Jimmy's Jobs of the Future

Our guest today is Dan Bladen, the founder of Kadence, an online software helping manage hybrid workspaces.When I first met Dan in Number 10, he was running his wireless charging business - Chargify - until the pandemic decimated everything he had built.In the years since, Dan has become a thought leader in the future of work, with his silicon valley startup, Kadence, backed by Intel and Hewlett Packard to name a few. In this episode, we talk about how Dan pivoted from a hardware business to software, why the current form of hybrid working is doomed to fail and how his faith makes him comfortable with taking risks.And of course, make sure you listen to the end to hear which book changed his life.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift- you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.You can sign up to Jimmy's Notebook here.Once again thank you to our series partner Octopus Group, a collection of 8 entrepreneurially minded businesses that look to back the people, ideas, and industries that will change the world.In this episode we talk about:How the pandemic decimated his first startup- and how he shifted from a Hardware business to Software.How his background as a musician and love of Peloton resulted in the name Kadence.The importance of Rhythm in building our working lives.Why did it take a whole pandemic for us to take the future of work seriously?Building for the connected age.What does the future of work look like to Dan- will we ever get an answer or will we always keep changing our desires?The framework of hybrid working - and why the current form of hybrid working is doomed to fail.Why do US and UK workers have such different views of the office?What is Silicon Valley’s attitude to the office in particular?Kadence’s all-star lineup of investors - and did they follow him through the pivot? How his faith makes him very comfortable with taking risks.The attitude to religion in the US vs UK startup cultures.An inspiring piece of content -  Andy Crouch - The Life We're Looking ForSubscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode sees the return of Alex Depledge, CEO and co-founder of RESI.Not only is she one of the UK's most impressive female entrepreneurs, she previously came on Jimmy's Jobs in our second season.Our show has grown massively since then and so has RESI- so we thought we'd catch up and do another episode about the founding of RESI and their business journey along the way.We also cover how people can insulate their homes and renovate them in the most environmentally friendly way possible. We also delve into why the government must reset its relationship with businesses. Alex is part of Liz Truss's taskforce for Fast Growth Female Enterprises so when she says that relationship is at an all-time low, she isn't kidding. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, released every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Notebook here.Once again thank you to our series partner Octopus Group, a collection of 8 entrepreneurially minded businesses that look to back the people, ideas, and industries that will change the world.In this episode with Alex we talk about:Where did the name RESI come from?Where did the idea for it start?What does RESI do?How do customers discover RESI?How COVID helped RESI be accepted by consumersThe technology that helps RESI visualise buildsHow many builds has RESI done so far?What do RESI consumers most benefit from? RESI’s increasing focus on the environment.Alex’s advice to entrepreneurs looking to raise money.The next stages of where RESI goes.The key skills of an entrepreneur and how RESI hires for them.What makes a good Business Development hireWhere does resilience come into being an entrepreneur?Have we started to ignore macroeconomic shocks as there have been so many?Why the new government needs to reset its relationship with business.Pass the mic- the female entrepreneurs that really impress Alex. If Alex was 22 in 2022, what sector would she work in?A piece of content that Alex finds inspiring.A quote she lives by.  Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guests are Simon Hood and Charlene Mitchell-Hood, the Founders of Sooper Books - an online children's book platform transforming the way parents and kids engage with reading.It has even been described as the Netflix for children’s books.They currently have over 1 million monthly users on their website and rank #1 on Google for bedtime stories in over 50 countries, attracting the attention of Penguin, Disney, BBC, Netflix, and Harper Collins.This episode is their first ever podcast and we talk about how they took the leap from traditional city jobs to launching their own startup, how they grew the business to 1 million monthly users in just 6 weeks and their new campaign to get kids reading for free.Quitting their full-time jobs to pursue their passion was only the tip of the iceberg. The market was competitive and dominated by publishing giants unwilling to change- through their disruptive approach using analytics and audience retention, they were able to overcome burnout and build a double Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated team.This is a fascinating episode - make sure you listen to the end to hear their thoughts on the future of jobs in publishing.Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, released every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Notebook here.Once again thank you to our series partner Octopus Group, a collection of 8 entrepreneurially minded businesses that look to back the people, ideas, and industries that will change the world.In this episode we talk to Simon and Charlene about:How did they come up with the name Sooper Books?Their journey from big city jobs to starting the business.Going from zero to 1 million views in just 6 weeks.The moment they decided to quit their full-time jobs. How bringing data into reading is changing the publishing industry. The formula they use to create infinite storylines.What it's like to be Husband and Wife co-founders- and why the work-life balance becomes even more crucial.Where are the jobs of the future in publishing?The first hires of their business.Their plans for the future and building the Netflix for Children’s booksWhy did they do a round of Angel investing?How you can read for free everyday with Sooper Books.Their inspiration from Roald Dahl.Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is Anna Brailsford, the CEO of Code First Girls, a UK-based coding school giving free coding education to women. They have just raised £4.5m and are using it to create 1 million learning opportunities for women . Code First Girls was set up to alleviate the colossal gender gap that exists in coding. It is actually quite frightening: 93% of all professional tech developers identify as men.The consequences of this are very real too - GCHQ has partnered with Code First Girls to improve their diversity in order to tackle threats ranging from foreign states to child online safety.With coding guaranteed to be one of THE jobs of the future, this is a fascinating episode with the woman in charge of making sure that everyone can access this vital skill set. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Notebook here.Once again thank you to our series partner Octopus Group, a collection of 8 entrepreneurially minded businesses that look to back the people, ideas and industries that will change the world.In this episode with Anna we discuss:  Code First Girls - Where did the name come from?Why the name is beloved by the CFG community How big the CFG community has grown to become a global community How do they define coding as a skill? The challenge of explaining coding to a 10-year-old Anna’s career-long passion for ed-tech inspired by her mum’s entrepreneurial lifestyle Important skills people need to have for the future If Anna was 22 in 2022 what sector would she look to work inAnd why you don’t need a computer science degree The difference between being a CEO versus a founder and what makes an entrepreneurAnd why forgiving yourself is so important Code First Girl’s huge news announcement… a £4.5m raise and a £1 billion economic opportunity for women. What jobs are CFG hiring for? Why having more women in our security services makes the UK harder to attack. Their collaboration with BAE systems Why has coding been dominated by men in the past? How did Anna find female mentors? Anna’s advice for young people graduating now: Understand your own worth and realise that not everything comes at once. What book would she recommend - Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed Pass the mic- other female entrepreneurs that deserve more spotlight - Michelle Kennedy Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The brand new series of Jimmy's Jobs of the Future is here - and you're going to love it.We're launching with one of the most inspiring UK entrepreneurial stories with Romi Savova from PensionBee. In series 5 we talked to some of the biggest institutions in the UK, including the Bank of England and the next Prime Minister of the UK, Liz Truss. In this series we are going back to our roots with a female founder who has taken a business from seed funding right through to IPO, transforming lives and the pension industry with it.  Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, including next week's guest Anna Brailsford, CEO of Code First Girls.You can sign up to Jimmy's Notebook here.Once again thank you to our series partner Octopus Group, a collection of 8 entrepreneurially minded businesses that look to back the people, ideas and industries that will change the world.In this episode, we talk with Romi about: Where did the name PensionBee come from?  The early stages of PensionBee- how she raised such a large seed round. The first hires Romi made and why this was always made with the ecosystem in mind. Her lifelong passion for pensions. Transforming lives with the biggest financial decisions of their life. Where has Romi made hires where she didn’t expect to? Transforming pension marketing. How Romi brings in the value of love into the workplace. The distinctive culture and how that attracts certain types of talent- but also may repel others. Taking her children to the listing on the London Stock Exchange. How did she deal with the pandemic? Adapting her own skillset. Changing from a big finance background to a solo entrepreneur- what skills did she learn and what did she leave behind?  The rise of ESG investing and why it is getting even more necessary. How the government can help entrepreneurial journeys- and why that means government stability. If she was starting now, what would’ve been the greatest help to the entrepreneurial ecosystem? Balancing children and taking a business from seed to IPO. What content does she find most inspiring? Pass the mic- Seen On Screen founder, Bonnie Lister Parsons.  Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In August we hosted the first-ever live show of Jimmy's Jobs of the Future at The Selkirk in Tooting.It was amazing to see so many listeners in real life and the whole evening was an unforgettable experience and milestone in the journey of the show. We can't do it all again soon. This episode is the recording of the live show to give you a taste of what you may have missed out on: a brilliant discussion with Patch Founder Freddie Fforde.Freddie is an inspiring entrepreneur looking to solve the office Vs work-from-home dilemma by offering something of a middle ground- Work Near Home.  It's a great concept and in a world of increasingly polarised extremes it's nice to see sometimes the solution to a complex issue is down the middle of the road. We're releasing this as an extended teaser for our new season that is launching on Wednesday 7th September - subscribe to make sure you don't miss it!Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the news you've been waiting for...The new series of Jimmy's Jobs will launch next Wednesday 7th September.Last season was a recording-breaking season for Jimmy's Jobs, starting with the Governor of the Bank of England and finishing with the candidates to be Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. This new series I'm kicking off with one of the most incredible female founders in Romi Savova, CEO and co-founder of PensionBee. It's a remarkable journey, going from seed to IPO in less than a decade and it's a fabulous discussion about her compelling story as well as how they innovated in part due to their way of hiring...Later in the series, we're talking to other amazing guests like Anna Brailsford from Code First Girls, Tania Boler from Elvie and Paul Bate from the UK Space Agency. And finally, thank you the Listeners for spreading the word about this show and making the Jimmy's Jobs community what it is today. We'll have a teaser episode of our first ever live show this Saturday before the series starts in earnest on Wednesday.Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the last two episodes of our 5th season.On Friday, I hosted the conservative leader hustings in Eastbourne and got to ask the candidates, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, their thoughts on the future of the economy and how the jobs of the future will play into their mandate.For the first time ever on a podcast, we are democratising these interviews for the wider public to hear, splitting the two candidates across two separate episodes. This is our second podcast from the event, this time with Rishi Sunak, who has incidentally been on Jimmy’s Jobs before in January. In this interview, I ask Rishi how he is going to help businesses keep the lights on and what he most admires in his opponent, Liz.This series has been the biggest yet for Jimmy’s Jobs- launching with the Governor of the Bank of England and ending with the future Prime Minister (whoever that may be). We also hosted our first live event where it was so amazing to see you all in person.We’ll be returning after a short break with our 6th series, where we’ll be hoping to reach even dizzier heights! As always, thanks for listening. Questions we ask Rishi Sunak: What is his pitch to the generation of voters that have only ever known crisis? How he will protect businesses from rising energy bills and keep the lights on? How will Rishi encourage people back into the workforce? Of all the decisions he made as a minister, what is the one that he would approach differently now? What was the moment Rishi decided to step into the arena and be a parliamentary candidate? If he was 22 in 2022, what sectors would she go into? His advice on raising daughters- that he covered in our original interview! What does Rishi think is his opponent’s greatest strength? Rishi then answers a series of questions from members of the audience, on topics ranging from cryptocurrency to transparency in government. Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the last two episodes of our 5th season.On Friday, I hosted the conservative leader hustings in Eastbourne and got to ask the candidates, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, their thoughts on the future of the economy and how the jobs of the future will play into their mandate.For the first time ever on a podcast, we are democratising these interviews for the wider public to hear, splitting the two candidates across two separate episodes. And, just like in the real event, first up is Liz Truss. We ask Liz a wide range of topics from how she will better help scale-ups to what her favourite podcast is- all the while trying to steer the conversation towards more than just tax… As you may have seen in the news, Liz's Q&A with the audience was interrupted by protestors, which we have for obvious reasons edited out. Otherwise, the interview is the same as it was live. This series has been the biggest yet for Jimmy’s Jobs- launching with the Governor of the Bank of England and ending with the future Prime Minister (whoever that may be). We also hosted our first live event where it was so amazing to see you all in person.We’ll be returning after a short break with our 6th series, where we’ll be hoping to reach even dizzier heights! As always, thanks for listening. Questions we ask Liz Truss: What is her pitch to the generation of voters that have only ever known crisis? How she will protect businesses from rising energy bills? What was the moment she decided to step into the arena and be a parliamentary candidate? How will she encourage people back into the workforce? If she was 22 in 2022, what sectors would she go into? Britain is the best place in the world to start a business- but what more will she do to help scale ups? How would she improve share ownership in the UK? What her favourite podcast is? What does she think is her opponent’s greatest strength? What is her advice on raising two daughters in the 21st Century? Liz then answers a series of questions from members of the audience, on topics ranging from how to get disabled people into work to the climate crisis.Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you define an entrepreneur? I think this is one of the most interesting questions and one that has serious effects for public policy.Are you an entrepreneur when you start hiring people? Is a freelancer an entrepreneur? Or, in fact, is anyone who starts any organisation an entrepreneur?Brett Wigdortz, today's guest, is a great example of blurring the boundaries of these definitions. He founded Teach First nearly 20 years ago to solve the public policy issue of getting more ambitious graduates to start their careers in teaching. It has been a tremendous success and is still the largest public sector graduate recruiter in the UK. We talk to Brett about the journey of founding Teach First and why now he is aiming to solve the childcare sector with his new venture, Tiney.  This is our penultimate episode in our 5th series, with it all culminating next week in our interviews with the candidates to be the next British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. In this episode with Brett we talk about: How being a football referee taught him to ignore others when they’re rude to you. Creating the largest graduate recruiter in the UK- and where did the name Teach First come from? The cultural change that was achieved by Teach First. How he worked with the government to get the project started. The challenge of creating Tiney - and stepping back from such a huge project of Teach First.  The latent sexism in addressing early years care. The Airbnb of childcare. Choosing to create a venture-backed company, not a charity- why did he do it differently? Structuring his year off and how to decide what to do next. If Brett was 22 in 2022 where he would choose to work? What does he think his kids will do? The quote he lives by. Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices