financial wellbeing advice for students [27:01] ➡️ Closing the financial literacy gap [29:05]➡️ Simple but effective money tips to utilise right now [36:22] ➡️ Running a 11-month fundraise and dealing with 78 rejections [37:52]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Vivi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivifriedgut/➡️ Check out Blackbullion: https://www.blackbullion.com/ 🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Everybody has something, everybody is travelling through this thing called life, and life is not all sunshine and rainbows.”Did you know, around 12 billion working days globally, are lost every year to depression and anxiety? These staggering stats find us amidst a mental health crisis, and a huge demand for increased support for employee wellbeing…What gives you energy? And what takes it away? What boundaries do you set?Figuring this out is at the heart of wellbeing for this week’s 40 Minute Mentor, Sançar Sahin, Co-Founder of Oliva, a platform that provides proper mental health care for employees.How is Oliva different? They provide on demand therapy, coaching, classes and content to help your people show up feeling their best AND doing their best work… all in one platform. After all, what is a successful company without healthy employees? Our mental health, much like Founder life, is full of ups and downs, and we are continuing the conversation around wellbeing in today’s episode, where you’ll uncover:➡️ The journey from marketing to disruptive Founder [05:14]➡️ Building more than a SaaS solution [11:22] ➡️ Digging deeper to reveal employee struggles [15:24]➡️ Combining technology and people [17:23] ➡️ How Oliva can enhance your employees wellbeing [22:09]➡️ Pivotal moments of realising you’re burnt out [26:55]➡️ Looking after your mental health as a Founder and looking after your team [33:16] ➡️ Wellbeing benefits that actually make a difference [36:25]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Sançar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sancarsahin/➡️ Check out Oliva: https://www.oliva.health/ 🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“When people and companies are on the verge of burnout, then it’s just this busyness epidemic.”You’re in a cabin, in the middle of no-where, for 3 nights. And your phone has been locked away, until you leave. It’s just you, nature, and your mind. This is not the start of a horror movie script. Although being without our phones can be a super scary thought…Today, we’re kicking off our new wellbeing feature series with Hector Hughes, the Co-Founder of Unplugged. Unplugged are solving the busy, burnout, can't-put-my-phone-down problem, one cosy cabin at a time.Did you check your phone as soon as you woke up this morning? Are you a sucker for checking work emails when on a wholesome escape in the sun? …Then today’s episode is perfect for you, as we discuss: ➡️ Celebrating failure as a Founder [08:50]➡️ What to expect from your Unplugged stay [10:20]➡️ Small steps to take to unplug in everyday life [14:58]➡️ Offering Unplugged to your team [16:36] ➡️ The broad lens of burnout and recovery [19:25]➡️ Building better relationships with technology [27:18] We hope this episode will inspire you to switch off and tune back in next week for another episode in our wellbeing feature. ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Hector: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-hughes-10082195/➡️ Book your Unplugged stay here: https://unplugged.rest/ 🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach 1 million downloads and wrap up Series 9 of our 40 Minute Mentor podcast, we wanted to reflect on the brilliant career mentorship we received over the last 12 weeks. From building a bootstrapped global fitness brand, to the end of HR, a CBD drink phenomenon to mental health and football, we really covered a spectrum of golden nuggets in the world of startups and scaleups. Not to mention some candid life lessons along the way.In today’s episode, we hear the very best moments from this series, with some spectacular insights into all things Founder life and beyond, including:➡️ Why you should stop searching for happiness [03:47] ➡️ How playing poker is like being a Founder [04:21]➡️ Diversity & privilege in politics [05:10]➡️ Layoffs are not personal, don’t be ashamed [07:15]➡️ Overdose & mental health stigma [08:10]➡️ Get a tech career on your own terms [09:14] But that’s not goodbye for now, as we are back next week with our special series, on all things mental health and wellbeing. ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about JBM on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/➡️ Check us out online: https://jbmc.co.uk/ 🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Hiring the wrong people teaches you more about your culture than hiring the right people...”Did you know a third of women in the UK do not have easy access to contraception?And 80% of those who are using contraception have reported side effects…Following her own experience of having devastating side effects of being put on the wrong contraception, today’s 40 Minute Mentor, Alice Pelton, decided to take matters  into her own hands. That’s why she started The Lowdown - the UK’s leading sexual and reproductive health platform, used by over 2 million women. Featured in the likes of Grazia and The Times, The Lowdown is a contraception review, advice and prescriptions platform, on a mission to change women’s health. In today’s episode, Alice shares candid insights into her own contraception journey and being a female Founder, including: ➡️ Her 10-year journey to find the right contraception [05:00] ➡️ The historical ‘un-sexy’ part of medicine and building the Lowdown [08:59] ➡️ Challenges of being a solo female Founder [10:30] ➡️ What nobody teaches you about fundraising [11:48] ➡️ Working with Angels vs VCs [16:18] ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [18:10] ➡️ Misconceptions about investors [19:20] ➡️ Building communities [22:11] ➡️ Learnings from hiring mistakes [25:23] ➡️ What she looks for when hiring for The Lowdown [27:53] ➡️ Navigating the ‘chat’ around contraception with children [32:33]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Alice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-pelton/➡️ Check out The Lowdown: https://thelowdown.com/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There won’t be many Founders out there who weren’t affected by the roller coaster weekend of the SVB collapse.Even if you weren’t banking with SVB yourself, the chances are high that your clients, investors or suppliers were. Although we all got to breathe a sigh of relief with HSBC acquiring SVB, many questions remain:Why did SVB collapse?How did we get to this outcome and who was behind it all?What happened behind the scenes during this weekend? To answer all of this and more, we’re joined by the person who was front and centre, Dom Hallas, the Executive Director of UK tech lobby group, The Coalition for a Digital Economy - Coadec. ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Dom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dom-hallas/➡️ Find out more about Coadec: https://coadec.com/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 🏆 Want to partner with us?Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene?Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Poker teaches you resilience, because it’s a complete rollercoaster. It is very humbling, it’s a bit like running a startup. Experience outweighs theory, just like being a Founder.” From wanting to be an entrepreneur since the school yard days, to a self-set mission of building two billion pound brands in his 30’s, today’s guest is no stranger to the rollercoaster life of startups. And he’s never had a job.This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is James Mishreki, Founder of popular skincare brand Skin + Me and sustainable consumer goods startup, Life Supplies. James shares so much advice from his professional poker playing days to navigating the collapse of SVB. We chat about: ➡️ His wish for entrepreneurship to be taught in schools [02:33] ➡️ How poker can prepare you for Founder life [05:27] ➡️ Lessons from launching his first Startup [09:36] ➡️ Falling into the beauty industry [11:41] ➡️ The challenges going from software to D2C [15:36] ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [20:05] ➡️ Educating the planet on re-fillable products [20:38] ➡️ Being born to create, and chasing big goals [24:53] ➡️ The rollercoaster ride following the collapse of SVB [32:55] ➡️ The power of collaborations [35:03] ➡️ The motivational video that kicked him into gear [39:48] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmishreki/➡️ Check out Skin + Me: https://www.skinandme.com/➡️ Check out Life Supplies: https://lifesupplies.com/   💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter whether you’re negotiating your salary, promotion, a new project or a deal with a client or investor - today’s episode will help you get it across the line. For this 40 Minute Mentor bite-sized episode, we’re joined by Selena Rezvani, award-winning journalist, coach, speaker and author of ‘Quick Confidence’. Ahead of her book launching on May, 9th 2023, Selena shares with us some easy to follow mentorship on: ➡️ The fundamental pillars of building your confidence ➡️ What makes someone a great negotiator ➡️ The GPS framework which will help you navigate your next negotiation ➡️ How to deal with difficult negotiations ➡️ Plus, what to do when you don’t get the outcome you wanted ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Selena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenarezvani/➡️ Get a copy of her book ‘Quick Confidence’ out on May 9th: https://www.selenarezvani.com/books 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains topics of mental health and suicide attempts, that may be harmful or traumatising to some audiences. If you’re affected by any of the topics discussed, please make sure you reach out to the helplines listed below. ⚠️  “Nothing prepared me for that loss of identity that I had without football.” Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a professional footballer in England? And what life looks like once you decide to retire from your career in sport? In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Clarke Carlisle, former professional footballer, mental health advocate and ambassador for the mental health charity Mind. Clarke has had an illustrious football career, having played for a number of top clubs, including Leeds United, Watford and Burnley, and winning three caps for England under 21s. Alongside all the successes, Clarke also had to deal with plenty of hardship, including serious injuries, his battle with depression and attempted suicide. Clarke has been refreshingly open about his professional and mental health journey, and shared with us: ➡️ The misconceptions that come with being a professional footballer [03:17] ➡️ His biggest failure and biggest success all wrapped up into one [07:21] ➡️ Why football needs to be treated more like a workplace [09:45] ➡️ Signing his first professional football contract [14:23] ➡️ Winning his England U21 caps [17:29] ➡️ More about our sponsor, Alchemist [22:10] ➡️ Bouncing back from a setback [23:22] ➡️ Why you need to stop searching for happiness [29:14] ➡️ Retirement from professional football [31:42] ➡️ Attempting suicide and ongoing mental health battles [36:26] ➡️ Advice on opening up about your mental health [45:29] ➡️ Improving mental health at work [48:29]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Clarke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarke-carlisle-and-carrie-carlisle-765aa749/➡️ Check out the work Clarke & Carrie are doing: https://www.clarkeandcarrie.com/➡️ Mind Charity: https://www.mind.org.uk/➡️ Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk➡️ The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123 ➡️ And for local help and support, call the Mind Infoline at 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there’s one thing that became obvious during the pandemic and the various different lockdowns, it’s the importance of human connection. But what happens to us when we get disconnected from our peers? How do we build actually lasting connections? And what are the best ways for team leaders to facilitate and create opportunities for human connection in an increasingly hybrid world? To answer all of these questions, we’re joined by Simone Heng, a human connection specialist and author of ‘Secret Pandemic: The Search for Connection in a Lonely World.’  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Simone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-heng-speaker/➡️ Get a copy of her book ‘Secret Pandemic - the search for connection in a lonely world’: https://simoneheng.com/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices