40 Minute Mentor

In this final 40 Minute Mentor episode of Series 6, we’re joined by the Founder and former COO of Social Chain, and now a Founding Partner of Fearless Adventures, the brilliant Dominic McGregor. A lot of you will be familiar with the incredible journey Social Chain and their team have been on. At a very young age, both Dominic and his Co-Founder Steven Bartlett, have built a unique company culture, based on the drive to make it work for their team, even if that meant ripping up the corporate rule book and setting new standards within the industry. Although not an easy journey, they saw some great success over the years having grown Social Chain to over 750 employees across 24 offices worldwide, and ultimately taking it to IPO. We loved having Dominic on the podcast – he spoke with such humility and honesty, and we managed to dig deeper into some really interesting topics, including: Social Chain’s journey to IPO including some of the hardest challenges they had to overcome alongside their growth journey. Dominic’s candid advice for any fellow COOs and his personal insights into making the relationship between Co-Founders work. And his personal struggles along the way, including his battle with his alcohol addiction. Whether you’re a Founder or an aspiring COO looking to join a high-performing business, we know you’ll take so much great advice from this episode with Dominic. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Dominic, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpjmcgregor/ If you want to find out more about Fearless Adventures, head over to - https://fearlessadventures.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by former COO of Monzo and Founder and CEO of Lollipop, Tom Foster-Carter. Tom started his career in consulting before embarking on his Operations journey - first as Founder of both Osper and Curve, and then as Monzo’s COO where he scaled the business to 4 million customers and the team from 30 to 1,000, in just 2 years. In May 2020, Tom decided to take yet another entrepreneurial leap and launched his latest venture Lollipop – a grocery Startup widely known as “the Monzo of supermarkets”. With his wealth of experience in launching and scaling rocketships, Tom was a great 40 Minute Mentor, and shares some really interesting insights in this episode, including: The highs and lows from his journey as a three-time Founder and how he’s applying the lessons learned to his latest venture, Lollipop. -How he scaled the Monzo team from 30 to 1,000 and his advice for any aspiring COOs wanting to embark on a similar journey. -And the importance of not defaulting to always putting work first and his own experience of learning to strike a better balance. Whether you’re a Founder yourself, an aspiring COO or a seasoned COO about to make the switch to CEO – Tom shares some incredible useful advice for your next chapter ahead. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Tom, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomfostercarter/ And to find out more about Lollipop and sign up, simply head to - https://www.lollipopai.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Team GB hockey legends and Olympic Gold Medallists Kate & Helen Richardson-Walsh. Kate and Helen have been on an incredible journey, playing Hockey when it wasn’t really a viable career choice and continuing to represent Team GB at the Olympics, resulting in winning Gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016. While being teammates, Kate and Helen’s win on the Olympic podium also represented a big step in sporting history, as they became the first same sex married couple to share the Olympic podium. In the years since, they’ve become inspirational ambassadors and speakers, and have published their book, Winning Together: An Olympic-Winning Approach to Building Better Teams. In today’s episode, Kate and Helen share some really invaluable insights, including: The highs and lows of their road to the Olympics – discussing the setbacks they faced and how they continued pushing forward to succeed. How to deal with the often scary emptiness after a big win, such as the Olympics, and how to figure out what to do next. And what needs to happen for sport to really break down barriers and become accessible for all, no matter your gender, race, sexuality, or ability. We absolutely loved having Helen and Kate on our podcast and we know you’ll take so much great advice from this episode. Whether you’re a big sport fan, you’re about to make a big career change or you’re building a high-performing team, you won’t want to miss this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Kate and Helen, take a look at their LinkedIn profiles – Kate - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katewalsh11 Helen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenrichardson-walsh And make sure you buy their book “Winning Together: An Olympic-Winning Approach to Building Better Teams” in your local bookstore or over at - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winning-Together-Olympic-Lessons-Difference/dp/1529316146/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by our very own JBM SOS Board Advisor, Partner at Stride.VC and former Director of Operations at Uber, Cleo Sham. Cleo has had an incredible career, spanning from building Uber’s Guangzhou city business and team from the ground up to becoming Uber’s largest city business globally and the first city to reach 1 million weekly trips, to leading the sales, operations, strategy and marketing functions as Spotahome’s COO, and transitioning into VC as a Partner at Stride.VC. Speaking to Cleo was an absolute joy and she shares so much great advice in this episode, including: The importance of not focusing on having the right or wrong answers as a COO but being decisive, and other crucial skills, any aspiring COOs should be adding to their toolbelt. How you can make the transition from being an Operator to VC – and how the skills gained in a high-growth Ops career can be very useful when assessing businesses to invest in. And what needs to be done, specifically in VC, including efforts from investors and Founders alike, to level the DE&I playing field. Whether you’re an Operator looking to become an Investor, an aspiring COO, or a Founder looking for your next round of investment – you won’t want to miss the crucial advice Cleo shares in this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk And if you want to find out more about Cleo, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleosham/ If you want to find out more about Stride.VC, head over to – https://stride.vc/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Co-Founder and CEO of Amazing If, Co-Author of best-seller ‘The Squiggly Career’, and Co-Host of the popular Squiggly Careers podcast (a JBM favourite!), Helen Tupper. Helen has enjoyed a hugely successful career at some of the biggest companies in the world – Virgin, Microsoft, BP and Capital One, to name a few – but decided to take the leap into the world of entrepreneurship together with her friend Sarah Ellis and start Amazing If – an award-winning training consultancy. At a time when so many of us are reassessing our post-pandemic careers, finding happiness and fulfilment at work has never felt more important. And that’s where Helen and Sarah come in with their incredible coaching skills and resources. Speaking to Helen in today’s episode was an absolute joy. She shares so many great insights and speaks with so much passion and enthusiasm about making work better for everyone. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, covering topics including: Why the traditional linear career ladder isn’t a realistic “one size fits all” career development strategy anymore and what companies need to do to support their teams’ development better. What a squiggly career actually looks like and how it will help with employee retention, when supported in the right way. And what it’s really like to build a successful business with a friend, without compromising your friendship. No matter what stage you’re at in your career and whether you’re in a big corporate or a Founder yourself, we know you’ll take so much great advice from this episode with Helen. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Helen, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/helentupper/ If you want to find out more about Amazing If, head over to – https://www.amazingif.com/ For the Squiggly Career podcast, simply head to - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/squiggly-careers/id1202842065 And to pre-order their new book ‘You Coach You’, ask in your local bookshop or head over to - https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Coach-Overcome-Challenges-Control/dp/024150273X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Ben Stephenson, the Founder and CEO of the ground-breaking travel platform Impala. Ben has raised millions in funding for Impala over the last five years from some of the best VCs out there, including Lakestar which previously invested in Airbnb. He’s seen his staff mushroom to over 100 people, and he made the company remote-first way back in 2017, when having remote teams wasn’t something people looked too favourably upon. A true problem-solver in every way - whether the problem is how to rebuild travel-booking infrastructure from the ground up, to how to create exactly the right culture at work – Ben has made it his mission to improve the industry. Speaking to Ben was truly inspiring and we cover some really interesting topics, including: How Impala has grown to a team of over 100 people and raised millions in funding in just five years. The secrets behind Impala’s outstanding culture DNA, including Ben’s advice for anyone looking to build a remote-first team. And why the best Founders are the ones who don’t try to do everything themselves but hire talent that compliments their skills. If you’re a Founder yourself looking to support your remote or hybrid teams, or you’re looking to get into the travel industry – this episode is packed with great advice and honest anecdotes from Impala’s inspiring growth journey. A special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Ben, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-stephenson-13032b33/ If you want to find out more about Impala, head over to - https://impala.travel/en-gb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by journalist, broadcaster, TV presenter, Podcast host of ‘The Solo Collective’ and author, Rebecca Seal. Rebecca’s had a hugely varied career so far, including working as a journalist at The Observer, featuring as a Food and Drink expert on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, writing and publishing multiple books, including her latest best seller: “Solo: How to Work Alone(and Not Lose Your Mind)” and working as a Freelance journalist and author for over 10 years. We absolutely loved having Rebecca as a 40 Minute Mentor and know you’ll learn so much from her advice in this episode, including: What it takes to have a successful career in broadcasting and what to expect from your initial years in the industry. What solo working actually does to the human mind and how you can combat loneliness with a simple change in environment. And Rebecca’s approach to juggling many competing priorities, without falling into the traps of over-working. So, whether you’re a Freelancer yourself or you’re navigating a hybrid or fully remote work model, we know you’ll find this episode hugely valuable. A special thank you to our sponsors for this Series – Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Start up. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratehthispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Rebecca, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaseal/ If you want to buy a copy of her book Solo: How to Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind), head over to – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Solo-Work-Alone-Lose-Your/dp/1788164857 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by a real-life child prodigy, Co-Founder and CEO of Stemettes, and Host of the Evening Standard’s Women Tech Charge podcast, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE. Anne-Marie was one of the youngest to pass two GCEs in two different subjects while in primary school and completed her master’s degree from the University of Oxford by the age of 20. Since those days, she’s been knocking down walls and inspiring the next generation of women in STEM, through her work with Stemettes – a social enterprise promoting women in STEM careers. And if you haven’t heard of Stemettes or listened to the Women Tech Charge podcast, you might have seen Anne-Marie on Channel 4’s Countdown ‘Black To Front’ initiative earlier this year, where she filled in for no other than the queen of numbers, Rachel Riley. Anne-Marie speaks with such humility and honesty – we could have talked for hours. In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about: -How Stemettes has developed from a side-hustle to the success it is today, opening doors to careers in STEM for girls all over the UK -What businesses in the Tech sector need to do to attract and retain more diverse talent -And how listening to understand, rather than to answer questions is an often neglected skill by leaders. Whether you work in Tech or are simply looking for some mid-week inspiration, we know you’ll learn so much from Anne-Marie in this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series - Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa's most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Anne-Marie, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimafidon/ If you want to find out more about Stemettes, head over to – https://stemettes.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Founder and CEO of Walking on Earth, Reeva Misra. Reeva has made it her mission to tackle the epidemic of stress in the modern world – with Walking on Earth taking a holistic approach to health, focusing on the interaction between mind, body, and the environment to elevate happiness, particularly at work. It’s certainly been a fascinating journey for the business so far, not least because it was launched just two months before the global pandemic. Reeva quickly pivoted the business, launching a series of Zoom sessions with practitioners at a time when stress levels nationwide were going through the roof. We absolutely loved having Reeva as our 40 Minute Mentor for this episode and cover some fascinating topics, including: How Reeva and her team navigated the global pandemic and secured high calibre angel investors along the way. Why it’s so important for business leaders to model mindful behaviour and counter-act the perceived understanding that stress and burnout are unavoidable by-products of success. And how we can all leverage hybrid work models without falling into the “living at work vs working from home” trap. Reeva shares so many great insights in this episode, so if you’re a Founder or someone building high-performing teams, you won’t want to miss this episode. And a special thank you to our sponsors for this Series - Chipper Cash. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far and are widely considered to be Africa's most valuable Startup. To find out more, head over to their website, or tune into our 40 Minute Mentor episode with their Co-Founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Reeva, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/reeva-misra/ If you want to find out more about Walking on Earth, head over to – https://www.walkingonearth.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Co-founder and CEO of Chipper Cash, Ham Serunjogi. Chipper Cash aren’t just our Sponsors for this 40 Minute Mentor Series but are also widely considered to be Africa’s most valuable Startup. The team have been on an incredible journey, having launched their borderless way to send money across Africa and beyond, in 8 countries so far, with many more coming soon. Ham’s success is testament to the power of taking the road less travelled and despite the amazing success of Chipper Cash, he remains incredibly humble and focused on their ultimate mission to unlock global opportunities and connect Africa – one transaction at a time. We loved having Ham on the podcast and discuss some fascinating topics with him, including: The tricky side of scaling a mission-driven Rocketship, from making the right hires, to learning how to delegate effectively. A behind the scenes look on the successful fundraising journey Chipper Cash have been on and how they secured backing from Amazon's Jeff Bezos. And why perseverance is the real key to success. If you’re a Founder looking to scale your business, you’ll get priceless insights from Ham in this episode. Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm or get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Ham, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamserunjogi/ And if you want to find out more about Chipper Cash, head over to – https://chippercash.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices