40 Minute Mentor

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the Head of Network & Community at BACKED VC, and the recently appointed COO of Diversity VC, the brilliant Daisy Onubogu. So much of Daisy’s career has been driven by a clear fascination with human behaviour, figuring out what makes us tick individually, and how to match that personal ambition with making the world a better place. In recent years, she’s also been at the forefront of driving change in DE&I, recognising that it’s less a time for discourse and more a time for action. We loved chatting with Daisy, she always talks with such clarity, honesty, and passion. It’s impossible not to be inspired by her. During our conversation in this episode, we cover some fascinating topics, including: The importance of creating the right kind of environment to inspire human interaction and true connections. How the sign of having built a successful community is if it functions in the same way without you being part of it anymore. And how DE&I is just at the starting point, and in need of big systemic change, which we can all be a part of. Whether you’re a Founder, an investor or someone passionate about DE&I – we know you’ll gain so much valuable insights from 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. 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 Daisy, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisyonubogu/ If you want to find out more about BACKED VC, head over to – https://www.backed.vc/ And if you want to find out more about Diversity VC, listen to our episode with their Founder Check Warner at https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/supporting-underrepresented-founders-with-check-warner/ or head over to https://www.diversity.vc/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To kick off Series 6 of our 40 Minute Mentor podcast, we’re joined by serial entrepreneur and Founder of The Stack World, Sharmadean Reid MBE. From WAH London – a nail salon that mushroomed into a global mecca for aspiring entrepreneurs – to her latest venture, The Stack World, which combines leading editorial and beauty content with a marketplace for mission-driven women, Sharmadean has always placed female empowerment at the forefront of her work. In today’s episode, Sharmadean speaks candidly about taking her first steps into entrepreneurialism at a time when there wasn’t a well-trodden path guiding digital Startups, and the many lessons she learned along the way, including: The importance of having a definite plan when you launch a business, and not falling into the trap of saying yes to everything. Why it’s so crucial to remove your ego from your work and focus on your business’ success. And how, despite the shift in the right direction, we’re still a long way off from achieving gender equality in business and beyond. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to speak to someone so humble and honest about the reality of launching your own business. That’s why we can’t wait for you to listen to this episode. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or someone driven to move the equality lever, we know you’ll get so much valuable insights from Sharmadean 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 feedback on this episode, so please feel free to get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk or leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm If you want to find out more about Sharmadean, take a look at her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharmadeanreid/ If you want to find out more about The Stack World, head over to – https://www.thestack.world/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

40 Minute Mentor is back with a brand new series, filled with exclusive insights from CEOs, world class investors, purpose driven entrepreneurs and Olympic gold medallists. To get a little preview of what's coming your way over the coming weeks, have a listen to this trailer. And if you've enjoyed the past 5 series, please leave us a review on whichever podcast platform you listen to 40 Minute Mentor on or over at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm - we absolutely love hearing your feedback and really appreciate all the support we get from our listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahead of launching Series 6 of the 40 Minute Mentor in September, we take another look back on some of our favourite episodes across all series so far. If you’ve been listening to 40 Minute Mentor for a while, you’ll notice that we like to wrap up each episode with a couple of questions focused on mentorship – why it’s important and who some of our successful guests lean to when they’re looking for advice. The answers are always beyond inspiring, so we’ve compiled our favourite ones in today’s roundup episode. You’ll hear from a range of our incredible guests over the last 5 series, including: • Will Greenwood MBE – England Rugby legend and broadcaster • Fred Jones – JBM Board Advisor, ex GM of Uber and VP & Regional GM of TIER Mobility • Pippa Lamb – Partner at Sweet Capital • James Routledge – Founder of Sanctus • Caroline Murphree – CEO Europe of Wealthsimple • Timothy Armoo – Co-Founder and CEO of Fanbytes • Check Warner – Co-Founder of Diversity VC and Ada Ventures • Ben Sanders – JBM SOS Board Advisor and ex MD for Europe at Pollen • Zoe Jervier-Hewitt – Talent Director Europe at Sequoia Capital • David M. Brear – CEO of 11:FS • The late Catherine Wines – Co-Founder of WorldRemit • Chris Severson – Head of People and Culture at PMI • Sam Gyimah - Former UK Minister for Science, Technology, Universities and Innovation • Shefali Roy – Former COO and CCO of TrueLayer • And Tara Lajumoke – Managing Director of FT Strategies As firm believers in the power of mentorship, finding out who has inspired our guests is always so interesting to hear. This episode will also give you some ideas of who you can turn to and how to reach out to new mentors, which is a question we often get asked. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since we started the 40 Minute Mentor podcast, we had the honour of speaking to so many mission-driven founders who have shown that business can be a force for good. They’ve been full of insights and inspiration, which is why we’re excited to bring you this compilation of our favourite moments from our conversations. You’ll hear from 11 amazing people who are all making a positive difference in a variety of ways: Alex Stephany, on what inspired him to start Beam, the world’s first online platform that crowdfunds employment training for homeless people. Jenny Costa, who discusses how her company, Rubies in the Rubble, creates condiments with a conscience from unwanted fruit and veg. Tessa Clarke on how she scaled up her free food sharing app Olio with no budget into a global success story. Kresse Wesling CBE, and how her mission to stop the nation’s landfills overflowing has become an award-winning business creating luxury goods from reclaimed material. Mo Gawdat on the tragedy that shaped his mission to spread joy through the One Billion Happy movement. Rachael Crook who was inspired to create a better caregiving system both for carers and those providing care, through her Lifted platform. Sophie Adelman Co-Founder of White Hat, now Multiverse, on how they’re helping to unleash potential by providing apprenticeship programmes. Henry Faber and Walter Kerr on the thinking behind Oppidan and the transformative power of a platform that pairs pupils with mentors. Juliet Davenport, the brains behind green energy supplier Good Energy, on the small changes we can all make to have a big impact. Dan Murray-Serter, Founder of supplement provider Heights, who gives the low down on the nutrients your brain needs to stay healthy. And Martin Morales on how his success in the music business, as a restauranteur and setting up social enterprises, has been influenced by his life experiences. Whether you run your own social enterprise or are thinking of starting one, you won’t want to miss this compilation of inspiring stories in this episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk Offer for our listeners: The fantastic team at The Portfolio Collective are offering all our listeners a Pioneer membership for free for one month. Simply use the code 'TPC-JBM' to become a Pioneer today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of our 40 Minute Mentor Series Five compilation, we delve a little deeper into the inner workings of some of the most successful businesses. In this episode we hear from Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google X and Founder of One Billion Happy, Andy Davis, Founder of 10x10, Roberta Lucca, Co-Founder of Bossa Studios, Grace Beverley, CEO of SHREDDY and TALA, Brett Wigdortz, Founder of Teach First and Co-Founder and CEO of Tiney, Juliet Davenport CEO of Good Energy and Gary Stewart, CEO of FounderTribes. We look at the importance of nurturing a positive team culture, with an emphasis on diversity from the boardroom down. We find out how you can make your business environmentally friendly in a bid to counter climate change and with a growing shift towards purpose-driven careers, we look at how you can find personal fulfillment through your work. It was such a pleasure doing these interviews and if you enjoyed this special two-part roundup, make sure you check out the full episodes in series 5. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our 40 Minute Mentor Series 5 was packed to the brim with candid advice and insights from some of the most inspirational leaders across industries. To relieve some of our favourite parts, we’ve decided to release a special 2-part ‘best bits’ compilation episode. In part one you’ll hear from: Sir Clive Woodward and the importance of creating an environment where your whole team feel comfortable enough to speak up and disagree Andy Davis, Co-Founder of 10x10 and his journey to becoming an entrepreneur. Alice Bentinck MBE, Co-Founder of Entrepreneur First on the characteristics and traits she looks out for when choosing Founders to invest in. Gary Stewart, CEO of FounderTribes on why businesses should be looking to hire proven entrepreneurs. Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy and the importance of getting exactly the right people in place to build a successful business. Grace Beverley, Founder of SHREDDY and TALA on her entrepreneurial journey and her experience of being such a young CEO. Rachel Carrell, Founder of Koru Kids, shares how Koru Kids adapted to the pandemic.  And Mo Gawdat, Founder of One Billion Happy and Host of the Slo Mo podcast, shares why mentorship is so important. It was such a please to sit down with these inspirational 40 Minute Mentors, so if you enjoy today’s compilation episode, make sure you listen back to their full episode in series 5. Thanks to our sponsors A big thank you also to this episode’s sponsors – Treedom. Treedom is a B-Corp delivering social, economic and environmental benefits by working in partnership with local NGOs and smallholder farmers, enabling people and companies to plant trees remotely. They’ve generously given us a 20% discount code* for all of our listeners. Simply enter ‘40MINUTEMENTOR’ at checkout over on the Treedom website to redeem the offer. *This offer can be used once per person and it expires at the end of 2021. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the World Cup winning England Rugby coach and former Director of Sport for the London 2012 Olympics, Sir Clive Woodward. After spending his childhood with big dreams of becoming a professional footballer, it was playing rugby at his local club as a kid that started Sir Clive down the path to becoming the first England Coach to lift the Rugby World Cup in 2003. What people don’t always know is that rugby only went professional in the late 90s. And while Sir Clive was playing for England and the British Lions in the 1980s, he was also doing his ‘day job’, running his own Finance & Leasing company. As you’ll hear in this episode, he has since applied much of what he learned in the boardroom to his sterling work on the pitch. During our conversation, we cover some really fascinating topics, including: How running a successful business is fundamentally the same as coaching a winning Rugby team. Why you need to become comfortable with pressure if you want to be able to handle it effectively. And the importance of creating a culture where everyone feels comfortable enough to contribute, no matter how controversial their ideas might be. Sir Clive has achieved so much over the years and it was an absolute honor to speak to him for this podcast. No matter whether you’re an avid Rugby fan or you’re simply hungry to succeed in your career, we know you’ll benefit to much from Sir Clive’s advice and insights throughout this episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Sir Clive, take a look at his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirclivewoodward If you want to find out more about Sir Clive’s Apex2100 Ski Academy, head over to – https://apex2100.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Co-founder of Bossa Studios and Host of the Hyper Curious Podcast, Roberta Lucca. As her podcast title suggests, Roberta has built a career on her curiosity and it’s paid off in spades. Bossa Studios is a huge multimillion-dollar Games business, which won a BAFTA in 2012, and resulted in Roberta being named on the Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech in 2018. Roberta’s success is testament to her drive and commitment, but as every entrepreneur will be able to relate to, it hasn’t come without its struggles. She talks with refreshing honesty about being a high achiever dealing with a tricky inner critic and battling burnout at various times during her career. During our conversation, we cover some really interesting topics, including: The importance of luck in business and how you can adjust your sail, but you can’t control the wind. The benefits of being strict with the time you allocate to different projects and the importance of being a person first and an entrepreneur second. And how we should all challenge companies on their initiatives to drive diversity and create an inclusive culture. It was such a pleasure to have Roberta on the podcast. She talks so passionately about her work, and about the emphasis she puts on being a good role model and a good person. If you’re a founder or an aspiring entrepreneur yourself, we know you’ll get a lot of great insights and advice from this episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Roberta, take a look at her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertalucca/ If you want to find out more about Bossa Studios, head over to – https://www.bossastudios.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the CEO and Founder of Good Energy, Juliet Davenport OBE. From childhood dreams of being a racing driver, to becoming one of the leading voices in tackling climate change, Juliet’s been on an incredible journey and we’re so excited for her to share it with us in today’s episode. Juliet launched Good Energy in 2002, and almost 20 years later, Good Energy now supports over 73,000 homes, businesses and communities, which has led to Juliet being rewarded with an OBE for services to renewables. We cover some really fascinating topics in this episode, including: The lessons Juliet and the team have learned while building a successful mission-driven business and how they’ve adapted their growth plans in the face of the global pandemic. The importance of getting hiring new talent right and making sure the whole team (old and new) share a similar mindset and ultimately get behind the mission of the business. And how you can make changes in your own life, focusing on where you live, what you eat, and how you get around, to help move towards net-zero emissions. Juliet is so passionate about Good Energy’s mission and making sure everyone enjoys the journey that they’re on. She talks with refreshing honesty about the hurdles she’s faced, and the tricky decisions she’s had to make over the years, which we know many founders will resonate with. If you’re thinking of building a mission-driven business yourself, you definitely won’t want to miss this episode and Juliet’s crucial insights from her own journey with Good Energy. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about Juliet, take a look at her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-davenport-643564/ If you want to find out more about Good Energy, head over to – https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices