40 Minute Mentor

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Angel Investor and Co-Founder of 10x10, Andy Davis. From early employment as a presenter on Nickelodeon to being named one of Business Insider’s 100 People Transforming Business, Andy’s career is a truly inspirational one, which has found him enjoying success as both a founder and an investor. Interestingly, Andy doesn’t see himself as an entrepreneur, but as a “problem solver” – whether that be in the form of his own startups or in helping first-time black founders find investment through 10x10. In 2020, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement Andy also released the Black Report, which examines the landscape facing black founders in the UK. While much of it makes for grim, but unfortunately unsurprising, reading, it also points to a brighter future for D&I, with black founders more likely to build refreshingly diverse teams. We cover some really eye-opening areas in our conversation, including: How vanity won’t help your business, but honesty will. How the word “and” can sound the death knell for a startup, with too many add-ons overshadowing the real point of interest. And why Andy looks for obsession in his founders – the willingness to run through walls to get the end result. If you’re thinking about launching a startup, particularly as a black founder looking for investment opportunities, you won’t want to miss 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 Andy, take a look at his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrandydavis/ If you want to find out more about 10x10, head over to – https://10x10.fund/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Grace Beverley, the CEO and Founder of sports tech brand, SHREDDY and TALA, a clothing brand specializing in sustainable sports fashion. At just 24, Grace has achieved so much already, from founding her two massively successful businesses to writing her book “Working Hard, Hardly Working”, which was subject of a nine-way auction with publishers champing at the bit to get their hands on it. And it’s easy to see why. Grace is the epitome of the modern entrepreneur – she understands the new business landscape and how you need to think quickly to adapt to it, and to be unafraid of making big changes to move your brand forward. We cover some really interesting topics in our conversation, including: The importance of modern brands being purpose-driven. How collaboration is the key to running a successful business, as well as knowing precisely where your own strengths lie. And why it is important that you invest well in the hiring process, and making sure to find the right people to join your business. We loved talking to Grace. She has found the path that is right for her, and her passion for her work really shines through in today’s conversation. If you’re thinking about launching your own business, or are looking to join a purpose-driven business, you won’t want to miss 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 Grace, take a look at her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-beverley-574a10102/ If you want to find out more about SHREDDY and TALA, head over to – https://www.shreddy.com/ and https://www.wearetala.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the Co-Founder of Entrepreneur First and Code First: Girls, Alice Bentinck MBE. Frustrated by a business landscape that found latent talent shackled by predetermined career paths, Alice set out to challenge cultural norms when she co-founded Entrepreneur First in 2011 – an accelerator that celebrates and invests in talented, ambitious individuals, and looks to match-make Co-Founders to launch successful businesses. Almost 10 years later, Entrepreneur First has launched over 300 companies with a value of well over £2billion, which is testament not only to their passion for the work they do, but also to their tenacity in the face of adversity in those early years. During our conversation we cover some really interesting and insightful areas, including: The most important traits to look for when you’re investing in talent and how to shift culturally pre-determined career paths. The many benefits of having a Co-Founder with a different skill set to you and how you can make the most of this relationship. And the importance of diversity in the workplace, and what businesses need to do to get through to diverse candidates. It was such a pleasure talking to Alice. She talks so openly about the importance of learning from your mistakes and always moving forward. If you’re thinking about launching a startup from scratch or are looking to attract a more diverse talent pool, you won’t want to give this episode a miss. 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 Alice, take a look at his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicebentinck/ If you want to find out more about Entrepreneur First, head over to – https://www.joinef.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the founder of Teach First, and co-founder and CEO of Tiney, Brett Wigdortz OBE. Driven by a sense of fairness, and a belief that all children should have access to the best education possible, Brett launched Teach First in 2002, convinced that it would ultimately become one of the biggest graduate recruiters and charities in the UK. His instincts were right. After 15 hugely successful years, he stepped down as CEO in 2017 and went on to set up Tiney, a digital startup aimed at positioning small nurseries in homes all around the country. As Brett explains in today’s episode, he saw an early years’ educational system that was completely broken, and made it his mission to fix it. During our conversation we cover some really interesting areas, including: Why resilience and self-belief are key when you’re starting a new business. The importance of getting a full picture of potential hires by talking to as many references as possible. And how to seek out the right mentors and use their knowledge and guidance in a way that suits you. Brett talks with great honesty about the lessons he has learned along the way, and how he might have done things differently – which is so inspiring and insightful from such a successful entrepreneur. If you’re thinking about launching a startup yourself, there are few people better placed to give you a full view of the business landscape – you won’t want to miss 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 Brett, take a look at his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-wigdortz-obe-5ba64b If you want to find out more about Tiney, head over to – https://www.tiney.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the founder and CEO of FounderTribes, Gary Stewart. Gary has had such a varied life and career. Born in Jamaica, raised in the Bronx, educated at Yale. He started his career in law, before moving to the UK to pursue his passion for startups. Through his work at Wayra UK he helped to launch 185 start-ups, and he has since launched FounderTribes, an app designed to democratise entrepreneurship by providing founders with the right advice, networks and ultimately capital, no matter what their background, nor where they sit on the socio-economic spectrum. Gary is such an inspiration, and we cover some really important and hard-hitting topics in today’s episode, including: The importance of not letting other people define you by your race, gender, or sexuality – particularly in business. How the challenges of starting a business will always be the same, no matter what your social strata. Plus, what companies need to do to level the playing field, and why adding Diversity and Inclusion ‘window dressing’ isn’t going to change anything. Gary is so inspiring and passionate about the mission he’s on and it was fantastic to speak to a leader who is so driven to challenge and change the assumptions people have about race and gender in the workplace. If you’re thinking about launching your own startup or are looking for ways to play your part in pushing D&I forward in your sector, you’ll definitely want to listen to today’s 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 Gary, take a look at his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garystew/ If you want to find out more about FounderTribes, head over to - https://foundertribes.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the Founder and CEO of Koru Kids, Rachel Carrell. After a successful career in strategy and innovation, including working at McKinsey and growing the healthcare company DrThom to 1.3 million paying users in 3 countries, Rachel took the leap and launched her own business, Koru Kids. The idea for Koru Kids was born out of her own frustration with the lack of affordable childcare options for working parents and is now London’s fastest growing childcare brand. Not only has the business survived the multiple lockdowns of the past 12 months, but it’s thrived. Navigating the restrictions and changing its business model at pace. Speaking to Rachel was truly inspiring and we cover some really interesting topics in our conversation, including: The importance of getting the other areas of your life on track, both financially and emotionally, before launching a startup. The power of creating a positive working environment, and why you want to focus on ensuring that everyone is on the same page. And the self-talk that’s helped Rachel through the tough times over the last year, her advice to others and why we all need to find our own “Sasha Fierce”. Rachel is so passionate and shares so many insights on how to ensure that everyone around her, from her clients to her employees, feel positively about the business. If you’re thinking about launching a startup, or if you’re looking to build a positive work culture around you, you’ll definitely want to listen to 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 Rachel, take a look at her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachcarrell/ If you want to find out more about Koru Kids, head over to – https://www.korukids.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the infectiously optimistic and inspiring former Chief Business Officer of Google X, author of Solve for Happy and Founder of One Billion Happy, Mo Gawdat. There’s no doubting Mo’s pedigree when you look at his career in tech – he made giant leaps up the ladder at IBM, BAT, Microsoft, and Google – but his real passion lies in spreading happiness around the world and promoting purpose-driven careers. Following the tragic death of his son Ali in 2014, Mo wrote his book Solve for Happy, applying his skills as an engineer to understanding human emotion. Today he continues to share Ali’s legacy of joy and fulfilment in all areas of life. Speaking to Mo was an absolute joy. He has such wisdom and clarity about what it takes to make sure you have as rewarding a career as possible and that you don’t find yourself unhappy at work just for the sake of climbing the ladder. We cover some really fascinating topics in our conversation, including: The importance of making sure you savour and enjoy the work you are doing while you’re doing it. Recognising the aspects of your job that don’t resonate with you even if you don’t know exactly what your purpose is yet. And the importance of being selfless in the workplace. Mo is someone who has achieved so much in his career, but who talks with such refreshing humility. No matter what stage of your career you’re in, listening to Mo will inspire you to make positive changes to your life and find what you’re truly passionate about. 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 Mo, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mogawdat/ If you want to find out more about One Billion Happy, head over to - https://www.linkedin.com/company/one-billion-happy/ If you haven’t read Mo’s book ‘Solve for Happy’ yet, make sure you check it out at - https://www.solveforhappy.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JBM SOS and Spring Partners are proud to be launching this bonus feature of the 40 Minute Mentor podcast. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, including the way we work and how we collaborate with our teams. To help us answer some of the most burning questions about improving WFH set ups, managing global teams remotely and what the future of offices will look like, we’re joined by an incredible panel in today’s episode, including Nicki Lynch and Joanne Thompson, Founding Partners at Spring Partners and Roger Hassan, COO at TIER Mobility. We cover some great topics in today’s episode, including: Whether or not employers and employees have benefited or suffered from the switch to remote working. How organisations can maintain their pre-pandemic culture and offer inspiration to leaders, like you, on how you can recreate the office experience at home. And what the future of work will actually look like and how business leaders can prepare for the changes ahead. This is the perfect resource for anyone looking to plan towards the future and to work beyond a post-Covid world. We are excited to share our insights with you – so please enjoy my conversation with Nicki, Joanne and Roger! If you want to find out more about today’s panellists, check out their LinkedIn profile at – Nicki Lynch - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-lynch-46907423/ Joanne Thompson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jthompson23/ Roger Hassan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-hassan/ If you want to find out more about Spring Partners you can have a look at their website – https://wearespringpartners.com/ And if you want to find out more about TIER Mobility, have a look at - https://www.tier.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by the incredible Aron Gelbard, founder of the rocket ship flower delivery Scale Up, Bloom & Wild. Founded in 2013 Bloom & Wild has reinvented the flower delivery and gifting industry – using cutting edge technology and predictive analytics, innovative design (their flowers fit through a letterbox!) and guaranteeing the best quality and value for money as their flowers are sourced directly from growers. Their success has led to them recently securing a $100m Series D funding round from top VC’s which will help then hire more talent, expand their international foot print and launch new propositions and partnerships. A big part of Bloom & Wild’s success is down to Aron’s entrepreneurial spirit; he spotted a gap in the market, took the lessons he’d learned from his work as a consultant in Silicon Valley and he applied them to the floristry industry. Talking to Aron about building a disruptive business from the ground up was a real treat. He’s not afraid to share the important lessons he’s learned from his own mistakes, and his ethos of building a business fuelled by kindness is truly inspiring. We cover some great topics in today’s episode, including: The importance of being able to communicate clearly and effectively when you’re pitching to investors and also engaging with customers. How listening to feedback, both good and bad, is so crucial to building a successful business. And we discuss Bloom & Wild’s Thoughtful Marketing movement – a marketing campaign with the sensitivity of its customers at the core. Whether you’re a customer keen to hear about how Bloom & Wild’s growth story, an entrepreneur just starting out, or looking at how you can take your business to the next level like Aron has, this episode is packed full of inspiring advice and insights! 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 Aron, check out his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aron-gelbard-a075a11/ If you want to find out more about Bloom & Wild you can have a look at their website – https://www.bloomandwild.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It takes a certain type of person to trade being in a plush skyscraper in the middle of Manhattan for a trading estate on the outskirts of Leeds. But that’s exactly what today’s 40 Minute Mentor, Tom Elvidge, did when he moved from Goldman Sachs to Uber at the time when it was a little-known new entrant to the UK market. Tom played a fundamental role in taking it from a 3 person operation in a windowless room, to becoming one of the most recognisable companies in the UK. There were a few high-profile bumps along the way, as with every scaleup journey, but that’s what is so great about Tom – he’s not afraid to admit it and in this episode he openly share the lessons he’s learned from both his Uber experience as UK GM and also his subsequent role as EMEA COO at WeWork. We also got to discuss Tom’s new role as CEO of Arrival Mobility – a tech Unicorn that has set out to revitalise public transportation with cutting-edge, zero-emission electric vehicles . We cover some great topics in today’s episode, including: What Tom learnt from his early consulting career, and the lesson he learnt early on about taking your work seriously, but not yourself. How being open-minded about the roles that have come his way has been so crucial to his career. And how being a good leader often means trusting others and giving them the space to make mistakes I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Tom for a number of years so I loved talking to Tom about his scale-up career. He’s always so honest and never afraid to attribute his success to the people around him. This episode is full of priceless golden nuggets of advice. So, whether you’re in consulting or in a high growth scaleup, I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from his experience and brilliant advice. 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 Tom, check out his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-elvidge-0b2b1514/ If you want to find out more about Arrival Mobility you can have a look at their website – https://arrival.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices