40 Minute Mentor

“In the whole of my career, I lost more races than I won. I think people like to look at the medals, but don’t necessarily look at the other side of it.” 40 Minute Mentor is officially back for Series 8! We’re kicking off this new series with the amazing Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain’s greatest Paralympic athlete, who has won 11 Gold medals and broke 30 world records throughout her career. Following her competing years, Tanni was created a life peer and is a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. In today’s episode, we get a really candid insight into Tanni’s life and career, including: ➡️ Why setbacks have been so important to her success as a Paralympian [03:10]➡️ Her upbringing and why her parents fought to keep her in a mainstream school [04:09]➡️ What made her fall in love with wheelchair racing and what it was like to make the British squad at age 17 [07:27]➡️ Her experience of her first Paralympics and the journey to Seoul [09:39] ➡️ How you consistently push yourself and build the resilience to keep going [13:52] ➡️ Why she never saw anything as a sacrifice [15:57]➡️ Why breaking the 400 meter world record stands out from all her successes [20:50] ➡️ How she decided to retire and her advice for anyone transitioning careers [22:30] ➡️ How she transitioned to a career in Politics and the issues closest to her heart [27:41]➡️ Why getting into sports is such a great opportunity and how people can get motivated [31:32]➡️ And why it’s so important to open up and talk to people when the going gets tough [33:04]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Tanni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanni-grey-thompson-9a6b84a6/➡️ For mental health support, we recommend:  Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk The Samaritans can be reached on 116 12 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.  ⭐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 feel that you can be your vulnerable self, and you can bring your true self to work, you’re going to push yourself outside your comfort zone and achieve more.”In addition to our usual 40 Minute Mentor episode on Wednesdays, we’re launching a brand new bite-sized mentorship format. Starting today, every Monday, you can tune in and spend 4 minutes with JBM Founder and 40 Minute Mentor host, James Mitra. We’ll be covering some of the most popular topics we get asked about, share first-hand experiences and mentorship; and you’ll get a chance to submit your questions at the end of every episode. Today’s episode is all about resilience. James shares his own experience of building resilience, within himself and the JBM team, why he almost threw in the towel 5 years ago and what 3 things helped him stick with it and turn JBM into what it is today.  ⭐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/40mmPlus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at hannah@jbmc.co.uk 💙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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

40 Minute Mentor, your pocket-sized career mentor, is back with a brand new series!From purpose-led Founders to Olympic champions; learn first-hand from today’s successful leaders on what it takes to be brilliant, all in just 40 minutes.To get a little preview of what's coming your way over the coming months, hit play on our Series 8 trailer.  ⭐Enjoying 40 Minute Mentor?⭐️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 💙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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Every single problem that you’re experiencing in your business today, there’s somebody out there that has solved it.” To round off our 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founders’ Feature Series, we’re joined by Nathan Chan, Founder and CEO of global media and education company, Foundr. Foundr provide training from the world’s greatest entrepreneurs through magazines, podcasts, videos, articles and online courses, to inspire their worldwide community of entrepreneurs. As a seasoned 40 Minute Mentor listener, you’ll see the obvious synergy between Foundr and our podcast, so we were really excited to include Nathan in this feature series, sharing his own ups and downs of being a Founder and the lessons he has learnt from interviewing some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Some of these lessons include:  How becoming a Founder sparked his ambition and drive [05:15]  What helped him through the early stage knock-backs [07:25]  How he’s pivoted Foundr from a magazine to an education and media business [11:47] The lessons he’s learned from hiring mistakes and an early doors lawsuit [16:50] What he’s learned from interviewing some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs [18:49] How he landed those big names to begin with and his advice for landing big name clients [24:06] How he measures impact from the community Foundr is building [26:43] Why Justin Bieber’s Manager has left the biggest impression on him [28:27] The traits that most successful Founders have in common [31:31]  Plus, the biggest advice he can give to any aspiring Founders [33:44]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/➡️ More about Foundr: https://foundr.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

“This is an industry where 78% of products that are targeted to black women contain horrible toxic ingredients. There was a paper that came out that linked parabens in black hair care products to breast cancer growth in black women. Nothing you use to groom yourself should be making you sick.” In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founder’ feature series episode, we’re joined by Rachael Twumasi-Corson, the Founder and CEO of black-owned haircare business, Afrocenchix. Afrocenchix are on a mission to put health first in haircare, and people and planet before profit. They do this by using environmentally friendly preservatives, ethically sourced, organic and vegan certified ingredients. Their brilliant work has been recognised by multiple awards, a thriving community of loyal customers in more than 54 countries and world-class investors backing their mission, including Google’s Black Founders Fund. However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Rachael and in today’s episode we hear very candid stories, including the successes and the setbacks that led to them, including:  Why interviews don’t always give you the full picture of a potential hire [03:03]  How having children has changed her as a Founder and business leader [06:01]  How her upbringing fuelled her entrepreneurial spirit [11:07]  What her University experience was like and how a kitchen lab in her student house saw the beginnings of Afrocenchix [16:49]  Why touching someone’s hair is an invasion of space and a microaggression which needs to stop [25:45] What makes Afrocenchix such a special D2C business [31:01]  How D2C Founders can prepare for the recession [33:45]  The do’s and don’ts of building a community [39:17]  Rachael’s experience of fundraising and her advice for any Founders embarking on that journey [43:56]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Rachael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeltwumasi/➡️ More about Afrocenchix: https://afrocenchix.com/➡️Rachael’s Medium article on fundraising: https://rachaeltwumasicorson.medium.com/10-tips-for-raising-investment-how-afrocenchix-secured-google-funding-in-1-2m-seed-round-ae29f18ed3a2 ⭐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 are a lot of cases where I think raising capital can actually ruin a perfectly good business model.” In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor 'Early Stage Founders' Feature Series episode, we’re joined by Hannah Russell, the Co-Founder of multi-award-winning podcasting company, Mags Creative. Mags Creative aren’t just the brilliant team behind our 40 Minute Mentor podcast, but are also the brains and creative power behind some of the best podcasts in the industry. The team helps brands and individuals tell their stories from concepts and planning to production and promotion. In today’s episode, we hear about the incredible journey Hannah and her sister, Faith have been on with Mags Creative and learn more about what got them to where they are today, including:  The importance of celebrating success as a Founder [04:37] What led Hannah to entrepreneurship and what her first business was all about [09:27]  Why the tumbleweed was the biggest surprise for her as a first-time Founder [13:32]  The biggest lessons she learnt from building Layer Home [16:01] How she ended up selling the business to one of her competitors [18:37]   Why she decided to jump back in the Founders seat and why podcasting [23:47]  How what she’s building at Mags Creative is so different to her first business [27:26] Why Mags is a bootstrapped business and her advice for anyone trying to decide whether to raise capital [29:50] Why you should start a podcast and what to keep in mind before you do it [36:17] Why comparison is so dangerous for Founders [42:00] How becoming a mother has changed her as a leader [44:33]   ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahruss/➡️ More about Mags Creative: https://www.magscreative.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

“What matters to me about the people in our cap table is that they’re people who really care about what we’re trying to achieve and our values, and fundamentally believe and support me as the Founder.” To kick off our brand new 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founders’ feature series, we’re joined by the brilliant Freddie Fforde, Founder of Patch. Patch creates dynamic work clubs and community venues for local highstreets. Open and available to everyone, Patch are looking to redefine what the future of work looks like and create spaces designed to celebrate businesses and talent close to home. In today’s episode, we learn more about Patch’s journey so far, their aspirations for the future and Freddie shares some candid insights into his journey as a Founder, including:  The biggest challenges and failures he faced as a Founder [03:14] The importance of the people around him and how they’ve helped him become the Founder he is today [07:32] Why he became a Founder in the first place [10:24] Where the inspiration for Patch came from and why it all started during Covid [17:06] What the future of work will look like and how employers can embrace it [22:58] Freddie’s approach to raising investment for Patch and why it’s so important to base your cap table on skillset [26:33] His first-hand advice for any aspiring Founders listening [29:57] Some of the most common Founder life myths and what the reality of being a Founder actually looks like [39:42] The valuable experience he got from being a fractional leader ahead of starting Patch [41:52] And why balancing all aspect of his life has become one of Patch’s  company values [45:41]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Freddie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddiefforde/➡️ More about Patch: https://www.patch.work/ ⭐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

“VC should be a great career for people from diverse backgrounds, because it’s really a role where you’re judged on your output. At the end of a fund cycle, it’s pretty clear to see whether you’re a good investor or not.” In our final 40 Minute Mentor VC Feature series episode, we’re joined by Hannah Seal, Partner at one of the most prestigious VCs in the world and one of JBM’s favourite clients, Index Ventures. Index Ventures is an international multi-stage venture capital firm, investing in technology-enabled industry disrupters. Their portfolio includes multiple 40 Minute Mentors, such as Unicorns Ankorstore and Multiverse and category defining companies like Bloom & Wild and Sourceful. As well as household names such as Deliveroo, Revolut, Glossier, and many others. In today’s episode, Hannah shares some brilliant insights into how Index work and what they look for when assessing Founders, as well as some great mentorship for anyone looking to get into VC, including:  Why she decided to pivot from Operator to VC [06:23] What skills Hannah relied on when making the transition [07:22] Hannah’s advice for any Operators thinking of moving into VC [10:02] What differentiates Index Ventures from other VCs [11:22] How Index Ventures works with Founders [13:10] What Hannah looks for when assessing companies and their Founders [14:52] The trends Index Ventures are seeing at the moment and some of the sectors Hannah’s getting excited about [16:28] How the economic downturn doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom for Founders [18:58] What changes Hannah has seen in the European VC landscape, compared to the US [20:22] And why VC is actually a great career option for diverse talent [22:17]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-seal-78938a22/➡️ More about Index Ventures: https://www.indexventures.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

Antoine Nussenbaum, co-founder of Felix Capital and investor in brands like Farfetch and Deliveroo, shares his journey into digital lifestyle investing. He discusses why Felix focuses on creativity plus tech. He explores how downturns create opportunities, the traits Felix backs in founders, hiring for conviction, and balancing intense work with life.

“Create an anxiety balance sheet with the things you have control over and the things you don’t have control over. Put the things that give you anxiety into these credits and debits and you’ll realise that actually there’s a lot more that’s in your control than you think.” Kicking off our VC feature series, we’re joined by Leila Zegna, the Founding General Partner of Kindred Capital. Kindred are building a new model for Venture Capital where every Founder they back becomes a co-owner of the fund. Launched in 2015, Leila and her Co-Founders are on a mission to create the venture firm they would have wanted to work with when they were running Startups themselves. Leila tells us more about their Equitable Venture model in today’s episode, along with some candid mentorship, including:  How she made the transition from Operator to VC [10:55]  Why more Operators should work in VC [19:18] What European VCs can learn from their US counterparts [22:22] How Kindred’s Equitable Venture model works [25:27] What advice Founders should keep in mind as they face the economic downturn [29:00] What Leila and the Kindred team are looking for when assessing businesses and their Founders [32:25] How Leila does everything she does all while having three kids under the age of 6 [37:21] And why she wants Kindred to be the best of its kind and not the biggest [41:36]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Leila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilazegna/➡️ More about Kindred Capital: https://kindredcapital.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